Develop Overcoming Faith

Fresh Manna© by Pastor Tim Burt
http://readfreshmanna.blogspot.com/

1 John 5:4 (NIV) “…for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”

If there was ever a perfect weather night here where I live, Sunday night was it. We were at a large picnic grounds on a lake having our annual church picnic. We have over 6,000 people attend throughout the day. The little children had a great time in the petting zoo and riding the ponies. We had numerous inflatables for the kids of all ages to play in and a huge and tall climbing wall. The roasted sweet corn that was given out free all day was a great hit as was the free cotton candy for the children. The water in the lake was like bath water and the food and fellowship and games were absolutely fun. We were especially blessed with a nice breeze and no mosquitoes throughout the day.

We finished off the evening with a praise and worship and water baptism service in the lake. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. The sun was beginning to go down and the lake was picturesque – reflecting the tree line around the lake off the still water. The water was the temperature of bath water. It was the perfect evening.

We baptized over 250 people. One of those people was the highlight of the day for me. If you have ever seen anyone accomplish a great feat and then wear a smile that was so big that it almost made their face crack, that is how I would describe one of those whom I water baptized.

There were four Pastors in the water conducting the water baptism. I was out in the water where those in my line waded out to me one after another. I had just finished water baptizing a young lady when I looked up and saw a young man escorting a middle-aged gal very slowly out to me. She looked like she had trouble walking because she was holding on to his arm so tightly and walking so slowly. I called out to her to take her time as there was no hurry.

When she finally got out to me, she explained that she could not bend her knees and wondered if I’d just throw some water over her. She was terrified of me bringing her backward into and under the water and lifting her right back out. She was afraid I’d not be able to hold her and she’d sink like a rock. I assured her she had nothing to be afraid of because not only could I do it but the young man that helped her out to me was also going to help me. He and I comforted her, encouraged her, and reassured her over and over. She at last told us she was ready.

As I was speaking the words prior to baptizing her, she suddenly spoke “I can’t do this. I’m too afraid.” We comforted her further and assured her she would not be under the water for more than one second and that it would be easy and painless – actually it would be exciting as the Lord would touch her in a special way. I reminded her of a verse I taught and spoke to my children a thousand times as they grew up; “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Tim. 1:7) I patiently talked to her about overcoming her fears thorugh the strength of the Lord. She was encouraged and ready to try again. Again I was speaking the words prior to baptizing her when she again suddenly cried out, “I just can’t do this, I’m too afraid!” I would never pressure anyone to do anything they don’t want to do but deep down I sensed a strong desire within her to really want to be baptized this way. She just couldn’t get past this fear.

I encouraged her again telling her that she was about to defeat the enemy of her soul – the author of fear that had held her back from many things God wanted her to experience and be blessed with. “We will have you out of that water in one second’s time,” I assured her, “and you are about to experience the first of a series of victories in your life by overcoming your fears with your faith.” As today’s Fresh Manna verse says, “…for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”

She again said she was ready. I did not hesitate a moment. “I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” We brought her down and then right back up. That is when I witnessed one of the biggest smiles I have ever seen. We were rejoicing and cheering and high-fiving her as those on the beach cheered her on. Some were crying they were so happy for her. This was her first of her many victories with her overcoming faith.

Victory is sweet. I am not talking about sports competitions or anything like that. I am talking about overcoming the fears that the enemy of your soul terrorizes with to keep you from experiencing God’s best. It does take an effort in faith to experience them. For some one trying to shed a few pounds it takes the first, and second, and third, “no” to temptation. Each of those “no’s” become victories that add up and build momentum leading to larger victories.

To someone trying to stop something in their life or to someone trying to take on something in their life that God has been dealing with them about, the first and second “no” or “yes” are critical. But, each victory can lead to another when you lean on God in faith for His help. Then before long, you are the one that has overcome the world by your faith. You are the one that has a smile that is so big; it almost cracks your face

In His Love,
Pastor Tim Burt
http://readfreshmanna.blogspot.com/

Published by Pastor Tim Burt
Copyright© 2007
All rights reserved.

What is Fresh Manna? God’s Word – the Bible, should be exciting and alive to us. God wants to speak to us through His Holy Spirit and give us a fresh word from heaven every day. Fresh Manna is a daily devotional – that nourishment of daily bread from His heart to ours!

Live Your Life Devoted to God

Fresh Manna© by Pastor Tim Burt
http://readfreshmanna.blogspot.com/

Eph. 5:15-16 “Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”

Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord? Have you prayed personally to Him asking Him into your heart committing your life to Him? If you have you can call yourself blessed. If you have you can know that you have been granted by the sincerity of this choice, an open door to the secrets of Heaven – being taught of God’s love for you, His purpose for your life and His plan for all mankind, and His active and miraculous participation in your life daily as you seek Him. An open door lays before you today to fellowship with the God of this Universe, the one and only and Almighty God – your Heavenly Father through His Holy Spirit that has come to indwell with you.

Not everyone walks out their destiny in God in the same manner but we should all be devout in our pursuit of God. We should all seek God through prayer and His Word and having great faith that He will order our steps. Jeremiah 10:23 tells us, “I know, Lord, that a person’s life is not his own. No one is able to plan his own course.” We should plan out our days and our life the best we can ascertain but, Proverbs 16:9 makes it clear, that we will still fall far short unless we have a revelation that God alone is the one that can lead us down His path for our lives. “Proverbs 16:9 “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” Again that means that we have to seek Him through prayer and the study of His Word and then learn to listen to the promptings and leadings of the Holy Spirit.

As we do this we will realize that every person’s destiny in God will be different in what He has given us to do. What should not be different for us is the sincere and devout pursuit of God in our lives. Why? Because it is in being devout that the secrets of Heaven and God’s heart are revealed to ours. It isn’t that God won’t reveal His love and secrets to all. It’s just that they are only discovered through the pursuit of an intimate relationship and commitment to Him. It is much like the commitment of a great marriage. Most everyone wants one. Far too few have them. Why? Because of the level of commitment and love dedicated to having one from both parties.

In our relationship with God, we know He will be faithful. 2 Thes. 3:3 says, “But the Lord is faithful… He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” The Lord is faithful. It is His character. He can be nothing less. So in our relationship with God, He is not the problem. If there is a problem, we are the problem. If we will commit ourselves to Him as He has proven Himself faithful through Jesus Christ to us, we will have a supernatural life. So, what am I saying? We need to be devoted to Him.

Today’s Fresh Manna verse says, “Be very careful then how you live–not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” The Greek words that make up this verse imply that you be careful in what you are doing and what you participate or give yourself over to. Evaluate it in light of God’s Word. Check yourself often. Would your thoughts, would your words, and would your actions presently glorify God? Would they help lead others to Jesus? Would they cause others to see you as someone special? (Because they see Jesus in you.) This verse is saying that you are living in an evil world that will try to suck you in. You are to be careful not only to NOT be sucked in but to be something and someone different – one who lives for and represents God, not the ways of this world. This is living a devoted life.

Not only does God reveal secrets of His love and secrets of the supernatural life when you are devoted to Him, but He uses you. God uses the devoted in significant ways. Simeon was a devoted man that God revealed secrets to and gave Him great purpose. God revealed to Simeon that he would see the Messiah before he died and assigned Simeon to be one that would pray for the coming of the Messiah. Luke 2:25-30 says, “Now there was a man named Simeon who lived in Jerusalem. He was a righteous man and very devout. He was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he eagerly expected the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,”Lord, now I can die in peace! As you promised me, I have seen the Savior…”

Ananias was a devout man that God used to help heal and launch the ministry of another devout man, the Apostle Paul. After God spoke to Paul to tell him to follow Him, He sent Paul to Ananias. Acts 22:12 “A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there.”

Cornelius was a gentile man that did not know God but wanted to with all His heart. He prayed seeking God and giving alms to the poor and helping the Jews. He was absolutely devout in His pursuit of God. Acts 10:2 “He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.” God had an angel visit Peter and send him to Cornelius and his family. They became great believers and saints for God.

God tells us to be careful because we have an enemy that wants to seduce and destroy us. What is the answer to our protection? Be devout!

His Love,
Pastor Tim Burt
http://readfreshmanna.blogspot.com/

Published by Pastor Tim Burt
Copyright© 2007
All rights reserved.

What is Fresh Manna? God’s Word – the Bible, should be exciting and alive to us. God wants to speak to us through His Holy Spirit and give us a fresh word from heaven every day. Fresh Manna is a daily devotional – that nourishment of daily bread from His heart to ours!

Raise Your Children to Know God!

Fresh Manna© by Pastor Tim Burt
http://readfreshmanna.blogspot.com/

Gen 18:18-19 “Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I know him and have chosen him, so that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what He has promised him.”

It was 26 years ago. I was sitting in our family room one evening watching a little evening television. Stephanie was our first child at that time and was about eight months old. I had her sitting on a blanket next to me surrounded by baby paraphernalia – all the things she could stick in her mouth and bite on and play with to be happy. She was sitting there adorable and content. I was watching the television. When a commercial would come on, I would lean over and play with her for a couple of minutes until the show I was watching came back on. As the next series of commercials came on I would give Stephanie a few more minutes of attention.

This happened on and off a few times when suddenly the Lord spoke to my heart. “Is this the way you are going to raise your daughter – between commercials?” I was stunned when I heard this in my heart from the Lord. I just sat there for a minute. I turned off the TV and continued to sit still. The presence of the Lord was there with me. Stephanie continued to sit quietly and content.

The Lord reminded me of the Sunday morning of Stephanie’s baby dedication. I had been water baptized as a baby. When I gave my life to the Lord and started reading my Bible, I could not find any scriptural reason to baptize a baby. The Bible teaches that if anything happens to a child when they are young, they go to Heaven. There is an age of innocence. That’s why Jesus said in Luke 18:16, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” We all want to believe that little children go to Heaven when they die and rightly so. It’s true. That was the reason for baby dedication instead of infant baptism. Children already belong to God. This was more about parents dedicating and taking responsibility to raise their children in the Lord so that one day they would know Him and be able to make the choice themselves to follow Jesus. Then they could be baptized because of their own personal choice, something an infant can’t make. Receiving Jesus as Savior is an individual and personal decision that each person makes on their own.

Anyway, the Lord reminded me of that Sunday morning dedication. I remember the Pastor talking about today’s Fresh Manna verse – about how God chosen Abraham because He knew Abraham would direct his children in the things of the Lord. I had pledged in my heart to do what made God so pleased with Abraham. I promised to properly raise my children to know and follow the Lord. There was a powerful promise that is a part of this verse. It says that because Abraham will do this, the Lord will be able to bring about all that He promised. It says, “…For I have chosen him, so that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what He has promised him.”

I was instantly convicted in my heart that playing with Stephanie between the commercials wasn’t it. I went upstairs to talk to Renee about this experience with the Lord. She agreed completely and that night we made a pledge to the Lord. We would not turn on the television until they were in bed. Instead from the time dinner was over, we would play with her (later it was with them as we had four children,) and then spend a good hour each night just finding fun little ways to teach them about the Lord. We ended up doing so in the morning before school and at night. Deu 6:6-7 “And you must think constantly about these commandments I am giving you today. You must teach them to your children and talk about them when you are at home or out for a walk; at bedtime and the first thing in the morning.”

We bought animal puppets that we named and made up personalities for. We used them to create little life situations and stories to help teach the kids. The kids love it. As they got older they wanted to take the puppets and make up the stories while Renee and I watched them. We’d memorize scripture together. We always read from different kinds of Bible books that were age appropriate. We played music about the Lord and occasionally watched Bible videos. We did many fun little things along the way. We had little money in those days but what we had, we invested in things that would help them learn all about the Lord. We would always pray together as a family. Each one of the kids would pray from their heart unto the Lord out loud.

We had daily devotions with our children until they no longer lived at home. It became their way of life. When my daughter started dating her future husband, they ended almost every night together sitting on our couch reading the Bible and praying together before he went home. They all love the Lord and are serving Him today.

I’ve heard people say, “One Word from God can change your life.” That statement is so true. That night 26 years ago started us down a road that has led us to more blessings than I could ever express. My children loving God is the greatest blessing of all!

In His Love,
Pastor Tim Burt
http://readfreshmanna.blogspot.com/

Published by Pastor Tim Burt
Copyright© 2007 Tim Burt, All rights reserved.

What is Fresh Manna? God’s Word – the Bible, should be exciting and alive to us. God wants to speak to us through His Holy Spirit and give us a fresh word from heaven every day. Fresh Manna is a daily devotional – that nourishment of daily bread from His heart to ours!