A Gift From God to You!

By Pastor Tim Burt

1 Cor. 14:18 “I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.”

Have you ever experienced what are seemingly impossible circumstances to overcome while at the same time feeling that God through His word was trying to comfort you and encourage you to trust in Him through faith? Then you are in company with Abraham. God made promises to he and Sarah that were naturally impossible.

Romans 4:18-19 tells us, “When God promised Abraham that he would become the father of many nations, Abraham believed him. God had also said, “Your descendants will be as numerous as the stars,” even though such a promise seemed utterly impossible! And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though he knew that he was too old to be a father at the age of one hundred and that Sarah, his wife, had never been able to have children.”

What did Abraham do when God spoke this promise to him? It says “Abraham believed Him.” It says, “Abraham’s faith did not weaken” despite impossible circumstances. That is why Abraham is considered the father of faith.

Great and unwavering faith is pleasing to God and what God responds to. Hebrews 11:6 says, “So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that there is a God and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.”

We continue to see the importance of faith and the curse of doubt in James 1:6-8. “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting. For he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

So now, let’s get real. I want you to think for a moment. How many times have you been in an adverse situation and you have prayed asking God for a miracle only to spill the hopelessness of your situation and unbelief in a later conversation? We so badly want to believe the promise of God’s Word and pray and be in faith, but our head seems to immediately get in the way.

In Mark chapter 9 we read the story of a man whose son has been possessed with evil spirits and is tormented. He begs Jesus to help his son. This man has lived with this situation for many years. Jesus does to him what He tries to do with us – give us hope.

We read: “The evil spirit often makes him fall into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us. Do something if you can.” “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” The father instantly replied, “I do believe, but help me not to doubt!” Mark 9:22-24

Haven’t we all been in the role of that man to some degree? We know God can do anything. We want to believe He wants to. But in our prayer for help, like the father we cry “I do believe, but help me not to doubt!”

This is one of the reasons the gift of tongues is such a precious gift. As I began to say yesterday, the gift of tongues is a gift from God. When I pray in tongues, I do not know what I am praying. I am praying in a language I do not understand. But, God understands! It is a mystery to me but not to Him. They become prayers unhindered with unbelief – prayers of faith that God can respond to. 1 Cor. 14:2 says, “For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.”

When we know what we pray, it becomes the battle ground of spiritual warfare. The mind is where Satan wages war. He tries to move us into unbelief and doubt. When Jesus was in the desert being tempted by Satan, Jesus resisted Satan by the Word and promise of God. He is our model. We do try to do that but, sometimes it’s a struggle. Sometimes more than others and usually in the mind.

If we don’t know what we are praying but simply become a yielded vessel of the Holy Spirit to pray in tongues, we are told here that we don’t know what we are praying but we are praying mysteries. The Greek word for “mysteries” means secrets. They are secrets to us but not to God. That means God knows what we are praying. We simply don’t. What’s the benefit of that? Satan can’t bring doubt to it because he does not know what we are praying.

Satan doesn’t know but the Holy Spirit does. He is the one that knows our heart and helps us pray in tongues. Romans 8:26 says, “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don’t even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.” The Greek word for groanings, means to literally speak unintelligible words – or words that we don’t understand. That is another language or tongues.

The Apostle Paul who wrote three-fourths of the New Testament prayed in tongues more than anyone. 1 Cor. 14:18 says, “I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.” In 1 Cor. 14:39 he said, “… and don’t forbid speaking in tongues.” What language is tongues? Paul said, in 1 Cor 13: 1 that they are the language of “men or angels.” Tongues is a supernatural gift given to anyone that seeks God for the gift. But, like we started out today examining – you don’t receive anything from God unless it’s in faith and that includes tongues.

The man without pride will admit that his life is filled with circumstances and situations that are beyond his reach and control. God wants us to lean on Him but understands the mental warfare we face. The gift of tongues was a gift given to Christians to help strengthen our faith and prayers overcoming the attacks of unbelief. It is a gift to you! More next time…

If you would like a free book to help you learn more about the gift of tongues, write to: info@lwcc.org giving them your name and address and ask for the book Water, Wind, and Fire. I hope it will be of great blessing to you. I am confident it will help you with questions you may have.

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

Published by Pastor Tim Burt
Copyright© 2008 Tim Burt, All rights reserved

“A Secret to Spiritual Strength”

By Pastor Tim Burt

1 Cor. 14:2 (NIV) For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.”

Imagine if you would, that the Lord asked you to do this. “I want you to tell me three things I’ve previously spoken to you about building into your life and three things I’ve asked you to eliminate or spend much less time doing.” “Pull out a piece of paper and a pen this very moment and list those things and tell me what they are.”

I believe that some of you could list those things without much thought needed. I do because I think you have already spent much time thinking about them. You may even be upset with yourself for still doing some of those things you know you need to reduce or eliminate. I also think that you have already talked with the Lord and made the decision to do some of those things He has asked you to do, but you just haven’t done them yet.

I am writing this today because I hear these kinds of statements from people frequently in all kinds of conversations – especially when people are being honest and disclosing.

I’ve heard people say; “I just want to get up earlier and spend more time in the Word before work.” “I really want to spend some quiet time in prayer before work but I am so tired in the morning – to be honest, from staying up too late at night watching television or on my computer.” “The Lord has been dealing with me to find a church I can feel apart of and help out in.” “I think I’ve apologized to the Lord a hundred times for ……. I need to get a handle on this.” “The Lord speaks to me about sharing Jesus but I get so intimidated that I only end up thinking about it.” “The Lord and my wife have been speaking to me about watching less television and spending more time being with my kids.” “I go through this ritual every weekend where I intend to go to church, but then I let the most ridiculous excuses get in the way. I know I should be there – that it’s good for me!”

These are just a fraction of the kinds of honest disclosures I hear people say. They say them because they mean them. They are embarrassed to some degree about them. The most interesting thing is – they know them! They have heard from God and they know them. I think that for those of us in Christ who really love Him and care about His direction for our life, we have heard from the Lord and we do know them! So then, the question has to be asked, “Why don’t we move into the place of obedience and do them?”

The answer seems almost too simple, but I believe it is the answer. We have heard from God and that is why we do know what He wants us to do. Then we take what we hear from Him, and we try to execute it naturally – we try to do it in our own natural strength. Thus – we fail! The Apostle Paul experienced the same frustration in his spiritual growth and development that we read about in Romans chapter 7. He said, “I don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience shows that I agree that the law is good. But I can’t help myself, because it is sin inside me that makes me do these evil things.” Romans 7:15-17 (NLT)

Paul went on to learn that he couldn’t work out the changes God was speaking to him about in his own natural strength. The power of sin was stronger that his natural ability and strength to overcome it. But, he was not stranded; he had the power of the Holy Spirit. He could win if he leaned on the supernatural side – if he leaned on the power of Holy Spirit. He wrote: Romans 8:9 & 11 “But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them are not Christians at all.)” “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as He raised Christ from the dead, He will give life to your mortal body by this same Spirit living within you.”

The most sincere truth I could ever impart to you is that I could, I have, and I would fail in my own efforts to be more Christ-like if I didn’t have the Holy Spirit to lean on. But let me be even more clear at the risk of creating a stir amongst some of you as readers. I could, I have, and I would fail in my own efforts to be more Christ-like if I didn’t have the gift of tongues from the Holy Spirit to pray in to strengthen me. Praying in the Holy Spirit – in tongues – provides me and inward strength that helps take me to new levels of obedience in God. It’s where the things that God is speaking to me about move from thought (and procrastination) to action – IF I will pray in tongues.

The gift of tongues is a gift from God. When I pray in tongues, I do not know what I am praying. I am praying in a language I do not understand. But, God understands! It is a mystery to me but not to Him. They become prayers unfettered with unbelief – prayers of faith that God can respond to. 1 Cor. 14:2 (NIV) says, “For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.”

This is where I find the strength – where the Apostle Paul found the strength – to turn what God is asking us to do into action! Want to hear more. You will tomorrow…

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

Published by Pastor Tim Burt
Copyright© 2008 Tim Burt, All rights reserved

I Never Said That!

By Renee Burt

Has someone ever confronted you and said something like, “Hey, I heard that you said this about so and so, and I happen to know it’s not true.” Or it might be even worse, “Hey, I heard you said this about me, and I don’t appreciate it.” At times like those you can feel the blood rush to your head, you feel alarms going off in your head…red alert, red alert…and the usual response? “I never said that!”…when in truth, you did! So how do you avoid that from ever happening again? Don’t say ANYTHING you wouldn’t readily admit to saying, especially to the person who you’re saying it about. Because unless you would feel comfortable saying it within earshot of that person, then can we just call it what it is? Gossip, plain and simple. The Bible actually has a lot to say about gossip, because it’s such an easy trap to fall into. Why? Because if you’re the “gossiper,” it can make you appear to be “in the know.” And if you’re the “gossipee,” (yes, I made that up…it means you’re the listener of the gossip) it can make you somehow feel more important because that person wanted to confide in you. And now, YOU have some interesting “inside info” to share with someone else…confidentially, of course. Whatever! We need to grow up and stop falling for this trap, and instead trap gossiping words and stop spreading them around. So the next time someone comes up and tries to tell you some “inside info?” Just say “no,” and trust me…no, trust His Word, that you’ll save yourself from a whole lot of trouble!

Ecclesiastes 10:20 MSG ~ Don’t bad-mouth your leaders, not even under your breath, And don’t abuse your betters, even in the privacy of your home. Loose talk has a way of getting picked up and spread around. Little birds drop the crumbs of your gossip far and wide.

More devotions from Renee’s Fresh Manna

Published by Pastor Tim Burt
Copyright© 2008 Tim Burt, All rights reserved.

http://readfreshmanna.blogspot.com/