Need to Be Saved From Yourself?

Fresh Manna 2009© by Pastor Renee Burt

This morning I had a funny thing happen. Well, it really wasn’t so funny at the time…but looking back in retrospect, it has its humorous elements. What happened was someone had said something to me that got under my skin…it begged for a response. But the problem was, I didn’t have anything very good to say back. Just so you know, I wasn’t thinking of saying anything mean or vindictive or retaliatory. Let’s just say, I wanted to speak the truth…but not necessarily in love, like we’re commanded to in the Bible. I felt a little angry, if you want to know the truth. So I decided to pen a note. That way I could cut, paste, delete, and rewrite until I could say what I wanted to say succinctly and to the point. But lo and behold, I was on a writing roll, and the words were coming far easier than I thought they would. Awesome! But the downside was that I noticed that the more I wrote, the angrier I felt. And rather than helping me unload my frustration, it was fueling it. I ignored the feeling and kept on writing.

I was just about done, when my finger must have hit some wrong key, and poof…the note was irretrievably deleted. I couldn’t believe it! I had written a perfect note…or had I? Was it going to produce anything good in the end? I paused, prayed, and the Lord basically told me that He had saved me from myself…and from making a bad situation worse. At first, I was bugged…but then I laughed…at how the Lord “works in mysterious ways,” as it says in Isaiah 45:15 NLT. And I’m so glad He does! Because our anger will never improve a relational schism, it will never really make a situation better, and angry words won’t bring about any of the goodness of God in your life or in the life of that other person. So don’t fight it when He’s trying to save YOU from yourself…and let’s slow down and allow Him to shape our words instead into something beautiful.

James 1:19-21 MSG ~ Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God’s righteousness doesn’t grow from human anger. So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life.

More devotions from Renee’s Fresh Manna

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

Is Sleep Avoiding You But Worries Aren’t?

Fresh Manna 2009© by Pastor Tim Burt

Proverbs 3:24 “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.”

When I was a young boy (preteen through teenage years) I was an insomniac. It seemed as though it would be the middle of the night before I would fall asleep. And then, as I’m sure everyone has experienced at some point, when I wasn’t falling asleep, I’d begin to worry about the sleep I wasn’t getting only making it more difficult yet to sleep. I would often wake up exhausted at the sound of the alarm; not how anyone should start their day!

As years went by, insomnia was what led me to a drinking and drug addiction. When I did these things I could fall asleep at night. At the age of 24 (after four years of addiction) someone shared the love of Jesus with me and asked if I would like to invite Him into my heart, receiving Him as my Lord and Savior. I did and my world changed. Soon, the alcohol and drugs were out of my life and yet I slept like a baby! I had read from Proverbs 3:24 “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” Although I was a young Christian and knew little yet about the Bible, this verse rocked my world and I believed it. It was a new era in my life.

Over time responsibilities, cares, and worries began to fill my thoughts. Because Renee and I would lie in bed and talk at night, we naturally talked about some of the things that created these cares and worries. My mind would begin to race and hinder my sleep and then the fear of insomnia would even begin to creep in. I knew this wasn’t God’s plan. He had said, “When you lie down, you will not be afraid…” That is what these cares and worries and fear of insomnia tried to create: fear! It made me mad… mad at the devil. He wasn’t going to rob my life of something that was so natural (sweet sleep) and such a precious gift from God after all these years.

I began to pray about it. The Lord began to answer. He would take me to 2 Cor. 10:4-5 and I knew it was my answer. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ…”

The Lord spoke to me through this verse and others saying, “Tim, your mind and thoughts belong to you, not the devil. I haven’t given you the spirit of fear, but of love, power and a sound mind. You take control of your mind and what isn’t of me, cast down.” That was the most radical thing I had ever heard. I did what the Lord said. I made the decision that I was going to turn off my mind when I went to bed. I would stop myself from thinking about anything. I’d cast down thoughts and think, “Shut up devil. Worries aren’t from God and He cares for me. I rebuke these thoughts and you in Jesus name.” Over time, I learn to shut my mind off and if you asked Renee today, she’d tell you that my average time to fall asleep is about 8-15 seconds.

I know we have things of concern to think about. But I refuse to bring them to bed. Why and how could I do that when I had serious issues to be concerned about? Because following those verses about sweet sleep were these promises from God to strengthen me. Proverbs 3:25-26 “Do not be afraid of sudden disaster or terror, nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; for the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught in a trap.”

I went to bed casting down the worries and instead praying and thanking God that I didn’t have to be afraid; that He was my help and confidence and that everything could wait till morning.

The promises of God are to be received, believed, and taken hold of in our life. This is one I did for the first quarter of my life and it almost destroyed me. I thank God for this and all His promises as they are yea and Amen!

In His Love,
Pastor Tim

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

Are You Taking the High Ground?

Fresh Manna 2009© by Pastor Tim Burt

Eph. 5:10-11 (NLT) Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, rebuke and expose them.

Many people consider God’s request to carefully follow His ways out of touch and out of reality with the times. They see God and Christians representing God, as party poopers – something trying to hinder their fun. What they don’t know is what the devil tempts them with and draws them into – this so-called “fun,” are often hurtful practices and behaviors that will tear apart their lives and leave them pained and miserable. Jesus isn’t trying to hinder the good that life can offer us. Jesus said, “I want to give life and give it more abundantly.” He is trying to show what the good in life sincerely is. He is the loving Father that is trying to protect his children from wandering in the street so they don’t get hit by a car. God’s boundaries protect us, not steal from our lives. Pssst…Satan never wants anyone to know that.

Even Christians get sucked into the worldly lifestyles that corrupt and steal from this life, destroying the abundant life Jesus wants us to experience. Too many Christians say these kinds of things; “Oh well, what can I do? Times have changed. Open and greater sexuality is just a part of life. It’s everywhere! Do you expect me to be a monk? You can’t watch TV without seeing sexuality and hearing profanity. You can’t find a movie without it.” “I can handle it.” “It won’t hurt me. After all, people I work with swear all the time. They tell dirty jokes and talk freely about their sexual exploits all the time. Sex is just like going to the movies. It’s entertainment.”

People that think like this are in serious spiritual trouble but, they are blind to it. Sin clouds the insight and revelation that loving and seeking God brings. Sin makes you forget God’s ways. Sin works like a dimmer switch. The more you continue in it, the darker it gets and the more you forget why God’s ways are important. It takes a purposeful love for Jesus and a continued appreciation for what He has done for you in order to stay in that place where you can hear from Him and be lead by His Spirit. When you love God and His Word, and out of that love, you desire to carefully walk in His ways, you will find strength and help from Him. He’ll help you to learn to live according to His standards instead of being sucked into the ever-degrading moral standards of the world.

The Apostle Paul also warns us us in Ephesians 5:3-11 writing, “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person–such a man is an idolater–has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light… and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”

God loves us. He tries to protect us from being lured into and taken captive by the Satan In 2 Timothy, we can clearly see that there is a high road and low road which you can end up on. You can be one who lives God’s standard and helps others to do the same or one who has walked carelessly and has been taken captive. The Apostle Paul writes: “And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose Jesus he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” 2 Tim 2:24-26

Living on the fence with one foot in both worlds is a convicting Hell if your heart is soft toward God at all. I had to learn to go all for God or not at all. I learned to make Bible reading, prayer, attending church (where the Bible was taught), commitment in service to God in some capacity, fellowship with other Christians, and sharing Jesus Christ with those around me the standard and priorities I would live my life by. This is the life that brought me joy and peace. Anything less left me dissatisfied and disappointed in myself.

I can look back now and Praise God that I did not waste years in captivity being beat up by the devil. It has been much more gratifying stealing souls from Satan’s grip and helping steer them toward the Kingdom of God through Jesus Christ.

Stand strong today and be the difference. It may not seem like you have much impact now, but I guarantee you that as you look back ten years from now, you’ll have a smile and thank God.

In His Love,
Pastor Tim Burt

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