How can we apply God’s promises to our daily lives? Are God’s promises conditional? What does it mean to be a child of God? What are some key promises found in the bible? Are God’s promises for me? How can we be sure God will keep His promises? What‘s more important than getting a life-changing handle on what God has promised you specifically? Expect this podcast to help you know who you are...REALLY & to help you live fully believing God‘s promises to you...REALLY.
Episodes
Friday Jan 22, 2021
Friday Jan 22, 2021
Well, if you have listened to the podcast for a while, you have likely heard me mention Psalm 37. It’s just tremendous.
Keep your Bible open on a counter or tabletop to Psalm 37 and read a few verses each time you walk by
Psalm 37:3 & 4 New Living Translation -
Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires.
Verses 7 & 8 -
Be still in the presence of the LORD and wait patiently for Him to act.
Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper - it only leads to harm.
The Holy Spirit desires to guide us, to direct us, to enable us to have a healthy manner of thinking. Listen, I want to remind you that where your thoughts go, there your emotions go. And if your thinking and emotions are going the same direction over and over again, that’s the direction your health is gonna go.
Your thinking matters so much. What you think on, what you believe, in many ways will dictate how you live.
Rest in Him. Trust His good promises to you. Be still. Be patient.
You are to live your life, not to work your life. I think you know what I’m trying to say here. Are you living your life or working your life? Are you living or controlling and doing constant damage control? God does not need you to run interference for Him. He’s got it. What is it that you need to apply that to today? Whatever it might be, God’s got it.
Exciting news! My book "The Power of God's Will" is going to be featured in an upcoming curated faith-box from Avelyn Lane Home. Her goal is to bring love, encouragement and faith into people's homes via a box filled with items that support small businesses. I'm beyond honored to be part of this amazing biz/ministry!
Learn more at https://avelynlane.com/about/ and keep your eyes and ears peeled for info about how to get your own faith-box in the very near future!
The Power of God's Will - 40 Days of God's Promises book available on Amazon
If you would like to join the online prayer group on Facebook, here is the link (request to join and we'll get you added to the group right away!)
Friday Jan 15, 2021
Friday Jan 15, 2021
Part 2 of our look at Psalm 111.
And, no idea why, but the audio is just flat weird for this episode... as I was recording, it was super duper loud & when I spliced the intro with this episode, it was super duper quiet. I'll do some research and see what I can find out! But you may need to adjust your volume after the intro :)
Last time, on episode #48, we were looking at some verses from Psalm 111.
It was a reminder that God is a covenant making and a covenant keeping God. A covenant is very binding - God has used that term in His Word to reveal to us that He is serious about keeping His promises to His people.
We, the children of the Most High God, should be serious about believing the promises of God. As in, right now. Be careful not to nod your head and think,’Yeah! Yeah, that’s right!’ but then go on with your day and not take a minute to make sure you actually are believing God’s promises right now, today.
Psalm 111:7-10 (Amplified)
The works of His hands are truth and (absolute) justice; all His precepts are sure (established, reliable, trustworthy).
They are upheld forever and ever; they are done in (absolute) truth and uprightness.
He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; Holy and awesome is His name - (inspiring reverence and godly fear).
The (reverent) fear of the LORD is the beginning (the prerequisite, the absolute essential, the alphabet) of wisdom; a good understanding and a teachable heart are possessed by all those who do the will of the LORD; His praise endures forever.
The hope that comes when we live knowing for certain that every single thing God does is only and totally done in truth and righteousness has the ability to change the landscape of our lives. Let these verses change your life today. After all, if the Word of God isn’t life-changing, then….well, what is it? If it does not change our lives, why do we read it, study it, pray God’s Word and memorize it?
How can we know when we’re seeing God working in this world? Verse 7 says that the works of His hands are truth and absolute justice. Where you see truth prevailing, God’s at work. Harder right now to find the truth than it’s maybe ever been since say 1776. It’s hard! But God is just, and that’s key to remember. Do you see justice coming about? That’s the hand of God. We can expect to keep on seeing things coming to light that have been hidden.
All of His precepts are sure, established, reliable, trustworthy. The definition of precept is this: a guiding principle or rule / a direction or order issued by an authority.
So every guiding principle, every rule, every bit of direction God gives us is sure, is established, is reliable and is trustworthy. Can you sense that this is for your good? He is not lying down on the job, folks, but is dialed in, completely attuned to your situation and to mine and He will never lead you astray. Never.
A teachable heart are possessed by all who do the will of the Lord.
Does that describe the state, the condition, of your heart today?
If not, will you take a few moments and talk to God about that state of your heart? Ask Him to keep your heart tender toward Him, and to bless you with a teachable attitude for all the remainder of the days of your life. It’s so important to avoid a hard heart. It’s so important to remain teachable.
f you really want to know God’s will, then you also really need to desire to do God’s will. And to do the will of the Lord, Psalm 111 tells us that we need to possess a teachable heart.
God’s got things He wants to do in your life and things He wants to do through your life. Get on board with those things by softening your heart, believe that His every guiding rule and direction is trustworthy, that nothing slips past Him and His concern for you cannot be matched by anyone else’s concern, ever - keep your eyes open to see His justice at work in this world, pray for truth to prevail and hidden things to come to light - why pray for that? Because it honors God, that’s why.
And starting right now, today, expect that God’s Word will be life-changing
And never, ever forget His promises to you will all be kept, every single one.
The Power of God's Will - 40 Days of God's Promises book available on Amazon
If you would like to join the online prayer group on Facebook, here is the link (request to join and we'll get you added to the group right away!)
Friday Jan 08, 2021
Friday Jan 08, 2021
Check out this devotional about God's promises (available on Amazon)
The Power of God's Will - 40 Days of God's Promises book available on Amazon
Psalm 111:2-6
Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all those who delight in Him.
He has made His wonderful acts to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and merciful and full of loving compassion.
He has given food to those who fear Him (with awe-inspired reverence); He will remember His covenant forever.
He has declared and made know to His people the power of His works, in giving them the heritage of the nations.
Splendid and majestic is His work. Okay, so here we are faced with the hard truth about everything God does - His works are splendid (think on that for a second - splendid - what does that word bring to mind?)
He wants us to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that His works are splendid - and majestic - and He has works to do in our lives, promises to keep to us, that will be splendid and majestic. Part of not missing out on those amazing moments includes believing Him for those moments before they actually happen and also reminding ourselves (and remind other people of this too) that God’s work in our life is splendid and majestic.
The definition of righteousness is: the quality of being morally right - free from guilt - excellent - virtuous - it really does mean to be right. God is always, always right. Period. Not comma, but period. He is always morally right. He never feels guilt over what He does or how He goes about fulfilling His perfect will because He is always morally right, and so cannot do the wrong thin.
His works are always excellent and virtuous. That is how He is working in your life. That is your promise from Psalm 111. Count on it!
God is ever mindful of His covenant.
He has made promises to you, and the way God makes a promise is to make a covenant. Like a legal agreement, in modern terms. It’s solemn and it’s binding. Kind of like a compact (anybody remember learning about the Mayflower Compact? They weren’t getting off of that itty bitty 25 foot wide, 106 foot long boat until they had all agreed to keep the compact. That’s what God is saying. You should know that’s how He views His words to you, His promises to you. They mean so much to Him, and He really wants you to know that the reason His promises mean so much to Him is because YOU mean so much to Him.
The Power of God's Will - 40 Days of God's Promises book available on Amazon
If you would like to join the online prayer group on Facebook, here is the link (request to join and we'll get you added to the group right away!)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/627249051525444
Thursday Dec 17, 2020
Thursday Dec 17, 2020
A very Merry Christmas to you!
May this Christmas be a time of great joy for you as you worship our Savior and receive His blessing & favor over your life.
I am praying that you have peace, joy, an increase in faith, protection and blessing, the highest favor and time to rest in God's presence over the next couple of weeks. Lord bless you this Christmas season!
(More show notes coming soon... and feel free to check out my new book "The Power of God's Will: 40 Days of God's Promises Devotional" on Amazon. I'm awfully blessed to have finished this book and am praying it is a blessing to all who read it)
"The Power of God's Will: 40 Days of God's Promises Devotional"
If you would like to join the online prayer group on Facebook, here is the link (request to join and we'll get you added to the group right away!) (2) Praying Through the Storm - Online Prayer Retreat (August 3rd & 4th, 2020) | Facebook
See you for the next episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show!
Jan
Instagram @janlburt
Friday Dec 11, 2020
Friday Dec 11, 2020
Revelation 22:3-5 (NLT) - No longer will there
be a curse upon anything. For the throne of
God and of the Lamb will be there, and His
servants will worship Him. And they will see
His face, and His name will be written on
their foreheads. And there will be no night
there - no need for lamps or sun - for the
Lord God will shine on them. And they will
reign forever and ever.
WOWZA!
As we draw closer to Christmas, it is wise for us to remind ourselves of the glorious future which awaits us.
No matter how 2020 ends, no matter what 2021 holds, we are safely bound for our eternal home and all of the promises that will change from faith to sight for us there.
Please spend some time in prayer about the amazing gift that Jesus is to us today & ask the Lord how He would like you to glorify Him this December. He has good plans for you and a great future in store. Hold on to hope and refuse to let it go!
And don't forget to check out the Messy Moms online event Saturday, December 12th!
Hope to see you there!
Lord bless & Merry Christmas!
Jan
Tuesday Dec 08, 2020
Tuesday Dec 08, 2020
Lamentations 3:24 & 25 from the AMP says this: The LORD is my portion and my inheritance - says my soul - Therefore I have hope in Him and wait expectantly for Him. The LORD is good to those who wait (confidently) for Him, to those who seek Him (on the authority of God’s Word).
verse 32 - For if He causes grief, then He will have compassion according to His abundant lovingkindness and tender mercy.
No matter what comes into our lives, none of it (as in, 0% of it - none, nada, nil) can occur outside of God's unending lovingkindness toward us.
Put things in "park" and wait expectantly for the Lord ~ but at the same time, put things in "drive" and have tremendous hope in the God who keeps His promises. Just put the brakes on all your fretting and frantic-ness and work harder-harder-harder some more but be very intense and intentional about believing He will do all that He has said He will do in and through your life.
Live believing. Because I cannot think of a better way to celebrate the advent of our Lord this Christmas season.
IMPORTANT INFO BELOW:
Link to Messy Moms online event:
(coupon code "Messy Moms")
My book is on Amazon!
"The Power of God's Will: 40 Days of God's Promises Devotional"
And don't forget to read Psalm 23 while thinking about the truth that God is your portion and your inheritance.
See you for the next episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show!
Jan
Instagram @janlburt
Wednesday Nov 25, 2020
Wednesday Nov 25, 2020
Isaiah 40:11 (New King James Version)
He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young.
Have you heard the saying, “Find a need and fill it?”
There was a season of my life when I was going and going and going like crazy - doing all the church things and serving in every way I possibly could. But what I wasn't doing was asking the Lord what His specific will was for me in each area I was serving. Serving is in no way wrong (Jesus said so in Mark 10:45). But serving so much that you haven't been able to go to church or small group and worship the Lord...that's where I was at. God had to get my attention and show me that as the mother of young children, He would lead me gently everywhere He wanted me to go and serve.
I learned to talk to Him about every area service, and knowing that His word clearly said that if I was not being gently led, then I was out of His will made it so much easier to say no to some things and yes to other things.
Regarding "finding a need and filling it", it can be pretty easy to step into some form of service for a while, and then step back out of serving. But when we are letting God lead us gently in all that we do, we end up receiving a calling. And stepping out of our calling for any reason is, quite frankly, sin.
Learning this in my 20s as a mom of young children saved me so much frustration and fatigue. I served BETTER in the areas to which I was called. It was a win-win for everyone.
OH - if you are interested in being a BETA tester for my new 40-day devotional book "The Power of God's Will ~ 40 Days of God's Promises" email me at JanLBurt@outlook.com or find me on social media (links below) and you'll get a free eBook with no strings attached (just give me your honest feedback/leave me a book review & don't share your free copy with anyone else). I'm planning to have the book on Amazon (print & eBook versions) by this weekend. YAY!
And we will be doing a couple of live "mini-retreat" sessions in the Praying Through the Storm Facebook group to kick off the Christmas season and then to wrap up 2020 and start a brand new year. Join the group via the link below if you're interested!
If you would like to join the online prayer group on Facebook, here is the link (request to join and we'll get you added to the group right away!) (2) Praying Through the Storm - Online Prayer Retreat (August 3rd & 4th, 2020) | Facebook
See you for the next episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show!
Jan
Instagram @janlburt
Thursday Nov 12, 2020
Thursday Nov 12, 2020
Psalm 102:1-2 (Amplified) - Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry for help come to You! Do not hide Your face from me; in the day when I call, answer me quickly.
Psalm 142 (Amplified) -
I cry aloud with my voice to the LORD; I make supplication with my voice to the LORD. I pour out my complaint before Him. I declare my trouble before Him. When my spirit was overwhelmed and weak within me (wrapped in darkness), You knew my path. In the way where I walk, they have hidden a trap for me. Look to the right (the point of attack) and see; for there is no one who has regard for me (to act in my favor). Escape has failed me an I have nowhere to run; no one cares about my life. I cried out to You, O LORD; I said, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living. Give attention to my cry, for I am brought very low; rescue me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison (adversity), so that I may give thanks and praise Your name; the righteous will surround me (in triumph), for You will look after me."
How do you pray?
No when you race through your prayer list in record time or say a prayer by rote before snarfing down your dinner.
When you really engage in the act of praying, how do you pray then?
When we pray big, bold, brave prayers, it feels a bit scary. But anything brave that we will ever do will be at least a little scary, so why would we expect praying to be any different?
Prayer originated with God. This manner of requesting what we have need of, interceding for others, began with Him. He is the initiator - prayer is not a human construct.
The sands of time are running out quickly, and so when we spend time in prayer, let's be bold and fervent and completely dialed in. Our praying is vital right now, now now and we cannot afford to postpone our "serious" praying for some other day down the road. Be a prudent pray-er, and don't put off what you can pray about today.
The key takeaway from this episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show is this:
Pour out your complaint before the Lord.
Pour it all the way out - empty yourself of it, don't hold anything back and don't stop praying before you're finished pouring! Get it all out before the Lord and leave it with Him. If you hang on to even the tiniest bit of your complaint, of that which ails you, it will grow like yeast and before you know it, it's a giant. (Unforgiveness is like this, too - forgive, forgive and forgive again. Be a daily forgiver and you're life will be blessed!)
So pour out your complaint, pour it all the way out, before the Lord. And then say out loud, so the devil and his evil minions can hear you say it, "God, You are my refuge - right here and right now. You are my safe place. You are my portion in the land of the living. You are the authority over my life, and nobody else can hold that position. I praise You for what You have done, what You are doing now, and for all You are going to do in my future. Thank You, Lord!"
Pour it all out - praise Him out loud - and walk in blessing and freedom!
The last sentence from Psalm 142 says this:
For You will look after me.
There's that important word "WILL" - and when God promises to do something, He absolutely will do it. Never forget that!
If you would like to join the online prayer group on Facebook, here is the link (request to join and we'll get you added to the group right away!) https://www.facebook.com/groups/627249051525444
See you for the next episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show!
Jan
Instagram @janlburt
Friday Oct 30, 2020
Friday Oct 30, 2020
It's October of 2020 - fall here in Kansas. The time of year when the leaves fall (or are blown!) from the tree limbs and we can see before our eyes God's plan for seasons of letting go.
Perhaps, in your own life, it should also be a season to let go of some things. Things life negative self-talk, guilt & shame, attempts to control situations & outcomes & relationships...
Let go where the Lord is leading you to let go. And let every leaf you see this fall remind you that letting go seasons were created by God.
Psalm 18:30 (New Living Translation) - God's way is perfect. All the Lord's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection.
verse 31 - For who is God except the LORD? Who but our God is a solid rock?
verse 32a - God arms me with strength, and He makes my way perfect.
verse 35 - You have given me Your shield of victory. Your right hand supports me; Your help has made me great.
verse 36 - You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping.
How much promise do you need today? Whatever amount you stand in need of, Psalm 18 has enough & plenty to spare!
God's way is perfect. When you are following Him to the best of your ability, trusting in Him and walking in obedience to His call on your life, when you haven't stepped off the path He set you upon - you are in a good place. Even when "Job's friends" come along and assume you did something wrong, that you've stepped off God's path, due to some messy circumstances in your life, you can continue to trust the Lord and His plan on this path (sometimes life gets messy, even when we haven't done anything "wrong" & others can assume it means we're mired in deep, dark sin...but if you know you haven't stepped out of His will for your life, keep moving forward and pray for those who misunderstand you.) When the path is not at level as you'd prefer, when the incline is a bit steeper than you'd like, remember that God's way is perfect. That's in the present tense - as in right now. His way IS perfect.
All the Lord's promises prove true. (isn't that pretty much the entire premise of this podcast?!?) If we could get a glimpse of what's taking place around us in the spiritual realm, we might be shocked at how well things are actually coming along. God's promises for your life are proving true right now. They really are!
He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection. God fulfills His role as my shield with absolute perfection. He is shielding you, He is protecting you, and He won't stop doing either of those things, ever.
For who is God except the Lord? This is, of course, a rhetorical question. There is only one real God and that's exactly who we are trusting in, believing, looking forward to spending eternity with. Our God is the only God - He is literally THE God. That's very comforting! Who is God except the Lord? No one, that's who.
Who but our God is a solid rock?
What are you standing on? What is the whole of your life built upon as a disciple of Jesus? You are standing on the Rock - there is no reason to fear & no room for fear in your life. Build well (because you are building on solid rock!) - Live securely (because your life is totally secure on the Rock of Jesus!) - Invite others in God's kingdom so they can leave behind their shaky ground & all feelings of instability.
God arms me with strength, and He makes my way perfect. Do you need to know the "perfect" way to proceed? I need this every single day! He'll lead you, my friend. And He'll also arm you with strength! You can depend on God for both those things.
You have given me Your shield of victory. The author of this psalm, David, was a warrior. He understood all too well what he was implying & what he was saying about God by saying the Lord had given him His shield of victory. These are BIG words! Do you use big words when you talk about who your God is? How big are your words when you pray, when you talk with the Lord about all-the-things? What do your words & your thoughts reveal about who you actually believe God is?
He has given you, and me, His shield of victory. With God's shield of victory, why do we so often go into battle wondering if we will really be protected, if things will turn out alright...basically, we wonder if we are just gonna lose!
Lord, thank You that You have given Your children Your shield of victory & we are not destined to defeat, to failure, to misery, to losing ground & never gaining ground. You have given us Your shield of victory for a reason - it is intentional, it is specific, and it will not fail us. Amen.
Your right hand supports me.
Well, it doesn't get much better than that! If one of your children had, say, an outpatient surgery and you help them get from the hospital into the car and from the car into the house, and they were leaning on you for support and for help, would you drop them like a hot potato? As if they were just an annoyance? Would you somehow forget that they were leaning on you, absentmindedly forget the very weight of them leaning upon you? God's a good Father. All His ways are perfect. And if His right hand supports - and by golly it sure does! - well, then, we won't ever be unsupported. You can lean on Him. (You do not have to keep trying to hold it all together. Let the Lord support you - He really wants to!)
Your help has made me great. No greatness worth having comes apart from the Lord. Often we believe for small things, for itty bitty kinds of things. I'm not sure we really know what it means to dream of greatness! God wants His children to be great in the things that matter most. And all greatness comes from the Lord. (This goes far beyond a good paying job, excellent health insurance, a fat savings account and a new RV in the driveway.) Real greatness is something God has for you. Ask Him what great things He would like to bring to pass in your life and then see what He does!
You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping. A wide path gives us room to walk with certainty. A narrow path keeps us looking down at our feet, trying to avoid rocks and branches and uneven places, and so we end up looking down and only glancing up. When we walk with certainty, we glance down and look ahead. We move forward with long, strong strides. God has made a wide path for our feet for an exact reason - to keep our feet from slipping.
Christians can live as if they are somehow on the edge, teetering too close to doom & gloom, feeling responsible to keep themselves perfectly "in line" (whatever that even means... it's got a different definition for every person on this planet!). We are so blessed to have the Holy Spirit indwelling us to guide us, to strengthen us, to comfort us. Your feet do not slip so long as you are on the wide path He has provided for your feet to trod. And if you are willing to ask Him for His guidance, His leading, His will for your life, then you will be safely on that path.
Psalm 18 is such a wonderful passage.
As you roll on into the next week or so, as October gives way to November and then to December, take this paslm to heart. Believe it, my friend. It is God's promise to you for the right here & the right now.
Lord bless you & I will see you next time!
Also, feel free to email me at JanLBurt@outlook.com if you'd like to be a BETA tester for my upcoming eBook of 40 devotions about the promises of God!
Instagram @janlburt
Friday Oct 23, 2020
Friday Oct 23, 2020
Show Notes Coming Soon!
JanLBurt.com
If you are interested in being a BETA tester for my upcoming devotional book about God's promises, shoot me an email and I'll be in touch with you!
JanLBurt@outlook.com