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
Thursday Jun 25, 2020
Thursday Jun 25, 2020
Luke 21:33 - "Heaven and earth will disappear but My words will remain forever."
The promise we can lean in and trust God for from this New Testament verse is this...this world is not going to last. But God's Word and all the promises it holds will remain. Forever.
Think back to last year --- way back in 2019 --- (that feels like a decade ago, not 6 months ago!!) --- I remember pondering what it would be like if the Lord began to call His servants home. And He has for sure called some modern day spiritual leaders home to glory, to be with Him. And it is a strange thing to consider, what might be happening on this tired old planet as the end of all things as we know them draws ever nearer, day by day.
The reason this podcast episode is important is because we need desperately to grab hold of that which will not change.
Nothing is stable right now.
Every few minutes we find new and updated information about the state of the world we live in, and it's almost surreal how flexible things have become in such a short period of time.
Having something solid in the midst of all this fluidity is tremendously comforting. It is necessary.
God's Word will not change. The words of our Lord Jesus will remain forever. It truly is necessary to know that.
When we remember that this promise includes every single promise that the Lord has given us in the Bible, we can grab hold of those promises and live in belief. Which enables us to live securely.
If you have some promises that you are clinging to right now, do not forget that no matter how dark things look, no matter how bad things get, those promises are going to come to pass. No matter what. No matter what. NO MATTER WHAT.
Lord bless you today as you continue to believe God for all His good promises and live in such a way that others are drawn to God because of what they see in your life.
on Instagram @janlburt
Thursday Jun 18, 2020
Thursday Jun 18, 2020
Thanks for joining me for this episode - it's another opportunity to remember the faithfulness of our God & to bring to the very forefront of our minds one specific promise He has given us from His Word.
John 14:27 (AMP) - "I am leaving you with a gift - peace of mind and heart and the peace I give you isn't like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or confused."
Can you take a moment and think of Jesus speaking these words of comfort directly to you, face to face, right now, today?
The Lord knows what we need and He knows just when we need it. Hopefully someone listening today (or reading the Show Notes) finds this verse to be just what they need right now. If that's you, please know it is a sign of how much the Lord cares for you. You did not end up here by accident - God set aside this day and time to share this exact verse in order to bring you His comfort, peace of heart and of mind, and to let you know that He sees you and He hears your prayers and He loves you fiercely.
In this verse we see Jesus telling His disciples that He is going to give them a gift. A gift? That's great! What is it? What could possibly be better than a gift from Jesus?!?
They had seen Jesus do the miraculous: raise the dead to life, take a handful of food and feed thousands, walk on top of the water...they had literally seen the impossible become reality right before their eyes time and time again. And none of those had been referred to as gifts from Jesus for them. I am certain they were paying attention in order to hear what Jesus' gift for them would be.
We, like the disciples, want to be sure to grab hold of and make the most of any and every gift the Lord has for us. If Jesus has left us something, then it was left with us to be of benefit to us while we await the time when we can be with Him forever. The gift was left to bless us, to help us, to be an actual gift for us.
And boy oh boy, peace that comes from the Lord is a gift worth treasuring.
We need it. We do not want to leave this gift unopened and unused. We want to utilize it in our every day walking around life.
Peace of heart & peace of mind.
How good Jesus is to us to make sure we know this peace is for both our heart and our mind...because sometimes our mind works through a situation one way, while our heart veers off in a totally different direction. And our loving Savior makes sure we have this gift of peace to cover BOTH aspects of our lives. Thank You, Lord!
To make sure that we really get it, that we fully catch His drift and understand the value of this gift of peace, Jesus says this peace is not like the peace that the world gives.
The world's peace is temporary and fleeting and frustratingly hard to grab hold of and keep hold of.
Jesus' peace envelops us, overcoming us from the inside our and from the outside in all at the same time. It's DIFFERENT. And that is really, really good!
None of us needs one ounce more of the same ole', same ole'. We need that which is different, that which is so much better.
Jesus' peace envelops us and comes upon us directly from Him as a precious gift, while the world's peace is always slipping away from us, just out of reach, no matter how hard we work to grab hold and fight to hang on.
The raw truth is that this world & all our current circumstances are just too much without Jesus.
And there are people around us who are trying to do life without Him. Can I encourage you to pray for those people? Jesus wants to give Him His peace. Please pray for that to become a reality in their lives!
The last few words of this verse say, "So don't be troubled or afraid."
Anybody got some troubles? Anyone feeling a bit afraid? It seems as if we are standing on the ledge of a Grand Canyon sized hold of uncertainty. So much new, overwhelming, uncharted territory looms large right in front of us.
Yes, we need to hear Jesus speak over our lives, over our unsettled and uneasy hearts and minds, "Do not be troubled or afraid."
God's promise in John 14:27 to give you the lasting gift of His peace is still as true today as it was when Jesus first spoke these powerful words. The disciples went through a very dark night of the soul when Jesus died at Calvary. They needed this promise like oxygen! It's okay if you need it like oxygen, too.
Believe this promise today.
Just sit back, take a deep breath, and believe that this peace of heart and mind is yours for the taking right now. He is going to make a way for us to live untroubled and unafraid. That offers a whole lot of hope right now. Believe it and trust Him to make this your reality.
I'll be back here with you next week for a look at another verse from the New Testament in Luke chapter 21.
Feel free to DM me on instagram or leave a comment on this episode. And don't be slow to use your gift of peace - be at peace- give grace and peace to others - walk in the certainty that Jesus keeps all His promises and this one is your promise for this season of life.
Thanks for joining me in my quest to make the name of Jesus famous in this generation.
Lord bless you!
- Jan
on Instagram @janlburt
Monday Jun 01, 2020
Monday Jun 01, 2020
Hey there! Thanks for checking out this episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show. I hope you are blessed & can see evidence of God's promises for you showing up all over the place. He has so much good for you, right here and now!
Zephaniah 3:17 says this: "The Lord your God is with you. He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you; He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."
This is a beautiful verse of promise. It is spilling over with hope and the assurance of God's love and care for us. This is rock your world kind of goodness right here!
There is plenty in this verse we can believe God for.
And hey, just a friendly reminder: What you believe the Lord for is also what you should be praying for and what you are thanking Him in advance for. Do all 3 of those things - believe Him for it, pray and ask Him for it, and thank Him for it right now, before you even have it.
Sometimes we believe God for something and then we don't pray for that certain something or praise Him for working on our behalf regarding that certain something.
What we believe God for is also what we should be praying for and thanking God for.
Believe for ~ Pray for ~ Praise God for the same exact things.
#1 - The Lord your God is with you.
~ God is super close and super personal. He is right there with you.
#2 - He is mighty to save.
~ There is a 0% chance that you are in this thing alone. And a 100% chance that God is just as mighty to save today as he was when the prophet penned this verse thousands of years ago. Remind yourself often that the Lord is with you, and He is mighty to save.
#3 - He will take great delight in you.
~ What is God going to do? He will take great delight in you. And He is going to keep on taking great delight in you day after day, week after week, year after year. Think of something that just flat brings you delight in life...get a picture of that something in your mind. Now, realize that the thing that brings the Lord great delight...is...you. How great is that?!?
#4 - He will quiet you with His love.
~ We never want to miss it when God promises that He WILL do something. That word "will" in a promise from the Lord is like solid gold. Don't discard solid gold; don't let go of it. Take good care of it. God's promise for you here is pure, refined solid gold. Watch carefully over this treasure He has given to you. He WILL quiet you with His love. That's a promise with a whole lot of meat on it's bones.
#5 - He will rejoice over you with singing.
~ What kind of ruler or god would ever declare that they choose to sing and rejoice over their followers/worshipers/subjects? None but the Lord God Most High! Our Living Savior is so completely secure in His sovereignty, His deity, His reign and His rule, His perfect power and His perfect plan that will be perfectly fulfilled, His perfect timing, His perfect judgment, His perfect patience, and of course His perfect justice - He is so secure in Who He is and in His total & absolute control over all things at all times, that He can rejoice over His people with singing.
Does this verse not bring you comfort today?
I am praying that as you listen to this podcast episode, a whole new understanding of the depth of God's great love for you floods your heart and your mind and your soul.
See you back here next time, friends! Lord bless you today!
on Instagram @janlburt
Tuesday May 12, 2020
Tuesday May 12, 2020
Thursday Apr 30, 2020
Thursday Apr 30, 2020
Psalm 106:24 & 25 (Amplified)
Then they despised the pleasant land (Canaan); they did not believe in His word nor rely on it, but they sulked and complained in their tents; they did not listen to the voice of the LORD.
Rebellion is nothing new.
People have always had a rebellious streak & that's not likely to change anytime soon.
But God is our Deliverer, and He is able to deliver us from our rebellious tendencies.
The hope, the promise, in these verses is tied to the warnings that are listed in this psalm. Don't be intentional in continuing with your rebellion, but also don't ever forget that it is the Lord who delivers you when you need to be delivered.
Our Deliverer delivers. Actually, He over-delivers.
Psalm 106 lays out a brief history of some of the ways God delivered His people, the Israelites, in the early books of the Old Testament. It also contains great praise and adoration for the Lord's mercy and loving kindness toward them. (Reading Exodus 14 is a great faith-boosting, God-praising chapter that I highly recommend reading as soon as possible!) And then this psalm goes on to describe how they forgot God's goodness toward them. Envy took over their hearts, minds & emotions and polluted their environment. Idols were crafted and Moses spent time in powerful intercession before the Lord, asking Him to spare them in spite of their sinful behavior and wicked hearts.
As if that were not enough, after all of that (and all of that is quite a lot, actually!) then they despised the pleasant land which the Lord had in store for them...they hated their inheritance...they sulked & complained and did not listen to the voice of the Lord...
Ouch.
Then...after that...they despised...they did not believe...they did not listen...
My question for you today is this: What is your "then...after that" today? What has the Lord done for you that you have forgotten? What works of the Lord have you oh-so-quickly forgotten about?
Hard question to answer honestly, isn't it?
Listen, when we choose to wait on the Lord with patience, to wait for His counsel & His guidance, for His path forward through whatever Red Sea we find ourselves backed up against...when we wait well, expectant and in total trust in our good & loving & personal God...then we will discover that not only does He have a plan for our pain, He has a purpose for it, too. (And those can be 2 markedly different things - give it a little thought!)
God has a purpose for your situation and in your situation. In each and every situation in your life, actually. But we can easily miss it by failing to wait for His counsel.
But the promise for us is the exact opposite...when we do wait patiently for God's counsel, then we will see His purposes being unveiled and revealed in those exact situations and circumstances. How awesome is that?!?
Remember, jacked up thinking leads to jacked up behavior. It causes us to despise the pleasant things God wants to bless us with...
When we will not wait with patience for God's guidance we almost certainly will not believe in nor rely upon His promises or His Word.
We end up sulking and then complaining in our own homes (basically, living with misery by extending it an open-door invitation) and eventually stop listening to the Lord altogether.
As I said earlier...OUCH.
Let me end this episode with a challenge - and I really encourage you to take me up on this!
It's terribly easy to slide into a place of not believing God for anything anymore...one day at a time, we gradually end up somewhere that is pretty dismal (i.e. The Land of Unbelief).
So, my challenge is this: Let's all get caught in the act of believing God as often as we can.
Just get caught in the act of believing Him. That's it! Nothing else, just believe Him today!
God has so much good for you - some of that good is for today, and then there will be more good for you tomorrow, and so on. Believe Him for it!
Today, grab some of that good stuff & refuse to let go!
Lord bless - catch ya back here next time!
on Instagram @janlburt
Friday Apr 24, 2020
Friday Apr 24, 2020
Daniel 7:14 & the dominion of our Lord.
Jesus has total & absolute dominion over everything - over all of it.
All means ALL & that should provide us with tremendous comfort.
Nothing is exempt from "ALL". Because all really does mean every single thing.
Daniel 7:14 (Amplified) -
And to Him (the Messiah) was given dominion (supreme authority), glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and speakers of every language should serve and worship Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.
Daniel 7:14 (King James) -
And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
Jesus has reigned, does reign, and will continue to reign over all things.
Philippians 2:9-11 (Amplified) -
For this reason also (because He obeyed and so completely humbled Himself), God has highly exalted Him and bestowed upon Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW (in submission), of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess and openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord (sovereign God), to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9-11 (King James) -
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The verse from Daniel is completely clear on this point: the Messiah was GIVEN dominion (complete authority).
Here's the thing about being given something...whether it's an inheritance or a gift or a throne. That which was given can be taken from the recipient only by someone who is stronger / more powerful / wiser & there is absolutely no force in the universe stronger, wiser, more powerful than Jesus. Nobody's nobody can take His dominion & complete authority from Him. He will never abdicate His throne or His authority! (Martin Luther said that even the devil is God's devil...and that's a pretty amazing truth to think about, isn't it?)
Our Lord is THE Lord. What has been given cannot be taken away from Him.
John 15:16 (Amplified) -
"You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed you and placed and purposefully planted you, so that you would go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit will remain and be lasting, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name (as My representative) He may give to you."
John 15:5 (Amplified) -
"...apart from Me you can do nothing."
Jesus' statement that we had not chosen Him but He has chosen us is tremendously important.
The one who does the choosing - the CHOOSER - is the key figure, not the one who has been chosen. Jesus chose us. He appointed us and placed us and purposefully planted each one of us. Does that sound like He desires for us to live willy-nilly, random, find-a-need-and-fill-it lives? Or does it sound as if He who chose and appointed and purposefully planted us has a call for each of us that He would like us to fulfill? He says clearly that He wants us to bear fruit and keep on bearing - fruit that remains. Fruit that lasts.
To me, this sound more like "Hear the Lord's call & obey it" than "Find a need & fill it."
Daniel 7:14 says we are called to serve and worship the Messiah. Do that by seeking His call, which is His purposeful planting of you in this world, and then obeying that call. And expect to see His sovereignty play out in ways you have never even dreamed of!
If you want to see more of God's sovereign hand in your life, you need to do life His way.
You will discover your call from the Lord by abiding - not by striving.
With abiding comes fruit bearing.
With abiding comes powerful answers to prayer.
Abiding is better by far.
Jesus is Lord. He is Sovereign. What He has been given cannot be taken away and will not be given away.
His work and role for your life in this world is solely up to Him - it is not in the least random or left to chance or even left to logic.
You have been planted on purpose for a purpose, which is to serve and worship Jesus. A big part of that is learning how to be an active abider.
The dominion of our Lord & King will never, ever end.
And that means none of His power is lost on your current circumstances.
He has dominion.
You are going to be A-Okay.
Keep believing that God's promises - they are for you!
Go through your life grabbing as much of the gusto (the promises of God) as you possibly can. Don't leave anything on the table!
Lord bless you today!
- Jan
JanLBurt.com
on Instagram @janlburt
Monday Apr 20, 2020
Monday Apr 20, 2020
God's promises are LIFE for us as His children.
LIFE.
The words of this psalm can impact, improve and enhance our lives..help us to grow, be more functional, and become more like Jesus.
Psalm 1:4, 5, 6 (Amplified)
The wicked (those who live in disobedience to God's law) are not so, but they are like the chaff (worthless and without substance). - Therefore the wicked will not stand (unpunished) in the judgment, not sinners in the assembly of the righteous. - For the LORD knows and fully approves the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked shall perish.
It is crazy vital for us to remember that we don't obey a list of rules and regulations and do's and don'ts - we truly do have freedom in Christ. We obey based on these words Jesus spoke in John 14:15, "If you love Me, you will obey My commands."
This psalm promises that we are rooted, like a tree firmly planed by streams of water. We are settled and established and secure. We are in the right place during feast or famine, come rain or shine. Whatever life brings our way, no matter what season we find ourselves in. We are blessed and protected and will grow and bear fruit in all seasons. What a profound promise!
The Lord knows. He knows all the ins and outs and details of our lives. Life changes on the horizon? The Lord knows. Going through a big trial or enjoying a big blessing? The Lord knows. Take comfort in His knowing.
This week, write Psalm 1, verse 6 on a sticky note and post it someplace where you will see it often. Let it lay the foundation of your life each day for the next 7 to 10 days. I really do believe that focusing on this one verse (or better yet, all of this psalm!) will have an impact that is positive - your trust will grow, your hope will flourish, your heat will be more at ease.
Also, my latest book will be available as an eBook on the website JanLBurt.com this week. The price is just $7 and since it is a digital product, you have immediate access to your purchase. Grab a copy or send one to a friend. It's titled "So Long, Guilt & Shame" and I am very hopeful that this eBook will make an impact on those who read it & I am thankful to have it all ready to go.
Thanks for checking out this episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show - see you back here next time for a look at the dominion of Jesus.
JanLBurt.com
on Instagram @janlburt
Wednesday Apr 08, 2020
Wednesday Apr 08, 2020
Words in red.
Whenever we read words in red in our Bible, it's terribly important to slow down, take pause, and pay close attention. Jesus is speaking, not just to those in His presence a couple thousand years ago...but to us, you & me, right now this very day.
So let's take a look at some important words in red that are very fitting for us in this day & age.
Matthew 6:31-34 (Amplified) - "Therefore do not worry or be anxious (perpetually uneasy, distracted) saying, 'What are we going to eat?' or 'What are we going to drink?' or 'What are we going to wear?'. For the (pagan) Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; (but do not worry) for your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right - the attitude and character of God), and all these things will be given to you also. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Matthew 6:31-34 (ESV) - "Therefore, do not be anxious, saying 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heaveny Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, an all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
Resonate with anyone today?
These are unprecedented times - masks in public, working from home (if you still have a job, that is!), student loan payments at 0% interest, long lines to get into the grocery store, total uncertainty as to when it all will end... & how it will alter the landscape of society in the future. Unprecedented. As in, we have no precedent to look at as we go through this.
And yet, through is the only way we'll get through, know what I mean?
So these words of Jesus are so fitting for all of us. Let's draw encouragement from them & live believing Jesus' promise here that He will - absolutely will! - care for us. Let's be certain to put His kingdom first, to choose His way of doing and of being right, and make a decision live faithless today.
These words are concrete proof of just how much God cares for us - just how greatly He loves us.
We are not forgotten or abandoned or alone or set aside. No, rather we are tucked away.
When you feel the tension of stay at home orders & quarantines starting to rise up within you, remind yourself that you are tucked away...not set aside. And those are not at all the same thing.
Do not be worried, anxious, uneasy or distracted by what you are going to eat or drink or wear...or any need that is real in your life. Don't live like someone who has outright rejected God, because that isn't who you are. Live in belief, because of your identity as a child of God.
The reality is that each and every day brings with it's new dawn enough...enough trouble & stress for that day. You and I have no idea what tomorrow will bring in terms of trouble & difficulty, but it will be enough...
Enough is enough, if you catch my drift.
Let the enough that Jesus said will be in each & every day be enough, and no more. Do not add to it by pondering tomorrow. Don't give in to the temptation to contemplate what is honestly incomprehensible. Just don't go there.
Enough is enough.
And when it feels as if enough is too much, on those days hang tight to the truth that Jesus is always, always more than enough.
Lord bless!
See you next time -
Jan L. Burt
(And hey - my new website it up & running! Check it out at JanLBurt.com, if you'd like!)
Wednesday Mar 25, 2020
Wednesday Mar 25, 2020
Taking a look at Psalm 1 ~
Psalm 1:1-3 (Amplified) Blessed (fortunate, prosperous and favored by God) is the man who does not wlk in the counsel of the wicked (following their advice an example), not stand in the path of sinners, not sit (down to rest) in the seat of scoffers (ridiculers). But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law (His precepts and teachings) he (habitually) meditates day and night. And he will be like a tree firmly planed (and fed) by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season; its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers (and comes to maturity).
Psalm 1:1-3 (CSB) - How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the LORD's instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams that bears its fruit in its season and whose leaf does not wither; whatever he does prospers.
First a really quick but important reminder about the book of Psalms - Psalm 1 is the first book of the psalter, and it sets the tone for all the rest of the psalms. Anything else you read from the psalms, anytime you see a verse from psalms shared on social media or via an email, when your pastor preaches from the psalms or a book you are reading references particular verses from psalms - basically, anytime you read anything from this book of the Bible, keep in mind that the foundation is laid right here in Psalm 1. All that follows is built upon what we are going to look at here.
When we read the first few verses, of course we gravitate more toward the blessings that are mentioned. But before we can receive these blessings, we have to be willing to take a hard look at our lives and see if we might be doing any of the things that verse 1 tells us we ought not to be doing.
We don't just fall into these blessings like we might fall into a ditch. They do not happen by osmosis. I, as in me, myself, and I, must decide that I am not going to walk in the counsel of the wicked (meaning I won't be following their example or taking heed of their "advice" or wrongly believe that God may speak through them into my situation - which He won't because He doesn't violate His own Word).
And just in case you might be wondering how to know whether or not someone is "wicked" (the word used in this passage), let me just remind you to not pretend not to know what you already know. In other words, you pretty much know when something is wicked. Life is short & eternity is long, so please don't play coy & pretend you don't know what you do know. Wicked is wicked - evil is evil - and you can recognize it and not make friends with it and reject its counsel and advice and not be a "judgmental" person.
I mentioned in the podcast the words of Jesus that people so often quote ~ which is to judge not lest you be judged yourself. I encourage you very strongly to read ALL of Matthew chapter 7 (and probably all of Matthew chapter 5 & 6, too). We need to be careful to take God's Word as it was intended, as it was written, and not misconstrue single verses to fit certain situations.
Listen, the honest truth is that a lot of the time the reason we throw Matthew 7:1 around is to either A) get ourselves out of the position of telling someone the honest truth, which is that something they are doing is really bad for them & for others or B) to give ourselves a pass regarding something we are doing that we know is not the Lord's best for us (and the whole "don't judge" thing lends itself naturally to "don't judge me, cuz I ain't judging you", which prevents people from speaking into our lives).
Be very careful how you use this verse...and at the very least, please read it all in context.
To be blessed, favored, fortunate then we are going to have to decide not to take advice or follow the example of those who behave in wicked ways, and also make up our minds that will will not stand in the paths of the sinful. Don't be hanging out with them, listening to them spew filth, doing life with them...maybe don't binge watch that series on Netflix because they're telling you it's funny if you know you don't need to view that sort of content.
First we walk, then we stand, and then we sit down. Once we stop walking, we are spending a lot more time engrossed in their world. And when we sit down, we are staying in their world for an extended period of time.
The order here is important - first we walk, then we stand, then we sit. And the way this is phrased reveals that God takes very seriously the behavior of those who are scoffers, mockers, ridiculers. Mockers get a lot of coverage in the Bible, so we can't just make light of this. We need to take seriously whatever God says is worth taking seriously, and not being a mocker or spending time intimately with mockers is pretty serious to Him.
And you know that you know that you might like to get a good laugh from whatever it is the mocker/scoffer is talking about today...but you sure don't trust them with your darkest secrets or struggles. They aren't your role models and you never would encourage your kids to grow up to be just like them. So, keep that in mind before you try to excuse away what I am saying here. It's important enough for you to keep things private and out of their supply of cannon fodder, so it's important enough to just not sit with them and receive their "counsel".
The path to the promised blessing is this: choose to delight in the law of the Lord (in His teachings and His grace and His Word). Start your day thinking about God and His Word, and end your day the same way. That is one simple and sure-fire way to get on the fast track to the blessings promised in Psalm 1.
This right now moment in time is exactly the moment when you and I need to be firmly planted and continually fed by our God. He is our living God, He is our right now God for this very moment. So this very moment is when He is firmly planting us and sustaining us.
If you know Jesus as your Lord, then this is your season to bear fruit. This is the day in which more change, more upheaval is happening than ever before...and this is the day in which people are more open to hearing about God, allowing you to pray for them, listening to what God's Word says than at any other point in modern history, perhaps. This is your season to bear fruit. Your leaf will not wither - if you share God's blessings and love with those around you who need it, God's not going to leave you hanging with just one dried out, brown crusty leaf. Your leaf will not wither - that's a sure promise for you right now.
This is your chance - so what will you do with it?
I hope you go and bear fruit now, because right now is your season.
Now in the episode I mentioned that when this is all over, when coronavirus has done it's total damage and we can look back over all of it, what will that be like for us as Christians? What do we want to see upon reflection? We can make a choice, right now today, about what our hindsight is going to be like. Let's do things today that will make it easier to reflect well without wincing in regret.
(And I mentioned a thing called the "Flowbee" in this episode - here is a link to a commercial from the 80's about that strange oddity...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nztfGEXMMw0)
Have a blessed day & thanks for checking out Episode 21 of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show. I'm thankful for you!
See ya next time!
Jan
JanLBurt.com
on Instagram @janlburt
Tuesday Mar 17, 2020
Tuesday Mar 17, 2020
These are very strange and turbulent times, are they not?
And the one thing that I have to offer you via this podcast, the one thing of any real and lasting value, is hope.
What a powerful and life-changing little word that is: HOPE.
Real hope only comes from Jesus, of course. So if you don't know Jesus personally, as in He is your own personal Savior who paid the price for your own personal sins & secured your freedom from those sins and opened the door for you to have eternal life as well as free life right here and now, then please seek Him today while He may be found, because He is not far from you at all. Ask Him to forgive your sins, bring you into His family, and guide you through His Word, through prayer, and through this crazy, topsy-turvy time right now. And if you do know Jesus personally, then the hope you have in Him should be the loudest thing in your life right now.
That's the whole goal for this episode...to just throw hope around like glitter, because boy oh boy do we ever need it!
Can you take a moment and answer this question?
How has your life, your world, changed over the last week or so?
Guys, it’s been a lot...and it’s okay take a moment, draw a deep breath, and acknowledge that it has indeed been a lot.
Can you take a sec, pause and look for God's hand going before you in advance of all that has happened re: the coronavirus global pandemic?
If you look for His hand, you will find it. Little and big pieces that He was putting in place weeks or maybe even months ago. Ways He led you to cut back, to start working from home, to handle that work situation and make that work trip or schedule those large group meetings that maybe seemed a bit premature but in hindsight were taken care of in the nick of time.
Hey, maybe you bought a couple of books and didn't have the foggiest idea that you'd have ample time to sit down and really read them (by really read, I mean read at a relaxed pace which allows you to learn and enjoy those books to the utmost). Or did you start a new at-home workout routine...and that's already an established habit that won't be impacted by the YMCA shut downs.
Big things or little things, can you take a moment and look for God's hand going ahead of you, to see what He already had in play far in advance of all...of...THIS.
This is important because where you can find His hand in your life, you simultaneously find His heart for you. His hand at work is raw evidence of His great love for you...and don't we all need to know how much He loves each one of us right now?
Look & see where the Lord's hand has been shifting and positioning and pivoting and preparing a way for you. Be assured that each bit of evidence you find is solid gold proof of how much He cares about you. He sees and He knows and He is here.
This is your personal God giving you personal comfort and personal assurance in a very uncomfortable time.
Now let's take a look at His Word -
1 Peter 5:6-7 (Amplified) -
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God (set aside self righteous pride), so that He may exalt you (to a place of honor in His service) at the appropriate time. (vs 7) casting all your cares (all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all) on Him, for He cares about you (with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully).
1 Peter 5:6-7 (NIV) -
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may liftyou up in due time, cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
Okay, let's dive in and see what all is promised to us here ~~~
Can you think for a second about God’s strong right hand? What that represents from His Word? It’s referenced when He rescues His people - when describing His power and His authority - His dominion and His sovereignty over all things - It is a powerful image to ponder.
Now, humble yourself under that strong right hand of power. Submit in total trust to Him in every area of your life that today feels scary and bigger than you and out of control. Just bend the knee and say, “Lord I trust you completely”.
Can I ask you to do this little exercise real fast? Think of someone you know in real life who is genuinely a humble person. Now think of someone you know who is pretty manipulative? I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that you probably did not think of the same two people...because we are not truly humble and truly manipulative at the same time. Those two things don't dwell together very well.
Here’s my point - it is very, very unlikely that you will be trying to work your angle when you are opting to stay truly humble underneath God's very capable hand. Just make the decision to tuck yourself right there under His right hand of power, and to be humble enough to trust Him fully and to believe His word His promises are true. None of these current circumstances change His promises - they have no power or ability to alter even one single promise of the Lord. That’s our working definition of humbling ourselves in the midst of the COVID-19 global pandemic of the year 2020.
When we do that, He right here promises to lift us up in due time. So that’s actual patience working itself out in real life. And don’t tell me you don’t have any patience. If you know Jesus then you have the Holy Spirit within you. (Ephesians 1:13 from the ESV says, "In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.")
So trust Him to lift you up at just the right time in just the right way if you’ll do what He says here and humble yourself under His mighty hand. Also, to be under His hand means you need to be right by His side. Get by the Lord’s side and remain by the Lord’s side and don’t run off! Stay there and stay safe. Don’t be doin’ all the things the CDC says and fail to do what God says. Get there & stay there in humility and trust. Because if you don’t really really trust God then I am not sure you are really really humble.
(You can read Matthew 11:29-30 to see what Jesus says about being yoked to Him and not being overwhelmed by the weariness and budens we're all feeling right about now.)
And remember that verse 7 tells us to cast all of our anxiety on the Lord - and the word all really does mean ALL. He has broad shoulders. He can handle all your anxiety.
There is comfort upon comfort for us in this verse. It’s all ours for the taking, all ours for the having, if we just choose to accept that what the Lord is saying to us here is true - this is our truth. This is my truth - this is your truth.
And lastly, but for sure not least of all, this verse promises - promises!!! - that God cares about you...not just about the whole world, which of course He does, but about just you right here in this mess.
And it even tells you how much He cares in pretty explicit detail. With deepest affection.
Finally - He promises here to watch over you very carefully.
What does it look like in real life when you do something very carefully? Very carefully does the Lord God care for you.
So stay by His side, under His mighty hand of protection, believe He will lift you up at the right time and don’t hang on to even one ounce of anxiety, worry, fret or fear in this season. Keep talking to Him and keep seeking Him and loving Him and trusting Him.
This is your coronavirus promise. And it’s mine, too.
Hang tight, friends. We are one day closer to Jesus’ return and we are here now to show His hope to a very frightened world.
Lord bless you - see ya soon!
Can I pray for you?
Email me at JanLBurt@outlook.com
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