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 May 17, 2024
Friday May 17, 2024
Well, hey there! Welcome to the latest episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show. I’m Jan, and if we have never met in real life or on the interwebs, it’s so nice to “meet” you!
Let’s take a look at some promises God offers His people in the book of Jeremiah.
Episode #181 is sponsored by JoannaWeaverBooks.com
You’re listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, part of the Spark Network, now playing in the Edifi app. Today’s episode is sponsored by the author and speaker Joanna Weaver. You may know her from the bestseller Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. Her words resonate with so many Christian women, and I am currently working through her book Lazarus Awakening. Thanks, Joanna, for writing what I’ve needed to hear so many times. I’ll share a link to Joanna Weaver’s website here in the show notes. This is episode number 181.
Jeremiah. The weeping prophet. His calling from the Lord was far from easy. In fact, it was downright brutal in many aspects. This is a man who lived a rough life for all the years he walked in obedience to God. And so, we can take comfort in his words when we feel like things go from bad to worse when we do what God told us to do. And in the midst of so much hardship, we find some amazing promises in the book of Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 17, verses 7 and 8 from the NLT say this:
But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence.
They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.
Isn’t this passage remarkable? It reminds me very much of Psalm 1. The promise here for you is that you will be blessed so long as you trust in the Lord and make Him your hope and confidence. Listen, the honest truth is that we can feel like we’re trusting Him but when pressed a bit regarding whether or not any and all of our confidence is in the Lord alone, well, hmmm… it’s not always placed fully there, is it? And it needs to be. There is nobody that will fail to let you down save One, and His name is the Lord. So put your hope in Him, put all your confidence in Him, and you will be blessed. That’s the promise here, and God never fails to do what He has promised.
You will be like a tree planted along a riverbank, your roots are gonna go deep into the water and you will not have to feel barren and dry and fruitless and useless and pointless even when the whole world around you is in a season of drought. Your leaves will stay green and you will never stop producing fruit.
Does that describe you right now?
You know, one of the best ways to examine your life, to examine yourself to see if ye be in the faith, as Paul said in 2 Corinthians 13:5, is to take a look at your life’s fruit, or lack thereof.
If you have no fruit, meaning the kind of stuff that marks you as a Christian, that is different than the ways of the world, that is evidence that Jesus has hold of your heart and is doing a sanctifying, transforming work in you and through you…that kind of fruit, well if it isn’t evident in your life, then I’m going to be bold enough to say that you may not be planted firmly in the Lord, may not be fully trusting in Him alone. And if you’re not, can I encourage you to change that today? Walking with Jesus is not about saying a prayer one time during an emotional moment at the end of a three day conference. Climate controlled settings with emotional speakers and worship can be awesome, there is not doubt, but they don’t always equate to the kind of transformative life change that Jesus is really after in the lives of each of His disciples. If we are going to see the kind of fruit that points to us belonging to Him, we need to make a decision to take up our cross daily and follow Him, and that goes far beyond the women’s event and stretches into every nook and cranny of our life.
Jeremiah 33:3 is another verse I’d like to share with you today, and I actually mentioned this verse on episode number 33 of my other podcast, The Prayer Podcast with Jan L. Burt and I can drop a link to that episode in the show notes for you to easily listen to if you’re interested. Let me read it from the NLT.
I’ll start in verse 2 and then read verse 3:
This is what the LORD says - the LORD who made the earth, who formed and established it, whose name is the LORD. Ask Me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.
Yeah, that right there is a big deal. It’s a huge promise. Ask Him, call to Him some versions say, and ask Him things you don’t know. Ask Him and He will tell you secrets that are remarkable about what? About things you don’t know, about things to come. This tells us that we aren’t on our own, we don’t have to figure it all out by our own selves, and beyond that, we can ask Him to tell us secret things about what is to come and He will do it. Isn’t that amazing? Like, how is that even possible, that we can ask and God will tell us things like that? Oh it’s amazing all right, and God means what He promises here. We aren’t walking into an unknown, uncertain future in the same manner as those who don’t follow Jesus…and this verse gives us tremendous hope and comfort that God will show us things, remarkable things, secret things, if we will but ask Him. Our future is not unknown - it is safe in the hands of the God who knows us and we can keep expecting Him to show us things about the future if we will just ask. Yup, this is an awesome promise!
The last verse we will look at in Jeremiah is from chapter 10, verse 23, still reading from the NLT.
This section of chapter ten has the header “Jeremiah’s Prayer” and verse 23 says:
I know, LORD, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course. And verse 24 says:
So correct me, LORD, but please be gentle. Do not correct me in anger, for I would die.
I love this. To begin a prayer by saying that we know our lives are not our own, that we are not able to plan our own course, is a huge admission that we all need to make! God already knows this is true; we need to know it! And as a Christian woman in America in 2024, it’s not common to our western culture, this kind of admittance.
We DON’T know that our lives are not our own. We really have been taught to drink the Kool-Aid and believe the untruth that we can plan our own course. Actually, according to the very Word of God, we cannot!
The promise here for you and for me is that this acknowledging brings with it so much comfort and peace, because we put our lives where they belong…in His hands. Honestly, we don’t want them anywhere else. And Jeremiah goes on to pray, so correct me Lord, but please be gentle. If God corrected us, dealt with us in His anger, none of us would be alive. Instant death. Poof. That’s it. Time to punch out. But of course, our loving God in His grace and mercy doesn’t deal with us in His anger! He gentleness is known to all, if we take the time to notice it.
But in praying these words, asking God to move in our lives, to do His sanctifying work, which does at times, often times for me, involve correction, is a really amazing way to ask God to do His will, but in a way that is gentle. He does remember that we are but dust, it says in Psalm 103, and in His gentleness toward us, we see evidence of how much He loves us.
Take comfort in this!
God’s love and care for you knows no bounds, and He will finish the work He has begun in your life.
I hope these verses from Jeremiah have been encouraging for you today, and if so, well, praise the Lord!
Lord bless you and thanks for listening today - also, I’m leaving a link in the show notes where you can send me any prayer requests you may have, and I pray for every request I receive. I’ll see you next time! Bye bye.
Thursday May 09, 2024
Thursday May 09, 2024
Psalm 91 Pray It & Believe Course
God's promises are true.
He has a perfect track record, and His resume is impeccable. But do we live like His promises are true for us, personally?
How is our prayer life impacted by whether or not we really, truly believe that everything God has promised to His people, He will deliver on?
Let's take an honest look at this issue & let's choose to believe that God's promises are true for us...because they are!
#believe #GodsPromises #truth #Biblestudy #NewTestament #hope #prayer
Tuesday Apr 23, 2024
Tuesday Apr 23, 2024
Well, hello to ya today!
Welcome to this fun bonus episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show…where we take a gander at the importance of applying the Bible to our family life.
SUMMIT TICKETS HERE (& be sure to email me at JanLBurt@outlook.com if you sign up!)
It won’t come as any surprise for me to say that your family, your spouse, your children, your siblings, your parents, these relationships are often the ones that we want to focus on, and sometimes those are the relationships that we neglect.
We have a real enemy, and he hates what God loves. In Genesis we see the first family, and we know that God planned for them to be a family with a focus on honoring and living for Him, for the Lord. And so, of course, satan hates the family and works to rip it apart, damage it, thrash it and trash it in any and every possible manner.
We see that all around us in society. And it’s having an impact as a whole.
So we need to continue running our race and fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. It matters how we run, it matters where our gaze lands, or those words wouldn’t be on the pages of our Bibles (in the book of Hebrews, chapter twelve is the exact location).
And while this next bit I’m going to share about wasn’t part of what I’d planned to share, it is timely and fits the exact message of this episode, so I’ll be sharing some of what I shared in a blog post that I published yesterday.
I'm no stranger to difficult conversations with my children.
I've explained and over-explained so many things in the hope that some of what I said would ring true and speak louder to them than the world.
To parody the insurance commercial tagline, I know a thing or two because I've seen a thing or two.
But isn't there always something that crops up, trying to gain access to our children's hearts and minds? Isn't there always?
Yes, indeed there is. And even though my children are all adults now, even though I am no longer actively homeschooling, I continue to speak at homeschool conferences and summits and to groups of moms and women in person and via my podcasts and social media platforms. I still very much want to encourage and support homeschoolers and Christian parents in any way possible.
And today, my messages have been full of parents dealing with an unexpected source of frustration that involves the latest Taylor Swift album...
Here's a quick rundown of what's going on -
A new album was released and so, of course, loads of Swift's fans have been posting all over social media. This isn't unexpected, and certainly isn't the source of frustration so many parents are facing today. These parents have seen their children exposed to this album, which contains plenty of explicit lyrics and anti-Christian themes. But the exposure came via an unexpected source.
Many parents have strict policies for their children regarding what music they listen to and what they see online, which includes who they follow on social media. For example, say your tween daughter has an Instagram account that you monitor carefully, and the accounts she follows have been vetted and are both age and morally appropriate. All of a sudden, these carefully selected Christian content creators begin posting in detail about the latest Taylor Swift album, saying they're coming out of the closet and they don't care what anybody thinks about it, going on to explain why the album is okay to listen to if you are an adult, that it isn't child-friendly, and so on...but sharing the lyrics along with photos and video of their bizarre album-release-dinner-party-ritual-events(I have no idea what to call the release dinner party celebrations that I've seen all over my CHRISTIAN social media feed...so forgive me if my name for sounds weird, but the images I saw were pretty weird so I simply called it as I saw it).
So many young people were exposed to controversial lyrics at the hands of the Christians they follow on social media, and so many of those who posted this content did so while defending Taylor Swift in a way that makes absolutely no sense at all for someone who has chosen to take up their cross daily and follow after Jesus.
And the comments on these posts are equally controversial and surprising. Basically, what I've seen is those who take a stand against this album and its content by saying it's not really what Christ followers ought to be listening to get DESTROYED in the comments by the ample swarm of fans who feel the need to lash out against anyone who dares question their absolute allegiance to the pop star. (Note: they come out swinging against those who declare their allegiance to Jesus in an attempt to justify their allegiance to Taylor Swift as Christians...make it make sense!)
One comment went so far as to say that the lyrics on this album are no more controversial than the story of Lot and his daughters. Well, let's think about that. Genesis 19 is part of a tragedy that took place in the midst of a wicked, fallen society (hmmm, sounds familiar, doesn't it?). Lot's wife looked back at that which the Lord deemed worthy only of total destruction and thus did not make it to the "high ground" with her husband and daughters. Lot fled to (and then away from) the town of Zoar because he had a pretty good idea that the people of that community weren't going to simply let him exist in peace after what went down next door. He took his two daughters and made his home in a cave, away from the populous. The young women did not want to die childless and so they devised a lewd plan and went forward with (get dad drunk and do the unthinkable with dad in order to have children). The names of their children were Moab and Ben-ammi...the very start of the Moabites and the Ammonites, who have a long and tainted history of fighting against God's chosen people, the Israelites. I'm not exactly certain how this commenter thinks that the story of Lot and his daughters comes to her defense regarding the album and its crude, anti-Christian content. If anything, it lends credence to the fact that the album is not fit for Christian consumption.
All of this is what parents are facing today as they face the next battle for their children's hearts and minds.
After replying to messages, praying for parents, muting and unfollowing so-many-accounts today, here I am posting this on my blog as a means of encouraging any parents who are dealing with this sticky situation with their own children (or any other stick situation you may be facing). You are not alone. It may feel like you are, but I promise, based on my DMs, you absolutely are not. And I am praying for you and your family, because this is tricky stuff, explaining why Christians make choices like this, share about those choice, and defend them in ways that, frankly, dishonor the Lord.
I had intended to record a podcast episode today about the world we're raising our children in and the need to be encouraged and shored up in our parenting as Christians...and then, all of this began to play out in my social feed and inbox. So, I prayed, and changed my plans a bit and tomorrow I will be recording an episode for The Burt (Not Ernie) Show that includes some of this controversial hot topic, along with information about an upcoming summit I'm speaking at that has the express aim of encouraging families who follow Jesus. (If you'd like to check out the summit, tickets start at $17 and here is the link - Vibrant Home Life Summit 2024 ).
And lastly, if this post encouraged you, please feel free to share it on social media. Some other parents may just be encouraged by reading it, and it may be helpful to simply know they're not alone in their desire to train up the children in the way that they should go.
Lord bless you today - don't stop doing good and honoring the Lord in your parenting, because you are promised that you will reap a harvest at just the right time, so long as you don't give up!
Now I’ve spoken a lot of times at online summits and in person, and I aim to be selective in when and where I speak, and I don’t say yes to all the things I get asked to do (although once in a while I miss things, like when a speaker request / inquiry from Great Homeschool Conventions somehow landed in my spam folder, and so I didn’t see that in a timely manner and if anybody from Great Homeschool Conventions is listening to this by chance, hit me up again because yes I’ll be a speaker!) Also, check your spam now and then so you don’t miss something awesome like I did!
But I am a speaker for an upcoming event that has been created just for the Christian family. It’s the Vibrant Home Life Summit. Of course I’d love for you to check out my session (which was really difficult to complete, like every time I turned around there were difficulties and it took a lot to get it done, so I have the sense that satan didn’t really want me to speak - which means he doesn’t want any families to be encouraged by the message that I prayed so much about… and so I do think it may be a blessing for you, even though by the time I got it finished I had nearly lost my voice- I have never had that kind of trouble completing a message for a summit or for an in person event, just never happened before.
We go to work, and there’s tension and the worldview that isn’t ours as a disciple of Jesus is in our face all day, and our kids may be dealing with similar things in their daily life. It’s a battle, and it’s okay to say that out loud.
So my friends Christian and Lisa are hosting this summit as a way to link arms, join with other parents who are working toward the same goal as Christians, desiring a Christ centered home. The entire event is about that, specifically, and there will be a lot of encouragement and a lot of practical advice and tips, and all the other things that come with a summit too, like freebies and giveaways with prizes and surprises and the connections and all those things.
It’s about faith and growth and loving your family and raising your kids and honoring the Lord. And so I’m thankful to be part of this event, thankful to be speaking and doing some other things, and thankful to share it with you, because my podcast audience is all about being a disciple who disciples others while grabbing hold of all of God’s promises and believing them. And that’s why I’m sharing this with you today - now the summit includes a goodie bag of things for attendees, it is happening from April 29th to May 3rd of this year, 2024, but there is lifetime access since it’s all online, and one thing I like about it that you can listen to the sessions and that fits with the podcasting world really well. Not everyone likes podcasts, but my people do and I do so that’s how I’m going to check out this summit, I mean I can watch the videos but I’m just gonna do it like a podcast and listen.
There is a price tag of $17 for the summit, but you get the freebies and something like 42 sessions for that seventeen bucks, it’s a really good price.
Consider this your formal invitation to join me and let’s move the Kingdom of our God forward, literally linking arms, spurring one another on toward love and good deeds, reminding each other that we’re not alone, there are lots of us doing life as disciples who want to raise our children well in a world that is hostile to the Good News of Jesus. And if you do grab a ticket with the link, would you send me an email with the subject line “Summit” and I’m working on something new that I would like to share with you when it’s done, it will be early summer when I get it all ready to go, but it will be something I’ll share with you before I release it out into the great big world, and I’ll be sending it your way first and before I start selling it. So like a bonus, sort of, but in my mind I’m thinking of this as more of a share it with you rather than a bonus.
Check out the summit details via the link in the show notes and I’ll update my website the link on my home page and be sure to really consider this as something you invest in this spring, because this world isn’t getting nicer, kinder, more friendly toward believers. We need encouragement, and I’ve been doing that for a long time now, since I started blogging way back in like 2009 or something. This is just one more way for me to do what I do, encourage you. Email me at JanLBurt at outlook.com if you grab a ticket via the link in the show notes or the link at JanLBurt.com and you’ll be hearing from me with something additional to encourage you.
Thanks for joining me for this special bonus episode of the podcast, and next time I’m going to take a look at a specific promise that is huge, and you can expect that episode to drop in just a couple of days, so I’ll see you back here then. Bye bye.
Thursday Apr 11, 2024
Thursday Apr 11, 2024
Well hey there! Hello to ya and welcome to this episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, where we talk about God’s promises and apply them to our lives. God’s promises are all true, and they are true for you if you are a follower of Jesus. Isn’t that great news?!? I’ll go ahead and answer my own question: yes, it is most certainly great news.
I'm speaking at the Vibrant Home Life Summit & I hope you'll join me (it's online!)
You’re listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, part of the Spark Network, now playing in the Edifi app. Today’s episode is sponsored by Mr. Pen , and I’ve put a link in the show notes. I love pens, journaling, and the like…and I love Mr Pen products. I also love their heart to support IJM and take a stand against human trafficking. So check them out, follow them on the gram, and be part of something more than just buying a new Bible highlighter. And one more important thing I want to share with you today - I’m honored to be speaking at the upcoming Vibrant Home Life Summit. Are you feeling overwhelmed by the secular culture that seems to surround us at every turn? Do you find yourself struggling to maintain your faith and uphold your Christian values in a world that often feels hostile to them? If so, I want you to know that you're not alone.
In the midst of the chaos and confusion of the secular world, there is a beacon of hope shining brightly: the Vibrant Home Life Summit. This transformative event, taking place from April 29 to May 3, 2024, is designed to breathe new life into your faith and equip you with the tools you need to thrive as a Christian family.
I’d love to have you join me for this summit, which is an online event, and find a whole ton of encouragement. The link is right in the show notes, and I’ll be sending out some emails about the summit and sharing on social media and am going to have a special bonus episode of the podcast to hit on some issues that are facing us as disciples of Jesus in this day and age, so be sure to keep an eye out for that and I’ll be hitting this subject hard in that episode, number 179, because you and I are living in this exact time for such a time as this, and in order to live well we need one another, we need to be shored up and encouraged and reminded that we’re not alone, far from it, in this culture war and war on our families. I’m looking forward to that episode, and to have you join me at this summit, which is so needed right now.
We’re taking a look at some promises God’s given us in the book of Isaiah today, and this is episode number 178.
Isaiah is a book that is packed full of warnings, prophecies, encouragement and promises. It’s a book that you can, and probably should, study with a long-haul perspective. It is anything but lifeless! And it isn’t something to glaze over quickly.
And so, here we are taking a second look at the promises in Isaiah because it’s not really a book of the Bible that can be fully addressed in one short podcast episode. Or in a dozen episodes, honestly. I cannot possibly do this book justice. I just can’t. I won’t even come close.
But I can share several promises from Isaiah that will encourage you, no matter what your life may look like today, or what it may look like in a few months or a few years (and I do think we are entering a phase of history that will leave all of us living lives that look very different in the next several years as compared to how they look right now… as I’ve said before, keep your eyes on Israel and pay close attention to what’s happening there… some upcoming events are going to take place that could very well be the next steps toward the prophecy we read about in Daniel and the explanation, if you will, that Paul shared in 2 Thessalonians… and while that isn’t the express focus of this episode, it is noteworthy. Because if we don’t have any real idea of what’s happening over there in the Middle East, in Israel specifically, that could be because our news isn’t telling us some of the things taking place that pertain to the Bible being fulfilled exactly as it’s written, and not all of us have our social media feeds curated so that our feeds keep us somewhat up to date of what’s going on. And what’s going on has to do with Iran readying to attack Israel, now per it’s old school Bible name, Iran is the same as Persia. It’s a wild time to be alive, for us as Christians, so let’s keep loving people well, and we do that better when we know what time it is on the Kingdom calendar and realize that our priorities can easily get all out of whack when we think it’s a different time than it really is. If things are heating up in Israel, which they have been the last six months, then we know it’s a ramp up time. Gotta know the Bible and gotta keep our eyes on Israel and gotta love people now better than we ever have before, because that’s our job as disciples, to go and tell. Let’s allow the words from Isaiah to spur us on toward love and good deeds, and I don’t mean platitudes and somewhere over the rainbow, but actual love that moves us to love others. Christ love compels me, wrote Paul. But what about us? Does Christ’s love compel Jan? Do you find yourself compelled by Christ’s love?
So it says in Isaiah chapter 8, verse 13 AMP - It is the LORD of hosts whom you are to regard as holy and awesome. He shall be your (source of) fear. He shall be your (source of) dread (not man). Verse 14a - Then He shall be a sanctuary (a sacred, indestructible shelter for those who fear and trust Him);
What you fear rules the direction of your life and the attitude of your heart.
I think you likely already know that, but it’s worth the reminder. Because we are living in uncertain times, lots going on every single day, we are in an era when the next news story doesn’t even shock us because it’s been so much for so long. I’ve seen surveys of younger people who all seem to agree that since 2020, they feel like their life has sort of been on hold, in some kind of a pause, and they feel lost and somewhat depressed and I don’t think that only applies to the younger generation. It’s sort of true for all of us, isn’t it? So the hope we find here, to fear the Lord, to let Him be our only source of dread, that takes the fear out of everything else. But we have to be reminded about this, at least I do. Fear Him, He is to be your only source of dread. Not man. And then He will be a sanctuary and an indestructible shelter for those who fear and trust Him.
Here’s a big promise, whopper sized, for us from Isaiah
Chapter 30, verse 21, still in the AMP
Your ears WILL hear a word behind you, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left.
If you need some guidance (and who among us doesn’t at one point or another?) or clarity, direction, which choice do I make, which way do I go, what do I do? This verse holds the hope and the promise that we are in need of.
I say this often, although I haven’t said it on the podcast in a while, but when one of God’s promises says “WILL”, He means it! Let me read that aloud to you once more.
Your ears WILL hear a word, or a voice, behind you saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left.
WILL! He is going to give you a word of guidance when you are weighing your options, do I go right, do I go left…but here’s the thing, we have to walk in it. He will say, “This is the way,” but He won’t take those steps for us and He won’t force us to walk in those ways. He will tell us, Go this way, take a left, not that way, this way is the way to go…and He expects us to do as He directs us to do and to walk in the way He leads us. If you will do that, not all the second guessing and the what iffing, but will just say, yup, He directed me and it’s a left turn here at this junction, so I am going left, if you walk in it, then you’ll be living in the fullness of this promised blessing.
To be able to know that you have the guidance and direction from the voice and word of God for all the days of your life in every decision, to be able to know the way to go, the route to travel, the path to take, the turn to make…this is a huge promise. Don’t miss out on this! Take full advantage of this one! And believe that God says will because He means it. He WILL do this for you. But you need to walk in the way He directs you to go.
Isaiah 40:29 AMP
He gives strength to the weary, and to him who has no might He increases power.
Now this one, it’s for me. It might also be for you today, but I can tell you without a doubt, it is for me right now.
I am somewhat weary from health problems. In all honesty, I am super weary. I’m tired of discomfort, I’m tired of the cough that is either due to the heart failure diagnosis or due to my busted thyroid or due to both. I am weary of the pain due to a large number of uterine fibroids. I don’t like the constant feeling of needing to catch my breath. I don’t like coughing and people wondering if I am contagious (I’m not, it’s just due to my heart). I’m tired of hypothyroidism. I’m tired of not knowing if it will be a good day or a not so good day, energy wise. I’m weary of feeling like I ought to enjoy my life more and live better. I’m tired of gained weight (again, thyroid and heart problems…like if you see me and want to know what happened, well, Google heart failure and you’ll know!)
And so, a verse like this one is for me.
He promises to give strength to the weary. That’s me! And to him, or her, who has not might He increases power. I have no might on my own! For a fact, there is no might I muster up to do anything. If it gets done, it’s all because God gave me power to do it.
Now that’s true for all of us, but in my case, I am just a lot more aware of it on a daily basis.
Isaiah 40 verse 29 is a verse I need, and so I opt to believe that God will keep His word, keep His promise, and I pray for that to be my reality.
Yes, I pray for healing. And I also pray for power and strength while I keep praying for healing.
I hope you do that, too, for whatever need you have, whatever your current station in life might be.
Isaiah 40:31 AMP
But those who wait for the LORD (who expect, look for, and hope in Him) will gain new strength and renew their power; They will lift up their wings (and rise up close to God) like eagles (rising toward the sun}; They will run and not become weary, they will walk and not grow tired.
Ah, what a verse!
We have to wait for the Lord in order for this promise to be fulfilled for us - but we wait with expectancy, we wait in hope, knowing that our hope will not be disappointed! We look for Him, watching and searching for Him to show up in our circumstances. Active waiting is a real thing, and in the Kingdom of God, it’s the only way to wait well!
When He shows us, we gain new strength (I’ve talked about this on the podcast way back in 2019, I think it was, and it is amazing how the eagle transforms after a molting season - it is hands down one of my favorite episodes of this show and I’ll add the link here in the show notes). Renewed power. New strength. All because we wait for Him expectantly and with hope.
We’ll rise up close to God like an eagle rising toward the sun.
We will run and not become weary and to this I say, Yes, Lord! Do as You have said! And they will walk and not grow tired.
You know, last fall I took a trip that involved a lot of walking and I began to see with a new set of eyes more clearly what my health was like, sort of how bad it had gotten, because walking several miles did some revealing of things in my health that I had kind of not really clued in to.
And I’m glad for that experience!
But also, I’m praying that it will come to an end, in this life and not merely the next one, and I’ll have healing and be free from the hindrances that I did not used to deal with and would like to not deal with now.
What about you?
I’ve shared a lot about how these passages from Isaiah spur me on, emboldened me as I pray, and give me tremendous hope as I wait for God to fulfill them for me.
Do they do the same for you?
Are you more free, more excited, more hopeful, after reading God’s promises?
Do you rise up with new energy and strength because God, via His living word, has supernaturally done a work in your heart and mind and inner being?
I don’t want to only talk about my health struggles.
I want to use those as a real life example that will hopefully encourage you that God’s promises are for you, remind you that He is for you, you are never alone, and all His promises to you will not fail because He will not fail.
Not only are you loved, but you are so loved.
Not only are you favored, but you are highly favored.
And not only are these promises for all God’s people, but they are also just for you.
There are some more promises in the book of Isaiah that might encourage you, and I’m going to put together a pdf download for you that has a list of promises from the Amplified Bible.
I don’t know that it will be linked in this episodes show notes, but I will get it linked in the next episode for sure and will also share it on social media and on my website, which is my name, JanLBurt dot com.
God’s gonna keep these promises, to me and to you.
Believe Him for it!
And honor Him by waiting with great hope and expectation!
Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you back here next time.
Bye bye!
Friday Mar 22, 2024
Friday Mar 22, 2024
Join Jan Burt in the 177th episode of The Burt Not Ernie Show, a faith-based podcast committed to uplifting souls and encouraging believers. In this episode, Jan delves into the journey of discovering who you are in Christ and debunking the devil's lies about our identities. She further draws on the significance of the number seven, connecting it with the theme of recognizing and appreciating our unique roles gifted by God.
Psalm 91 Course
Featuring a deep dive into the Bible, specifically Nahum 1:7 and Psalm 117, Jan brings to the forefront God's promises and His unwavering goodness despite life's tribulations. This soul-stirring session ultimately calls for listeners to find refuge and place their uncompromised trust in God's word.
Uncover the transformative power of faith and truth in overcoming negative influences through God's word. Beyond merely reading scriptures, the episode inspires all to fully trust in God, resist the devil's falsehoods with a firm grip on the shields of faith, and bravely combat with the sword of God's word.
Taking center-stage is Psalm 117 from the New Living Translation, a succinct yet potent text reminding us of God's everlasting love and faithfulness. Compelling conversation evokes the omnipotent love of God characterized by the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. The victory, we are reminded, ultimately lies in God's Love.
In conclusion, the episode encourages listeners to carve out more space for God amidst their busy schedules. Slowing down and leaning into faith and patience are key components in this spiritually fulfilling journey. Necessary too is praying for others and hoping for their acquaintance with the Lord Jesus - encapsulating trust and total acceptance.
All in all, even in moments of struggle, God's truth and faithfulness serve as eternal beacons of hope. No matter the life challenges we face, we must remember God's unfailing love and His everlasting faithfulness—a powerful, enduring force to depend on.
Friday Mar 08, 2024
Friday Mar 08, 2024
Well hey there, hello to ya. Thanks for dropping by the podcast today. It’s a good one, this episode, as we take a look at a promise from the book of Isaiah. What a book - am I right? What. A. Book.
You’re listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show Podcast, part of the Spark Network, playing via the Edifi app. This episode is sponsored by Alexandra Bowman Photography, located in south central Kansas, and a link to see her work is right here in the show notes. This is episode number 176.
Every book a promise.
How many promises are there in the Bible, exactly? I’ve read that there are over 6000. That’s something like one promise a day for 16 plus years. It’s a book of promise, it’s a book of hope, the Bible is living and active, so says Hebrews. And all those promises? They are all yes and amen for those of us who are in Christ. That’s very good news for us today, don’t ya think?
And so this series, looking at a promise from each and every book of the Bible, all 66 of them, from Genesis to Revelation, well, it’s a good series because it’s so filled with the hope of those promises. God’s track record at keeping His promises is perfect, absolutely perfect. Of course it is, seeing as He is perfect. Total perfection, nothing less.
Isaiah, however, is a big, full, rich book. Sixty-six chapters and so many promises, especially once Isaiah turns a corner in chapter 40 and the hope just pours out. If you haven’t read much of the book of Isaiah in a while, you won’t regret diving in and reading, applying to your life, choosing to believe what is says.
I decided that it would be pretty near impossible for me to truly do a good job, or even a moderate job, of touching on the promises in Isaiah in just one single episode. So today I’m going to share a promise from chapter 43, a really amazing promise, and then I am going to have another episode with other promises. Because we need it, right now, in our current day and age. We need to hear God’s promises spoken aloud, we need it. It’s like oxygen - this is not the time to be holding our breath. This is the time to be breathing deeply and getting life from God’s promises.
Isaiah 43, verses 1, 2 and 3.
CSB
Now this is what the LORD says - the one who created you, Jacob, and the one who formed you, Israel - “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and the rivers will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, and the flame will not burn you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, and your Savior.”
Who created and formed Israel? It was the Lord God who created and formed Israel. God was intentional when he formed Israel, when He changed Jacob’s name to Israel, in all His dealings with His chosen people, He has always been intentional. And this understanding of the intentionality of our God reminds us that He is not, nor will He ever be, unintentional with us. He is working in our lives and all around us, and He does so with loving and careful intention.
Your God is intentional. And He is intentional about you.
Do not fear.
These three words are repeated again and again to us all throughout the Bible. And aren’t you glad for that? That the Lord says this to us, for us, again and again and again? I know I am!
God’s call to us to fear not comes with a promise attached. He knows how we are made, that we are but dust is says in the Psalms. And so, He knows what we can and cannot do in our own strength. (Spoiler alert: we can do basically nothing in our own strength and we need Him for every single thing, every single breath, every single moment.) He doesn’t tell us not to be afraid and then leave us with no way of actually not being afraid. He calls us to a life of no fear and then He makes it possible. Do we need faith, do we need to actually believe what the Bible says? Yes. So choose faith, choose belief, choose to obey the Lord on a daily basis. And when you are scared about something, remind yourself, preach to yourself, that God does not want you to be fearful and then pray and ask Him to do what seems like it’s impossible - to truly make you not fearful. He doesn’t say, “Do this,” or “Don’t do that,” and then leave us unable to do or not do said things. Your God is a good God, and your God loves you so very much, and He will enable you, empower you, to not be afraid.
He says here that He redeemed Israel. And in Jesus, we who are not of the nation of Israel are also redeemed. Do we live like we’re redeemed? Are we behaving like a redeemed people? Just food for thought today. God wants us to understand in the deepest recesses of our hearts and minds that we are redeemed…from death, from hell, from all that a sinful and broken world brings at us, and He wants us to live a changed life as a result of knowing that we are a redeemed people. Does that make us look a bit different than those who don’t know Jesus personally and thus aren’t redeemed as of yet? Well, yes. But isn’t that actually good? Doesn’t that difference, that oddness, us being a peculiar people as it says in the New Testament, doesn’t that give other reason to look at us and maybe, just maybe, some will do more than look, they’ll study us a bit and who know? Some will come to know Jesus for themselves because you and I, we are different because we’ve been redeemed. You could look up the word redeemed in the dictionary and check out the definition and see if it describes you as a follower of the Lord Jesus.
He calls us by name. He knows us all, and He knows us each one, and He knows us well, better than we know ourselves. He calls us by our names. Personal? Yes, your God is personal. He knows. Whatever it is that is weighing on you, maybe a skeleton in your closet, maybe someone really did you dirty and you have not talked to anyone about it…God knows. In His knowing of us, we can rest and we can receive His peace and we can just set it all down, lay it down, and receive what He has for us. You are known, because He calls you by your name. Not a stranger, but one whose name is known and whose name is called.
You are Mine, is says next. You are called by your name and the One calling you by name says this: You are Mine.
When God says something or someone is His, who are we to argue?
But we do sort of argue, don’t we?
I don’t feel like this is true (oh, those fickle feelings, always messing with us and playing tricks on the way we think, which ends up impacting the way we live our lives…)
Listen, if He says something is so, then it is. Period. Your input, my advice, the counsel of the billionarist of all billionaires is irrelevant, it is not needed, He never asks for it.
What God says, that’s that. That’s it. Case closed.
You are Mine. Says who? Who says that? God. That’s who. And that’s that. Once He says you are His, well, just let that be settled here in your life on earth as it is already settled in heaven.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.
So, sometimes we are gonna go through some stuff. No way around it, gotta go through it, and that’s how it is. But you aren’t alone, far from it, God has said here, promised here, that He will be with you. Okay then. God’s with me as I pass through those waters? Alright. That changes everything!
And through the rivers, they won’t overwhelm you.
You won’t drown in this situation, because that’s the promise here.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, and the flame will not burn you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, and your Savior.
I guess we’re fire walkers, aren’t we? Things will be hot sometimes, but God has said we won’t be scorched, the flame won’t burn us because, and here is the promise, because he is the Lord our God, the Holy One of Israel, now think on that for a moment. Think of God doing all those miracles in Egypt, think of it! The Holy One of Israel, that’s who says you won’t be scorched or burned. He is your Savior.
No political candidate is your savior. No job, career, inheritance is saving you. Good health, you’re a marathon runner, a super athlete, got all these friends around you, live in an underground bunker compound or whatever, nope. That’s not the promise. That’s not where it’s at.
The Lord is your Savior.
Will you rest in that promise today?
You won’t drown, you won’t get scorched, you are called by name, you are His, He will be with you and He is your Savior.
Now that’s quite a promise.
Remember, next week we will look at Isaiah again because the promises in this book, they are for you and for me and so let’s know what they are, and let’s believe them.
He’s got you, and He will not let you go.
And I'm adding Isaiah chapter 11 to the show notes to make it super easy for you to read and pray through.
ISAIAH 11
I’ll see you next time!
Bye bye!
Monday Feb 26, 2024
Monday Feb 26, 2024
In our continuing series, Every Book A Promise, let's take a look at the Song of Solomon (or Song of Songs, as it is titled in some Bible translations).
The overall promise of this book of the Bible is that of God's great love for His people.
His love is so vast, so enduring, so perfect that we will never be able to fully grasp or understand it. The depth of His love knows no bounds, and this episode is a reminder of that truth.
There are also a few warnings to be found in Song of Solomon.
Warnings to not awaken love before the proper time.
Warnings not to allow the little, destructive foxes in life to run wild and rampant, thrashing and trashing the things we've been working hard on.
Warnings to place Jesus as the seal over our hearts, and the greatest love of our life, and the one whom we've given our hearts to for eternity.
And the warning to be ready for Jesus to call us home to Him at any moment.
Feel free to ready the following verses in your Bible -
Chapter 2, verse 7
Chapter 2, verse 15
Chapter 8, verse 6
Chapter 8, verse 14
Next time we'll take a look at God's promises to His people in the book of Isaiah...and because this is such a tremendous book, more than one episode may be required to dig into the promises of Isaiah.
Thanks so much for listening today, and if this show has encouraged you, feel free to subscribe or share the link with someone else.
See you next time!
Jan L. Burt
Monday Feb 12, 2024
Monday Feb 12, 2024
In the latest episode of The Burt Not Ernie Show, host Jan Burt returns for another enlightening conversation on her series, Every Book a Promise. Delving deep into the book of Proverbs, Jan invites her audience to explore and believe in the power and specificity of God's promises and how these can lead to significant life changes.
Through three potent verses, Jan echoes the possibilities that arise when we live in our authentic identities and align our faith with God's purposes. With a firm belief in the Almighty, she uncovers the wisdom encapsulated within Proverbs and its power to impact our daily lives.
This episode serves as a challenge and a guide to living life with complete trust in God's promises, emphasizing the immense strength offered in His name, the prevailing of His purposes over our plans, and His ability to guide the hearts of those in authority. From discussing God's constant presence on the throne, to the importance of forgiveness, to the metaphor of God as a 'strong tower', Jan offers a wealth of biblical insights and comforting reassurances.
Tune in for a spiritually engaging discourse that will deepen your understanding of biblical wisdom and offer a refreshing guide to living a faith-filled life. Remember: God's promises are meant to be believed, and the path to life change is only one faith-step away.
Hey there, welcome to episode 174 of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show podcast.
We’re moving along in our series Every Book A Promise, working our way through the entire Bible to find, and believe, promises from God for us.
It doesn’t do a whole lot of good to just know about God’s promises, or even to be able to recite them from memory.
Life change happens when we believe them.
Remember when Jesus was amazed at the people’s lack of belief? And remember when He was astounded by a couple of people who had tremendous and complete faith?
Which category do we want to be part of? In which camp do we land? And do we need to make a move, change camps, head on over to the winning side?
So as we go through all 66 books of the Bible and learn about what God has promised to His people, let’s be sure we are believing these promises. Not just hearing about them, but believing them. Because they are meant to be believed. Our God wants us to trust Him utterly. Let’s go all in and believe God’s promises.
We are in the book of Proverbs for today’s episode.
And once again, it was not easy to choose just one promise to focus on. There is a wealth of wisdom in Proverbs, I think we all know that, but there are also a whole lot of promises. So I’ve got a few verses to share today, and just as a reminder once more, sort of like I am beating dead horse here but it’s important so I’ll say it again, these promises are for you, right now, today, so go ahead and believe them for yourself right now, today.
Proverbs 18:10 NLT - The name of the LORD is a strong fortress; the godly run to Him and are safe.
19:21 - You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.
21:1 - The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the LORD: He guides it wherever He pleases.
So let’s talk about it!
Starting with the last verse I read, ch 21 vs 1. The king, the ruler, the leader, the one in authority - the heart of that person is like a stream of water directed by the Lord. Something about the leadership, rulers, authorities, big bosses, global tyrants concerning to you? Leadership on a small level or a huge one- you can take it all to the Lord in prayer and make your requests about that specific reign or rule to Him, and simply ask Him to do what it says here that He does…direct their heart like a waterway. Just do the guiding, Lord. Turn them from their evil and from doing what is just so wrong and make Your will to be what gets done. You can and should pray like that. And also, recognize that the second portion of the verse is true, too - that the Lord guides their hearts wherever He pleases. He is Sovereign, and He does love it when we pray and He delights to answer prayer, but that does not mean every single prayer gets the answer we want. He may be doing a much broader, deeper, greater work in an entire nation, state, a company or corporation, and a particular type of leader is who has to be in that position or role. And they may not be good guys, ya know what I mean? And yet, God is in charge, He is Sovereign and He is getting things done that He knows need to be done as per the true bigger picture. Other times, we don’t see anything changing in that person’s leadership because there has been no heart change and that could be because nobody is really praying for that particular person to have a God- led heart change.
But the promise still stands, it is still totally true. God turns the heart of the kind like a stream, like a waterway, directing it wherever He pleases. That should bring us comfort.
Chapter 19, verse 21 You and I can make plans, and don’t we do just that? We plan our vacations, we plan out our week, I mean I have a planner on my desk in front of me right now. We plan for celebrations, we make a plan to get some things done on the honey do list. We make plans. But it is so good to remember this promise, that the Lord’s purpose will prevail.
Where is the hope in this verse for us? Well, in the assurance that His will is what will prevail. And I need to know that my will isn’t going to prevail, because if I am honest I can admit that I mess things up and I don’t trust my will, just as I don’t trust my own heart. I don’t want to follow my heart, because the Bible says it is deceitful above all things, above all else, and that is the truth, not just for me but for all of us. So I need to have a promise like this, and so do you, so we can trust beyond our own plans and realize that God’s purposes will prevail. Remember when God says WILL in a promise in the Bible, He really does mean it. This verse from Proverbs is not an exception - God says clearly that He will actually bring about what He has purposed. So keep this in mind on your good days and the bad ones, because He is in charge, He is on the throne, and you can have total peace. His purposes will prevail. And all His ways are good, so we can trust His purposes.
The last verse I want to look at today comes from chapter 18. Verse 10 reminds us that He is a strong tower, His name is a strong tower. The godly run to it and are saved, our safety is there. Provided we are numbered among the godly. And we know that the blood of Jesus, His perfect life, sacrifice, and resurrection are what enable us to be counted among the godly. I am only godly because of Jesus. What a gift He has given us! It never wears out, we cannot exhaust it, the supply of His love and grace and mercy are endless, and we are able to claim verses like this one for ourselves, all because of Jesus. It should astound us, because it is truly astounding.
Do you need some protection? Are you feeling vulnerable? Run to the name of the Lord. It’s more than a worship song, it is truth! The name of the Lord is like a strong tower, the righteous run to it and are saved. Run to Him! But run in the name of Jesus, the Messiah, the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world, the Lion of Judah. Worship Him, run to Him, believe that you are safe in Him. No matter what comes, if everything including the kitchen sink is being thrown at you, this promise will continue to prove true so long as we do as it says, and run to Him.
Jesus is the Name above all names, and our trust in Him, our hope in Him, our belief that His promises are true for us, is never in vain.
Which of His promises has God forgotten about? Nodded off on? Moved out of the driver’s seat? Abdicated?
None, that’s how many. And none of them, not even a single one, will ever not prove true.
I don’t know how we can ever astound Jesus with our faith, our belief, our trust, our lack of worry or fretting or fear, if we don’t go all in with believing the Bible’s promises.
Would you join me in growing your faith today, by choosing to believe the promises from Proverbs, even in the face of whatever adversity you may be facing? Let’s do this together, what do ya say?
Thanks for listening today, and I’ll see ya next time. Bye bye.
Thursday Feb 01, 2024
Thursday Feb 01, 2024
Recommended Reading -
Psalm 1 - Psalm 91 - Psalm 37 - Psalm 103 - Psalm 90 - Psalm 139 - Psalm 145
(If you read Psalm 145 and want to share how it relates to your life right now, please email me at JanLBurt@outlook.com)
Welcome to this episode of "The Burt Not Ernie Show", hosted by Jan Burt. This episode is part of our 'Every Book a Promise' series where we dissect the wisdom and promises contained in the books of the Bible.
It was incredibly difficult to choose just one promise from just one psalm... and so I'm adding a list of psalms to read for yourself. Expect these passages to be life-changing!
Psalm 37 will be our focus for this episode, and the verses discussed on the show are here in the show notes for you to read yourself.
Psalm 37 from the NLT:
3 Trust in the Lord and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you your heart’s desires.
5 Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you.
18 Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent,
and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever.
19 They will not be disgraced in hard times;
even in famine they will have more than enough.
23 The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
30 The godly offer good counsel;
they teach right from wrong.
39 The Lord rescues the godly;
he is their fortress in times of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them,
rescuing them from the wicked.
He saves them,
and they find shelter in him.
Thanks for joining me for this episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show. God's promises are true - and they are true for you today!
See ya next time! Bye bye.
Friday Jan 19, 2024
Friday Jan 19, 2024
2024 Prayer Planner from Shannon Roberts
Jan's Email List (podcast links sent directly to your inbox)
~ Today in the Every Book A Promise Series we are looking at the Old Testament book of Job.
~ From the NLT, verse 1 of chapter 1 says: “There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless - a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil. (Oh how my prayer for myself, for my husband, my children, grand babies, and the whole of Jesus’ Church is that this verse would be true of us, by the power of the Holy Spirit. That would be a beautiful way of seeing Matthew 6:33 lived out in real time).
~ verses 6-12 of Job chapter 1: One day the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the LORD, and the Accuser (note that Accuser is capitalized, this is one of Satan’s actual names…not just an adjective to describe him, but who he is, his name is the Accuser)...and the Accuser, Satan, came with them. “Where have you come from?” the LORD asked Satan. Satan answered the LORD, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.” Then the LORD asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless - a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.” Satan replied to the LORD, “Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!” “All right, you may test him,” The LORD said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left the LORD’s presence.
~ And now we will jump down to verses 21 and 22 of Job chapter 1: well I will actually start in verse 20: Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The LORD gave me what I had, and the LORD has taken it away. Praise the name of the LORD!” In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.
~ This is quite a response for a man who, in one day, a SINGLE solitary day, think sunrise to sunset getting this kind of news, his children had all died, all of them, and his livestock and farmland and property, all of it, the vastness of his life’s work, gone. This is unfathomable grief, a moment we see in a life that is pure pain. And Job’s response? Pure worship of the LORD God Almighty in the face of pure pain.
~ As the book of Job progresses, we find Job’s friends coming to him first to sit next to him in silence for seven days, and Job began to have physical affliction at the hands of Satan in addition to all else he had lost, so he was in a ditch in every sense. Life in the ditch is hard. Have you been there? Are you there today? Life in a ditch in every single part of your life all at the same time, that’s where Job found himself. Of no fault of his own. He was blameless, as it says in verse one of Job chapter one. And the Accuser gained access to his life, to do anything but slay him. Revelation talks of a day when men will wish for death but it won’t come, they will continue to live when they so much want to die instead. There are times, seasons, when living, continuing to keep on living for Jesus seems to be the hardest thing, that dying would be preferred. Are you in such a season? Oh I feel you. I grieve with you. I have prayed for those of you in those seasons, prayed as I worked on this episode. This is a show that feels heavy, it bears some weight and I’ve been feeling the weight of it the last week or so. Job paints a picture, a reality, that seems to be so contrary to who God is and how He does things, doesn’t it? And Job’s friends started out so well, caring enough to sit in silence with him in his deep grief. But then, they couldn’t keep quiet any longer. They did not hold their tongues and out came some things that seem like they are totally true. Job must be a deep, dark, secret sinner or this never would have happened to him. My husband recently said this: Job’s friends knew about God, His character and so on, but they didn’t really know Job or Job’s heart. God looks at the heart, it says in 1 Samuel, while man looks on the outward appearance. That’s not just about clothes and hair and style and the drip. It’s about all that we cannot see, all that God can fully see. And when God says, “Accuser, have you considered my servant?” There is no mistake in that. Pain? Certainly. Being misunderstood and maligned by dear friends? Like, the ones you thought got you, your ride or die, doesn’t get you and is gonna leave you to die while they accuse you on their ride outta your life? This is pain on pain on pain. Some of you are in this right now. Look, we are in the last days. Many don’t believe that to be true - and that’s okay, because Jesus said and Paul said that one of the signs of the times of the last days would be that many who profess to believe would not know what time it is on the Kingdom calendar, even though every single bit of it is playing out play by play exactly as He said it would. So those that don’t think it’s the last days, I’d challenge them to really read what the New Testament says about end times and see if maybe they might be among those who don’t believe but think they are full on believers…this is not going to make some folks happy. Cages will be rattled. It’s alright though, because it isn’t me coming up with nonsense. When I see something on the news that aligns perfectly with Bible end times prophecy, I didn’t invent the prophecy nor make that certain news story to happen. I just saw it and filtered it through the Word of God. And we all need to do that. If we’re not longing for His appearing, we probably are loving the world too much and the book of 1 John ought to be in our Bible reading the very day, the moment, we realize we be loving the world and our little old lives in this ratty old world too much. If you doubt it’s the end times, will you read first John and pray before you read it, asking the Lord to show you any part of yourself that is loving the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life? And if that seems like, Nah, I don’t have those issues, read it in the NLT because it says it like this: chapter 2, verses 15 through 17: Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. (Do you love what the world offers you? Then you do not have the love of the Father in you and you won’t be able to see what time it really is, the set up is all in place, just think about the last week alone what’s happened in the world, the things in the middle east, the ten kings enthroned in what was the Roman empire, things are moving along tick tick tick…but when we love the world, we cannot see what’s happening clearly. We are blinded. We’ve got spiritual cataracts. Craving things, pride in achievements, possessions. Not from the Father. Take pause and read 1 John chapter 2 and pray. The time for getting serious and stop playing patty cake with the world is now, today. Don’t miss this moment!)
~ Job 40, verses 1-5: Then the LORD said to Job, “Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God’s critic, but do you have the answers?” Then Job replied to the LORD, “I am nothing - how could I ever find the answers? I will cover my mouth with my hand. I have said too much already. I have nothing more to say.”
~That is how a righteous person responds when God speaks. Hand over mouth. Confess that I don’t know anything. I’m the clay, He is the potter, and I need to be silent and stop clapping back. Even what does not seem like backtalk to us, it likely is clapping back at God in light of His holiness, I mean Job was blameless said God and Job was acting like God’s critic, said God. Clap hands over mouths instead of clapping back with words. Sometimes we need to just shut it, be in awe of His holiness, and simply be still.
~How far removed from this stance is our modern church? The age of grace has in many ways left us bratty, blind to God’s holiness, welcoming all sorts of filth into our hearts and minds and homes and families that ought not to be. Denying His word by what we say, what’s in the pulpits, what’s on our screens, what’s in our minds, the words we speak. God is holy. How did His church come to forget this truth?
~Job 42:1-2: Then Job replied to the LORD: “I know that You can do anything, and no one can stop You.” Oh we need to remember this! Here’s a promise we need to stand on. God can do anything and no one can stop Him. This is a promise, this is truth, and we need to be humble before our God, the One who can do anything and cannot be stopped by anyone. Verses 5-8: I had only heard about You before, but now I have seen You with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance. - After the LORD had finished speaking to Job, He said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “I am angry with you and your two friends, for you have not spoken accurately about Me, as My servant Job has. So take seven bulls and seven rams and go to My servant job and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer on your behalf. I will not treat you as you deserve, for you have not spoken accurately about Me, as My servant Job has.” Okay, this is about to get real. Did you hear that? You have not spoken accurately about Me, says God. You have not spoken accurately about Me. And punishment was deserved, well earned, for this not speaking accurately about God. As a podcaster who speaks about God, this hits home. Deeply. This is beyond serious, for me, and it needs to be taken seriously by every single person who writes, posts, blogs, podcasts, speaks to groups, online speakers, YouTube, TikTok, small group leaders, and every pastor in every pulpit. We have got to stop joking around about holy things. If you joke about the blood of Jesus, what are you doing??? Read the final chapter of Job and ask yourself, what am I doing??? Take back everything you’ve said, and sit in dust and show your repentance. God is holy. None of that stuff is fitting for a minister of the Gospel of peace. If I just stepped on your toes, good! You needed it, then! Did it smart? Did you feel that? Did it offend you? Then you needed to feel it, to wince, to be offended! Now what will you do about it? I don’t speak with platitudes, and so be offended at me all day long. Who cares? What does that even matter? But don’t be offended by the Word of God. And stop making jokes, which is mocking, which means making a mockery of things that are holy. There is a holy fire purge coming into the Church that is God’s Church, in case you haven’t noticed. The thing known as the great falling away, it’s happening, in case you haven’t noticed. Let God do His cleansing work in His church, and repent where you need to. And we all need to, every one of us, the one who claims he has no sin is deceiving himself and the truth is not in him that’s 1 John 1:8. There isn't enough time left to keep goofing off. God will have a pure bride, and the bride is His church. Judgment begins with the house of the Lord, and that's 1 Peter 4:17. Are your seeing it happening? Feeling the heat of His judgment? It’s time to repent, as Job did, and as Job’s friends had to do in order to avoid the treatment they deserved, verse 8 of Job 42 says. Do you take God and His word seriously enough to do what it says? If not, why not? If not now, when? Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand. Your lampstand can be taken away, as is described in Revelation. We are not in the age of grace and thus exempt from being a people who strive to be holy, even as our Lord is holy. Yield to the Holy Spirit instead of grieving Him. A fear of a holy God demands it. Today is the day, now is the time, so please, do what the Bible says, don’t just read it but do what it says, as the book of James instructs us. This is the day to get our houses in order, because time’s almost up and we will all meet our holy, righteous Judge very soon. Let’s be ready, because our redemption draweth nigh.