The Burt (Not Ernie) Show

Well, hello there! Hope you are doing well, growing in grace, enjoying the Lord's love, spending time with Him daily, and living a Kingdom focused life. I'm thankful you're listening today. This is episode number 207 of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, featured on the Edifi app, iHeart radio, Spotify, Apple podcasts, and pretty much all the places. Let's jump into today's episode. The Power of God's Will - 40 Days of God's Promises Devotional now available on Audible If you were, say, looking at the last week of Jesus' life, those days leading up to the crucifixion - if you were looking from the outside, those events leading would leave you with an entirely different impression than they do for us who know Jesus, who love Him and live for Him. In Him we live and move and have our being, it says in Acts 17:28. When you know that for yourself in a personal way, you look at the events between Palm Sunday and Resurrection Sunday with thankfulness, gratitude, humility, awe, and hope for what comes next. When you look at it from the outside in, it probably doesn't create those same emotions. It looks like a series of terribly unfortunate events from that perspective. Jesus' arrest, trial, crucifixion - those are gut wrenching moments in history and may be incredibly difficult to make sense out of for someone looking at the life of Jesus for the first time.    The week seems like it ended in utter hopelessness, like those three and a half years of the Lord's life were all for naught. And that would be discouraging, if you only saw it from that perspective, from the outside looking in.    But when you are in Christ, you look at things from a heavenly perspective. You are seated with Him in the heavenly places, is says in Ephesians 2:6, and that means we don't see things from the world's point of view. We see everything in a different light, and not like the old Bangles song from the ‘80s (yes, I am Gen X and yes, the 1980's produced a vast volume of songs, enough that there are references available for almost everything…and I wish the word of God was as easy to memorize as all those song lyrics from my teenage years were).    When we only see something in part, only have access or clarity on bits and pieces of a situation, it can easily feel pretty discouraging. Let me reiterate that: when we only see in part, we can easily become discouraged.   It makes sense that the last week of Jesus' life could be discouraging to someone looking at the life of Jesus from the outside. But doesn't it also make sense that you and I can also become discouraged about the things we can only see in part? And since we are not yet with the Lord, we do see in part. We don't have the whole picture. But what we do have is actually far better; we have Jesus Himself, we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us, we have the promise of heaven with Him, we are forgiven, we have access to the Father via prayer directly, at any time, because the veil was torn at Jesus death and thanks to His resurrection, death and hell are defeated for us.    I say all that to remind you that when you start feeling discouraged about something, I hope you can pause and remember that just because you can't see it all with total clarity, that does not mean things are hopeless. Sunday is coming, and for the Christian, Sunday always, always comes, into every scenario and situation and problem and pitfall. Always.    How can I say that and be so certain that it is true, no matter what is happening in your life? Because when you know Jesus, when your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life, in the end you get eternity with Him. And that is, for you, the joy of Resurrection morning, the empty tomb, the defeat of death for you, and eternal hope.    We who know the Lord understand that Jesus accomplished the Father's will, and we know absolutely that the tomb is empty, there is no body of Jesus entombed in Israel. No grave holds Him. That tomb? It was empty 2000 years ago, it's empty right now, and it will remain empty for time and all eternity. The deed is done. The goose is cooked. Satan truly is a defeated foe, as Revelation chapter 20 so powerfully and beautifully teaches.   The seeming series of unfortunate events was in actuality a series of events leading to the greatest moment to ever occur. There's nothing else like it!    You and I know this to be true.  So, can we also trust that God is doing His will - His good and perfect and pleasing will - on behalf of His dearly loved children, even in the areas of our lives that are painful?    It takes some guts, some faith, and often some honest prayer sessions with the Lord to really believe this with every fiber of our being. And if you need to wrestle with God on a topic that's especially raw and real, please do that. Wrestle in prayer with Him. Ask Him those hard questions. Cry if you need to. But don't just cry to your small group, to your friends, to your spouse. Cry out to your ABBA Father, and be still before Him long enough to experience the love and encouragement and peace that He wants to give you right in the midst of your mess.  You are not alone. He has promised never to leave you or forsake you. So please don't live like you're alone, like you've been forsaken. God is not a liar. Do not allow your stress to lead you to a place where your faith is so nonexistent, your trust so shrunken, that you are basically accusing God of being a liar to you. Remember, it is impossible fo rGod to lie, it says that in Hebrews chapter 6, verse 18. Never live in a way that accuses God of something that it is impossible for Him to do. He has not and He will not and He is not in this moment right now today lying to you. He can't and He won't. Please do not forget that!    Let's look at Mark, chapter 4. Verses 24 and 25. I'm going to read from the New Living Translation.    Then He added, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given - and you will receive even more. To those who listen to My teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.”  How are you at listening? It's not easy to be a good listener in our always on our phones day and age. It takes a whole lot more effort than it used to. But it's important to train yourself to be a good listener. In say your marriage, your parenting, at work, and all the more so when it comes to what Jesus has said via the Bible.   Are you paying close attention to what He has said? Are you listening closely, so that you can understand and then be given even more? Are you listening to His teaching? Not just during a sermon once a week, but really listening when you open your Bible and read it for yourself? And are you doing that daily? If not, can you start reading your Bible every day? Not to be a legalist, because that is a dead-end road. But because you want to do what Jesus said to do here in Mark chapter 4 - reading your Bible because you want to pay close attention, to listen to Him closely, and to be given more understanding.   The inverse is that what little understanding you have will be taken away from you if you don't pay close attention. That's not a good thing. And so, let's just not do things that way.    As we think about Resurrection Sunday, we almost certainly think about the fact that Jesus finished His work on the cross. It is a finished work. Nothing more needs to be done or added to it. It is finished, that's what He said from the cross, and He meant what He said and said what He meant. Remember, Mark 4? We are paying close attention to what He tells us.  And so, we believe that it is finished, His work on the cross. And since we believe that, we also live without trying to add to the already finished work. The work we have to do is the work of believing according to John 6:29.    We can, and really I feel like we must, we must trust the Lord who paid it all to give us eternal life is the same Lord who is at work in our lives right here and now, today, completing the good work He began in us. Philippians 1:6 tells us to be confident that He will complete the good work He started in us. He is a finisher, our God is. Jesus finished it all on the cross and that sure doesn't indicate that He'll leave you flapping out in the wind, unfinished. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith, it says in Hebrews 12:2. The Author, so He started it and He is also continuing to write it out for us, day by day, and He will finish it. Anything Jesus finishes is done to perfection. That's how you need to look at your faith. Jesus authored it, He is still authoring it every single moment of every single day, and He will finish it to perfection. How do we know this is true? Because of the cross; His finished work on the cross proves that Jesus finishes everything He sets His hand to with perfection. Always. Every single time.   He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. Your life and times are in His hands. Those are good, good hands to be in. Jesus isn't Allstate, He doesn't raise your rates when you make a claim. You are rooted and established in Him. He's got you, and if you don't feel like you can see the end of this ordeal right now, just remember that He's got you. He has engraved you on the palms of His hands, and it is impossible for Him to forget you. See Isaiah 49:16.   This Resurrection Sunday, I hope you rejoice and declare with total trust in Him that He is risen! He is risen, indeed!    Lord bless you today, and every day! And may His mercy, grace and peace be yours in abundance. (And one little announcement - my devotional The Power of God's Will - 40 Days of God's Promises is available on Audible as an audiobook. I'll put that link in the show notes.)    I'll see you next time. Bye bye!

Hey there, hello to you today and welcome to this episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, where we look at what God has promised His people in the Bible, and we live like those promises are true… and thank God, they are!  Biblical Motherhood Pinterest Board You're listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, featured on the Edifi app and on iHeart radio. Today's episode is all about God's promise to give us peace, and more specifically, perfect peace, as it says in Isaiah 26, verse 3. And this is episode number 206.   Isaiah is a large book in the Old Testament. 66 chapters, I believe, and it covers a lot of ground. It is a record of the history of Israel and Judah, it is very prophetic - about specific nations and people groups and what would happen, at times even to the day, as we see in parts of Isaiah 18, that chapter comes to mind, and other portions of the book are exactingly specific, as well. And of course, about Jesus' birth and life and death and resurrection, it holds so many prophecies that have indeed proved true, exactly true, to perfection. And then, of course, it holds a lot of prophecy about His second coming, His return that will be the most incredible event this world has ever seen.    Sometimes a book the size and the depth of Isaiah can be almost intimidating to read, overwhelming in it's scope, some parts are historical record, and they read like much of the Old Testament does in Judges or 1 Samuel or the book of Ruth or Esther. But it is intermingled with these astounding portions that are not at all like reading through the book of Ruth or Judges. And we may shy away from it, because it is, frankly, a lot and we might feel like we're  not learned enough or qualified to really understand it.    But is that a good reason to not read it? I don't think so. God gives us such incredible promises in the book of Isaiah, and I do not think He made those promises so that we would never know them, let alone believe Him for them. Nope. That would not make sense. And a book that has so many powerful promises for us, a book that has been so spot on accurate regarding Jesus' life on earth, well, that's a very hopeful, hope-filled book. And we just don't want to miss what it has to say to us.    Which is why we're going to look at one verse, one topic or theme, from the pages of Isaiah in this episode. You know, to get to the 206th episode of a podcast takes a bit of time, and as this show is focused on God's promises, I have spent a fair amount of time the last few years reading and thinking about and writing about (as in the podcast show notes and my personal study time) and talking about so many of God's promises for His dearly loved children (which is what we are, according to 1 John chapter 3, verse 1). And I have yet to be moved off my stance that all His promises are true. Ya know, you get the comments from people on different platforms when clips from the show are shared, and people can say things that are really heart wrenching to read…not what they say about me, because who cares, right? But also, usually what they say is about the Lord, and that is what's heart wrenching. Maybe they've experienced serious hurt or disappointment, maybe they just have no idea who God is or how much He loves them, maybe something else entirely.    But those comments don't move my needle regarding my belief in who my God is for me personally and as a whole, to all who will come to Him. It moves my needle with heartbreak but not my belief. In thinking about this, the comments and what's possibly behind those comments, well I wonder if some of those commenters are lacking peace, maybe?  It's a hard life, in a dark world, for a million different reasons in every stage and season. Inner peace, inner security, that's missing in so many lives.    The verse from Isaiah that talks about perfect peace, that's the verse that comes to mind. And that's the verse I'm sharing with you as one of God's most beautiful, life-giving promises in this episode.    You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You. That's what Isaiah 26:3 says in the New Living Translation.  It's a hefty promise, and as always, our God does nothing but deliver on this.    Does that mean we never have to pause, do a reset, pray, seek His peace, remind one another of verses like this, ponder the fact that Jesus said in this world we will have trouble but we are to take heart, He has overcome the world and that His peace He gives to us, His peace He leaves with us, but not the world's peace. His peace. It's a different kind of peace. It's sitting in the doctor's office getting really awful news, but you have an inner calm and peace that is so rock solid, you're able to not endure that hard moment but rather, not be shaken by it. It's a prodigal's parent able to fully trust in the Lord and have peace, not be up all night fretting, overcome with dread, jumping at every shadow because the stress level is so high…but having peace right in the middle of the terrible awful disaster of a mess. That's not the world's version of peace. It's beyond the bounds of this world, and I am so thankful that God has promised this peace, perfect peace, to us.    Let me read Isaiah 26:3 from the Amplified now. You will keep in perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast (that is, committed and focused on You - in both inclination and character), because he trusts and takes refuge in You (with hope and confident expectation).   That adds some depth to the promise. Perfect and constant peace…that's what I'm looking for, and I'll find it when I look for it in Christ Jesus. A steadfast mind, well that sounds pretty good to me. Committed to and focused on the Lord, in all things all of the time. That is an amazing way to live. To have my character so impacted by my trust in God that every inclination I have is aligned toward Him. And why is this promise going to prove true for me and for you? Because we trust the Lord, and we take refuge in Him when life gets hard and we're under attack or under pressure or facing peril or heartbreak or grief of simply the great unknown. We take refuge in our God in those moments not in a disassociated way, we don't deny the difficult things in life, but in hope and in confident expectation. That's perfect peace. That's your promise.    Now let me share something I read from a missionary to China had to say about how Chinese  believers, followers of Jesus, how they read this verse: Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind stops at God.    Let that sink in for a moment.    Can I repeat that? I feel like it's too awesome to only say one time.   Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind stops at God.   In the midst of your troubles, when those scary scenarios start to swamp your thoughts, and thus swamp your life, because where our thoughts go, there our lives go… in those moments, can you and I choose to let our mind STOP at God?   Is this possibly what it means to be still and know that He is God? I think so.  But this happened and then this might happen next and then it may snowball into this, that and the other… But what if my mind stops at God? But this happened, and He is God. Not God of some things, not God now and then, hit and miss, here and there. He is God. Period. My mind, that's where it stops. At God. Nothing is greater than our God. Nobody pulls a fast one on our God. Nothing gets past Him. Nothing lets Him down, because nothing holds Him up. He holds all things together, Colossians tells us about the Lord. All things. Nothing left out. Shalom peace, nothing missing, nothing broken.    He will keep you in perfect peace when your mind stops at God.   That's it for this episode, and I'm so glad you were able to listen today. The highest compliment you could give the show is to share it with a friend. And just on the off chance that somebody might want to hear this, I am working on a Biblical Motherhood project and I have started a Pinterest board where I share some of my content, but also I Pin lots of encouraging content that falls under into the category of Biblical motherhood. If you are a mother or know a mom who would like some encouragement from a Bible based perspective, right here in the show notes is a link to that on Pinterest.   Lord bless you today, and hold your peace and let your mind stop at God today.   See you next time. Bye bye.

Hello there, and welcome to this episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show. You know, hope is not something random. We don't stumble upon it, trip over it, bump into it and viola - lookie there, life-change occurs. That's not hope, especially not from a biblical perspective. The Bible has a lot to say about hope, and there is one book in particular that is brimming with hope for us today…if we'll just take the time to read what it says, and, of course, to believe it. Looking for some hope? Then this episode is for you.   This is The Burt (Not Ernie) Show podcast, available on the Edifi app, and this is episode number 205. I'm so grateful you're listening, and I hope today's episode encourages and blesses you.    When I am reading my Bible, and I see the word will or the word all in a promise God makes, I take it seriously. I usually underline it twice and often I will read it out loud and put emphasis on the word will, or on the word all. There's nothing special about doing that; it simply reminds me that whenever God makes a promise, and says that He will do something, well, then He will. And I found that to be pretty significant, that decision to actively believe that He means what He says.    So, recently I was reading Revelation. Hold up. Don't panic, it's not just a scary book (although what is going to come upon the whole earth in the final days is very serious, I'm not denying that, not at all). But for the believer, for those who love the Lord, it's a terribly hopeful book in the Bible. And, it kind of shouts about hope, because it's not a past-tense, this already happened and it shows us God's character, He'll take care of me because He took care of, say, David, or Ruth, or Esther; those people inspire us to trust God all the more, and that is so important, such a blessing to have their real life stories to learn from, to be encouraged by, and to know God's character, even in the dark times of life. But Revelation, well, there's all this stuff that has yet to happen, prophecy to be fulfilled, and so much of what we read there is crazy encouraging. It's profound. And we know it will happen, that what the Lord has promised will come to pass, well, that's exactly what's going to come to pass. So it's a hopeful book, and a hope-filled book. Proverbs tells us that hope deferred makes the heart sick (that's Proverbs 13:12). But with Revelation, we need to bear in mind that even though it feels like so long since John received this revelation from Jesus, as Peter wrote, God isn't slow in keeping His promise, but is patient, because He does not want anyone to perish. To spend eternity apart from Him. That's from 2 Peter, chapter 3, I believe.   Let me read to you from chapter 21 of Revelation, verses one through eight.   Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God's home is now among His people! He will live with them, and they will be His people. God Himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”  And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then He said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And He also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega - the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be My children. But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars - their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”    Got a whole lot of hope packed into these eight verses. The old heaven and the old earth are going to disappear. That's just a fact. Jesus says so, and so it shall be. Disappear. Gone. No longer here. If we are loving the world so much, trying to maybe hold on to aspects of it, to make it better, improve it, help it along, maintain it, keep it going…well, that's not the best use of our limited and finite time, because it is not going to last. Why spend all our strength on what is guaranteed to disappear? A 100% negative ROI. The sea will also be gone, says verse 1. When the old earth disappears, God will finally have His Eden. At the appearance of the New Jerusalem, which comes down from God out of heaven, there will be 1000 years of this world in perfection. Think about the hope and the promise of that. One thousand years of perfection. More than ten full lifetimes, as we know them know, more than ten lifetimes of peace and perfection in a world that is perfect. Every single thing will be perfect, under the reign and rule of Jesus. That's a lot of good stuff to look forward to. Hope - Revelation 21 ushers in so much hope.    The sea will be gone. What does this mean? Well, here's one thing that it means: restlessness will be no more. Think about the ocean, the sea. It's not ever really flat and calm, except in that area around the equator known as the Intertropical Convergence Zone, or the doldrums. It's calm there, but seasoned sailors (not so much in our day and age, but in the eras of sails and wind driven vessels) - seasoned sailors know that you end up stuck there, floating, not drifting, and it is so hot, the sun is so intense, the sea is flat and still, and there's nothing good about it. No forward movement, no momentum, the last place you want to be languishing out on the open ocean. The doldrums are the one place where the sea is not restless, but it makes the seafarers extremely restless. So when it comes to the sea, it is always a restless place. There won't be restlessness anymore. Knowing that a day is soon to come that will leave all our restlessness behind, well, that's hopeful. In the new world there cannot be, will not be, restlessness or lack of peace, being tossed around here and there, to and fro, as if driven by the waves of the sea. And there won't be any doldrums that nearly drive you mad. No longer any sea reminds us, promises us, a day is soon coming with no restlessness. Isn't that a beautiful promise to hold on to and garner hope from?    God's home will then be among His people. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever. Revelation 21:3-4. When God says will in one of His promises to us, He means it. He takes it so seriously, and I think He'd like us to also take it seriously. He will wipe every, not most, but every tear from your eyes. God Himself will do it. He doesn't send one of His mighty angels to do this, as He sends them to do so much of His will all throughout the book of Revelation. He Himself will bend near, and wipe every tear from our eyes. This verse sparks so much hope. There will be no more (how much more? No more!) death of sorrow or crying or pain. All these will be gone forever. How much kindness, love, goodness, compassion, mercy, grace and favor will come to us when this promise is fulfilled? God's very character and nature are wrapped up in this. Are you feeling hopeful based on these promises?    He will make everything new. I'm not sure what needs to be made new in your life, but I can think of several things in my own life, my world, that could use some brand newness from the Lord's hand. He is going to do what He said, and He will make everything new. Look forward to this time with hope and assurance. Take this seriously. He knows all the things that need to be made new in your life, and He is going to make it all new one day, likely one day very, very soon, based on the signs of the times and the season we're living in.  He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. And He ain't messing around. When He says in this chapter, “It is finished,” boy oh boy does He ever mean it. When He said that from the cross, and then gave up His Spirit and died, He defeated sin. And three days later, when He rose from the dead, He fully defeated death and the grave and hell for all who follow Him. It is finished are words in red that ought to wake us up out of our slumber.  To all who are thirsty, I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. What you need most, what you really are thirsting for in life, the stuff that matters when the chips are down and it's all on the line and laid bare - He's promising to give it to you freely. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be My children.  All is used in this promise twice. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings.    It takes something to be victorious. It takes being a follower of Jesus who actually follows Him. Indeed, not just in words. Do you obey Him out of your love for Him? Are you following Him? And are you applying His words from Matthew chapter 24, when He says that the one who endures till the end shall be saved? Sometimes in this day and age, we just have to keep enduring. Moment by moment. Heartbreak, grief, sin, overwhelm, fear of what's to come, despair…in all this and so much more, He calls us to endure. Endure till the end. That is how we will be victorious and will inherit these blessings. You can do the work of enduring, because the Holy Spirit will help you.    And then, verse 8. But Oh boy, when the Lord starts a sentence with the word but, we need to pay attention. Close attention. He's saying something really important. But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers and all liars - their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.    This is pretty serious. Cowards. Okay, well don't be cowardly when it comes to Jesus. If we are, then now is the time to deal with that. Pray and ask Him to make you not a coward, not ashamed to be known as one of His followers. In any and every situation and circumstance and relationship, He can make you brave for Him in place of being a coward. If this is you, please pray for it and seek His help. Today. Don't dilly dally on this one.  Unbelievers, they don't get the promise. They get the second death. We cannot continue to pretend that people who don't follow Jesus are unbelievers and they don't want to be believers, we need to stop pretending that they are somehow getting the new life when this verse says they get the second death. The corrupt, second death. Murderers, second death. You see, repentance and trust in the finished and complete and powerful work of Jesus, overcoming by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony (which means we gotta have a testimony, right??) that's the opposite of unrepentant people. A murderer can be forgiven all day long by the Lord, if they repent. Same for the immoral, the corrupt, and idol worshipers and all liars. Repent and then turn and do a 180 from whatever the sinful condition is. Liars, stop lying. Idol worshipers, stop it and instead worship the One True God. Those who practice witchcraft - listen, if you are into palm reading and horoscopes and astrology and WitchTok on TikTok where you learn about casting spells, or like that Eagles fan at the Super Bowl who was stabbing and stabbing and stabbing like a wild woman that voodoo doll - wearing a red string on your wrist to ward off the evil eye, or wearing an evil eye necklace, I could go on and on. Witchcraft is very much alive and well right here in western society, and we don't need to lie to ourselves and say that it's not the same thing as Jwesus was talking about here in Revelation 21. Yes, it is the same thing. It's evil. And even a controlling spirit, like if you are a person who has gotten used to manipulating people, sort of twisting words, laying on guilt, leaning on people to get them to do what you want, you know, manipulation, that's a person who, in their spirit, in their inner being, in their thoughts and in their heart, they want to control people, and it shows up in their words and actions and behavior. That's witchy stuff right there. But the Lord is always ready to heal and forgive, when we repent and turn away from that and turn toward Him. The Holy Spirit is always helping us. Ask for His help, a million times a day if you need it. Won't He help you? He surely will.    Remember, the hope we have in these promises, that God is going to wipe away your every tear, and remove forever death and sorrow and crying and pain. Those will be gone forever. We want this to be our future reality. Not the second death. But eternal life with all the good that God has in store for us. Don't miss this, not for the world (especially not for the world, since it's going to disappear…that's a lousy trade, trading eternal good for a guaranteed total loss). Grab the hope in Revelation, and don't let it go. God's got good for you, in this life and so much good for you in the next life.  Hang on to this hope. Hang on to Jesus.   I'll see you next time. Bye bye. 

Hey there, hello to you today. Thanks for listening to this episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show.  Today's subject matter is of the utmost importance, but not necessarily something that is talked about enough within the Christian community. And that's our tendency to live like orphans even though we are now part of God's family thanks to Jesus.  God's promises devotional on Amazon Good verses to read about your true identity: Psalm 17:8 Isaiah 43:4 Psalm 147:3 Psalm 18, verses 2, 18 & 19, 28, 32, 35 & 36 Romans 12 John 8   We have so many promises from the Lord to assure and reassure us of our new identity in Christ, and yet we struggle with feeling unseen, abandoned, alone, wondering about unanswered prayers and the things in life, big and small, that wear on us and weigh us down.  How do we reconcile the way we feel with the promises God has given us?  That's the heart of this episode of the podcast.    You're listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show podcast, which can be found on the EDIFI app, an all Christian content podcast option - as well as anywhere else you listen to podcasts. This is episode number 204.    If I could give a definition of a believer living more like an orphan than like a child of the Most High God, I would put it like this: there is a strong and sometimes even extreme sense of aloneness and possibly abandonment that can at times define some aspects of a person's character, their attitudes, thoughts, feeling, beliefs and intentions.    This sense of aloneness and possibly feeling abandoned almost seems to operate on its own, like it has its own life force or something, working to mold the person's self-image, actions and reactions. Sometimes it may seem like the words someone speaks are misheard and interpreted very differently than what was being conveyed (which can lead to strong reactions). Decisions may be made based on feeling orphaned. This can also lead to rapid decisions and reactions, as in too quick and not thought out or prayed over. Ready, fire, aim sort of a thing.    We have a God who loves us and because of that love for us and because of our love for Jesus, we have an enemy, Satan. And I think our enemy works to get us feeling alone, abandoned, orphaned. The devil is in the details, isn't that the saying? And the devil also works in darkness and tries to push God's children into darkness as well. Operating in the darkness and pushing that orphan-like feeling on people is an attempt to manipulate people. And to keep the evil influence secret. Satan doesn't want us to know that he is harassing us; he would like us to wrongly believe that the problem lies within us. The father of lies, the devil, always lies to us because it is his native tongue (that's what Jesus said in John 8:44).    Some of the things our enemy often does is try to hide what's actually going on from the Lord's followers. He lies, he deceives, he manipulates. Now what if a person starts to counter the sense of aloneness with the truth from God's word? Does the devil ever try to push back on the truth? Yeah, he probably does.  So what are we to do? One thing I know for sure; Jesus died to give us freedom, and when we bump up against areas in our life where our freedom has been stolen or where we maybe have given our freedom away, we don't want to just give up. Pray and keep on praying, isn't that what Jesus taught His followers in Luke chapter 18? It can be so hard to keep on fighting the good fight of our faith in prayer sometimes. But I really want to encourage you to keep fighting. Keep praying. Keep your Bible open. Keep believing, even if it feels like it's hard to believe those promises. Pray and don't give up. Paul wrote about this in 1 Thessalonians - pray without ceasing. God won't lie to you, leave you or forsake you. And you are not an orphan.   When we read Galatians chapter five, we get this beautiful picture of freedom. Not just freedom like we celebrate on the Fourth of July here in America. But freedom in Christ, next level freedom, freedom that impacts our life here and now but carries over into all eternity. It's not a temporary freedom, there is no way that it can be taken from us (in spite of the fact that at times we may not feel free, our freedom in Jesus isn't something that ebbs and flows, that comes and goes - it is permanent and eternal and everlasting, while our feelings don't alway speak the truth).    From the J. B. Phillips translation, Galatians 5 verse 1 says this: Plant your feet firmly therefore within the freedom that Christ has won for us, and do not let yourselves be caught again in the shackles of slavery.   As I read that verse once more, imagine yourself being freed from literal shackles of slavery and then think about letting yourself be re-shackled and enslaved.    That is what we are told not to do. Plant your feet firmly with the freedom Christ won for you. Stay planted, rooted in Him. And don't move out of that place of being planted, don't move to a place where Satan has the chance to put those shackles back on your ankles. Keep your feet in the right place and don't let him get your feet moving off that place, the Rock which is Christ Jesus.    Freedom is what Jesus gave to you. He bought it for you. It's yours. That's an absolute iron-clad promise. Don't forget it!   If you ever feel like you're being pushed and pulled and prodded in a super stressful way, like you're just being driven and driven and driven, that could be the enemy harassing you. Why do I think that? Because that driven driven driven feeling is in direct opposition to the Galatians 5:1 freedom that Jesus secured for us. And the Lord sure isn't giving us the exact opposite of what He died to grant us. When you feel like you're being driven, pause and pray, pray that the promised freedom God clearly talks about in Galatians would be your immediate reality and that the liar the devil would be rendered ineffective in his harassment.  Satan loves to drive people. Jesus never drives people.  Satan wants everybody to live like they've been orphaned, but he doesn't want anyone to talk about it. But when we talk to the Lord about it, we bring it into the light and God's truth lands on it and that is really effective at keeping us free. Because the truth, said Jesus, will set you free. John 8:31-32.   Genesis 18:14 says this: Is anything too hard for the LORD? The Lord said these words to Abraham when Sarah laughed when He promised that she would have a son in about a year's time.  It's one thing to hear me pose the question, “Is anything too hard for God?” But it's quite another when the Lord speaks for Himself and asks, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” in direct response to one of His dearly loved children wondering whether or not He will keep His promise.   Is God maybe asking you today, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” How can you apply this verse to your situation? What's your answer to His question?    We have some weapons in our spiritual arsenal.  Weapons like prayer, like fasting, like choosing belief and refusing doubt, the weapon of worship, and of course the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17).   Luke 24:13-35 tells us that Jesus walks with us and comforts us when we are traveling on a difficult path in this life. That indicates that He never wants us to feel abandoned or orphaned on those hard roads. He wants us to know that He is walking alongside us.    In John 16:24, Jesus described the Holy Spirit as our Helper, Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor, Counselor, Strengthener and Standby (Amplified).  This verse reminds us to ask and keep on asking in order that we might receive and have our joy be complete. Pray things through to their very final end. Please don't give up on praying! Never stop praying! And keep believing every single promise God gives you in the Bible.    He loves you with great tenderness and he wants you to have a rich, full, joyous life as His child. Secure, at peace, resting in His love and care. Not a trouble free life - that's not possible in this world, and Jesus Himself said that in this world we will have trouble, but to take heart, for He has overcome the world (John 16:33).    1 Peter 1:4 says that we have been born into an inheritance that is beyond the reach of change. Orphans don't have an inheritance and they live in constant fear of change. Satan is so lying when he tells us differently than this verse promises!   And 1 Peter 2:9-10 is proof of our non-orphaned status. 9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests,[g] a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 10  “Once you had no identity as a people;     now you are God's people. Once you received no mercy;     now you have received God's mercy.”[h] We are chosen, consecrated, set apart, a special people for God's own possession, called out of darkness and into His marvelous light. Once we were not a people, but that time in our lives is over and done with.    I'm going to list off a few more verses you are welcome to read for yourself if you'd like. The truths in these verses are promises that can cement in your heart and mind how the Lord really, truly feels about you.   Psalm 17:8 Isaiah 43:4 Psalm 147:3 Psalm 18, verses 2, 18 & 19, 28, 32, 35 & 36   And the entire twelfth chapter of Romans. That's an excellent piece of the Bible to read!   Freedom comes at a cost. But Jesus paid the price in full. And he or she who has been set free by the Son is free indeed. John 8:36   My prayer for you today is that the Lord will move by the power of His Holy Spirit to fully set you free, to bless you, guide you, speak to you so loudly that you know for certain He is right here with you. Delivering you from the enemy's evil attacks, bringing total healing and freedom and restoration and redemption into your life. That's a prayer I believe He will absolutely answer. Thanks for listening to this episode, and I'll share a link to my devotional about God's promises which is available on Amazon if that's something you'd like to check out. The Power of God's Will: 40 Days of God's Promises Devotional: Burt, Jan L.: 9798573528939: Amazon.com: Books   Keep expecting God to keep all His promises. He's got those hard situations, and He's holding you safe and secure in the palm of His hands today. How could He ever forget you when He has engraved you on the palms of His hands?    Thanks for joining me for this episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, getting the promises of God into the people of God, right where they belong.   I'll see ya next time. Bye bye. 

Well hey there and hello again to ya. Welcome back to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show.  Created for You Freebies at JanLBurt.com The Power of God's Will - 40 Days of God's Promises Devotional on Amazon Let's go ahead and get started. God's got good for you, and I am hopeful that this episode will remind you of that, no matter what kind of stuff life is throwing at you today.   You're listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show podcast, blessed to be part of the ministry of the Edifi app. That's EDIFI, and you can find it in your app store. And if the show blesses or encourages you, I'd like to formally invite you to subscribe. This is episode number 203. Today I am going to read a bunch of Bible verses to you and let the promises of God sink into your heart and also into your mind (because when the word of God gets into our mind, it literally  changes the way that we think and that, my friend, changes the way that we live). And I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to prepare you right now, before I even quote one single verse, to ready you and prepare you to believe His amazing promises to you so that you can live from here on out like they are taking place, being accomplished, in your life. Live like His promises to you are true.   Because they are! God keeps all of His promises so I want to encourage you today to live like you know He is keeping all of His promises to you. To your family. And to His people all over the world.    Okay, so let's dive into God's Word and get some encouraging news in our ears, and into our thoughts, shall we?    First let's start with some powerful and hopeful words that Jesus spoke. I am quoting the NLT for today's podcast & let's look at Mark 12:27 - Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”    Okay - this is where we are going to begin. It is so, so important to remember, when we are making the big bold decision to really, truly believe God's promises - to live a believing life - that we don't base our belief on anything other than the Lord. We don't search out something in addition to Him in order to increase our faith. We aren't mustering up more faith by trying to make ourselves have more faith. Rather, we are relying fully on Him. And we are simply deciding that we will believe what the Bible says to us. And so, this verse is just a great reminder that you don't have to make God's promises work out in your life, in your kid's lives, etc. Nope. The pressure isn't on you to make happen what God has promised. But so often we live as if the pressure is on us, somehow, to do what is impossible for us. Only God is God, and only He can keep the promises He makes. Now only you can live by faith, believing God. But you and I have no ability or power to make it happen. We cannot get it done. But what we can get done is choose to believe Him, to take Him at His word, and to abide in Him moment by moment, even while we are expecting to see His promises fulfilled.    There are actually many, many things in this life that are impossible - for mankind. For humans. For wives and for moms and for employees and so on. Humanly speaking, there is gonna be stuff that is just not possible. But not with God! Aren't these words from Jesus incredible?  Think for just a moment about what our Savior is actually saying to us. But not with God. EVERYTHING is possible with God.   So bring God into everything, then! Never intentionally leave Him out of anything. You want the God who turns the impossible into the possible  - you want that God doing all the things in your life, right?    Get a sense of Jesus, today, looking at you intently and reminding you, firmly but with great love and compassion, that it isn't about mankind's ability to make this thing fly. Because  is is God and God alone who makes everything possible.    Psalm 37:23 (NLT) says this - The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.   Okay, this is a great verse! What hope it provides! What assurance! This is quite a promise! He is promising that He will direct your steps. And guess what? You can pray this verse over your loved ones, your co-workers, your spouse, your aging parents, your neighbors. And also, pray this over yourself.    Lord, please do as You have said in Your word and direct my steps. Lord, delight in every detail of my life.   Lord, direct my steps. I know my righteousness and any godliness within me is thanks to Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit. So Father, bless me and direct each step that I take. Stop me when I am near a misstep. Thank You for this promise of Your guidance and direction over my life, from now until my last breath.    It says that He delights in every detail of our lives. So guess what that means for us? How does that relate to us living in total belief that God's promises for us are absolutely true and are being realized on the daily? Well, take every little and every big detail of your life to God in prayer. You can do that! You should do that! He cares so much - talk to Him.Talk to Him often. Like, talk to God a lot! All of the time. And remember, and keep on remembering, He delights, not tolerates or endures or notices, but delights in every detail of your life. You are not just barely tolerable. No, to the contrary, you are one in whom God takes great delight.    Oh this is a great promise. And a great prayer verse too. Quick side note here - anybody else feel kind of like we need to ramp up our praying? Just have that sense that we need to spend more time talking to the Lord, time in prayer by ourselves and maybe with others, too.  If you feel that way too, listen to the Lord as to what He is calling you to. And keep track of, write down, memorize, put in your phone verses that you can have at the ready at any moment to pray.That's just a little tip that comes in handy, having some verses saved to a note on your phone so that you can open it and start praying those verses at any time, it can be helpful to have that at hand. And maybe open that note and pray those verses rather than scroll when you have ten minutes to spare. Just a thought!  Praying God's promises is really amazing. Like, this will leave you amazed again and again. So, that's my side note. Just keep seeking to be part of whatever He is doing, where He is moving. And hey, prayer is always always a good thing, is it not?    (And maybe take a look at what it says in Habakkuk 2:3 - that is an awesome verse to start a prayer time with. I encourage you to look it up but I will read it to you from the Amplified right now - For the vision is yet for the appointed (future) time; it hurries toward the goal (or fulfillment); it will not fail. Even though it delays, wati (patiently) for it, because it will certainly come; it will not delay.)  He is always moving, and even when it seems like there is a delay, which there is at times according to the verse I just read from Habakkuk, don't lose heart. Hang your hope on the Lord who always does as He has promised, and don't unhang your hope when the wait gets long.    Okay, so this next verse is one that I think some people might feel like they just cannot seem to fully believe for themselves. Like, this isn't going to be true for me. If you've ever thought like that, let me encourage you. I am hopeful that you and I can today believe this verse for our very own situations.   Deuteronomy 31:6 (NLT) says - So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.   A lot in that verse. First, God says to be strong and courageous and that sentence ends with an exclamation point. Now there weren't exactly punctuation marks in the original Hebrew, right? But the translation into modern English gives us the exclamation point so that we grasp God's meaning in this verse. The punctuation reminds us of the importance - it's to garner our attention, to make sure we're listening and reading what God has said in His word.  So - let's just do what He says to do! Be strong. Be courageous. Exclamation point. I am guessing you have one or more parts of your life right now, at this point in time, where you can apply this. So go ahead and apply it. Be strong. Be courageous. How? By resting in the Lord and knowing that He is going to keep His word.    Don't be afraid. Think on Jesus and the fear dissipates, really it does! Do not panic before them, it says. Well “them” of course refers to their enemies. Don't panic before your enemy.    And here is the reason why you don't need to be afraid, don't panic, but instead be strong and courageous. For the Lord your God WILL PERSONALLY go ahead of you.  This is profound to think about, and yet it is absolutely true.    When God says He WILL do something, He most assuredly will. You just be about the business of believing He will do all He has promised to do. Let Him be about the actual doing of it.    He will personally go ahead of you. How's that for a promise that can give you some big time faith?    And the verse ends with this - He will neither fail you nor abandon you. I'm going to say that once more - He will neither fail you nor abandon you.  He won't. That's that.   I've got a couple more verses to share with you today. And I am believing they are encouraging to you and will have you just believing by the end of this episode. If not, hey, you can listen again. Let that faith grow in you and believe more and more every single day - trust God more than the news, more than fear, more than anything. Right?   Revelation 21:4 (NLT)  - He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying of pain. All these things are gone forever.   This is such a wonderful verse for us. I'm not going to mention anything specific today - but we are living in a very tumultuous era. I'm going to say this about our current season in the history of the world: I believe we are living in the end times, the last days. And I say that based on what the Bible teaches us about how things will look in the end times. Now, many Christians will say that we have fifty or a hundred years until Jesus' return. I don't think that is possible, because it does not make sense based on what the Bible tells us the last days will be like. Let me explain what I mean - we know that in the last days no one will be able to buy or sell unless they take the mark of the beast, the mark on their hand and/or forehead. You've heard this before, I'm pretty sure. You can read about it in Revelation chapter 13, I think verses 16 through 18 specifically. A hundred years ago, was there a way for a mark to be put in your hand or in your forehead that would prevent you from buying or selling? Well, not really. How about fifty years ago? Not really. The answer is, no. It wasn't possible. How about even 25 years ago? Back in 2000? Getting closer, but the tech wasn't quite there.   So here's some food for thought. If fifty, a hundred, or even just twenty five years ago the tech wasn't ready for the mark of the beast to be implemented, and then if we just ponder the last five years or so, the changes in the tech world. It's astounding how much has changed in a handful of years. So, at the pace technology is changing and advancing, and I can tell you in my limited experience with just the podcast industry and social media, it changes so fast, a month ago things were different with some of the apps and things I use. It's quick change after quick change, all day long, right? So how does that work if we have fifty or a hundred years yet to go? Won't the tech outpace the end times at this rate? Like, we cannot fathom what technology will be capable of in fifty or a hundred years. But right now, we can fathom the mark of the beast for buying or selling, and the tech, it would work. We're right on the cusp of this being a possible and plausible reality. Since this is what we were forewarned of by Jesus Himself in the book of Revelation, is it wise to tell ourselves or to preach to others that we've got decades of quote/unquote safe time before it all happens as the Bible says? Or is it far wiser to say, hey, per the words of Jesus, we're just about to this point technology wise. It's coming, and it's not going to be in five or ten decades…because at that point, the tech would have outpaced the very word of God, the prophetic aspects of the end times, and that, we know, cannot and will not happen.    So today, this moment, is the time for you to consider Revelation 21 verse 4. Let me read it once more. Revelation 21:4 (NLT)  - He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying of pain. All these things are gone forever.   This verse is a balm for those who know Jesus. It's key. It's mission critical to remember there is a day coming when all the tears will stop. And that day is nearly here. No more death or sorrow or crying or pain. Gone forever. I don't even need to say more about this verse, this promise from Revelation, except that it is for those who know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. If you don't, you are welcome to email me at JanLBurt@outlook.com and I will reply. It's so important to know Him, not know of Him, not just attend church, but really know Him. Not talking religion here. But true relationship with the Son of God, Jesus. I really do welcome you to contact me. Totally confidential and non judgmental. Just offering Jesus and how to have Him as your best friend forever.    Last verse today - Luke 1:37 (NLT) For the word of God will never fail.   Short and sweet. Doesn't need explaining. No need for commentary. Just know that this is absolute and unchanging truth.    For the word of the Lord will never fail.   Anybody else need to know that today?   Take that thing, big and scary, and hold it up next to this verse, Luke 1:37. Does one seem bigger and one much smaller?    For the word of the Lord will - never - fail.   It won't. It just flat out will not fail. Never, no never.   Lord bless you today. I have prayed for you, all who listen to this episode, and I am going to continue to pray for you.    Live a life sold out for Jesus, believing all of His promises, and just see what God might do in and through a life lived like that.    Find me via my website JanLBurt.com and grab any one of the free items I've got on the home page-  and I have a book, a devotional, available on Amazon - The Power of God's Will - 40 Days of God's Promises - with verses that have the word “WILL” in them. God does what He says He will do, and He never doesn't do what He has said that He will do.   Have a great day & I will see ya back here next time. Be sure to subscribe to not miss future episodes. Thankful you joined me & blessed to be able to stand by faith on the promises in God's Word.   Bye bye! 

Well hey there, hello and a very warm welcome to this episode.  No need to dilly-dally or make small talk…let's just jump right in and talk about God's promises.         Link to the devotional mentioned in this episode     Link to the free No More Worrying digital download mentioned in this episode   You're listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show podcast, which can be found wherever you listen to podcasts, as well as on the Edifi app, a unique podcast app featuring Christian content only. That's EDIFI, available in the app store. This is episode number 202. The Promise of a New Year - God's Promises for You.   New year, new you? Ever heard that phrase? How does that usually work for ya? Dive into a new year, do the prep for whatever needs prepping in order to make the new you a reality. Plan it, map it out, might even pray over it. This time! This time, for sure!  Sound familiar?  Let me ask again, how does that usually work out for you?   It works so well for (can you hear my sarcasm) that I have decided not to do that anymore. New year, same God, not going to fixate on a new and improve me. He can mold me, shape me, make me again another as it says in Jeremiah 18:4, do His sanctifying work in me for His glory and His purposes and I've decided that's enough for me. More than enough, because thus far has the Lord helped me, declaring my Ebenezer (not like A Christmas Carol, but like 1 Samuel 7:12 and the hymn “Come Thou Fount” which holds the line, “Here I raise my Ebenezer”. A far, far better way to start a new calendar year, in my opinion. I gain so much peace, I bend the knee and bend my will to God, I can rest in Him and also be expectant of all He will do in the coming weeks and months. As John the Baptist said, “I must decrease and He must increase.” Yes, please. This usually (or always) works well for me, whereas new year, new me…not so much.   The title of episode number 202 is “The Promise of  New Year - God's Promises for You” because there is so much promise in every new season when we walk out said season with the Lord. A new calendar on the wall counts as a new season, and the promises I'm about to share today fit this new season. As always, these promises are God's promises, taken directly from the Bible, and they are for you, my friend. Y.O.U.   Psalm 125, verses 1 and 2, from the NLT:   Those who trust in the LORD are as secure as Mount Zion; they will not be defeated but will endure forever. Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people, both now and forever.   Now of course this psalm, which is a psalm of ascent, has to do with Israel and her people. No doubt about that. And it also is an encouragement for us, not as Jewish people, but as Christ followers. 2 Timothy 3:16 says all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, reproof, instruction, correction. Knowing what Scripture says matters, and that's why Psalm 125 matters for you right here in this season.  In  Zechariah 14:4-11, Revelation 19:11-16 and Revelation 20:1-6, we read about the Messiah, Jesus, standing on Mount Zion when He returns the second time. So when Psalm 125 says that those who trust in the LORD are as secure as Mount Zion, well that's pretty secure, I'd say. If that is the place where Jesus' feet will land, where He will stand, it's an iron-clad guarantee that Mount Zion is going to be there right til the very end… If we trust in the Lord, we're secure like Mount Zion is secure. This is an amazing promise. It's an immovable promise. They will not be defeated, but will endure forever. God surrounds you like those mountains surround Jerusalem, both now and forever. Huge, huge promise. If the only promise I shared with you today was this one, it would be more than enough for the entire year. Isn't God good? What a promise! You are as secure as that mount on which Jesus will stand at His return, and I do not know what more could be said to ensure that you trust God and know this promised security is yours. Amen?   John 14:1 from the NLT says: “Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in Me.” This is Jesus speaking.  We all have things that trouble our hearts, and the things that fall into that category, the heart troubling category, well those aren't the small things that get in our craw, that annoy us, the little irksome frustrations. No, anything we describe as heart troubling, well, that's the real hard stuff in life. We can't just brush it off, ignore it, say a quick prayer and have it dissipate, talk ourselves out of it, or anything like that. And Jesus says to you and to me about those things that are the big, hard things, He says, “Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God (as it says in Psalm 125 verse 1) and trust also in Me.” Do you trust in God? Do you trust Jesus? Your answer is probably, “YES”. Do you trust Him with the things that give you a troubled heart? Do you trust Him in the midst of those things, in spite of things, trusting and trusting again and again, until your faith becomes sight, until you have the peace that passes all understanding, perfect peace as it says in Isaiah? This year, trust Him like that. Trust Him more fully, more completely, with more abandonment and more certainty that He's got you, you are so secure in Him, more than you ever have before. Because He keeps all His promises, nobody is more trustworthy than our God, and perhaps no one's trustworthiness has been questioned more than our God. Let's not be among those who question Him, not today, not this time. Let's choose, let's opt in, to not let our hearts be troubled, but to trust God, to trust Jesus.    Let's ponder God's utter faithfulness for a moment, because it's worth the reminder…when we are so dug in, all in, certain of who our God is and of His absolute inability to be anything but perfectly faithful and a perfect promise keeper, well then we believe all of His promises on a better, deeper level. Malachi 3:6 from the CSB says, “Because I, the LORD, have not changed, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed.” The Lord does not change. He doesn't! But sometimes the lack of belief we exhibit reveals that we think it's somehow okay to act like He does change, like He might change this time, He might do us dirty. We're fickle, we're selfish, we're mercurial, and we're not often the least be ashamed by that.  James 1:17 also from the CSB, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”  Just to reiterate the truth that God does not change, has never changed, will never change, it just is not going to happen so let's go all in and believe what He has promised in the Bible.  John 8:12, NLT - Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow Me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”  Want to be challenged and encouraged and bolstered and blown away by Jesus' words and promises? Read John chapter 8. That'll do it! Feel like you need to expand the boundaries of your faith in the Lord? Read John 8 and oh those boundaries will sure enough expand! In a good way, in the best way.    We don't have to walk in darkness. There are no areas of life that don't fall under this promise. So when we walk in darkness, maybe we're forgetting this promise. Maybe we are in a place of unbelief for whatever reason. Maybe we just need to be reminded that Jesus IS, present tense, right now He is the light of the world - He is the light of your world right now. You don't have to walk in darkness, in confusion, with a clouded mind, because you have the mind of Christ 1 Corinthians 2:16 promises. You have the light that leads to life. Don't overanalyze, don't think yourself out of believing it, just opt in and agree that what Jesus said in John 8:12 is true, and is true for you. Right now. No matter what. It's a true promise for you today.   Proverbs 3:5-6, NLT, say - Trust in the LORD with all your heart (with some of your heart? Most of your heart? Or all of your heart? We need regular heart check ups to make sure our trust level is aligned with this verse) Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding (Do Not! When mom or dad says do not do that, well, the wise child listens and even the ornery child usually listens because a stern “Do not do that” warning from a parent…that gets your ears perked up. This is God, your Father, saying Do Not…and we think little to nothing about doing exactly what He says not to do. Let's read again and keep that do not directive in mind). Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do (in most of what you do? Nope - in all you do) and He will show you which path to take.   Wondering which direction to go? Then seek His will in all you do and He will show you which path to take. We don't just want these promises to be fulfilled in our lives, we NEED them to be fulfilled. And when we see something we've been missing, let's make those adjustments and get on board with the Lord. The Good Shepherd leads His sheep well, and we're safe when we listen to Him and not to any other voices. So, let's listen up and heed His words.   Have you seen the animated film Over the Hedge? In one scene, the character R.J. says to another character, Hammie (and Hammie is sort of spacey, not all there, and Hammie is trying to eat a cookie that is broken in two and being held together with a band aid…kind of gross, right? Well, that's us sometimes.) RJ says, “You don't want that cookie, Hammie. That cookie's junk.” What band aid cookie are you trying for and where is God saying, No, that's junk? Trust in Him with all your heart, and do not depend on your own band-aid cookie version of understanding. He has better for you than you might have for yourself. You don't want that cookie, my friend, because that cookie is junk.   Isaiah 55:10-11 NLT - The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with My word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.   Did you hear that?  His word will never return to Him void. It always produces fruit, always accomplishes what He wants it to, and will always prosper everywhere He sends it. Today, via this podcast, He is sending it to you and it will not return to Him void or empty or ineffective. It works. It can't not work. It's His word, and it does as He wishes. That's the truth, right there. Believe it. (And this verse says will…it will accomplish all He wants it to and it will prosper everywhere He sends it. Will means WILL! My devotional The Power of God's WILL - 40 Days of God's Promises is all about this exact thing and you can find that on Amazon).    The last few weeks God has been laying on my heart the need to daily crucify my flesh. Now listen, I do not claim to be a prophet, and so maybe this is just for me personally, but I have a sense that I, and other disciples of Jesus, are going to need to be Spirit led, Spirit dependent, on a whole new level in the coming months. I really think that's true. We might go through hard times, we may be tempted with prosperity (and that's often harder to walk through and stay close to the Lord than poverty, truth be told). Crucifying my flesh keeps me close to the Lord. The flesh, well, it isn't going with me into eternity and so it is in its last days, so to speak, it's getting near its deathbed and it's temperamental, it's demanding, it's a brat. So as I seek to do as the Lord has put on my heart to do in my own life, Romans 8 verses five and six are what I've been pondering. These are the verses I'll leave you with today. From the NLT - Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.  The flesh makes me want to make a snarky comment when I get my feelings hurt. Crucify that, Jan. My flesh gets annoyed when my coffee maker goes kaput during blizzard weather and I want to be able to go get a coffee since I can't make any coffee but I can't cuz there's half an inch of ice on my car and the driveway is a disaster and I can't get out. Crucify that, Jan. So crucifying the flesh doesn't always look like those huge and terrible sins that come to mind. It can be a bad attitude. Or maybe that's just me. Either way, these verses remind us that our life belongs to Jesus now. And we can both believe all His promises to us and crucify our pesky flesh at the same time.    Oh, I almost forgot to mention that I have something free for ya today. If you ever struggle with worry, this is for you. It's a digital download, a pdf, with 40 Bible passages that will combat worry in your life, and the way you utilize it is super simple. For 40 days, you just write Do Not Worry at the top of your daily to-do list (or set it as a reminder in your phone that will ping each morning). You read the verse or verses for that day, while bearing in mind that for the next forty days, just for forty days, you will not worry. You'll hand those worries to God, and they're not your burden to bear for forty days. Doesn't mean you quit your job and run up the credit cards because Jan said so… that's not at all what Jan said. You keep on living your life, but when you catch yourself worrying about something, about anything, you remind yourself that for forty days, you won't give in to worry. You'll lay that worry, that concern, at the feet of Jesus whenever it crops up, and you keep moving on without the stress of worrying. Do it for forty days. Seriously, this is a really great faith grower. Grab yours for free at JanLBurt . com     I hope you do that as this new year begins. Lord bless you, thanks for listening. I'll see you next time. Bye bye   The Power of God's Will: 40 Days of God's Promises Devotional: Burt, Jan L.: 9798573528939: Amazon.com: Books JanLBurt.com Home Page

Hey there! Welcome to the podcast. In today's episode, we'll be taking a look at the hope and the promise of Christmas, from Luke chapter two. This is a time of year when hope is a watchword, and traditionally has been a season when people are much more open to receive kindness and blessings and when you say Merry Christmas and God bless you, maybe they don't do that little uncomfortable wince that happens at times. This year, let's take a few minutes and consider the hope we have because of Christmas, and because of all the promises God made and then fulfilled when Jesus came to earth as a newborn baby.    You're listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, part of the Spark Network, now playing in the Edifi app. That's Edifi, spelled E D I F I, and you can find it in your device's app store. The hope and the promise of Christmas is our focus today, and this is episode number 201.    As I did some research for this episode, I read that there were at least eight specific prophecies that were fulfilled when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Now of course, Jesus fulfilled hundreds of prophecies when He lived on this earth, and died and rose again. And the remainder will absolutely be fulfilled at His second coming. But regarding His birth in Bethlehem, we find the fulfillment of prophecies from Genesis 22:18, Numbers 24:17, Isaiah 7:14 (that one is a common Christmas card verse, for good reason), Isaiah 9:6-7, Daniel 9:25-26, Micah 5:2 (one of my favorite verses for this time of year), Jeremiah 31:15, Hosea 11:1 which does tie in with the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.    The Bible truly is an amazing book, God's Word is profound. And at Christmastime, I hope it has a profound impact and blessing on your life. I say this a lot, but I think it needs to be said often -  not only are God's promises true…they are true for you. He loves you enough to make promises to you and then to keep those promises. And that's where hope comes in for us - we have such great hope because we've seen Him keep His promises, and in the midst of tough times, we hold on to our hope that He will continue to keep His promises. This is not hope misplaced; it's the opposite - perfectly placed hope. Hope in the Lord ends up being the kind of faith that yields results. It's unseen at first, those results, but ends up being seen when our faith becomes sight. If you need some hope right now, well, this is for you.   From the Amplified, Luke chapter two verse 1 says: Now in those days a decree went out from (the emperor) Caesar Augustus, that all the inhabited world (the Roman Empire) should be registered (in a census).  So this was more than just an emperor deciding he needed to take a census and get an accounting of all the citizens of his empire. This was done at the Lord's behest, because of His will. One of the things that is easy to overlook in the Christmas story, to take for granted, because we've heard this passage so many times, year after year, it's easy to overlook the significance of the way God's hand, albeit invisible, was at work to move the heart of Caesar to order this census that required everyone to return to their own city, hometown, the town for their family's official registration. And if we just read verse one, that single sentence, and move right on into the rest of the chapter, we can miss the reality that's here for us, for our lives, right now. God moves in the lives and in the hearts of men, women, and children. He moves little people, and that's like little in quotes because all mankind is so precious to Him, nobody is small or miniscule to Him. Our God is not in the business of marginalizing people. He created each one, knitting each in their mother's womb, has engraved us on the palms of His hands, and no one is without value to Him. So that's not what I mean when I say little persons. What I mean is, societally, the shepherds were not big wigs, power players, in that culture. And yet, they were given the message, the announcement, of the birth of the Messiah, the very Son of God. Amazing! The emperor, Caesar Augustus, was moved to issue the decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world, all his empire, and so mankind was on the move, headed to their hometowns to be registered as part of this mandatory census. Don't miss this. There is great importance and value to this moment in time - and it's valuable and important for your life. The God of hope is the God who wants you to believe that He can move mountains and the hearts of kings, rulers, those in authority, in order to bring about what He has in store for your life. He is not arrogant and narcissistic, that He would move those mountains and turn those hearts in ostentatious ways. He does not need to be loud about it, because He has no insecurities, needs no validation - so He can do it without there being a lot of fanfare about the WHY behind what He is doing.  And yet, He may still announce what He is doing, with great praise and rejoicing for His goodness toward us, He may still announce it to those who are not a big noise, household name, someone important in the world's eyes. This should amaze us, and simultaneously cause hope to spring up anew in us regarding our own lives and circumstances.    Got something you have been praying about, carrying a burden about, for a long time? Weeks? Months? Years, even? The message of Luke two verse one is for you, then. Now in those days… My friend, for you right now, it might just be one of “those days” when God begins to move on your behalf.    The hope we have when we live in a state of expectancy, of believing God for what we see no evidence of, well…that kind of hope is real hope. Romans 8:24-26 says that hope that only hopes for what is seen is no hope at all (that's not verbatim, of course). What kind of hope do you and I have? Is your hope doing any stretching in your life? Are you having to hope more, trust more, believe more, as the days wear on and the promise isn't yet fulfilled? Then that's actual, biblical hope.  Proverbs 13:12 tells us that hope deferred makes the heart sick, and that is true. So from these two passages about hope, which seem to be in conflict with each other, what do we learn? How do we make them make sense to us when we need to hold on to our hope in Jesus, and yet we can relate to the feeling of hope deferred making us heart sick? When your faith is not sight, and you cannot even begin to fathom how it will ever become sight, how do you hold on to hope and keep holding on?  Hope really does have a name, and His name is Jesus. Some moments are simply crawling through the crowd on your hands and knees, pressing and pushing to get to Jesus, reaching out and just skimming the edge of His robe, knowing that's all you can do, there is no more gas in the tank, you're spent, without Him it's over…that's what it is like sometimes. It's really that rough sometimes. Sometimes the biggest part of our faith journey ends up being hanging on to Jesus, hanging on to our hope in Him, when we are getting awfully heartsick and nearing the point of more than we can bear. (Spoiler alert: if you have not yet had a moment in your life when you were maxed out beyond what you ever dreamed you could handle, well, keep walking with Jesus and that will be your experience. It isn't easy street, this discipleship life. It's daily taking up your cross and following after Him, it's knowing that the servant is not greater than the master and as they treated Him, so shall they also treat everyone who follows Him. It is a somewhat hard knock life, this life with Jesus, but these hard knocks are the hardest it will ever be and for the unbeliever, this life is the best it will ever be. Eternity is worth living for, my friend, because Jesus is there and He has gone ahead of you to make ready a place for you, that where He is, you may one day also be. It's hard, but it's such a good hard.) Hope deferred does make the heart sick. It's absolutely true. But the point at which we feel our hope has been deferred for too long is not usually the same point at which God, in His sovereignty and providence, knows our hope has been too long deferred.  Trust Him, even when, especially when, it's been a long, hard road.  The journey to Bethlehem was not easy for Mary, or for Joseph. The labor and delivery, also not easy. But they were exactly where God wanted them to be for that moment in time. And they HAD to be there, according to Caesar's decree. Everyone had to be counted and registered…and likely, taxed, too. So, all around not ideal, at least from a human point of view. But thank God we have the option, the choice, the ability thanks to the Holy Spirit who indwells us, to look at the less than ideal, difficult times of life via God's point of view. Thank God that we have the Bible, full of all it's raw honesty about people and sin and life, and also full of God's love and intervention and His righteousness and His fair judgements and standard that played out at Calvary - thank God we can choose to face our most not so easy moments knowing that the God who was at work in the lives of those we read about in the Bible is also at work in and through our lives and circumstances.    I want you to know that God sees you. He really does know how hard this is, how long it has been going on, and how ready you are for it to be over. We can want our deliverance to come so badly that we get hyper focused on it, and we miss the presence of God in these places. Perhaps that's just me, maybe I am the only one who does that. It takes a reset sometimes to find God in our midst when life is overwhelming.    And I'd like to mention something about overwhelm. It isn't always what you'd think. Sometimes that one thing that pushes you right over the edge into a state of overwhelm is so small, such an itty bitty little thing, you can hardly believe that THAT was what did you in. But the old saying about the straw that broke the camel's back? A single piece of straw does not seem like much, and by itself, it sure isn't much, but it can be the thing that adds just enough pressure to be the last straw. Just like the last place you look is where you find something you've been searching for, that's the last place I looked - well, the final straw is the one that breaks the camel's back. Of course it is! The last one is of course the last one. But just like you didn't think that place was where you'd find the item you'd looked for, the last straw is not the one you thought would be the deal breaker and game changer.    Overwhelm happens to all of us. We need to give others grace in their overwhelm, and not judge them so severely when we don't understand how that little old straw could be the one that is just too much because we have our own pieces of hay, basically, that do us in, too. And give yourself grace as you navigate these things. Of course, if you are in sin as a result of your straw breaking your back, repent and don't delay in that. Today is the day to repent, to make things right with God, being sure to keep short accounts with Him. But giving yourself grace does not need to be exclusive of repentance. They go hand in glove, because the Cross is the standard for all the grace we receive and all the grace we extend to others and to ourselves, and we only access that grace by coming to the Lord in repentance and receiving Jesus as our Savior, since He was the propitiation for our sin. Give grace, to yourself and to others. Because grace is what you need when you find yourself in that place of hope getting close to being deferred for too long. Grace is yours, if you'll have it.    And next time you find yourself wondering why it is taking so long for God's promises to be fulfilled, remember Luke chapter two, verse one. God is still on His throne, He has not abdicated and He never will. He is still sovereign over all. He is still faithful and true and dependable and consistent and true to His word. God is, after all, still God. And He is still moving the hearts of kings and rulers to accomplish His perfect will in His perfect timing. Who knows? That time might just be today. And if you find yourself in a position where you can glorify the Lord, whether you are a big noise and a big name or no-name who makes no noise that is noticeable in this world, you just go on and rejoice like those shepherds did. Because the God who delivered the message of Jesus' birth to them is the same God who is still delivering messages to people today. Rejoice like the whole world is watching, even if nobody else is around. The darkest night can be pierced with angels rejoicing and the light of Jesus shining bright. What will you do when He shows up in your life? And what will you do while you wait for Him to show up?    Merry and Blessed and Joyful and Hope-filled Christmas to you. Thanks so much for joining me for this episode, and I do hope you'll share it with a friend or on social media this Christmas season.  God bless and I'll see you next time. Bye bye.

Well hey there! Hello to ya today. Welcome to episode number 200 of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show podcast. I'm so excited and grateful that you're listening today. Let's jump right in!   You're listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, part of the Spark Network, playing via the Edifi app. This is episode number 200, and we're looking at some promises from 1 Peter.   So recently during my prayer time I started jotting down thoughts that I had while I was praying. It was for sure not just me thinking these things in my own mind - it was really the Holy Spirit encouraging me. Let me share what I wrote down.   Make a promise or keep a promise; which means more? Boastful speech with little love or fewer words and a God-honoring life; which is better? Loving God and loving others or making excuses for a cold, hard heart; which describes me? Dancing with the world or bowing at His feet; which do I do daily? Living for pleasure or living for Him; what do my daily choices reveal? Preparing for the King's return or preparing by default for eternal hellish torment: there is no more time.   So, yeah. Very encouraging, very convicting, very sobering and that last bit, there is no more time, was somewhat heavy. I had the sense that I ought to share this on the podcast, because I'm guessing I am not the only one who needs to be reminded often that how I spend my time, how I love others, how I honor the Lord, what I live for matters and I only have so much time. My lifespan is not unlimited on this earth (although it will be unlimited in eternity). It's important to pause, evaluate the condition of my heart, to discover yet again that there is a beam sticking out of my eye and I need to remove it before pointing out the toothpick in someone else's eye.  Sharing this was not exactly what I wanted to do. It felt pretty personal, ya know? But obedience to the leading of the Lord is important, because Jesus said those who love Him will obey Him in John 14:23.    1 Peter 4:7-9 and 10-11 from the NLT:  The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God Himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to Him forever and ever! Amen.   In the Amplified Bible, verse 7 reads like this: The end and culmination of all things is near. Therefore, be sound-minded and self-controlled for the purpose of prayer (staying balanced and focused on the things of God so that your communication will be clear, reasonable, specific and pleasing to Him).    This is the passage the Lord led me to read after I wrote down what I read to you a moment ago. This is not a portion of the Bible that I have memorized, where I know by the reference exactly what it says. I ought to, because this is good stuff, but I didn't just know in my knower what the passage said when the Holy Spirit led me to read 1 Peter, and in particular these verses from chapter four of 1 Peter.   And these words go hand in glove with what I wrote down during my prayer time that morning.   Listen carefully. God's Word never returns to Him void but always accomplishes that for which He sends it forth. And so it will do what He wants it to do. God keeps His promises. He is unfailing in His faithfulness. His love and compassion know no bounds, His mercies are new every morning. He is a good God, a good Father. And this portion of Scripture says the end and culmination of all things is near…therefore, we need to be sober minded, earnest in our prayers, focused on Him, staying balanced in what we are focusing on so that our communication with Him in prayer and with others in our lives will be clear, not muddled or confusing, and reasonable, and specific, not vague, not bouncing all over the place, and pleasing to Him.    So what matters more? Making a promise or keeping a promise? Which is better?  And if the end and culmination of all things is near, is it important for us to know that God does not just make promises and throw them around willy nilly and leave it at that, but He keeps every single promise perfectly and to perfection? Yes, that's something we need to know, each of us individually, as the end of the world is coming soon, as the NLT says. Do you personally know that God is keeping, has kept and will keep all the promises He has made? And that you have promises from Him that He is keeping and will keep right til the end of it all? It's so important to know that. And to know it for yourself.    As I think about verse 11, as a podcaster and speaker, it's convicting but also encouraging to consider that each episode is me using the gift He gave to hopefully serve everyone who listens. And you serve when you use your gifts. Now maybe nobody has told you this in a while, or maybe ever, but when you do what the Lord equips you to do in service, that's invaluable. It's truly more precious than most of what we spend our lives on. You being the you that God created you to be is serving. Thank you for serving the way that only you can. You know, only my husband can give our grandchildren a hug that is from grandpaw. Nobody else can give them a grandpaw hug. It's not possible. That's how it is with your gifts. Nobody else can do what you do the way that you do it. So please keep doing it and thank you for doing it. You glorify God when you do so - and that's the Biblical truth. It's right here in verse 11.    Let me read 1 Peter 4 verses 1 and 2 from the J.B. Phillips New Testament.  Since Christ had to suffer physically for you, you must fortify yourselves with the same inner attitude that He must have had. You must realize that to be dead to sin inevitably means pain, and you should not therefore spend the rest of your time here on earth indulging your physical nature, but in doing the will of God.    That's not a Bible translation we often read from, but it phrases these verses really well.  Part of the promise for us as Christians is that we will suffer, because we follow Jesus and He suffered. We must fortify ourselves with the same inner attitude Jesus had. We must realize that to be dead to sin will inevitably lead to pain. We should not spend the rest of our time here on earth indulging our physical nature, but in doing the will of God.    Make a promise or keep a promise; which means more? Boastful speech with little love or fewer words and a God-honoring life; which is better? Loving God and loving others or making excuses for a cold, hard heart; which describes me? Dancing with the world or bowing at His feet; which do I do daily? Living for pleasure or living for Him; what do my daily choices reveal? Preparing for the King's return or preparing by default for eternal hellish torment: there is no more time.   Let's lay aside the boastful speech with little love and choose to perhaps speak fewer words and live a God-honoring life, because that's truly better. Let's love God and love others, and stop making excuses for our cold, hard hearts.  Let's stop dancing with the world and get serious about bowing at the Lord's feet daily. Let's be done with living for pleasure and choose to live for Him.  Let's be prepared for Jesus' return, because otherwise what are we preparing for by default?  And that last bit, there is no more time…my friend, we don't have many more days to waste. When the Holy Spirit led me to write down those words, “There is no more time,” and then led me to open 1 Peter chapter 4 in my Bible, well, this is no coincidence. The enemy Satan has no reason to quote unquote trick me into readying myself for the Lord's return, to trick me into loving the Lord more and living a life that honors Him, to trick me into bowing at His feet rather than dancing with the world, to trick me into preparing for His return. See, that wouldn't make sense. I know many people do not believe that Jesus is returning soon.  And I know many people, students of the Word, see things lining up for His return and they are doing what Jesus said we are to do in Mark 13, verses 34-37, “The coming of the Son of Man can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. When he left home, he gave each of his slaves instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return. You, too, must keep watch! For you don't know when the master of the household will return - in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak. Don't let Him find you sleeping when He arrives without warning. I say to you what I say to everyone: Watch for Him!”   Those are the very words of Jesus. And He doesn't say that since no man knows the hour or t he day, just don't think about it, don't talk about it, don't preach any sermons about it, don't keep yourself ready for His return, just say that there's another fifty or one hundred years yet to go (which is kind of funny - why is it always, always fifty or one hundred more years? Just strikes me as a funny go-to for those who don't believe we are actually in the very end of the end times.)   Jesus said not to let Him find us sleeping when He arrives without warning. Those who are kind of sleeping among the Church today are those who say, oh we've got time…we've got fifty more years at least, possibly a hundred years. We are told to keep watch. And if we are saying, oh we've got time, well, that's not keeping watch.    Will you live today with Jesus as fully Lord of your life? All of your life? Will you be prepared for Jesus' return? Because on a podcast about God's promises, and for the 200th episode no less, the Holy Spirit led me to talk about this, which is a promise so great, so important, that we ought to live with this in mind every day…that promise is the promise of Jesus' return. And on the great and terrible day of the Lord, nothing else will matter outside of the fact that He will be here. And with that in mind, can I boldly challenge you with the thought that if this promise is true, and it is, then nothing else matters more than being prepared for the moment that promise is fulfilled?   Thanks for listening today. Get ready and stay ready. Because Jesus? Oh, He's a comin' again, and soon.   I'll see you next time. Bye bye. 

Well hello to ya today, so glad you're listening to this episode of the podcast. Let's jump right in and look at a few verses from the New Testament that hold tremendous promises for us. Luke chapter one, verse 37 from the NLT and then Hebrews 13, verses 5 and 6. God's promises are true. Whether or not you believe those promises, well, that's kind of up to you. A Christmas Blessing from Mary's Song Episode Link A Merry and Bright ADVENTure book  You're listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, part of the Spark Network, playing now via the Edifi app. Today's episode is sponsored by the Christmas book for families titled A Merry and Bright ADVENTure - A Christmas Devotional for Family, Faith, Food and Fun by Katie J. Trent. Sure, my children are all grown adults…but my grandbabies are the ones I will be using this book with. It's divided into sections, by topic, by theme, and the advent readings consist of like a family devotional, a prayer, family discussion questions, some specific advent activities and of course, a recipe which is very family friendly. There are 25 of these really well thought out daily sections, which is of course perfect for advent. And there is a list of grocery items and craft items already compiled for you, to make it as easy as possible to implement the recipes and activities. Link is right here in the show notes, and a big thank you to Katie Trent for creating this Christmas season resource. I absolutely love it. And now, on with the show.  This is episode number 199.    Right there nestled among the first few verses in the book of Luke, almost too easy to read and go right on past, is the promise of verse 37. In the NLT it says, “For the word of God will never fail.”    And after that absolutely mind-blowingly huge promise, this chapter continues into Mary's Song, the Magnificat. Which, by the way, is really a beautiful passage of Scripture to read aloud as a family during the Thanksgiving or Christmas season. Amazing, that's what Mary's Song is. Worship - you might call it that. Beautiful worship.   For the word of God WILL NEVER FAIL.   Hang your hat on this verse today. I mean that, seriously. Bank on it. Depend on it. Lean the full weight of all your troubles and concerns onto it. It will hold up, no matter how heavy the load is that you've been carrying around. This verse can handle it. All of it. Perhaps this promise is one of the most powerful promises in the entire Bible. I don't want you to take my word for it. I want you to take God at His word. Then do it again tomorrow. And never stop taking Him at His word, every single day of your life.   Hebrews 13, 5-6 - also from the NLT -   5 Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,“I will never fail you.     I will never abandon you.”[a 6 So we can say with confidence,“The Lord is my helper,     so I will have no fear.     What can mere people do to me?”[b] What could possibly be missing from your life when God has said this? Combine these words from Hebrews with the words from Luke and I am thinking you have something unstoppable, ya know? Your God, whom you love and whom you serve, the One who secured your eternal salvation, He will never fail you or abandon you. What matters more than that? And what are we to say in response to these great and precious promises?  With confidence, we say, The Lord is my helper and I will have no fear. Because what can mere people, human beings, those who are created by the One making me these promises, what can they do to me?    The hope you have in knowing, believing, and living in the reality of these promises…well, I'm not really sure it gets much better than that. God won't leave you. God won't abandon you. God won't fail you. He will help you. You can live with no fear. And people? What can they really do to you? For the word of God will never fail. The word of  will never fail for Jan, or for Sara, or for Rachel, or for Mike, or for Betty, or for Stuart, or for Terry, or for Gail, or for Linda or for Jon or for any of His people.    What promises in the Bible do you most need to know won't fail right now? Is it something from Psalm 91? Psalm 103? Psalm 1? Something God promised in the book of Genesis? Acts or Joel? Isaiah? Hebrews or Matthew or Revelation?   What promises have you wanted to believe were for you, God's to you, but maybe are afraid to go all in with that belief? About what Bible promises can you say, “Lord, I believe…help me with my unbelief?”   I want to issue this challenge to you today: write down that promise, or promises if there are multiple, and on that page where you write them down, get a pen in a different color, maybe bright red, and over the top right Luke 1:37 - For the word of God will never fail.   I don't want you to think about this, and say eh maybe I'll do that some day. No. Please do it this day.    For the word of God will never fail. Those promises from the word of God? They will never fail. So says Luke 1:37. This is a big deal, isn't it?  Because when we begin to really know the word of God will never fail, we start praying that way, we start thinking that way, we gain victory in areas that we once thought would end up taking us out. This is important because God wants us to know that His word will never fail…and the enemy wants us to believe his lie that the word of God will always fail. Which will ya have today? Five pounds of Jesus in a brown paper sack, or more than that? Maybe God isn't going to be controllable if you go all in and believe. Maybe you will have to do battle with your fears and doubts. Maybe some of your Christian friends will try and talk you out of such radical belief, because let's just be honest, so many of our female small groups turn into gripe and gossip sessions, or stay so superficial that things like clothes and make up dominate the conversation…like, maybe that could change. And you might be the odd man (odd woman) out. Spoiler alert: if you are longing for those kinds of conversations to never be part of a women's small group or Bible study ever again, then you already are the odd woman out…you just don't want to rock the boat by mentioning it or by leaving…cuz we all know that when you leave, everybody wants to know why (like, more gossip, perhaps?) when they ought to know why just by reading the room, right?  What's the hardest place to leave gracefully, graciously, and without gossiping? A Christian community that isn't truly honoring the Lord. You are already the odd one out perhaps. That's okay. I'm thinking Moses, David, Elijah, Abraham, the entire early Church in the first century…odd man out over and over again. It's hard, but it's not the end of the world.  What will you need to face honestly if you choose to trust the entire weight of your life, and all those things and people you've been praying about, all of it on the promise that the word of God will never fail?  A whole lot could change, starting with your heart and mind. Maybe we can't really, fully love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and love our neighbor as yourself until we really believe that the word of God will never fail.    Maybe, just maybe, this is the moment the Lord has been waiting for. The moment when you no longer let fear, worry, other people's opinions, doubts, all that kind of stuff, no longer let that hold you back, tie you up in knots inside and outside, and keep you from believing all God's promises. Maybe today is a big deal for you. Maybe tomorrow hinges on today.   Maybe, just maybe, this is your time.  What will you do now? I hope you choose to believe. Because you will never regret it, and God will never abandon you.   Until next time, keep on believing. Bye bye. 

Hey there! Hello to ya today.  Here we are, for episode number 198 of the podcast, where we focus on God's promises and make the decision to simply believe that what God has said is exactly what He meant. If He promised it, He means to honor His promise. Remember, God is not a man, that He should lie, and He always finishes what He begins. Knowing those two things leaves us no choice but to either believe Him for His every promise or to live as if He were lying to us. Which will you choose today?  Psalm 91 Audio Bible Study Course You're listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, part of the Spark Network, now playing in the Edifi app. And this is episode number 198.   Ya know how there are times in life, like seasons if you will, periods of time, when the same kind of thing keeps coming up, over and over again. Maybe God has been speaking to you about hope, or loving others well, or accepting His grace, and everywhere you turn, that subject is right in front of you, staring you down, you might feel like. Can't really get away from it. Boom, there it is. And wowza, there it is again. Ever experience that?    That's been the case for me recently. Over the last few months, for sure one aspect of life as a follower of Jesus has been prominent. And I didn't think it was a topic I'd cover on the podcast, at least not right now, fall of 2024. But I don't get to pick and choose when and how I obey what the Lord says. I mean, I could, and I have of course, but it's really wrong, and flat out sin. And this issue has been in the forefront of my life as of late, like I said, and the Holy Spirit led me to discuss it today.    In John 15 and 16 and 17, Jesus had so much to say to His disciples and for all who would follow Him later on, down the road, in the years and centuries to come. That includes us, of course. Jesus spoke about the importance of unity.  John 15 from the Amplified - 12 “This is My commandment, that you [c]love and unselfishly seek the best for one another, just as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love [nor stronger commitment] than to lay down his own life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you keep on doing what I command you. The header just before verse 12 says: Disciples' Relation to Each Other And the next section header says: Disciples' Relation to the World 18 “If the world hates you [and it does], know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you belonged to the world, the world would love [you as] its own and would treat you with affection. But you are not of the world [you no longer belong to it], but I have chosen you out of the world. And because of this the world hates you. 20 Remember [and continue to remember] that I told you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.   Does Jesus say that the world will treat His disciples well? Uh, duh. No. He told His disciples how to treat one another, and what to expect from the world. So people in the world are not the same as our fellow disciples and will not treat us the same way.    You may be thinking, “Uh, yeah… I know that, Jan. What is your point?” Chapter 16, verse 1: “I have told you these things so that you will not stumble or be caught off guard and fall away.   So that you will not stumble or be caught off guard and fall away. It's a very real possibility that we will be caught off guard, surprised and thrown for a loop and stumble and even fall away because of it. But what is the “it” exactly? The terrible treatment of Jesus' followers by those who don't follow Him. When have you been treated really terribly for choosing the Jesus way? If it was from those who don't know Him personally and are not His disciples, were you super shocked? It may hurt and be just a terrible experience. But you aren't shocked by that nearly as much as you are when it happens within the church, by someone who claims to follow Jesus but perhaps, oh I am gonna get some hate mail for this, but Ima say it anyway…perhaps they don't actually know Him, because the fruit of their life reveals that they don't. We're called by Jesus Himself to look at the fruit of people's lives, and to know them by their fruit. That's Scripture, my friend. That's words in red. And we don't likely stumble and fall away when someone who is not walking with Jesus, would never open a Bible or go to church or sing a worship song, when that person lamblasts you for your faith in Jesus, it probably isn't going to push you to fall away. Because you know who they are, it's evident by looking at the fruit of their life. Right? But when it's within the church (and hey, please remember Jesus Himself warned us that there would be wolves who come to devour the sheep, so this should not come as a shocker, what I'm saying here today)... when it's quote one of our own, man, then it hits hard, it can cause a stumble, often we're blindsided by it, and it can lead to falling away. My friend, I am boldly telling you today that this happens all the time in the church, and people will be held accountable by God Almighty for their actions against His people, the sheep of His flock. If it has happened to you, I am so very sorry. And if it happened at the hands of those in church leadership, I am grieved for you and for their abuse and misuse of the authority that really only ought to be about leading people to Jesus, if you boil it down, but is often not used for that purpose.    Control and manipulation are basically witchcraft. I mean, think about it. If you are twisting words, manipulating people, circumstances, using guilt and shame, turning Scripture this way and that in order to control people in any facet, it really is an evil thing to do. And it's like being under a spell, and if you've experienced it, you know what I mean.  Do you think, and I am actually asking you to think about this and make up your own mind, but do you personally believe that Jesus' call to unity in His church was intended for His true disciples to be unified with those who are in the church but are not truly following Him as disciples? And at what point do you think Jesus would want His true disciples to deal with this “sticky situation”?    I know this can be a heavy topic, and it is controversial (but maybe it needs to be more normalized and less controversial to talk about the reality of, for lack of a better description, church abuse). And perhaps because there are so many people dealing with and reeling from this exact issue, I suppose this is the time and season to take a look at it through the lens of the Word of God. And as always, don't just take my word for it - but take God's Word for it, and read it for yourself. John chapters 15 and 16 are what I've been reading from, so dive in and check it out. Pray about what you read, listen for the Holy Spirit to do what He does perfectly as the Counselor that Jesus promised in John 16 verses 5-15.   Over the last several months, several people have talked with me, reached out to me, connected with me, and so on, about real problems among church leadership and what in the world to do when you come face to face with some terrible stuff, and are treated terribly, even abusively, manipulated, guilted, controlled, shamed, slandered, oh boy some of the things that have been going on are truly terrible and there is no place for this stuff in God's Kingdom, let alone among those who call themselves leaders in the Church that bears His name! It's like we've stepped into the wonky zone, and things are all sorts of off kilter.    If I were to do one of those hard hitting expose pieces from the late 1980s, I would have ample material. This isn't so much an expose as it is a CTA.  If you are being abused spiritually, can I challenge you to this CTA, this call to action? First, read the Gospels. Read what Jesus said, how He lived, what He did for people, what He didn't do, what He approved of and what He disapproved of. Read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Do you see yourself as Jesus sees you? Are you being treated the way that He treated people when He walked the earth? Are those in authority over you in the Church living like Jesus, loving like Jesus, shepherding like Jesus? Pray on this! God wants you to see yourself the way He sees you. And He wants to be Lord in His church. The letters to the churches in Revelation tell us so very much about how seriously He takes this kind of thing.  Next, I want to boldly, strongly encourage you to do what the Bible says, and to follow where the Spirit leads. Remember what Jesus said in John 16, verses 5 through 15:  Let me read it from the NLT.  5 “But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. 6 Instead, you grieve because of what I've told you. 7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don't, the Advocate[a] won't come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God's righteousness, and of the coming judgment. 9 The world's sin is that it refuses to believe in me. 10 Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. 11 Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged. 12 “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can't bear it now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.' Verse 7 amplified - 7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the [a]Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him (the Holy Spirit) to you [to be in close fellowship with you]   What is the Holy Spirit, your Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor, Counselor, Strenghtener, and your Standby saying to you? Leading you? Directing you? Counseling you? Strengthening you?   Church hurt is one thing, and it is a real thing and it is a terrible thing because it is so painful. Church abuse from leadership is another thing. Both can dwell together, for sure, but leadership abuse is the main focus of this episode. If you are dealing with this, can you look at it objectively and say yes or no to this question: is this behavior biblical or unbiblical? And are those in leadership telling me to keep enduring what is unbiblical, even though the very words of Jesus say it is wrong? Is it time to flee, like Joseph did when Potiphar's wife tried to seduce him? He just left his cloak and fled. Could it be time to flee? What is your Counselor, the Holy Spirit, who is God dwelling within you, saying to you about the leadership abuse that's going on?    And do you know that you know that you know that Jesus is absolutely never going to be spiritually abusive to you? And His true sheep, His chosen shepherds for His sheep, won't either?  John 15:1 says “[a]I am the true Vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away;    He takes away. Follow the fruit. Might be far more important than the call to follow the money, for the Christian community.   6 If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken off] branch, and withers and dies; and they gather such branches and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you remain in Me and My words remain in you [that is, if we are vitally united and My message lives in your heart], ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified and honored by this, when you bear much fruit, and prove yourselves to be My [true] disciples.    Those are Jesus' words.  This is an individual calling. We each have to follow Him, remain in Him, let His words remain in us, proving we are His true disciples by our fruit. I'm going to try and tread lightly as I say this next bit (and I am issuing this caveat - these words I am about to utter, they ARE NOT AT ALL related to 1919 S. Rock… ) If you need to leave a local church body because there is abuse happening, and you have looked and seen what the fruit or lack thereof is (or isn't), if the Spirit of the Living God says, “go”... then I say to you, obey the Lord. Obedience is better than sacrifice. Those who love Jesus will obey Him. And when we get the sense that the Holy Spirit is leading us out of someplace, it seems to be that He is already moving along, ready to go, ready to lead us onward. By the time we sense Him moving, He is already moving… So don't over question when He is leading. And don't let a bully pulpit or abusive leadership or manipulation or guilt and shame or twisting Scripture talk you out of following the Holy Spirit as He leads.    When He says it's time to go, then go. Because delayed obedience is disobedience, and you don't want any part of that.    Heavy topic today, and I'll just say that I've prayed for everyone who listens because it is so heavy. Lord bless you, keep seeking hard after Jesus, and next episode we'll be back to some of God's promises and how important it is to know that those promises are for you. See you next time. Oh, and please share this episode with anyone you know who might be facing this issue. It's hard, and sometimes we need a bit of encouragement, support, and understanding as we navigate it. You're not alone, but there is so much hope, freedom, joy, peace and love in the Church on the other side of spiritual abuse. Jesus sees you, He feels your pain, and He has good for you and a path out of this and into His light and His love. So please share this, because it's too important not to share.  I'll be back for episode number 199 next time. Bye bye. 

Thanks for listening today. I hope today's episode is a blessing and an encouragement to you, and that the promises in the verses I'll share today remind you that God is for you, He has good in store for you, and that He will never leave you nor forsake you, because He has engraved you on the palms of His hands and He knows how to keep hold of that which belongs to Him. That's a great reminder for those of us who follow Jesus. Now, let's jump right in to episode #197.  Grab a copy of "The Power of God's Will - 40 Days of God's Promises Devotional" via Amazon Stay up-to-date and sign up for my email list at JanLBurt.com   I am going to read a passage from the NT book of Matthew today, more than just one verse on this episode. And let's look at these verses in the NLT.  Listen as I read aloud -    Matthew 25:14-30 (New Living Translation) -   “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last - dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip. The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master's money. After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.' The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate together!' The servant who received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more,' The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate together!' Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn't plant and gathering crops you didn't cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.' But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn't plant and gathered crops I didn't cultivate, why didn't you deposit my money in a bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.' Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit upon His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in His presence, and He will separate the people as a shepherd separates sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at His right hand and the goats at His left. Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed Me. I was thirsty, and you gave Me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited Me into your home, I was naked, and you gave Me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for Me. I was in prison, and you visited Me.' Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You? Or thirsty and give You something to drink? Or a stranger and show You hospitality? Or naked and give You clothing? When did we ever see You sick or in prison and visit You?' And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these My brothers and sisters, You were doing it to Me!'    Does anything stand out to you, or even jump out at you, from this passage? I am going to encourage you to read it for yourself, or re-read it in the show notes. Highlight, underline or take notes on any portion(s) of this passage that stand out to you. Be an active reader. Read this while thinking about your own life. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you about this passage.   Then, read it one more time.   So, yeah, for a podcast I just asked you to read, and that is not just listening, not the norm for a podcast. Now you don't have to read this, hearing God's Word is tremendously powerful and has real benefits to us in our every day lives, so long as we do something with what we are hearing, right? Not just nod our heads and give an amen here and there, but live out what the Word of God is teaching. And honestly, it often is revealing things in us that the Holy Spirit is wanting to work on, to heal, to dismantle lies and strongholds, to restore and bless and move us along on this walk with Him. So be an active reader when you open God's Word - and also, be an active listener when you hear God's Word.    But do, for 100% certain, be sure to ask the Lord to speak to you about what His Word says.  Sit quietly before the Lord, maybe with pen and paper in hand, and write what He speaks to your heart about this passage. Ask Him to show you where you are rightly using what He has given you for His glory and His purposes. And, on the more difficult side of the coin, ask Him to show you where you are not.   If you will take the time to do this - to agree with the Lord that He meant it when He said He will ask for an account of the assets He has given to each one of us - He will most certainly reveal something (or several things) to you. Let Him do that! And then honor Him by doing His will with what He has given.   He has something for you in His Word today, that I can promise you.     Let's look again at this passage, this literal timestamp, a series of events that actually really and truly happened, from the life of the Lord Jesus.    First off, a beautiful reminder that our God is not ever, ever far off. He is not at all similar to man-made, little g gods who are aloof and distant and above mere mortals and all of that. Our God, who is the One True God, is not distant. He is not aloof. And these verses show us how up close and personal Jesus was to people. What makes us think He is less up close and personal with us, right now, today? The Spirit of the Living God indwells all who are in Christ, so how could He be aloof or far off or distant or detached? How do you detach from someone and also indwell them simultaneously? Well, you don't because you can't, right?    And I have to just focus on that word WILL - it's kind of a thing for me on this podcast, and really it predates me ever having a podcast. I have done this for a long, long time, when I see the word WILL in a promise in the Bible, or like this passage where Jesus very clearly states what WILL happen on the day we stand before His throne.   He will separate the sheep from the goats. That is going to happen. And there will probably be some goats we did not realize were goats, if I am being totally honest. I mean, the last few years I have seen a falling away that I never dreamed of. If it is in the Word of God, and here in the NT penned in words of red, well then I surely am not going to argue with whether or not it will actually happen like it says.  It will be just as He has said that it will be. Period.    The final judgment will take place, my friends. And based on the parable of the servants that Jesus told just before He began to speak about the final judgment, we are going to have a close examination of what we did with every single thing He entrusted to us. You and I, like it or not, have been entrusted with things - so many varying things. Big things, tiny things - and we are expected, says the King of kings, the One who was and is and is to come, to use them well and be prepared to show Him what we did to grow, to increase, to use wisely what He gave us for His cause. His Kingdom. That's our truth, whether we live like it is or not. No getting around it, either. Now we can't go back and change what we did or did not do in the past, even one minute ago, but we can right now get our heads on straight and be about using the talents, giftings, abilities, resources, time and money and platform and all of it for the right purposes. His purposes.    He will sit upon His glorious throne and all the nations will be gathered in His presence.    That is two uses of the word WILL that should be like cold water thrown in our face - wake up! Get with the program! (and it isn't your program, nor mine - get with God's program!)   Can I just encourage you, but with some firmness in my tone of voice, like a strong-ish encouragement, to evaluate what you have available to use for the Kingdom of God and to get busy using it to that end?    I do not care if you are five years old and what you have is a heart to pray for your sick uncle to come to know Jesus and to get better. Pray. Jesus sees it and He will reward it. If you are 99 years old and can hardly get out and about, but you like to talk to text your grandkids prayers and Bible verses. Do it, and expect Jesus to bless it.   Start where you are today and do, do, do something for the Kingdom, for the Master, today. And then keep on doing. No, we are not saved by works, it is solely by grace and the price Jesus paid at the Cross. But James tells us faith without works is dead and if you have even a bit of rigor mortis creeping into your spiritual life, well let's nix that nonsense and get ourselves all sorts of alive in the Lord Jesus.    I'm not really kidding around, either, my friend. Get after living this life for the Lord before the afterlife gets after you.    Thanks for being here and have a truly blessed day investing into the Kingdom of God.    Grab a copy of "The Power of God's Will - 40 Days of God's Promises Devotional" via Amazon Stay up-to-date and sign up for my email list at JanLBurt.com  

Psalm 116, verses 1 & 2 say this in the Amplified -  I love the LORD, because He hears me (and continues to hear) my voice and my supplications (my pleas, my cries, my specific needs). Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call on Him as long as I live.   So right off the bat in the first two verses of Psalm 116, we find the psalmist talking about prayer.  When you pray, is it easy or hard for you to fully believe that God hears you and continues to hear you when you pray? When you bring your supplications to Him? Do you know that you know that you know that God has inclined His ear to you, and that as a result of this truth, you ought to call on Him as long as you live. How long? Oh, only for as long as you live. If you love the Lord, let your praying be an indicator of that love. Great love will equal great praying. And when you trust Him completely, it's really so easy to go to Him in prayer. So much of the tug of war about prayer is stripped away when we trust Him completely and maybe even dare I say exclusively. We don't try to pray one minute and work out a plan b the next minute when we trust in the Lord exclusively.    But today's focus isn't on verses 1 and 2. We're gonna hone in on verses 12 through 14.   Let me read those verses from the Amplified Bible.   What will I give to the LORD (in return) for all His benefits toward me? (How can I repay Him for His precious blessings?) I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD. I will pay my vows to the LORD. Yes, in the presence of all His people.   Of course you and I don't like thousands of years ago in ancient Israel, so what do these verses mean for us today? How does this impact our prayer lives?    These verses have encouraged me to be mindful about what I take to the Lord in prayer, what I give to Him…ever done that? A person or situation or your health or finances, you pray and give it to Him, with the total intention of letting Him do His will His way for His glory and purposes, and you get to have the peace of God and can rest easy because you have entrusted the burden of it to the Lord via prayer. But did you ever do that and then snatch it back? Like you're worrying and fretting and trying to find the solution in your own strength. Snatched it right back. I've done that and it can be challenging to keep giving it to the Lord and leaving it with Him, which I suppose is what it really means to trust God with it.    If something comes to mind today as you listen to the podcast, would you give it back to the Lord today? Pray on it and let it go, knowing it's in good hands with Him. He is trustworthy and we really can leave it to Him.    He has blessed you in the past, and He will bless you in the future. He has been good to you and He will be good to you again and again and again. His faithfulness and His love for you know no end and cannot be used up or exhausted. He loves you, He cares for you, and He hears when you pray.    Can I pray over you today?    Lord, today I ask You to do the miraculous on behalf of Your people who need a miracle. I'm seeking Your very best on their behalf. And if they have given something to You in prayer and then found themselves worrying about it again, trying to work out a solution or fix a really difficult problem, would You bless them with Your comfort, and Your peace, and draw them close, reminding them to rest in You and to enjoy peace of mind and peace of heart as You work on the problem on their behalf, because You love them so very much? We love You, Lord, and we are so grateful for the many blessings, too many to count, that You have granted to us. Thank You for hearing our prayers and for the promise that You will continue to hear us when we pray. Make us bold in our praying, give us faith to ask for things that only You can do, and may we continually trust You to do Your will, Your good will, in response to our prayers.  Lord, today would You bring healing and peace and hope into their lives? And Lord, we want to praise You and thank You and rejoice in all that You are and all You have done and all You will do in the days to come.  In Jesus Name I ask this, Amen. Hey, thanks so much for listening today and for the blessing of praying for and with you. I'd be honored to pray for you specifically and you are welcome to email me prayer requests at JanLBurt@outlook.com and I will be praying.

Well hey there, hello to you and welcome to this episode of the podcast. E.M. Bounds On Prayer at Amazon JanLBurt.com to grab free download of God's Promises in Isaiah & be on my email list & receive prayer And just as a quick FYI, my second podcast The Prayer Podcast is being retired in just a few days. Turns out hosting two shows is a lot, and I feel it has hindered my writing and this podcast, to be frank. So I am sunsetting The Prayer Podcast but will share episodes from that show occasionally here on TBNES, sort of bonus episodes. Thanks for the support of all the listeners to TPP, and also, a very special shout out to the slew of recent listeners to both of the podcasts in the country of China. You are on my mind, and I am praying for you. May the Lord's good promises to you prove true in every circumstance and situation, and I truly believe that they will because it is impossible for God to lie, and so all He has promised will come to pass. May you be richly blessed as you walk with Him, and again, thank you so much for listening. I don't take it for granted!   You're listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, part of the Spark Network on the Edifi app. Today's episode is sponsored by the book “E.M. Bounds on Prayer”, a resource that has encouraged and blessed me time and time again, year after year. A link to this book on Amazon is in the show notes, and I do not receive any sort of compensation for linking to Amazon - I share this resource solely based on how it has blessed me. Again, that's E.M. Bounds on Prayer. Now, let's jump into some of God's promises for us. This is episode number 194.   Today I'm going to share several promises from the Psalms with you. If one of these promises is super encouraging to you, maybe you can write it down on a sticky note or make a note on your phone. Seeing the Word of God written out in your own handwriting or popping up via an alarm on your phone can really be encouraging for the long term, and that's a lot better than a one-off kind of encouragement, ya know?   Psalm 10:14 - You, O God, do see trouble and grief. You consider it to take it in hand. (This verse reminds me of the promise God gives to be near, to never leave us or forsake us, and knowing that He is so close to us that He sees our trouble and our grief, that's enormously comforting. Beyond that, though, it says He considers trouble and grief and He takes it in hand. That simply means that He takes control of it. Think of a new person in the role of CEO of a company, and there is a problem area; the CEO takes it in hand, as the boss now, with the aim of correcting or improving the situation, developing it into something better. He takes your trouble and your grief in hand. Believe God is going to do this exact thing!_)   Psalm 10:17 - You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted. You encourage them, and You listen to their cry. (Please don't forget that the Lord hears the desire, the heart cries, of the afflicted. What's afflicting you? Talk to God about it, like really talk to Him, cry out from your heart, tell Him the truth about how this is afflicting you, and then listen for what He might say to encourage you. He promises in this verse to listen to your cry, to hear you, and to encourage you. But if you never talk to Him, if you never take time to be still and know that He is God and listen to Him, you are likely going to miss much of the promise in Psalm 10:17). Also, I have to say, there is a lot of encouragement in the tenth psalm. So maybe add that to your reading sometime soon and simply by faith receive all that's promised in Psalm 10, and you'll find yourself encouraged!    Now let's look at a couple of promises in Psalm 40. Verse 2b, second half of that verse, says - He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.    Yes and amen to this! Anybody else look back at their life before Jesus and remember what it was like to live with your feet on mush? On sinking sand? When we remember what He has already done for us, and give Him praise and honor, we in turn encourage ourselves to believe for what He is going to do for us now and in the future.    And I do want to remind you that the future is not all that far away. Today is a great moment in time to believe and appropriate God's promises and to make the decision to simply believe that what God says, He means. And He means for His children, individually and as a whole. Don't let another day go by without choosing to believe that God will keep His promises, and He will keep them for you.    Psalm 40:4, 5b - Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust. ~ The things You planned for me no one can recount; were I to speak of them, they would be too many to declare. (Want to live a blessed life? Make the Lord your trust. Nothing else, no Jesus plus this or that. Just the Lord. Make Him your trust, and you will be blessed. That's the promise God makes here. May it be true of you, and of me, I'm grabbing hold of this one for myself too, may it be said of you that the things the Lord planned for you are too good, too vast, to count or recount…but do try! Try and recount what He's done for you, you'll never be able to remember or recall everything He's done while on this side of eternity, but give it a try! Thank Him. And know that they are too many to declare. Yeah, Psalm 40 verses four and five? Oh that's a promise. It's a good one.)   Psalm 40:11 -  You do not withhold Your mercy from me, O Lord. May Your love and Your truth always protect me.   This is something of a prayer verse, if you will. Like, I literally prayed this just yesterday. Lord, do not withhold Your mercy from me or from my family or from those I am praying for (speaking of those I pray for, stay tuned at the end of this episode as I share a few words to some people I've been sent prayer requests by). Lord, may Your love and Your truth always protect me. Pray it and believe and expect it. God's mercy will not be withheld from you, His love and His truth will always protect you. That's a wonderful way to pray, maybe on those days when you don't know what to say to God, what to ask Him to do in your life, in your children's lives perhaps, someone has asked you to pray over a situation in their life and you're not sure what to pray, well, keep Psalm 40:11 in mind, in your prayer arsenal. And trust that God will answer this prayer.    And from Psalm 100, verse 5 says: For the Lord is good and His love endures forever. His faithfulness continues through all generations.  Oh this is such good news for all of us who love the Lord. Every disciple of Jesus needs to hear this! I mean that, literally, I really do mean it. For the Lord IS good - right now, present tense. In your life, in your family, in your workplace, in your scary situation. The Lord IS good. And His love endures forever! Forever! That's a word that bears so much weight in this context. His love for you in your current circumstances endures forever. That's fantastic, hopeful news for all of us today! His faithfulness continues through all generations. While we are still here on this earth, while mankind is still here, God's faithfulness is still here, as well. Man what a promise.    Psalm 130:3 is the final verse I'm going to share with you today. It says: If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?  God's word tells us plainly that He remembers our sins no more, they are removed as far as the east is from the west. Once you are in Christ, this is a done deal for you. So says the very Word of God. Not so says Jan Burt. Who cares what I think, what I say? So says the Lord. Somebody may need to know that today, and maybe that somebody is you. No one could stand with God keeping a record of sins, and so don't measure yourself by someone else. Measure yourself rightly, by your own degree of faith as it says in the New Testament, and then believe that for those who know the Lord, your sins are remembered no more. Huge amount of hope and encouragement in these verses from the psalms.   Now I mentioned that I wanted to say a few words to those who have either emailed me with prayer requests, used the text box feature on my website, maybe sent me something via the jotform prayer request that I've shared in several places, or replied to one of the emails I sent out recently. And, yes, I do send emails with a verse and a prayer and I invite people to reply with any needs I can pray about, and I do pray for every request I get. Now I want to say that on my jotform, I had a couple of people request that I follow up with them about their prayer requests and I wasn't able to do that (I didn't get the contact info to be able to follow up, maybe a glitch in that form, and hey I understand that sometimes sites like jotform might drop info that is personal for safety reasons, to prevent spam and the like, and I get that, so no complaints from me about protecting privacy). If any of the listeners to this episode would like to be on my email list and get the verse and prayer emails, which I send a few times a month, the easiest way to do that is to go to Jan L Burt . com and scroll down a bit to where it says God's Promises in Isaiah, enter your email and you'll get an immediate reply email with verses from Isaiah that are promises God makes, and you'll be on the list for the next email I send out with a verse and a prayer and you just hit reply and send me your prayer request, those go to an inbox that I see right away, which is so nice for me to be able to quickly start praying. And that's it, I'll be praying. Jan L. Burt . com and I will be praying.    That's it for this episode, and thanks for listening. Thanks again for all who listened to The Prayer Podcast. As I say goodbye to it, I'm not saying goodbye to praying for you, that's for sure. See you back here next time. Bye bye. 

Hey there! Hello and welcome to this episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show…getting the promises of God into the hearts and minds of the people of God, which is right where they belong. So thankful you're listening to this episode of the show, and hey, today we're looking at a promise directly from the New Testament words of Jesus, and it's a good one. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you may want to just save this episode and plan to share it somewhere, or with somebody, because it's gonna get really real really fast and really bring it today. God's promises are true - let's talk about how they're true for you today.   You're listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, part of the Spark Network, which can be found via the Edifi app. Today's episode is sponsored by the Psalm 91 audio Bible study & prayer sessions, created by the show host (that's me), Jan L. Burt. Access the study at JanLBurt.com/psalm91   Psalm 91 is perhaps the most astounding passage of promises with the most astounding miracles linked to it of maybe the entire Old Testament, and for sure it is one of the most amazing and life-changing passages in the Bible. It's something you should know and pray over yourself and your loved ones, because it holds promises that we find only in this passage, and it is something every believer needs to apply to their life - and that's why I created the Psalm 91 audio Bible study. JanLBurt.com/psalm91 and this is episode number 194.   Alrighty, so let's jump right into this. I'll be reading from the Amplified today, looking at a few verses from the book of Matthew, chapter 11.   Matthew 11:28-30 Amplified Bible 28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light.” That's from Matthew 11, verses 28-30.   We've got a call here, something we need to do, our part is to come to Jesus. Who is it He is calling to come to Him? Those who are weary, those who are heavily burdened, dealing with religious rituals that provide no peace…and hey, there are many things that fall into that category, so don't automatically assume this doesn't apply to you because it really might, and Jesus has freedom for you. Today, He has freedom for you from religious systems and programs and rituals that don't give you the kind of peace that Jesus wants you to have. And when we do as Jesus asks us to, calls us to, and come to Him, He promises (verse 28 says WILL and when He says He will do something, He will!) He will give you rest. The Lord's salvation is restful, is peaceful, for you and for me. We can have been in the Chirstian world for so long that we begin to lose our rest, our peace. That is not what Jesus wants, my friend. From day one of your salvation to day done of your salvation, when He takes you home or when He returns and you are caught up in the air to meet Him, whatever your day done might look like, Jesus wants you to have peace and a refreshed soul, rest like literal rest in every aspect of life, in every sense of the word, on every single day that you walk with Him. This isn't something we share with people when we are talking to them about Jesus, but we no longer have it as part of our daily life. It's meant to be lived, this walk of faith and lived well - lived on Jesus's terms and this verse tells us that His terms are trading our weariness and heavy burdened way of life for rest, peace, and refreshed souls. And while it might sound too good to be true, it's actually 100 percent true. God's promises are what, now? True. Always and in all ways.  He calls us to take His yoke upon ourselves and learn from Him - that literally means to just follow Him as His disciple. I say JUST, but I don't say there's never any struggle to do this. The world, our flesh, social media, old and new friends, our workplaces, even our families and sad to say often our church culture is too worldly, too focused on programs or not being a Christian weirdo, or seeker friendly or all that stuff (a subject for another day, but not biblical, not sustainable, and not discipleship…just sayin'!) All these things and more can make it tricky to keep following Jesus as His disciple. But when we stay yoked to Him and don't pull and tug and fight that yoke, just walk with Him at His pace and His leading doing life His way, well then, that's discipleship and we have His promised peace and rest, and it is just so good. Now if you've been walking with the Lord for a while, can I ask you to pause for a moment (maybe pause this podcast for a second and think on this) and just remember what it was like for you before you responded to Jesus' call when He rescued you and saved you and forgave and turned your life around in a good way. Can you remember what it was like? The stress, the fear, the anger or other emotions, the control you maybe tried to exert on situations and people, the overwhelm, the way your did all those things you didn't want to do, your hard heart, the lack of hope, the lack of joy, the lack of peace, afraid of all the things, uneasy, tossed around by life - do you remember? And if you have not yet made the decision to follow Jesus as His disciple, can I just tell you that right now is a great time to make that decision? It's super simple, there is no required prayer to pray, you can just talk to God and tell Him you're sick of your sin, sick of life like this, and you want what Jesus offers, peace and eternal life and total forgiveness for every single sin, past, present and future, and just ask Him to be Lord of your life, to forgive you of all your sins, and to take up reign on the throne of your heart. Thank Him, and believe it is done, and it is so long as you mean it. It really is that simple. Just talk to the Lord, invite Him into your life, your heart, and thank Him and say Amen, so be it, yes Lord. He doesn't make it hard, because He is a good God and He loves you too much to make it too hard to make Jesus Lord of your life.    So, remembering what it was like before you made Him Lord, your hard knock life, and that's the true reality for everyone who doesn't walk with Jesus as His disciple (not about a program for six weeks at church, about discipleship for all the rest of your days!). And now think about what it's like to have that peace, to take His yoke upon you and learn from Him, knowing He is gentle and humble in heart and that He brings you rest for your soul. Rest for your soul. This isn't just a nap. It's REST for your inner being, for your soul. Soul rests is next level. It's truly supernatural, it is not of this world. It's from the Lord. And it's life changing. You need it. Jesus has it for you. And that's just one smidgen of the promises from this passage alone! Soul rest. His yoke is easy to bear and His burden is light. You are not going to be weighed down and having a come apart when you are His disciple. That's not your life, because it's not His will based on Matthew 11, verse 28 through 30. You do need to believe that this is all true for you, because when we believe, our faith is accredited to us as righteousness, and Jesus often said that it would be done to those who asked something of Him, it would be done to them according to their faith, to their belief. So, believe the very words Jesus spoke, don't do an eye roll and refuse to believe it. Just choose to believe. And it really is a choice. Don't mind your feelings, but make your feelings mind the Word of God.   Now I'm going to sort of add some zest to this episode. It's a unique episode of the podcast, because I'm going to share some things I have never spoken about on this platform. Everything I'm sharing today is true, it actually happened, just as I'm telling it. And I know it's all true because it happened to me. I'm gonna tell ya some things, real life, nitty gritty, stuff. Here goes!   Bizarre and weirded me out experience #1: Now, first off, let me preface these next couple of snippets I'm sharing from my own life by clearly stating that I was not a follower of Jesus at all at this point in time. Not at all. Not one bit. Zero percent interested in God. I was a train wreck. No Bible in our home, didn't go to church on Easter or Christmas, just zero of that in my growing up home or in my life. This event happened when I was a teenager, and I worked as a teen, like many of us, and at this point I was around 18, working for a telemarketing company, more like a call center for customer service stuff than outbound sales calls, but basically telemarketing. I worked second shift, we called it the night shift (only two shifts there, days or nights and I was on nights). I worked in Omaha, Nebraska but lived in Council Bluffs, Iowa, right across the river, actually very normal for the Omaha area, gotta add that piece of info to this true story.  So one afternoon, I went to work as usual, and there was a man at work that I didn't recognize, not that big of a deal, lots of turnover in a place like that, ya know? He sat in front of my and to my left at his cubicle desk area, and on our lunch break he came and sat at the table I sat at with my normal group of work friends, and back then, I was a smoker…actually started smoking probably around age 13, maybe even sneakily smoking at 12, but smoking with my mom's permission at 13 (meaning that at that point, when I was 13, we lived in a small town in Nebraska and she gave her permission to all the local stores that I could buy cigarettes there because she'd given me permission to smoke, and am I Gen X, the child of a Boomer? Uh, yes…) So, I sat at the outside table with the other smokers for my lunch break, and this man sat with us, but he didn't smoke. He was chatty and said something about working a different shift for this one day and wondered if anybody lived across the river in Iowa and might be able to give him a ride back to the Iowa side after work. I wasn't naive, I didn't give rides to men I did not know as an 18-year-old, and you can discern from my being a smoker at age 13 that maybe I was a bit street savvy. So, it was out of the norm for me to say yes to something like this, in fact I cannot think of another time in my life when I gave a ride to a stranger, but everybody seemed like it was okay and of course they knew I lived in Iowa, and they all seemed comfortable with him and I gave him a ride after work. Now for some reason, the whole drive to the place in Iowa where I dropped him off, I was not comfortable smoking. So, after work, a smoker lights up, that's just how it is, one of the key smokes of the entire day, honestly, is the after-work smoke. But I didn't grab my cigarettes. I left them in the side pocket storage area of my baby blue 1988 Chevy Beretta.  On the drive, he was very kind in a way that was super genuine, and he asked questions about my life, started as normal chit chat, but I answered each question and then he'd another one, and some of the questions were really interesting…like he asked about the small town I'd used to live in and what life was like there for me, and I shared things about being a heavy drinker and being in several car accidents where the car was totaled (like, the number of totaled cars I was in over the course of say four years was five, two cars that rolled, one that had a telephone pole fall onto it right where I was sitting, one launched off a dead end at nearly 100 mph, and another accident at around 130 mph that barely stopped before the car hit a large cement culvert). And I kind of chuckled / joked that maybe God was punishing me or maybe even trying to end my life because I was such a terrible person. (Now at this point I had not had a drop of alcohol in around a year and hadn't really been heavily drinking in 15-18 months, so I was not a raging drunk when I gave this man a ride home after work, but I was weirdly comfortable sharing about the mess that my life was in so many ways, including my heavy drinking and horrible car accidents, four of those totaled being my own cars). So, I made a comment to try and lighten the mood but also to acknowledge that I was a really terrible teenager, and said maybe God was punishing me or trying to even end my life due to my awfulness.  This man looked at me, like really looked at me, and told me that God was not trying to kill me, but that the devil, Satan, was, because if Satan could kill me without me knowing Jesus as Lord and Savior, I'd go to hell. Now I knew I deserved hell, and I knew that was where I was headed…I think it was common knowledge to GenX teens to know that, to understand that. So, the mention of hell didn't shock me, but the idea that Satan was trying to kill me was a totally new concept to me.  He went on to say that God had actually protected me from what Satan wanted to do, and that He was not angry at me, punishing me, but that He loved me and was watching out for me, keeping me from death when I should have been dead many times over.  He just told me that God loved me. And then, we arrived at the place he'd told me to drop him off. Of course it was dark, probably at least 11pm or so, and I parked near a long sidewalk that led to the doorway of this building, I still don't know what the place was, it kind looked like maybe an apartment building but not a layout I'd seen before, it had kind of a small town hospital feel to it more than apartments, and it looked like not a place someone would live, and the sidewalk leading to the door was pretty well lit, the doors were glass and the hall inside was super well lit, bright white lighting, think hospital lighting, white walls, white ceiling, white tile floor…and I could see all the way down that hallway. He thanked me for the ride, got out of the car, and shut the car door. I reached for my cigarettes, which were in the door panel pocket to my left, and then glanced back to the right, out the passenger side window, and the dude was gone. I mean gone gone.  This sidewalk was long, and lights were shining on it. There was a barren yard on both side, no trees, no shrubs, just super short grass, and nowhere for him to hide. There was nobody in the hallway inside the building. It startled me. I literally jumped, and looked behind my car, out the driver's side window, the guy was just gone. Once I knew he was not anywhere around, I just drove home.  Went to work the next day and had some questions about what he had said and wanted to make sure he got into his building okay, so I asked my supervisor if he could get a message to that man. My super looked at me like I was nuts. He said no day shift worker had worked the night shift, and when I said, “He worked the whole shift in that cubicle right there, ya know, dark hair, skinny dude, wore faded jeans, brown shoes…that guy, he was right there.” He said nobody had been in that seat the day before, and he had no idea who I was talking about because that didn't describe any of the day workers.  Now I was feeling really weird. So, on the lunch break, I asked my friends. “Remember that guy who sat with us yesterday, he didn't smoke, but he lives in Iowa and needed a ride home, so I gave him a ride? Remember him?” Every single person at the table looked at me like, “Huh?” Nobody remembered this guy. They all said, nobody sat with us yesterday, just us. And a couple of them said they told me bye the night before as I got into my car…they were emphatic that I got into my car alone. Nobody was with me. Okay, I was in weird town, and they were wondering if I was okay, like what was I talking about? So, I just said something like, Oh, well this is weird… and tried to change the subject. Didn't work too well, because they really were curious what was going on and I just never mentioned it again.  But I sure did think about it.  A lot. Not really just because of what he'd said to me about God, but because it was such a weird experience, and nobody remembered him but me and I'm telling you, he was a real guy at my real workplace who rode to Iowa in my real car, and we had a real conversation and then he was just gone.  This really happened to me. And it really happened just as I've told it. And it really stuck, because of the way it happened. This event in my life paved the way for me for what God was going to do in the future, which was to reveal Himself to me (Christ revealed to us, as Paul wrote in the New Testament). It was part of the rock-solid foundation the Lord was building in my life. The verses I read today from Matthew got me thinking about this and got me thinking about all the ways God is working in the lives of people all the time. Remarkable things like this happened often. Have they happened to you? Maybe they're happening to people you're praying for. Don't stop praying! Please! And maybe you can share something God did to get ahold of you, to get your attention, to make a mark on your life, that was how He was drawing you to Himself, so He could save you for time and all eternity, give you new life, freedom, hope, joy, peace, and forgiveness. I personally believe that I had an encounter with some kind of angel in disguise. He told me the truth, and it stuck. And he disappeared from sight in an instant, and that stuck. I don't know that I was entertaining an angel unawares, but I do believe it was an angel, nonetheless. God sent him to my workplace, God made me comfortable enough with him to give him a ride from Nebraska to Iowa, and God set up those circumstances with nobody else remembering this man and him poof vanishing right out of thin air so that I would not forget that moment in my life.  And when the next moment came along for me, when God was doing the miraculous to get hold of me, you'd better believe that this moment was still fresh on my mind.   I'll share Part Two of my salvation story in the next episode, and I hope you'll tune in because it's really a precious part of my life, and I'm honored to be alive to share it with you. And I mean that. Share your story with somebody as the Lord leads, and of course feel free to share this episode if it might encourage others that are in your say social media circle.  Thanks for listening, and I'll see ya back here next time. Bye bye.   

Thanks for listening to this special episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show. Today we're taking a look at Psalm 145 and praying the promises we find there. And fair warning - since this is a special bonus episode, it does cut off at a seemingly random point... but it really isn't random at all. (There was just a smidge of no-longer relevant info that I cut from the tail end of this episode.)  I'm thankful you're listening, and I have been praying that today's verse and today's prayer will be a huge blessing and encouragement for you, right now, in the midst of all that is transpiring in your life, good or bad, ups and downs, no matter what. Let's talk about it. Psalm 145:18 in the NLT says this: The LORD is close to all who call on Him, yes, to all who call on Him in truth.   Free Daily Prayer Tracker  Praying Colossians Chapter One So if you happen to know me from my first podcast, which is all about God's promises, then you've probably heard me mention how God means it when He uses the words will and all in a promise from the Bible. So of course, the word all being used twice in Psalm 145:18 stood out to me. Who is the Lord close to, according to this verse? To all who call on Him in truth. And it's doubly emphasized. He states this twice. We should take Him at His word.   All means all, it cannot mean anything else or less than all.  And so, you can go to Him in prayer, you can call out to Him (in truth, as it says…and that indicates honesty in the inmost parts, which we know from the Bible is what God desires from us, and in the name of Jesus, who is The Way, The Truth and The Life). Call out to the Lord. Tell Him what is on your heart, on your mind, stressing you out or what you are celebrating. Call out to Him about your biggest need. And expect Him to be close to you.   I take this literally. I expect Him to be so near that I know He is near, that He is right here with me. That I am not ever going to be abandoned or forsaken, because my God does all that He has promised to do. And so, yes, I call out to Him in truth. I don't sugar coat my needs or my concerns, and I don't try to be all cleaned up and perfect before I come to Him in prayer.   If my friend is facing something overwhelming and I am praying for them, it is not with a phony, this is not big deal but if You have time God please help my friend out. No, I get in there and pray. I am honest about what is happening in their world, and I seek God's actual, tangible help for them in their time of need.   Little bit harder to do this for myself, if I am honest. But I don't think it should be more difficult, because God clearly is okay with His people calling on Him.    How about you? Are you super good at calling on God when you are facing something, at a point of need? When you are afraid, do you trust in Him fully and call on Him honestly?    This is your birthright, if you will, and God does want you to have the absolute most possible peace and grace in your life right now, and every moment hereafter. There is not any of His peace or His grace or His love that He wants you to set aside and leave for later, or leave for heaven. He has all this for you here and now, but often we leave it on the table and we miss what He wants for us.   As I pray today, would you pray with me and ask the Lord to give you an overflow, an abundance of His blessing? Love and mercy and grace and help and wisdom and healing and all the things you know you need? Would you join me in asking our good and faithful God to hear you as you call out to Him, and to answer in ways that move mountains and reveal how close He is to you - that He is right here in this thing with you, and you are not alone and you are so dearly and even fiercely loved by Him. Father, today I am coming to You in prayer asking that You would hear me according to Your Word, which says that when I call out to You in truth, You will be close to me. And that is exactly what I am praying for today. That as I call out, You would show up, even in a way that seems overwhelming to the ones for whom I am praying. Overwhelm them with Your love today. Give them direct and clear and profound answers to their most pressing needs. And where they are celebrating in some way, and maybe for many of them feel as if they are celebrating alone, feeling a bit isolated perhaps, would you in some way show them that You rejoice with them.   Be honored as we pray and by the way we live our lives in Your presence. You are the friend who sticks closer than a brother, and for that, we praise You. Can I ask, Lord, for You to do it again? Those moments when the one listening has felt so close to You, so much in Your favor, loved so dearly and walking with You moment by moment, blessed and joyful and covered by Your grace and peace…would You do it again, Lord? Right now? Do that today. And I boldly ask that You keep on doing that, day by day, so that they can live in a state of peace of mind and heart that can only come from You.   Move in their lives. Show Your will, Your love, and Your hope to others through them. Provide richly for their needs. And even beyond that, Lord, I am asking for You to give them enough that they can share with others who have needs. Be generous with Your people, and remind us often to in turn be generous with others. Life is a gift, and we want to spend our gifts well for Your glory. Thank You that You are always only a prayer away, in fact You are never far and never forsake those whom You love.    Teach us how to best pray for one another, and teach me how to best pray for those who listen to this podcast. Favor them highly, comfort them in amazing ways, be much with them and may they bear so much fruit. Comfort them, and give them the opportunity to comfort others. May no weapon of the enemy that is formed against them prosper, and may every tongue that rises up against them be condemned, as Your word says, Lord. Do the things that only You can do, and do it in ways that glorify only You. We give no quarter to the enemy, we do not dwell in doubt but rather in faith and in trust, for we know the One to whom we pray.    May we trust You in all things, knowing that not one of Your good promises will ever fail to come to pass. And so, Holy Spirit, I ask You to move and keep on moving in the life of the one listening today. Move and keep moving, because I ask and I keep asking, as Jesus taught in the New Testament. We are choosing to believe You above all else, and we are certain that our hope in You will lead to blessing and favor and glory for Your name, because He who promised is faithful and He will do it.    Bless them, Lord. Draw them ever closer to You. Hear them as they call out to You, and do not be slow in answering their heart cries.    Thank You for the privilege of prayer, for making a way into the Holy of Holies to pray before Your throne of grace. I am eternally grateful and am thankful that You made a way where there was no way. Do it again, Lord. Do it again. In Jesus Name, Amen. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to pray for you. It really is a blessing! And in one of my prior episodes of The Prayer Podcast I shared a free resource with you, and in case you have not gotten it yet, I am sharing it again. It's a link to a Daily Prayer Tracker that you can download and print and use in your daily prayer time. And I am also adding a link to a prayer based on Colossians chapter 1 that you can download and pray. And there will be more things like this coming in future episodes, I will try and rotate through and add things to bless you.

Prayer is a key element of the Christian life. I don't think any of us would argue that. But it is also not the easiest aspect of the Christian life.   Praying Colossians 1 free download   Welcome to this BONUS episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show! In this episode you'll hear an excerpt from The Prayer Podcast as we take a look at Romans 12 verse 1 and learn some things about prayer.   I pray this bonus episode will be encouraging for you. Remember, when you know God's promises and you pray boldly based on those promises, you'll see mountains move in your life and in your heart.   Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any bonus or regular episodes! Prayer can feel risky, can't it? It can feel safer to go to church each week, to follow through with the read the Bible in a year checklist, to go to small group now and then…and to let others do the praying, especially the out-loud praying.   I get it. I'm pretty introverted. Like, I'm guessing about half of the people in the world. It's probably about a 50/50 split of introverts and extroverts. Not all of us enjoy the spotlight, being the focus of all the attention in the room. And some people, the other half of the world's population, do seem to like the limelight. Both of these can be problematic when it comes to prayer.   Does God want showy prayers? Or genuine ones? Look at me kind of praying, or head bowed, seeking the heart of the Lord kind of praying?    Psalm 51, verse 6 says that God desires truth, or honesty, in the inmost being. Honesty from the heart. I have found it very helpful for me to pray that way - honestly, from my heart. And that also makes it so much easier for me to pray in public, even as an introvert. So if you struggle with praying aloud in a group setting, this verse may be encouraging or helpful for you. And it takes the pressure off - what we want when we pray out loud in front of others, and what we think they want when we pray. Focusing on what God wants takes a lot of the zing out of it.   Today we are going to look at a verse from the book of Proverbs, and it is often referred to as a book of wisdom. That's accurate.    And I think this verse I'm going to share with you is going to bless you in regard to your prayer time. And of course, I get the privilege of praying for you today based on this verse.   Proverbs 15:29 - NLT - The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayers of the righteous.    Far from.   We want our prayers to be heard, or why would we spend time praying? And if we spend time praying and want our prayers to be heard, we also want them to be answered.    It's weird to pray and not expect an answer, and that can happen to all of us; sometimes we just pray through our prayer list and don't give a lot of thought to the expectation of God's answer. So, we don't want that to be our default. But if we prayed and never really ever at all expected any sort of answer to any of our prayers, that would be strange.    We expect to be heard and to get an answer. Obtaining an answer is really a huge part of why we pray. There is a need -  we need help, an illness, finances, work troubles, all the things we pray about. We are looking for answers and when we take those things to the Lord in prayer, we are going to the One who has answers, who can help us when we need it.    This verse shows us that a key part of achieving that end goal of answered prayer is not to be far from God. It says He is far from the wicked, but hears the prayers of the righteous. As followers of Jesus, we know that our righteousness is through Him and not of our own good works (“good works” is in air quotes, because none of us is righteous and that's why we need a Savior).    How can we ensure we are not far from God?  Well, let's maintain our spiritual integrity.  Integrity isn't what we do out in public, in front of everyone, on the social media platforms, not even on Sunday morning at church. I mean, we want to be people of integrity in public, since that's where we go to work, where we interact with others, and so yeah, we need to have integrity in public but if our private life is the opposite of our public life, then it's not true integrity. Am I the same in both places? Or do I wear some kind of mask? How's my integrity? How am I doing at this whole person of integrity thing?    So spiritual integrity could be our private life with the Lord, not solely the more public aspect of our Christian life. We want to have integrity all the time, not just some of the time. And if somebody runs into us in a non-church setting, well they shouldn't be totally shocked by who we are and who we aren't.    It goes beyond Sunday morning.    Does my love for Jesus plumb the depths of my heart and soul and life?  Spoiler alert: it should.   I think moral courage comes into play, too.  Think about what it looks like to have moral courage in 2023, which is when I am recording this episode. Moral courage can be viewed wrongly by society as a whole. And that is one reason it can be hard to live out. I mean, we don't want to be unloving, because we know Jesus wants us to love well. But we don't want to be cowards, afraid to let anybody know we follow Jesus.  Moral courage and spiritual integrity. Living for the Lord all the time, that sums it up well.   And why are we focused on those things, again? Because Proverbs 15:29 promises that the righteous will have their prayers heard by God.    This is critical. Too critical to just leave to chance.    I want to pray well. And I want those prayers to obtain answers. I want God's very best, and I will not truly know what that is if I don't know what the Bible says. And so, I read my Bible and I pray to the best of my ability in accordance with the Word of God.   Proverbs 15:29 - The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.   If you don't mind, I'd like to pray for you now.   Lord, thank You for this verse from the wisdom of the Bible. Thank You for showing us clearly that we can be assured You will hear us when we pray. Thank You for the righteousness we have through Your Son, Jesus. You have been so very gracious to us, and we are so very thankful for that grace.    Lord, would you bless each listener with braveness to pray to You about the things that are weighing heavy on their hearts today? Would You give them the exact wisdom that they need in that exact situation. Heal them if they are in need of any sort of healing. Provide for them if they are facing financial lack, or any other kind of lack in their life. You have promised to meet all of our needs, and so I am asking You to do that today. Open doors to bless them, lead them to people who can help them move forward in life. Bless their families and their workplaces and their friendships and the churches they attend.    Take care of them daily, Lord. Emotionally and physically and spiritually, take good and careful care of each one listening today.   May they experience Your love in powerful ways, and may they find all that they have longed for in a close relationship with You. Show up for them. Show off for them. Let them know that they are the apple of Your eye, and You never take Your eyes off of them or stop thinking about them. Thank You for the hope that You offer us for the future, and for eternity.    Bless them in mighty ways today, and may they pray in boldness and receive what they need from You. Answer quickly, Lord. Do not delay - we have needs that are urgent, so I am beseeching You to move quickly.   In Jesus Name - Amen   Thank you for the blessing of praying for and with you, and thank you for listening today.   If this episode has been encouraging, feel free to share it with someone. And I'd also like to ask for reviews or comments, as those will help more people to find the podcast, especially in the new days of a new podcast. It makes a tremendous difference, to say the least. I also have a free resource for you, it is a prayer guide that follows Colossians chapter 1, and you can get that for free at the link here in the show notes. And you can email me at any time with prayer requests at JanLBurt@outlook.com and I will be praying for every request I receive. 

Do you need some hope today? Hope for restoration of things long since lost, devoured, or delayed? Then this episode is for you! Be encouraged, take hope in the Lord, and remember, He who promised is faithful!  The Power of God's Will - 40 Days of God's Promises Devotional available on Amazon   The Lord's Promise of Restoration 18 Then the Lord will pity his people     and jealously guard the honor of his land. 19 The Lord will reply, “Look! I am sending you grain and new wine and olive oil,     enough to satisfy your needs. You will no longer be an object of mockery     among the surrounding nations. 20 I will drive away these armies from the north.     I will send them into the parched wastelands. Those in the front will be driven into the Dead Sea,     and those at the rear into the Mediterranean.[c] The stench of their rotting bodies will rise over the land.” Surely the Lord has done great things! 21     Don't be afraid, O land. Be glad now and rejoice,     for the Lord has done great things. 22 Don't be afraid, you animals of the field,     for the wilderness pastures will soon be green. The trees will again be filled with fruit;     fig trees and grapevines will be loaded down once more. 23 Rejoice, you people of Jerusalem!     Rejoice in the Lord your God! For the rain he sends demonstrates his faithfulness.     Once more the autumn rains will come,     as well as the rains of spring. 24 The threshing floors will again be piled high with grain,     and the presses will overflow with new wine and olive oil. 25 The Lord says, “I will give you back what you lost     to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts.[d]     It was I who sent this great destroying army against you. 26 Once again you will have all the food you want,     and you will praise the Lord your God, who does these miracles for you.     Never again will my people be disgraced. 27 Then you will know that I am among my people Israel,     that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other.     Never again will my people be disgraced. The Lord's Promise of His Spirit 28 [e]“Then, after doing all those things,     I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy.     Your old men will dream dreams,     and your young men will see visions. 29 In those days I will pour out my Spirit     even on servants—men and women alike. 30 And I will cause wonders in the heavens and on the earth—     blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun will become dark,     and the moon will turn blood red     before that great and terrible[f] day of the Lord arrives. 32 But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord     will be saved

Welcome to this BONUS episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show! In this episode you'll hear an excerpt from The Prayer Podcast as we take a look at Romans 12 verse 1 and learn some things about prayer.   I pray this bonus episode will be encouraging for you. Remember, when you know God's promises and you pray boldly based on those promises, you'll see mountains move in your life and in your heart.   Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any bonus or regular episodes! Next time we will take a look at Joel chapter 2 as we continue the series, "Every Book a Promise".  Thanks for listening and as always, you can reach out to me with questions or prayer requests via my website, JanLBurt.com, which has a text / chat bubble that makes it super easy to reach me! 

In this episode, we're taking a look at a portion of Luke chapter 8. This passage challenges us, but it also encourages us to go all-in with Jesus, trusting Him utterly & completely, believing that He is who He says He is and that He does exactly what He has promised to do. This episode sponsored by Heather Creekmore's book Aging Gratefully, available on Amazon. Jesus Calms the Storm 22 One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let's cross to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and started out. 23 As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap. But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in real danger. 24 The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we're going to drown!” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm. 25 Then he asked them, “Where is your faith?” The disciples were terrified and amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!” Thanks for listening to the podcast & I hope it has been encouraging for you!  

Well hey there! Hello to you today! So glad to be able to talk about God's promises today - the freedom to share the truth of God's Word is something I am so very thankful for. And I'm also very thankful for you.    You're listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, part of the Spark Network, playing in the Edifi app. This is episode number 188, and we're taking a look at some promises from the Old Testament Book of Hosea. Let's jump in.    Working our way through the Bible, one book at a time, and finding promises God has made to His people in each book is pretty amazing. It's like a treasure hunt that never stops yielding huge treasure.    Hosea chapter one, verse seven in the New Living Translation says, “But I will show love to the people of Judah. I will free them from their enemies - not with weapons and armies and horses and charioteers, but by My power as the LORD their God.”    God's not promising no struggles or difficulties.  God's not asking His people to live in denial about their hardships and their enemies.  You know, it's passages like this that come to mind when people have said to me that my “religion” is just a crutch to keep me from facing reality. I don't have a religion. I have a Living Savior and I have a daily relationship with Him. And Hosea 1:7, well, this is a verse for the times that are so tough in life, no crutch would do. Any crutch that we try to use, as believers, that is anything outside of leaning fully upon Him and relying on His strength alone, well, any other kind of leaning on a crutch ends up being a flimsy reed that breaks and then stabs us in the hand, ya know? It does not work! The only thing that works is actually putting the entirety of our hope in Him alone.  And this verse is a great reminder of that hope, that truth. There is a great big promise here for us, but only if we choose to believe it!  Are you facing an enemy right now? Can I encourage you to seek the Lord for His favor, asking Him to pour out His love on you, to free you from your enemies, and not with some means that you can figure out on your own, but by His power alone as the Lord your God?  Sure, it's a big, bold prayer to pray and it can feel kind of risky or even presumptuous to pray like this…but when we pray based on what we read in God's word, I don't think that is the same thing as presuming upon the Lord. When we ask for things He freely gives all over the pages of the Bible, I think we asking well.   In chapter three of Hosea, we find a verse that stands as a firm reminder of what will happen in the last days. Verse 5 says, In the last days they will tremble in awe of the Lord and His goodness.  This is going to happen. God says will in this verse, and He actually means will.  I think it would be very wise for us to acknowledge that this is going to happen, that everyone will tremble in awe of Him and His goodness. I'd like to start trembling in awe of Him and His goodness right now, and not wait for the time when everyone can't help but stand in awe. I'd like to honor Him in my awe of Him, if that makes sense. And I'd like to do that today.    Hosea 14-8-9 says: “O Israel, stay away from idols! I am the One who answers your prayers and cares for you. I am like a tree that is always green, all your fruit comes from Me. Let those who are wise understand these things. Let those with discernment listen carefully. The paths of the LORD are true and right, and righteous people live by walking in them. But in those paths sinners stumble and fall.   We see a lot in these two verses. First, God wants His people to stay away from idols. Sure, it says Israel, but we can know for certain that Christians also need to stay away from idols. And an idol is anything that pulls at our hearts and gets us focused on something other than God. Yes, lots of bad bad things are idols. And also, lots of things that aren't inherently good or bad in and of themselves are also idols. Food can be an idol. Our appearance can be an idol. Our followers on social media, stats, can be an idol. Our children can become what we idolize most in this life. Possessions, big and small..our health, our athleticism, our intellect, our job title, our list of achievements, our degrees, who we rub shoulders with, our address, where we vacation…the list goes on and on.  Idol worship is what God says we are to stay away from. Stay away from idols. This doesn't sound like a request. It sounds like God is serious, and states this very plainly. We have no excuse for our idols. And we all deal with this issue, so we may as well be honest with the Lord about it and seek His help with whatever or whomever the idols are in our own hearts and lives.  God is the One who answers our prayers and cares for us. So why are we to stay away from idols? Because we get ensnared, drawn into the trap of thinking these things will deliver something that we are seeking. Security, status, any number of things. But they can't deliver. They aren't gods at all, they're not real like the One True God is, and we need to continually check our hearts to see if we are making some desire, something we want to see fulfilled, into a form of idol. This is a personal heart check, not a fix your spouse or your sibling or your child, but personal.  Idols keep us from living like the One who answers our prayers and cares for us is the One who answers our prayers and cares for us. They rob His glory, and they rob from us as His children. We get stressed out, we worry and fret, we moan and groan and complain. All while God is the One taking care of us, never forgetting us since He has engraved us on the very palms of His hands. He is the only One capable of answering our prayers. We pray to Him and in the next breath we try to find another option, a solution for the things we just prayed about. Idol worship does this to us, dimming our eyes of faith and darkening our hearts of trust. It's a way of dethroning God in our lives. Stay away from idols, regularly ask the Holy Spirit to show you idols that are in your heart, repent, turn away from those things, and keep on renewing your daily and constant trust in the Lord.  Remember, He cares for you you and He answers your prayers. He says that He is like a tree that is always green. Never barren or brown. Always green, and all our fruit comes from Him. Something good in your life? Something fruitful? Then it comes from Him. Period. He doesn't give any other options here, because there are no other options. Is it good and fruitful and full of life and joy? Then it comes from God.  Let those who are wise understand these things. Let those with discernment listen carefully.   Let's pray for discernment to be able to listen carefully when God speaks, and let's ask Him to give us wisdom and understanding. We need to be wise, discerning, and understanding in this season of our world. Let's ask God to give us what we need! The paths of the LORD are true and right, and righteous people live by walking in them. But in those paths sinners stumble and fall. Ah, well here we have the hard truth.  We can evaluate our own lives based on this text, and we can notice other people's lives and apply wisdom and discernment.   Think of it this way - if Biblical truth and wisdom cause people to balk, to get stiff necked and angry, argumentative, overly frustrated, rebellious…if God's word is causing that reaction, they are likely stumbling and falling in the paths of the Lord. Not throwing stones by saying that - just stating what God's Word says. You can and should pray for people who react that way. But you don't want to do daily life hand in hand with them. Remember what Psalm 1 says  about walking with the wrong people…first we are walking with them, then we stop walking and are standing with them, like conversing with them in a more focused manner, listening to them intently…and then, next thing you know, we're sitting with them, doing life with them, in agreement with them. Can two walk together unless they agree? No, they cannot. Same for sitting and standing. We don't want to walk, stand, sit with those who become angry, agitated, argumentative, irritated by God's wisdom in His Word. Because, as God says in Hosea, they will stumble and fall. And we are meant to live, not fall, not stumble, but live in the paths of the Lord, which are true and right, live by walking in them. You can't walk on bad paths and on God's paths at the same time. And those who stumble and fall on God's paths are not ones you can do life with, they can't keep walking with you because they will absolutely stumble and fall. So if you are walking with those who you know don't really adhere to or accept God's word, think about that and pray about it. You may need to check yourself and make sure you are on the Lord's paths, the ones that are true and right, and live there.    If that seems like a harsh message, it actually isn't. I promise. It's just an honest one based on Hosea in the Old Testament. We want to have the hope come to fruition for us, what's promised here in the 14th chapter. And we will, so long as we heed God's words to us and don't stick our heads in the sand and live in denial.   God has good for you, my friend. Answered prayers and blessings untold and uncountable. Good things, and good fruit. Grab hold of all of it with great gusto, in total faith, being unwilling to walk anywhere other than in his paths of peace and righteousness! 

Praying Psalm 91 course Philippians 1:6 Amplified Bible 6 I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return]. Philippians 3:20 Amplified Bible 20 But [we are different, because] our citizenship is in heaven. And from there we eagerly await [the coming of] the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 2 Peter 3 Amplified Bible The Coming Day of the Lord 3 First of all, know [without any doubt] that mockers will come in the last days with their mocking, following after their own human desires 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming [what has become of it]? For ever since the fathers fell asleep [in death], all things have continued [exactly] as they did from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they willingly forget [the fact] that the heavens existed long ago by the word of God, and the earth was formed [a]out of water and by water, 6 through which the world at that time was destroyed by being flooded with water. 7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly people. 8 Nevertheless, do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day. 9 The Lord does not delay [as though He were unable to act] and is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is [extraordinarily] patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. A New Heaven and Earth 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will vanish with a [mighty and thunderous] roar, and the [material] elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and the works that are on it will be [b]burned up. 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be [in the meantime] in holy behavior [that is, in a pattern of daily life that sets you apart as a believer] and in godliness [displaying profound reverence toward our awesome God], 12 [while you earnestly] look for and await the coming of the day of God. For on this day the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the [material] elements will melt with intense heat! 13 But in accordance with His promise we expectantly await new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. 14 So, beloved, since you are looking forward to these things, be diligent and make every effort to be found by Him [at His return] spotless and blameless, in peace [that is, inwardly calm with a sense of spiritual well-being and confidence, having lived a life of obedience to Him]. 15 And consider the patience of our Lord [His delay in judging and avenging wrongs] as salvation [that is, allowing time for more to be saved]; just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given to him [by God], 16 speaking about these things as he does in all of his letters. In which there are some things that are difficult to understand, which the untaught and unstable [who have fallen into error] twist and misinterpret, just as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17 Therefore, [let me warn you] beloved, knowing these things beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of [c]unprincipled men [who distort doctrine] and fall from your own steadfastness [of mind, knowledge, truth, and faith], 18 but grow [spiritually mature] in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory (honor, majesty, splendor), both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. Hebrews 4:16 Amplified Bible 16 Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God's gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].  

Well hey there! Hello to you today and welcome to this episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show. God's promises are to be believed. We can rely on them, leaning the full weight of our concerns upon them, because they come from our God who is unchanging in His keeping of His word. Today I have some verses to share that will encourage you to fully believe all of God's promises. Kerry Beck's Homeschool Summit - Free Ticket Available Here Psalm 91 Course from Jan L. Burt available here You're listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, part of the Spark Network, playing in the Edifi app. This episode is sponsored by Kerry Beck and her summit for homeschool families - Homeschool Superheros. For information about the summit or for a free ticket, click the link in the show notes. This is episode number 186.   Let's look at a handful of verses today that are going to perhaps challenge us in our belief, or lack of belief, as it comes to God's promises, and they will also spur us on to even great belief. You know, we don't trust in just any old book, or in mere words, but in God's very word, penned by men at the leading of the Holy Spirit. This is good news for us, because we don't rely on something vague, artificial, or temporary (in fact Jesus said that the earth and all that is in it will pass away, but His words will never pass away). We are in a good place, in our sweet spot, when we fully believe God's promises and apply them to our lives.   One way to apply God's promises to our life is to take a particular promise and pray that promise about an exact situation or problem or relationship or issue we are facing. When we do that, we are literally applying the promises of God to our life and we can expect to see God's movement in those parts of our lives.   1 Samuel 22 verses 2 and 3 say this  The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; You save me from violence.   What has God promised to be for you in these verses? Let me recap: your rock, your fortress, your deliverer, your God, the one in whom you need to take refuge, your shield, the horn of your salvation, your stronghold and your refuge, your savior. He promises to save you from violence. The definition of violence is this: physical force to injure or abuse, damage or destroy - intense, turbulent, or furious and often destructive action or force - vehement feeling or expression-a clashing or jarring quality   This is what God is promising to save you from. Violence isn't just a punch to the face or a pile drive to the face. Violence can be, and often is, much more than a physical blow. Believe that He is going to keep this promise to you. Won't He do it?  Psalm 28:8 a - The LORD is the strength of His people   Psalm 46:1 - God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.   Psalm 34:8 - Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!   Psalm 91:1-2 - He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”   Let me read to you words in red, words Jesus spoke, and let me remind you somewhat sternly that these words are meant for you to know only hear, but to believe, and to make your very own. Take them personally. These words, they are personal if you will believe that they are for you, personally.   John 8, verses 31 and 32 and then skipping down to verse 38 say: If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free…So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.   Are you truly free today? Free because the Son has set you free? If not, do you want this freedom? And for God's promises, all of them, every single one, to be true for you? It's actually quite simple and quite hard, all wrapped up together, this gift of salvation Jesus offers. It demands allegiance to Him alone as your one true King, and it comes with a repentant heart, actually repenting to the Lord for your sins, and receiving the total forgiveness Jesus won for us on the cross. And then the followers of Jesus must actually follow Him on the narrow road that constitutes our life from this point forward. Simple and hard all at the same time, but the right decision for you and for me, to be sure.   Be sure to share this episode if it has been helpful to you, and thanks so much for listening to the podcast. God bless you, see you next time. Bye bye. 

Well, hey there, hello to ya and welcome to episode number 185 of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, getting the promises of God into the people of God so that we can live in a state of belief, knowing and trusting that all God's promises prove true.   Today we are taking a look at Psalm 145, from the New Living Translation. I'm the Prayer Coordinator for Kerry Beck's Homeschool Summit in late July - click for details about the free ticket option & share this with your friends who homeschool!  Let's start by reading verses 3 and 4, since they give us a solid foundation to start with. Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure His greatness. Let each generation tell its children of Your mighty acts; let them proclaim Your power.   Our God is great, He truly is. And He acts in greatness, doing great things and moving in great ways. He is most worthy of praise - literally, the most worthy of our praise and our time and our focus and our hearts. No one can measure His greatness. That is indeed a true statement. God's greatness cannot be measured. Are we telling the next generation about God's mighty acts? I mean, you could say this podcast has that express purpose, since I'm Generation X and many podcast listeners are from younger generations. When we pass along what we know about our God, talk about His mighty acts, what He has done in our lives, what we know about Him, and what the Bible says, then we make way for the next generation to proclaim His power.   Let's jump down to verses 8-9. The LORD is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. The LORD is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all His creation.   Here we find some promises, and these promises bring me hope and peace right now, in the place I'm living out my life. Let me speak these promises over you and your life today. The Lord is merciful and compassionate to you, He is slow to get angry with you, and He is filled with unfailing love for you. The Lord is good to everyone - and that includes you! He showers compassion on you.  Your promises today are right here: God is merciful and compassionate to you, He is slow to get angry with you, He is filled with unfailing love for you, He is good to you, He showers, not sprinkles, but showers compassion on you.   Verse 13 says this: For Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. The LORD always keeps His promises; He is gracious in all He does.   His kingdom is everlasting - so no matter what you feel like you are up against in this life, doesn't it put things into perspective to remember that God's kingdom is everlasting and all the drama, stress, darkness, evil, nonsense, junk in this life is very, very temporary. And knowing that our God rules always, throughout every and all generations, that is big comfort for us. He has not and will never abdicate His throne or His rule. Yes, there is one who rules this world, the prince of the power of the air, satan, that old devil, but his rule is truly miniscule as compared to the eternal rule of our God. For those who don't know Jesus as their Lord, who are not living as disciples of Jesus, both knowing what He said and obeying what He said - John 14:15 and 1 John 2:3 are the Bible verses I'm referencing when I say that -  this is not their promise. They are at the mercy of the evil one, and this life is the best it will ever be for them, because eternity without Jesus is actually hell, contrary to what a lot of people seem to choose to believe to their own detriment. He rules in this generation right now, and if He is your God, you love Him, you know Him, you serve Him, you obey Him, Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life for you, well, then these promises are your promises and you ought to believe them.   It says God always keeps His promises.  Is there any room in that sentence for you to say, “Well, He doesn't always keep His promises…” without being basically on the verge of blasphemy? I'm pretty serious about this. What is it, when we say or think or believe things like that, in direct contradiction and opposition to the very word of God, the Bible, what is it if it isn't calling God a liar, basically? Now I know you don't think that's what you're doing, but nevertheless, that is what you're saying. And He is not a liar, the devil is the liar and as Jesus said, the truth is not in him. Let's not attribute to God what belongs only to Satan. I am pretty serious when I say that any implication that God is not who He says He is and has repeatedly down through the ages proven He is, any implication is bordering on blasphemy.  Could it be that satan the liar tries to convince us to think that God is lying to us, holding on us? He isn't. Even when we cannot begin to understand what is going on, God is still never lying to us and satan is still always, only lying to us. Jesus said lying is satan's native tongue (see John 8:44). He's not going to tell you the truth, my friend. Not ever. He speaks his native language, so says Jesus, and what Jesus said, those words in red on the pages of the New Testament, that's what I choose to believe. The Lord always keeps His promises, Psalm 145:13 tells us, and He is gracious in all He does. And that is simply the unadulterated truth. We need to hang on to this truth, the promise that God always keeps His promises. In good times, in bad times, we need to hang on to this!    Let's end this episode with verse 18, because I think it will be encouraging for you today. The Lord is close to all who call on Him, yes, to all who call on Him in truth.   Want to be closer to the Lord? Call on Him. Spend time in prayer. And really, at this stage of the game, at this moment in time, can you think of a better use of your time than to spend it praying? Isn't it just like our God to tell us that the way to be closer to Him is to call out to Him? He is telling us that He wants to be close to us.    I'm going to leave you with that today, and hey, maybe read Psalm 145 sometime soon, because it will certainly encourage you.   Also, I wanted to let you know a couple of things. Soon there will be some extra or bonus episodes of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, because it's a lot to host two podcasts and I have some writing I need to be working on, namely finishing the Bible study I'm working on titled Biblical Motherhood - Encouragement from God's Word. So I am going to drop episodes of The Prayer Podcast as bonus content for this show and will likely phase out The Prayer Podcast sometime soon-ish. And I'm so blessed to be the prayer coordinator for an upcoming online event, a homeschool conference, so I'm going to put the link to that, which has a free ticket option as well as paid tickets that come with a bit more than the free ticket of course, but I'll put that link in the show notes and even if you don't homeschool, if you know any homeschoolers, would you pass the info that link on to them? It's a great event and the fact that the host has a prayer room for the attendees and makes prayer for those who join her conference a priority, that's not the norm at summits and conferences, and I have spoken at a number of them, so I speak from experience. Share that info with those who might be blessed and encouraged by it, and I'm so honored to be part of this event as a speaker but mainly as the prayer coordinator. And I have a new product launching for homeschoolers super soon…it's all ready to go, but there is some kind of nutty glitch with my email that is associated with my website and it isn't sending out emails properly so when someone purchases Homeschool Planning Made Simple, they may not get an email about their purchase. If you have purchased it and did not get a follow up email, would you let me know? Reach me anytime at JanLBurt@outlook.com and I will get back to you as quickly as possible. Thanks for listening today, and remember, the Lord always keeps his promises to you, my friend. See you next time. Bye bye. 

Hey there! Welcome to episode number 187 of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show. Today we are discussing some promises from the book of Daniel. Now, Daniel is a complex book, in my opinion. True story of exile and the greatest king to ever rule, visions of the future and of the end times, dramatic answers to prayers, miracles, just wow from start to finish, that's the book of Daniel in a nutshell. A documentation of God working over the entire course of a man's life. And a bold reminder of what a life lived all-in with the Lord can look like, and the mark it can make for the good of others and the glory of God.  Praying Psalm 91 Audio Course A 60-Day Prayer Journal for Parents   Let's start by reading Daniel 2:21 from the Amplified.  It says: It is He who changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and (greater) knowledge to those who have understanding! Verse 22: It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him.    These two verses give sort of an overview of the entire book, and they stand as a bold reminder to us that God really is in control. Of all of it, whatever that “it” might be in your own life and the greater “it” in the world at large.   In those things in your family that are head scratchers, and in those things on the other side of the world that are gut wrenchers.    God has not abdicated His throne. Daniel is a book that proves this to be true in so many ways. Just think about the prophetic role this book of the Bible has played down through the centuries, and how it has proven true again and again. Think of Alexander the Great, think of the Roman empire…those have proved true per the book of Daniel. Think of the things Daniel was shown in a vision, that were to do with the last days, and which distressed him so much that he was physically ill after receiving this information … when is the last time you had an experience with the Lord that left you so unwell that you could not get out of bed for days, for weeks even? I'm guessing the answer is never. And I'm not sure that, per Acts chapter 2, that we might not be missing something in the modern church as a whole, and as individual disciples of Jesus.    We're seeing things happening in the western church, meaning the American church to be exact, that should make us realize we've put too much on men in the pulpit…to much focus, too much value, too much loyalty, too much power, too much expectation, too much “let that go…it doesn't mean what it seems like it means…” and too little accountability, too little first century church way of living (not way of going to church or being part of churchianity, but of living because it was their whole way of life, not just 90 minutes a week). Pastors are stepping down, resigning, and not because they repented for their sins, but because they got caught. Come at me, bro, if you want to, but I'm not incorrect on this. It is the issue of the day within the church culture in America, and so it is worth talking about and viewing through the lens of the Bible, not the lens of churches being run like a business, but through the very Word of God. What's God's standard for those who shepherd His flock? What's God's definition of repentance? It's not “old sin” that “wasn't a crime”, and it's not a 12-year-old child being described as a “young lady”, or to blame the girl who was A CHILD…this nonsense is so far out in left field, and the fact that people within the church are saying these things and thinking they're right in the Lord's sight for their opinion? Oh my… oh my, we have all but lost any semblance of a fear of the Lord. And so, as we see these things taking place, if we believe that the book of Daniel proves that God is totally in control, then we have to believe that this is the time for uncovering what's been hidden, for bringing things into the light, and for knowing that the words Peter penned, when he said that judgment begins with the house of the Lord, that being His church, well, it's happening right now. We must stop calling God's judgment on His house an attack orchestrated by Satan. That kind of thinking means you're either far too accustomed to automatically defending people rather than letting God be God, or it means you have not opened your Bible and read it well enough to know what it says about things like this. Gotta be in the Word in these dark days, my friends. If you aren't, you are going to be duped and tricked and deceived and manipulated and confused and on the struggle bus unable to pull the cord to get off at the right stop, just stuck on the struggle bus riding along and riding along with no God-given destination on your route.    God is in control today, and He is doing a cleaning out, cleaning up, bring into the light work in the church. And why wouldn't He? When Jesus returns, it is to be for a pure, spotless bride. Does that describe the church in America to you? Watching the garbage we watch on our streaming accounts, making excuses for sexual immorality, neglecting to lead our children in the ways of the Lord, hardly praying ever except when we need or want something, leaving our Bibles to collect dust on the end table and somehow thinking reading the verse of the day is daily Bible study…but huh, does that sound like the kind of studying that enables you to pass the final in college and get your degree? One verse a day? If we were quizzed on the series we binged versus passages of the Bible, how would we do? Pass one, fail the other? If you and I don't know what God says about all the things, how can we possibly make a right judgment about serious situations in the world or in the church? Do we need to get serious about the Lord? Or is this all just fire insurance? Where are we at? What are we doing? When will we stop playing pat-a-cake with the world when the Bible says not to love the world nor the things in or of the world?    We cannot experience a life even remotely like Daniel's with our lukewarm version of Christianity. Do you practice Christianity or churchianity? Food for thought. Digest that. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, as Paul said. Not enough time left in this life for us to mess around with the truly important things.    So if I haven't lost you yet, haven't offended you or ticked you off or something of that nature, by daring to be as bold as I've been on this episode, let's look at some other portions of the book of Daniel.    Remember the story of Daniel's three friends and the fiery furnace? They refused to bow down and worship the golden statue of Nebuchadnezzar and they were thrown into a lit furnace that had been heated seven times hotter than usual. And they walked out of that furnace without a single burnt hair - they did not even smell like smoke. Daniel chapter 3 tells this true story, and you likely already know this true story but I'd encourage you to read it again. It's miraculous! But the miracle didn't come from lukewarm faith, from trying to find a way to keep the peace with this particular regime and ruler, or from compromise. They expected to be thrown into the fire and burned alive. They also expected God to preserve them. Which He did, but they were willing to go all the way to death rather than even hint at dishonoring the Lord.    Do we live like that? Even remotely? Is our fear of God such that we can say, “Toss me in, burn me alive, do whatever you gonna do but I'm not bowing down to whatever it is society or government or whatever says I have to bow down to cuz if I don't I am gonna pay. Well, lemme pay, then! Hand me my bill, let's get this thing paid already, and then I'll need receipts cuz I am determined to stand before the Lord fearing only Him, and Him alone. So, that's that.” Once the fear of anyone or anything other than God is settled in us, those hard decisions are no longer hard because the decisions have already been made when we chose to fear God and nobody and nothing else.    Are you afraid of health problems? Don't be! It's not so bad, even the worst of it, in comparison to eternity in a perfect body with perfect health! And if health stuff has made you step further away from Jesus, can I encourage you to get honest about why that is the case? Jesus never promised us an easy life, but in some ways, the modern western church did, and that simply is not biblical. If people let you down, and boy oh boy can they ever let you down, did that move you closer to the Lord who loves you so much that He laid down His very life for you, or move you away from Him? Can you be brutally honest about why these kinds of hardships have moved us away from Him? And can we ponder Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego being tied and bound and chucked straight into the flames rather than bow down to a gold statue and dishonor the Lord, can we ponder why we don't have that kind of loyalty to the Lord? Hard questions because they force us to be honest and not sugar coat things. Important questions that we need to ask ourselves. This isn't for you to go ask your spouse. This is about you and your fear of God, or lack thereof.    We can read about Daniel in the lion's den and we can read about Daniel and the writing on the wall (the saying oft used, “the writing's on the wall” comes from Daniel chapter 5, and once God says this is it, times up, it's done, the goose is cooked, well, that's how it's going to be. Daniel 5-22 - And you, his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart even though you knew all this.” What truth from the Word of God do you and I know but have still refused to humble our heart? Do we really understand that we do not get a pass for refusing the humble ourselves and obey what God has said? I don't know that we do. But Daniel, he did. And he lived a life filled with miracles, depending on God alone, through kings and kingdoms, from young man to old man, and that is truly a life well-lived.    When we read Daniel 7 through 12, we find things that are incredible regarding the last days, and to think that one man, Daniel, was given such great revelations, is incredible. Do we take all of his life and all of the book of Daniel seriously, or just the parts that deal with end times and prophecies? I think we need to take all of it as crucial in this day and age, because when we read about a man like Daniel, his life and all he faced and the way he honored and trusted God fully, it gives us great hope and courage to advance day by day, walking with Jesus, depending on His Spirit, honoring the Father, knowing that one day soon our faith will be made sight. You and I are not living at this moment in time by accident or happenstance, any more than Daniel was in his day. God chooses the places we live and the times we live in. Do you know that's true for you? Because it is. As it says in the book of Esther, perhaps you were born for such a time as this. No accidents, not for you, not for any of us, in terms of living in this current age. What will you do with what you've been given? Will you hide, tuck tail and run, ignore the writing on the wall, or will you square up, go all in with Jesus, and allow nothing but the fear of the Lord to strike fear in you? In chapter 9 we read Daniel's prayer for his people. It's powerful. The way he prays, the way he is so in line with the holiness of God and the unholiness of mankind, of his people, well, we don't have enough of that today. And it shows. Verse 3 says: So I directed my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. I can't speak for you, but I don't pray like this and in light of the state of the world and the state of this land I live in, the moral rot that has even gone so far as to trickle in, seep in, and permeate Jesus' church, well, I need to get to praying the way that Daniel did. I'm going to close out this episode by reading a few more verses from Daniel's prayer in chapter 9, as a reminder that God hears and answers prayer, and not just asking for what we want or need (although that is part of a healthy prayer life - if you never talk to God about things that are personal and near to your heart, that's not healthy at all and is not part of the close personal relationship God desires to have with you). God does hear when we pray, and He does provide answers, and as we read in Daniel chapter 9, repentance is not a bad thing. The promise for us here is that we can be bold and fear God and not man or circumstances, and live a life full of God keeping all sorts of promises to us. And I don't mean this is a works based salvation, that's simply not what we find in the New Testament. But fear of man is a snare, and even in the early church, God did things that were miraculous when fear of God trumped all other fears. It's all throughout the book of Acts, as just one place with many examples of this. Pray boldly today, expecting God to hear and answer, to do things in response to your praying, and make fear of the Lord and not of man a priority for your own personal life. We may not have lives like Daniel's life, but we can expect to live lives that stand out, to look like a people who trust our God and see miracles happen in our day. Let's be about going all in with the Lord, similar to the way Daniel was all-in.   Daniel 9:5-6: we have sinned and committed wrong, and have behaved wickedly and have rebelled, turning away from Your commandments and ordinances. Further, we have not listened to and heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. Verse 9: To the Lord our God belong mercy and loving kindness and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him. Verse 13: Yet we have not wholeheartedly begged for forgiveness and sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our wickedness and praying attention to and placing value in Your truth. Verse 14b: for the LORD our God is uncompromisingly righteous and openly just in all His works which He does - He keeps His word; and we have not obeyed His voice. Verse 17-19: Now therefore, our God, listen to (heed) the prayer of Your servant (Daniel) and his supplications, and for Your own sake let Your face shine on Your desolate sanctuary. O my God, incline Your ear and hear, open Your eyes and look at our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we are not presenting our supplications before YOu because of our own merits and righteousness, but because of YOur great mercy and compassion. O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! Do not delay, for Your own sake, O my God, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.    And how did God respond to this prayer? Verses 22-26 tell us what the angel Gabriel said to Daniel when he appeared to him. He instructed me and he talked with me and said, “O Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and wisdom and understanding. At the beginning of your supplications, the command (to give you an answer) was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly regarded and greatly beloved. Therefore consider the message and begin to understand the (meaning of the) vision.”    How's that for an answer to prayer? It's something truly spectacular.    Hold on to the hope of an eternity with Jesus that is perfect through and through. Spend time with Him in prayer, sharing your heart and listening for His reply and receiving His love and comfort and His direction and wisdom. And stay in your Bibles, keep them open, read them and study them and believe what God has to say over and above what anyone else has to say. These can feel like perilous days, as we see things happening in the pulpits that shock us. But God has to clean His house first before He can do any other cleaning up of our society, and have we not prayed that He would do a work in our lost world? Be willing to be part of the pure and spotless bride Jesus is soon returning for, and don't give in to fear of man…not any man, but fear the Lord and serve Him only.    I'll see ya back here next time. (and if you'd like more Bible teaching like this, please check out the Psalm 91 audio course via the link in the show notes - for more on prayer, there is a link to A 60-Day Prayer Journal for Parents via Amazon). Feel free to share this episode with a friend! Thanks so much for listening! Bye bye.

Well hello and welcome to the podcast, thanks for listening. This week, just as warmer temps get closer to the 100 degree mark here in Kansas, we're looking at a portion of the Bible that can bring some intensity and a tremendous reminder that every single thing God has promised always, absolutely, comes to pass.   You're listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show Podcast, part of the Spark Network, and you can listen via the Edifi app for this podcast and many others with Biblical content. Today's episode is sponsored by Growth Roots, the makers of my favorite linen covered journals themed with the Christian in mind. Learn more at GrowthRootsCo.com or follow them on Instagram @growthrootsco.  This is episode number 183. The Pour Over news source   We're moving along in our look at promises in every one of the 66 books of the Bible, and we are in the Old Testament book of Ezekial for this episode. It's a hefty book, and so there were several promises and passages for me to choose from when I was preparing for this episode. I landed on chapter 36 because it is so fitting for the current moment in which we are living.    I'm going to be reading from the NLT today, chapter 36, starting in verse 8:   8 “But the mountains of Israel will produce heavy crops of fruit for my people—for they will be coming home again soon! 9 See, I care about you, and I will pay attention to you. Your ground will be plowed and your crops planted. 10 I will greatly increase the population of Israel, and the ruined cities will be rebuilt and filled with people. 11 I will increase not only the people, but also your animals. O mountains of Israel, I will bring people to live on you once again. I will make you even more prosperous than you were before. Then you will know that I am the Lord..   So Israel was a nation, think back to the promises God made to Abraham and his descendants, then Moses leading the people out of Egypt in the Exodus and then Joshua taking the lead as the people of Israel moved forward literally into that land that was promised to them. Move forward through the Bible and you see times of exile, destruction of Jerusalem, and eventually Israel was no longer the nation that it once was. For a long time, and the history is extensive of all that happened over the centuries, but Israel was not a nation for quite some time. And then in May of 1948, 76 years ago, they became a nation again. It's an amazing thing to study how exactly that came about, but it really did happen just as God said it would when He asked the question, “Can a nation be born in a day?” You can find that verse in Isaiah 66.   Literally, the nation of Israel was born in a day. And so, very uniquely, when they celebrated their 76th birthday last month, they were actually celebrating it for the second time, because they'd been a nation before. God keeps all of His promises, and for this era we are currently in, I mean world wide, it behooves us to remember that God has made specific promises to Israel, to the people He chose to be His own possession, and when we read the news through the lens of God's Word, we get the proper perspective.    And we truly do need the right perspective, or how can we endure all the things that we don't fully understand? If we're honest, there's a lot that feels confusing and overwhelming. Standing on the solid rock of Jesus and the Word of God give us sure footing, hinds feet for high places, that we need. The Bible speaks into our circumstances today, right now, and that is comforting and it also reminds us, we need to be students of the Bible.    Verse 8 says the mountains of Israel will produce heavy crops, verse 10 says God will greatly increase the population of Israel and the ruined cities will be rebuilt and filled with people. Verse 11 says animals will increase, too, and that the nation will be more prosperous than it was before.    Israel has a population of around 9.8 million people. 36 Israelis are on the Forbes list of billionaires, with a b, for 2024. As far as millionaires go, Israel has about 131000 of them. Wheat, sorghum, corn, avocados, citrus, kiwi, guava, mangos, grapes, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, zucchine, melons, bananas, dates, apples, pears, cherries, wine, cotton, cows, milk, silver carp, grass carp, gray mullet, St Peter's fish, rock bass, silver perch, Asian seabass, sea bream, trout, salmon, pomelo (a fruit they created), olives, figs, plums, strawberries, prickly pear, persimmon, pomegranates, almonds, around 90 million in annual flower exports, especially waxflower and roses, but also lilies and tulips, and I could go on.    Lest you think that this is not a big deal, that it's just their GDP and hard work and not God keeping this specific promise that He made here in Ezekial, well, in the 1920s and 1930s, the land that is now Israel was a wasteland, basically a desert where not even cacti would grow, and it was malarial…which is interesting, isn't it? A desert that gives you malaria? It was so bad, seemingly useless and place to go to lose your health, that only God could revive it and make it what it is now. He made promises, and He kept them with exacting precision.   So, let's bring this home to roost for you, in your life. The same God that keeps all His promises to Israel is the God who is right now in the business of keeping every one of His promises to you.   Not to beat a dead horse here, but I have this podcast for the express purpose of reminding Christians that all of God's promises are true, and He won't forget about those promises, nor fail to bring them to pass. Now if you don't believe them, you end up in the camp of the people Jesus encountered who did not believe He could do much, they had no faith, and among them He could do only a few miracles. So we can land there, we can end up not receiving what God wants us to have, solely because of our unbelief, our lack of faith. But God isn't shoddy in His workmanship. He doesn't make a promise with the intention of breaking it. He makes it so He can keep it, and He delights in our faith, our trust, our total belief and expectation that His promises to us will absolutely come to pass.    How's your faith today? What would you say is a fair and accurate description of what you are believing God to do for you, for your loved ones? And does that line up with hard times and the lowering of expectations and the dimming of hope that we often give way to when life is rough…or does it line up with the truth of God's Word? Only one of those is worthy of guiding or directing our faith. Which one is ruling the day in your life, right now?    God's Word is going to prove true, 100 percent. Why not make the choice, by faith and in faith, to believe God for all His promises and be on the right side of history? One day all of this will be history, and we can choose today which side of history we'll end up on. May as well be the right side, the winning team, am I right? Like, God's going to win the whole ball game, so let's get on His side and let's live expecting to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living even now. Grow your faith, maybe focus on that more than growing your bank account or your resume or closing the rings on your watch each day or whatever your big focus is.    My prayer for you today is that you will have such solid faith in the God who makes amazing promises that you'll live each day, starting with this day right now, as if He has already kept them, just like Israel is living in those promises from Ezekiel 36. He'll never fail in the keeping of His promises, not even a single one. Let's never fail in believing Him and living in a state of chronic belief and expectation, knowing that our hope in Him will never disappoint us.   I'll see you back here next time. Bye bye.

Have a prayer request? You can share it here & I will be praying!  Psalm 91 Course Access  Well hey there, hello to you today. Welcome to this episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, getting the promises of God into the people of God. When we know what God has promised us and we live like all those promises are true, our lives change. Now I mean that literally! God's Word is life-changing. And that's awfully good news for us!   You're listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show podcast, part of the Spark Network, playing via the Edifi app, which you can find in your app store. Today's episode is brought to you by my very own Psalm 91 - Pray It and Believe Course, all twelve sessions with lifetime access and the bonus content for $35. The link is right here in the show notes! I'd love to have you join me in the course - because the promises of Psalm 91 are for you (which is why I created the course in the first place). And this is episode number 182.    Last time we looked at the book of Jeremiah, and today we will look at the book of Lamentations, which was also written by Jeremiah. And yes, it's a book of lament, which means it isn't all happy, happy, happy, but is a serious book of the Bible. Written by a man who lived a serious life. Jeremiah was not living on easy street! He had a unique calling and it wasn't happy-go-lucky. And you know what? We find a lot of comfort in Jeremiah's words, in how his life played out, when our own lives take a turn that is uncomfortable, when something truly terrible hits us right between the eyes. We live on every word that comes from God, to be sure - that's Biblical and that's what Jesus said to Satan when he was tempting the Lord in the desert. And every word of His, what we read in our Bibles, is most comforting to us when we are at our lowest. I'm guessing that you've found that to be true. It's most comforting when we most need to be comforted. And that is why the book of Lamentations, being an actual lament, holds out so much hope to us. It's here when we truly need it, and we truly need it when the going gets tough, not when everything is coming up roses.    So let's take a look at a promise from Lamentations and let's either apply it right now to the hard thing we're facing in life, or store it up, hide it in our heart, so we can easily grab hold of this promise when we need it (so if you're not dealing with something difficult right this very moment, you can keep this in mind for when you're facing something tough…and it may be something good to have on hand to share and encourage and bring comfort to someone you know in real life, or via social media, who is dealing with something difficult right now).     From the Amplified Bible, I'll read Lamentations chapter 3, verses 57 and 58, and then I will move backward a bit in this chapter and read verses 24 and 25. But first, let me read verse 37, because it kind of jumped off the page at me - it just stood out to me as I was reading over this chapter and I want to share it so that it can be an encouragement for somebody today. It says this: “Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, unless the Lord has authorized and commanded it?” (Now this may not seem like a verse that is relevant to this episode, but hang with me for a moment. This verse, Lamentations 3:37, is such a wonderful reminder that God is always completely in control. Please don't forget that, my friend!)    Lam. 3:57-58: You drew near on the day I called to You, You said, “Do not fear.” O Lord, You have pleaded my soul's cause (You have guided my way and protected me).    Lam. 3:24-25: “The LORD is my portion and my inheritance,” says my soul; “Therefore I have hope in Him and wait expectantly for Him.” The LORD is good to those who wait (confidently) for Him, to those who seek Him (on the authority of God's word).    These four verses contain promises God gives His people from the book of Lamentations.  When you are in that terrible place in life, even if things are going well with your health, your finances, your job, your marriage, your friendships, and so on…but you are still struggling and feel a heaviness internally. Maybe one area is amiss, and it feels like you are drawing because of it. Even if it is just one part of life that's not so good, even if (and that's a big if, because most people I know are dealing with more than just one tough thing right now), but even if it's just one area, one thing, just one…I have to ask this question: what are you doing about it? Are you worrying? Are you trying to find a way to handle it, to buck up, to get thicker skin? To deal with things in a healthier manner? To sugar coat it? Are you fretting, giving in to fear, losing sleep, going gray, mind wandering as you kick this thing around, trying to find a solution? Asking others to pray for you? Doing all the things…but what are you DOING about it? Remember the first verse I read, the reminder that God really is in total control? These verses go together, in a way. Verse 57 says that when Jeremiah called to God, the Lord responded with these words: “Do not fear.”  It says God drew near on the day Jeremiah called to Him. So, whatcha doin? Are you calling to Him? What's the one thing we really need, and likely want, to hear from God when something has gone so far south that we couldn't locate North on a map with a compass glued to our nose. Call to Him. I do believe He wants to draw near and speak, “Do not fear.” to your heart. Verse 58, where it says God pleaded Jeremiah's soul's case…you know, Jesus secured our freedom and forgiveness and our eternity at Calvary, and He did indeed plead my soul's case, and yours, too. He has guided our way and protected us, and we have no evidence to think He will stop doing so for us, for all our days. He is good, is He not?   Does your soul say that the Lord is your portion and your inheritance? Say it to yourself - preach this to yourself if you need to be reminded! What's your portion? Not your bank account, your retirement plan, not your mid life crisis car, not your dress size, not even what your labs and bloodwork show, not your address, not your salary, your title, your name, your alma mater, your GPA, your vaca destination, carats on your ring finger, how many people know your name, if you are saluted or do the saluting, how many letters come after your last name, your merits, your accomplishments, the stories you tell to impress others…need I go on? I could, you and I both know this is real life, what we do and how we measure one another and how we give ourselves a pass or fail when we evaluate our own lives… But that's not your portion! Let alone your inheritance! The Lord is both! The Lord is your portion, and if you have Him, you have the best thing, as Jesus said to Martha when Mary was sitting at His feet being taught by Him, the best thing and it will not be taken from you. Your inheritance is not safe on this earth, in this life. With Him, your inheritance is safe. He is the only safe place there is! And yes, I do know what C.S. Lewis wrote in The Chronicles of Narnia, and I do know it is quoted by pastors and Christians on the regular…and I also know it's not true, that line about Aslan being good, but not being safe. Ha! What??? Man, if that's what floats your boat and forms your theology, get and auger and drill a bunch of holes in your boat and sink it and get your theology in line with the Bible, because my life was very unsafe before Jesus pulled me out of the pit, and the only safe place I have ever found in this world is with Him. Ain't nobody, C.S. Lewis included, gonna tell me convincingly that my God isn't safe. He is my refuge - He is my fortress - He is my deliverer - He is my salvation - He is my peace - He is my hope - He is the Way, the Truth and the Life for me. And He is indeed safe.   When the Lord is our portion and our inheritance, we truly can say along with Jeremiah that we have hope in Him and wait expectantly for Him. Hope in Jesus is never misplaced! And He is always worth the wait!    The last portion of verse 25 says The LORD is good to those who wait (confidently) for Him, to those who seek Him (on the authority of God's word). Man, that's rich, isn't it? I mean that seriously. This is gold, this is rich!  Can you wait not anxiously, gnawing on your thumbnail and holding your breath…but confidently? Knowing your God is going to show up. He's got this, He's got you. Nothing, not one hair on your head, is misplaced or overlooked. He is always in absolute control of the situation. What situation? Your situation!    Wait confidently for Him. Be one of those who seeks Him, and seek Him on the authority of His word. What does the Bible promise? Believe God for that exact thing. What does God's Word tell you about who God is, His character, His ways, His faithfulness, His mighty deeds, His unending love and astounding mercies? Seek Him based on those truths. And you, my friend, will not be left abandoned but will be, like Jeremiah, guided and protected.   That's it for this episode, and I'll put the link to the Psalm 91 course here in the show notes and I'll see you back here next time. Feel free to subscribe to the show and get new episodes as they release. Hang on to these promises and remember, they're not just for everyone else…if you know Jesus, these promises are for you, right now, this very moment in time. Bye bye. 

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 How can I pray for you?   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. 

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 

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. 

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. Episode mentioned for reference - Episode 38 - Isaiah 40:31 & Psalm 103:5 (A Molting Season...) | The Burt (Not Ernie) Show (podbean.com) 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!

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.

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. Alexandra Bowman Photography 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 A Branch from David's Line   1 Out of the stump of David's family will grow a shoot— yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. 2 And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 He will delight in obeying the Lord. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay. 4 He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. The earth will shake at the force of his word, and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked. 5 He will wear righteousness like a belt and truth like an undergarment.   6 In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all. 7 The cow will graze near the bear. The cub and the calf will lie down together. The lion will eat hay like a cow. 8 The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra. Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without harm. 9 Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for as the waters fill the sea, so the earth will be filled with people who know the Lord.   10 In that day the heir to David's throne will be a banner of salvation to all the world. The nations will rally to him, and the land where he lives will be a glorious place. 11 In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to bring back the remnant of his people— those who remain in Assyria and northern Egypt; in southern Egypt, Ethiopia, and Elam; in Babylonia, Hamath, and all the distant coastlands. 12 He will raise a flag among the nations and assemble the exiles of Israel. He will gather the scattered people of Judah from the ends of the earth.   13 Then at last the jealousy between Israel and Judah will end. They will not be rivals anymore. 14 They will join forces to swoop down on Philistia to the west. Together they will attack and plunder the nations to the east. They will occupy the lands of Edom and Moab, and Ammon will obey them. 15T he Lord will make a dry path through the gulf of the Red Sea. He will wave his hand over the Euphrates River, sending a mighty wind to divide it into seven streams so it can easily be crossed on foot. 16 He will make a highway for the remnant of his people, the remnant coming from Assyria, just as he did for Israel long ago when they returned from Egypt.   I'll see you next time! Bye bye!

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 

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. 

  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) Psalm 91 Audio Course  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.

2024 Prayer Planner from Shannon Roberts   Praying Psalm 91 Course   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. 

Well hey there, hello to you and welcome to 2024. Gonna be a big year for the Kingdom of our God, and I'm so thankful for all He is going to do. Choosing to praise Him even in the midst of things that are not super fun, anybody else want to join me in that? Let's just thank Him in advance, fully trusting in His unending love and immeasurable faithfulness toward His people. God is so good, and I am so grateful!    You're listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, which can be found via the Edifi app as well as other places you listen to podcasts. A special shout out to those who listen via iHeart Radio - I pray you are blessed abundantly and experience the Lord's love and favor in the greatest possible measure. This is episode number 171.   It's time for the show to get back to our series, Every Book A Promise, where we have been focusing on going through the entire Bible, one book at a time, and honing in on promises God makes us in each and every book. It's been a great series so far and I'm excited to get back into it. Today we're looking at a book that is pretty well known, and that is an interesting portion of the Bible. Like many other books in the Old Testament, it takes place during a time of exile in the history of God's chosen people, the Israelites.  What a great encouragement for us when we face difficult times - and if we are honest, which I will be right now, we do face times when we feel like we are in an exile of some sort. Rejection. Serious health issues, or financial issues. Loneliness. Relationships that fall apart. Transitions that are difficult, like a big move, even for a good reason like a promotion of a post college career opportunity, it can feel like an exile in many ways. Take parenting. They say that for 18 years you see your child pretty much daily. And then, after they leave home, over the duration of your lifetime, you will see your child in total for about one more year. That's very real, and people can be kind of mocking about the empty nest but this is the truth, so of course it is an adjustment. Of course it feels like an exile in some ways. How could it not? For those who make jokes about not being able to wait until they can kick their kids out and change the locks, well, that's just strange to me and also, when you say that out loud it reminds me of that line from The Help when Miss Leofolt says about her toddler Mae Mobley, “She's always hungry.” and everyone laughs…everyone but Skeeter, who replies, “You know she can hear you, Elizabeth.” That's what comes to mind for me when I hear parents speaking like that with their kids in earshot…You do know they can hear you, right? And that they don't feel loved, seen, protected, watched over, valuable, important…you do realize that words have consequences, right? That God means it when He says that the power of life and death is in the tongue…that means words count for a whole lot more than we like to believe they do.  So when you are in some kind of exile type situation, the Bible, all throughout the Old Testament, holds hope out to you. In bucketfulls, not in teaspoons, not in milliliters. Bushels full of hope. All you have to do is simply receive it. Some of the greatest passages of the Bible were written during times of exile. Some of the brightest beacons of hope were penned during the darkest days of the nation of Israel. And as it tells us in the New Testament, it was all written for our edification, for us to know and understand who God truly is, how He works in the lives of people, and so that we would have ample reason to hold onto Him, the One who not only authors our faith, but also authors all true hope.  And that is where we find ourselves for this episode of TBNES. Right in the middle of the book of Esther, in chapter 6, we can find hope that will, if we choose to allow it to, bring us out of any pit we're in and fill us to overflowing that our God is right now working in the details, on so many different levels, and has not fled the scene.    Let's read from the New Living Translation today, starting at verse 1.    That night the king had trouble sleeping, so he ordered an attendant to bring the book of the history of his reign so it could be read to him. In those records he discovered an account of how Mordecai had exposed the plot of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the eunuchs who guarded the door to the king's private quarters. They had plotted to assassinate King Xerxes. “What reward or recognition did we ever give Mordecai for this?” the king asked. His attendants replied, “Nothing has been done for him.” “Who is that in the outer court?” the king inquired. As it happened, Haman had just arrived in the outer court of the palace to ask the king to impale Mordecai on the pole he had prepared. So the attendants replied to the king, “Haman is out in the court.” “Bring him in,” the king ordered. So Haman came in, and the king said, “What should I do to honor a man who truly pleases me?” Haman thought to himself, “Whom should the king wish to honor more than me?” So he replied, “If the king wishes to honor someone, he should bring out one of the king's own royal robes, as well as a horse that the king himself has ridden - one with a royal emblem on its head. Let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king's most noble officials. And let him see that the man whom the king wishes to honor is dressed in the king's robes and led through the city square on the king's horse. Have the official shout as they go, ‘This is what the king does for someone he wants to honor!'” “Excellent!” the king said to Haman. “Quick! Take the robes and my horse, and do just as you have said for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the gate of the palace. Leave out nothing you have suggested!” So Haman took the robes and put them on Mordecai, placed him on the king's own horse, and led him through the city square, shouting, “This is what the king does for someone he wishes to honor!” Afterward Mordecai returned to the palace gate, but Haman hurried home dejected and completely humiliated. When Haman told his wife, Zeresh, and all his friends what had happened, his wise advisers and his wife said, “Since Mordecai - this man who has humiliated you - is of Jewish birth, you will never succeed in your plans against him. It will be fatal to continue opposing him.” While they were still talking, the king's eunuchs arrived and quickly took Haman to the banquet Esther had prepared.  Esther chapter 6, verses 1 through 14, from the NLT. You probably know the backstory, but Mordecai served the king during the exile, and he was Jewish. Haman hated him and that hate led to a plan to exterminate all the Jews from Xerxes kingdom. And that was what Mordecai knew until the moment Haman showed up with the king's horse and the king's robes to lead him around the city square declaring that he was being honored by the king. Mordecai could not see how God was working behind the scenes, he did not know that the king could not sleep and so the record of his own history was read to him by his servants (hmmm, might be a bit narcissistic, and this is another great reminder for us that even in exile, under a tyrant who was powerful beyond compare and dangerous, even under a raging narcissist who only focuses on himself - even in that mixed up mess, God can bring a stark reminder of the good you've done, the right things you've done, and God can make a way for you to get your due). All that God did behind the scenes reminds us of how gracious He is, that He is in the details, we often say the devil is in the details, and he is a mimic and so sure he is, but even the devil is God's devil, as Luther said, and so we can trust and even expect God to do things behind the scenes that we will have no way of knowing He is doing. Can you remember that next time it feels dark and heavy and all hope seems lost? Will you remember how God took Mordecai's enemy, Haman, and made him to be the one to give Mordecai the king's reward and honor? All because Xerxes couldn't sleep and was reminded of a great thing Mordecai had done for him in the past. He did not go looking for info about who had spared him from an assassination attempt. He was reading about his own life, his own self, might have been all puffed up about his own greatness, but then he sees that his life was spared by one who was never honored, never thanked. Aha - here is how our God works! And Haman went home humiliated - yes indeed, I bet he was.  Even his wife and his friends could see the writing on the wall, that his evil plot against Mordecai would come to nothing. It will be fatal if you continue opposing him. Sometimes when you won't bow to someone, bow down to them, kiss the ring in some way, they grow in hate. God sees this. God works behind the scenes, in all the little details like sleeplessness, and He brings out of it just what He chooses.    Isn't this good news? Isn't this really just the promise of hope, the promise that God sees? He is El Roi (ROI), the God who sees.  And the God who sees you, who is working behind the scenes in the things you cannot see, is trustworthy. He is true to His character and His promises. And this hope we find in the book of Esther is a promise to us that our God will not set us aside, leave us at the mercy of those who hate us, or fail to make note of when we have done the right thing, even when we are in a season of exile.   That's a pretty solid promise to stand on as we begin this new year, isn't it? Let's get excited about the hope we have because our God sees, and is working in all the details that involve us.  Happy New Year & I hope you have a truly hopeful rest of your day! See ya next time!

Well hey there! Welcome back to the podcast, and I hope you had a truly blessed Christmas. Celebrating the birth of Jesus, of God with us, and pondering what that has meant for you personally. How has your life changed because of what Jesus has done for you? The little pause between Christmas and a new year is a time to reflect on this and to thank God for as many things as come to mind when you consider what your life and what your eternity would be without Jesus.  Support The Burt (Not Ernie) Show  Join the Prayer Group to Pray Through the Psalms with Jan Free 2024 Word of the Year Printable  Quick bit of info and then we'll jump into this special new year's episode. If you are like me, you often have a word for the year, and looking back at the end of December, it's really something to see what the Lord did. Now I have had years when I did not have a word for the year, it just wasn't something the Holy Spirit laid on my heart and I just did not have one. Many years, though, I do get a sense of a word that the Lord wants me to be aware of, in a way, and to see Him do things in my life that glorify Him, mature and sanctify me. The word isn't magical - it's just a way that I sit up and pay attention and take note of things He does. I often write down Bible verses that have to do with whatever word God has given me, and I like to write out praises and thanksgiving in my daily Bible study journal thanking Him for things throughout the year. I have a little printable download that is all about the 2024 word of the year, and it is yours by clicking the link in the show notes. Also, I wanted to share that I have been dealing with some “new” issues with my health, you might know I was diagnosed with heart failure in 2016 and I have been dealing with thyroid problems for a couple of decades now, and so this health problem cropped up recently and you know, my team at the Cleveland Clinic has told me many times that quality of life management is sort of the overall goal of my health care, and this is just another layer to that. It just is what it is, and God is so good, so gracious to me, I am not at all questioning the Lord and do not want to be whiny or complaining about any of this. Sharing this is more to let you know, if you are used to seeing me around and I'm sort of missing in action, this is why. And there are some other things going on that have to do with other aspects of life for my hubby and I, and this is the season of different things, I suppose, so that's what's going on. Not gonna share more than that on a platform like this, I have adults kids and a husband and it can get weird for them if I overshare so I'll leave it at that. But I am mostly at home, and still able to podcast and am also hoping to start sending an email weekly with links to the new podcast episodes for both shows and I have bandwidth to create some free items to share with my email list, so if you'd like to get those, if you grab the 2024 Word of the Year free item I created for you all, then you'll be added and will start getting emails with podcast links starting in the new year.    Thank you for listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, which can be found via the Edifi app, as well as all the places you find podcasts. This is episode number 170.   Psalm 103. Written by David. An astounding passage from the Bible that can transform the way we pray, the way we see the Lord at work in our circumstances, and the way we view ourselves. For those reasons and so many more, Psalm 103 is the focus for the final episode of the podcast for 2023, and I am treating it as a blessing for each one of you, no matter when you find yourself listening to this episode.    I'll be reading from the NLT today.    Psalm 103 A psalm of David. 1  Let all that I am praise the Lord;     with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. 2  Let all that I am praise the Lord;     may I never forget the good things he does for me. 3  He forgives all my sins     and heals all my diseases. 4  He redeems me from death     and crowns me with love and tender mercies. 5  He fills my life with good things.     My youth is renewed like the eagle's! 6  The Lord gives righteousness     and justice to all who are treated unfairly. 7  He revealed his character to Moses     and his deeds to the people of Israel. 8  The Lord is compassionate and merciful,     slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. 9  He will not constantly accuse us,     nor remain angry forever. 10  He does not punish us for all our sins;     he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. 11  For his unfailing love toward those who fear him     is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. 12  He has removed our sins as far from us     as the east is from the west. 13  The Lord is like a father to his children,     tender and compassionate to those who fear him. 14  For he knows how weak we are;     he remembers we are only dust. 15  Our days on earth are like grass;     like wildflowers, we bloom and die. 16  The wind blows, and we are gone—     as though we had never been here. 17  But the love of the Lord remains forever     with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children's children 18      of those who are faithful to his covenant,     of those who obey his commandments! 19  The Lord has made the heavens his throne;     from there he rules over everything. 20  Praise the Lord, you angels,     you mighty ones who carry out his plans,     listening for each of his commands. 21  Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels     who serve him and do his will! 22  Praise the Lord, everything he has created,     everything in all his kingdom. Let all that I am praise the Lord. What if we ended 2023 and rolled right on into 2024 doing this exact thing: letting all that we are, every bit of ourselves, praise the Lord? Wouldn't that be a powerful way to exit the old and walk into the new?    Let. it's a key word in this psalm. Let. It implies that we have a choice, we have a big say in the matter. Let all that I am, not some or part or most, but all that I am praise the Lord. No part of your life, your thoughts, your heart's desires and your broken places, are left out here. All of you, all of me, is to be about this praising of the Lord. With my whole heart, I will praise His holy name. I've decided to praise Him and my whole heart is going to do just that. This is a decision. It is not a feeling and it is not fickle and it is not to be determined by circumstances, health issues, bank accounts, married or single, young or old. The decision is made and then we praise Him with the whole of our heart, not keeping some of our heart back just in case things don't work out well for us, just in case we need to run and hide and wallow in self pity or have some excuse for bailing on Jesus (who, btw, never bailed on us…all the way to the Cross, the grave, and then out of that grave, He never bailed on you or on me).    May we never forget the good things He does for us. Never. What a way to end this year and start the next one, deciding that we never want to forget the good things He does for us!    Let's list some of those good things now: Forgives all our sins Heals all our diseases Redeems us from death Crowns us with love and tender mercies Fills our lives with good things Renews our youth like the eagles Gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly.   That's just the tip of the iceberg! Think of what we have in Christ Jesus! The treasure never ends for those of us who are in His Kingdom, members of His family. We are so blessed, we are super-blessed!   He is compassionate and merciful, slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, abounding in it. Does anybody need to be reminded of that truth today? Has it been brutal in some part of your life, and this is the reminder you need? Let it fall afresh on you today, and carry this truth, these promises, with you into the new year. Don't set it down, set it aside, drop it on the curb. Hold on to these words from Psalm 103! Let them be your oxygen, and let them anchor you to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith.    He does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. What a comfort these words are! Living in a post-Christian society, and that's what we are here in America, words of hope like this mean so very much. We deserve, as a whole, a lot of punishment. Wickedness and hate of God run rampant. And yet, He is merciful. Now, does that mean we can be grace abusers and there will never be punishment, consequences, for what goes on in our land? Nope. He is God, and we cannot begin to fathom His holiness. Let us stay close to Him, keep short accounts with Him (that means repent often, repent quickly, and repent for real - stop doing those things you repent of)! He is not a chump, but holy and righteous and just. And yet, this is what He promises us in His Word. Is He not good? Is He not kind? What a God we serve!   His unfailing love is toward those who fear Him. He removed our sins as far as the east is from the west. He is a tender and compassionate Father to His children who fear Him. He knows how weak we are. Our days on earth fly by. He never forgets this!   His love remains forever with those who fear Him. His salvation extends to the children's children of those who are faithful to His covenant. How's that for a promise that has more hope, more power, more depth to it than we can even begin to plumb!    He rules over everything, it says in verse 19. No part of your life is out from under His rule. He is Sovereign, and those who fear Him remember His sovereignty.    Praise the Lord, everything He has created, everything in all His kingdom. Let all that I am praise the Lord. Those are the final words of Psalm 103. May this be your blessing for the coming days and weeks and 2024. Maybe you'll have a break this week when you can sit and read Psalm 103 for yourself, thanking God for the promises He makes and of course keeps, and trusting Him for the hard things in your life and the things you sense coming in the new year. He is trustworthy above all others, in ways that we can never fully understand. So trust Him to keep His promises to you in the coming days. Won't He do it?   Let me mention one thing here at the end of the show, I have a friend who is a fellow podcaster and he does some fundraising for his podcast, and he is also a pastor so in full time ministry plus podcasting, and he has been totally honest about the costs incurred in running a podcast and he has shared that this has been a blessing for others as well as himself, to take the cost burden sort of off his shoulders and out of the family budget and others get to share in the podcast ministry, which is a global ministry for him and that's also true for The Burt (Not Ernie) Show. If you'd like to be part of offsetting the cost of my two podcasts, I'd be so thankful. It does, at a bare minimum, cost several hundred dollars per show per year. And you are welcome to touch base with me about what exactly the cost breakdown is and I'll share that with anyone at anytime. I'll add the link to my Buy Me A Coffee in the show notes, because to add a donate button via the podcast platform I use would be another $700 per year for two shoes…so, I went with Buy Me A Coffee. All donations will go toward the show production costs, none will buy me any coffee! Thanks for listening and for helping move the hope of God's promises to countries all over the world. Every download moves the show up in the search ranks and helps push it out to more people when they search for new podcasts to listen to, and you did that. Thank you! This podcast gained 75% of it's new listeners last year, so growth is happening every time you download an episode and listen to it. Every single person who subscribes to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show is helping push it out to more potential listeners. The part you play in this cannot be overstated, and the end of the year is the time I want to take to tell you that I am more thankful for you than I will ever be able to express in mere words. Lord bless you a hundred times over in return!   And I'd like to close out the show, and the year, with these words, the very last words from the book of Revelation. This is my blessing spoken over you, and I am so very grateful for you.   Revelation 22:20-21, NLT He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's holy people.    May you be blessed as you leave 2023 and doubly blessed as you enter 2024. The blessing of the Lord makes one rich and He adds no sorrow to it.   And next time on the show, we'll be back in our series, Every Book A Promise, where we are going through every single book of the Bible, all 66 of them, and grabbing hold of God's promises to us in each and every book. Looking forward to that (and on The Prayer Podcast we will resume our series on praying through the book of James). Oh, one last thing, in my prayer group on Facebook we will be going through all of the Psalms and praying them starting in January, and if you'd like to join that group, please click on that link and you'll be in the group (also it is a private group in order to keep prayer requests confidential, so no need to worry about sharing prayer requests in that group for worry they'll be able to be seen outside the group).  Have a blessed start to your 2024, and thank you for being part of the podcast. Bye bye!

Mary's song. The Magnificat.    Luke chapter 1, verses 46-55 have this beautiful text known as The Magnificat, Mary's song. How did this young teenage virgin respond after the visitation of an angel with the once-in-history news that she would birth the Messiah?  This is how.   (from the Amplified, Luke 1:46-55) And Mary said, “My soul magnifies and exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has looked (with loving care) on the humble state of His maidservant; for behold, from now on all generations will count me blessed and happy and favored by God! For He who is mighty has done great things for me; and holy is His name (to be worshiped in His purity, majesty, and glory). And His mercy is upon generation after generation toward those who (stand in great awe of God and) fear Him. He has done mighty deeds with His (powerful) arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and exalted those who were humble. He has filled the hungry with good things; and sent the rich away empty-handed. He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, just as He promised to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”   This is profound! A heart long readied to serve the Lord God Almighty responds in this manner. A hard heart, and immature heart, and self-focused heart, a bitter heart, a clouded heart cannot.  Mary was ready for the task which lie ahead for her, because God had readied her.   This Christmas, can you pause and ask the Lord to show you what He has readied you for? The answer won't be nothing, because the God we love and serve is always moving, working in and on our hearts, readying us and maturing us and sanctifying us. Take some time to slow down and listen for what He would say to you.   He has not stopped looking on us with loving care. Have we stopped rejoicing in God our Savior?   He who is mighty is still doing great things for His people. Do we revere His name as holy, to be worshiped in His purity, majesty and glory?   He is still helping those who serve Him, and is of course still helping Israel. Have we forgotten what He has remembered - which is His mercy?   Do we know what He has promised in the way that Mary knew what He had promised to Abraham and his descendants? If we forget, or simply know not, what He has promised…aren't we likely to miss it when He keeps those promises?   And keep them He will.    Mary's song encourages me every time I read it.  It is beautiful because her simple and complete faith and trust are laid bare for all of us to see. May our faith and our trust be as solid and immovable as hers. And as a quick aside, I know a pastor who does not like the wisemen all huddled up next to the baby Jesus in the nativity sets we place on our mantles…why doesn't he like that? Because it is not true to the Biblical narrative, that's why! I'll let you read the first couple of chapters of Luke and see for yourself. This pastor, he's not wrong! I have a similar pet peeve, if you will…I so much want to buy a sweatshirt that says, “Mary knew.” on it. Not because I haven't been touched in years past by the song “Mary Did You Know?” but because based on Mary's life as seen in the Gospels, I think she did know quite a lot…I think we can read The Magnificat and understand that not much got past her in terms of understanding who her Son was. She treasured all these things up in her heart, we read in our Bibles. And treasure is not something one forgets, tosses aside, or suddenly becomes ignorant about. Oh, Mary knew so very much. And what she did as a result of what she knew as her life took a turn that forever altered things for all of history is a challenge to us all this Christmas - what do we know, and how does that knowing change the direction of our life and hopefully the lives of others?    Merry Christmas to you, and as always, thank you so very much for listening to the show. I pray it blesses and emboldens you as you live for Jesus in a world that needs His light.  See you next time!  

Hello there, welcome to this episode of the podcast, I'm your host Jan L. Burt, and I am tremendously thankful you're listening. In this episode, we'll be looking at the book of Nehemiah, which holds so much hope, in the midst of genuine opposition, and the wonderful truth that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Let's jump into this chapter. God's Best for My Life Devotional You're listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, part of the Spark Network, found on the Edifi app. Today's show is sponsored by the devotional God's Best For My Life, by Lloyd John Ogilvie, available via Moody Church Media. The link to purchase your copy is in the show notes, and if you need a new devotional for the upcoming new year, or maybe a Christmas gift, this devotional is worth reading. It is powerful in that it is life-changing and based solidly on the Bible. It's on my list to give this year, because it's a game changer. This is episode number 168. Nehemiah chapter 4, verses 1 through 3 and today I'm reading from the CSB, from my Spurgeon study Bible.  When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious. He mocked the Jews before his colleagues and the powerful men of Samaria, and said, “What are these pathetic Jews doing? Can they restore it by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they ever finish it? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?” Then Tobia the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “Indeed, even if a fox climbed up what they are building, he would break down their stone wall.”   The header for this chapter is titled, Progress In Spite Of Opposition. Anybody feel like they are up against some opposition? Trying to make progress - maybe in your finances and the economy is fighting you. In your health and man, it's so hard, this time of year, to make changes or find time to get to the gym, or to cut out your favorite craft coffee…we were in Florida over Thanksgiving and we had some good coffee while we were there, at a place we really love, and it would not have been easy to give up good coffee right before heading down south on that trip. What about trying to make progress for God's glory, doing Kingdom work, maybe in your family, doing family devotions, Christmas and nightly advent devotions seemed like a great idea but some of those kids, they are in opposition to this idea and it's hard. Trying to keep the neighborhood outreach going, but nobody else is really helping out and it's just so hard…Okay, you get the picture. We all have times of opposition. But are we making progress in spite of it? Now, not everything that WE decide to work on is something God is going to bless, because sometimes we're selfish, sometimes we know He wants us to go over here but those people are difficult and so lemme just go on this a way and start doing this other thing, and God won't You just bless it same as You would if I'd done what You said? There are times we are doing good-ish stuff but it isn't God-ish stuff, He didn't ask us to do this, He said to do that. Or we never even asked Him, we just jumped in, started this new thing, it's way more than we bargained for and we don't feel like He's giving us much favor. Gotta talk to Your Father about these things, my friends. And you also have to do what He says, and ideally do it quickly because obedience matters so much. I've got something I am going to do this week, and it's a busy week, getting busier and busier by the second, but it's gonna get done cuz He said to do it. By the start of next week, I'll have it done. Because that's the timeline He's given me and I'm going to obey. I want His blessing, I want His favor, don't you? I want progress in spite of opposition. And satan is against us, because we are part of the family of God. So we will have opposition.    In these verses, we see two men who are just on a tear. They are against Nehemiah, they are against all of the Jewish people who are back in Israel doing a rebuilding work. They are not nice or polite in these verses, and they don't get nicer or politer (that's not a word, but whatever) as this book continues. Why do we expect the opposition to be nice and tidy and neat and polite and manageable and not so darn mean when we're dealing with it because we're obeying the Lord? It's not nice. It's not polite. And often, it comes from the back, the sides, the flanks, not head on directly where we can see it coming and get ourselves ready. Nehemiah kept working, alongside many others, and he also prayed that these attacks would be stopped and their attackers dealt with. In verse 13 we find that things got so rough that Nehemiah stationed people around the vulnerable areas and the lowest sections of the walls with swords, spears and bows. He also reminded the people not to be afraid of their enemies, but to remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord, as they fought for their countrymen and their families and their homes (see vs. 14). Remember the Lord should inspire us to awe. He is awesome, we ought to be in awe of Him. Every so often, take time to stand in awe, to stand amazed, and to ponder just who this God is that you know and serve and love. Need some courage? That's one way to find it, and not courage based on others, on yourself, on circumstances. Courage in the Lord.    In chapter four we see that they did the rebuilding work with a trowel in one hand, so yes this is manual labor they were doing, literally rebuilding this wall brick by brick, a trowel is used for brick laying type work, masonry, they had the trowel in one hand and a sword in the other. They were working, they were ready to fight and defend themselves, and they were reliant on God. The end of this chapter says they never removed their weapon, even when washing. This threat was real.   Listen, you may feel pushed on, under a heavy spiritual weight at times. Your threat, your attack, it is also real. It's okay if you need to do your daily work with one hand a keep your spiritual weapon in the other. Put on the full armor of God, and if you haven't done that in a while or want to know where that is in the Bible, NT Ephesians chapter 6. Get in the Bible daily. Pray daily, and don't just give God your list and then sign off, but listen for what He might say to you, how He may answer you. And put on worship music. All these are ways to keep a weapon in your hand. The enemy is real, and he hates Jesus and so he also hates you because you belong to Jesus. Use the weapons God has given you, and don't feel bad about it. We don't fight against people, our enemies are in the spiritual realm, remember that. And ask the Lord to protect you and to help you, which is what Nehemiah did.   Jump to chapter 8, and we find the people all gathered together and Ezra, from the last episode we mentioned him, he read the book of the law of Moses from daybreak until noon before the people. Verse 3b says, “All the people listened attentively to the book of the law.”   When you are at church, do you listen attentively or distractedly? Ya know, I have to say, this is in total honesty, we don't listen as attentively as we ought to. Lots of reasons for this, most of them you already know and don't need me to mention. But I will say this: church hurt is real, and some folks are in the church each week, they are there, but they have some hurt from prior experiences and they love Jesus and they love His people, but they have been through some stuff and honestly, I do believe some of the inattentive “listening” we find is linked to this. Keep attending church if this is you. Keep praying, keep reading your Bible, keep listening for the Spirit of the Lord to speak to you, and keep allowing space in your life for God to bring you healing. That's all I want to say on this issue today, but I don't think I'm wrong that there are walking wounded in our churches and some of those wounds came from within the body of Christ. Thank you to those who are in church even when you've been hurt. I'm glad you're there!   Ya know, maybe the promise for us from this book, for this episode, is that we can rebuild. We can trust God again. And again. We can serve alongside people, even those who are also rebuilding and recovering from a long, hard season. We don't have to be perfect, to get better before we show up, we don't have to hide out and avoid the rebuilding work God has for us to do.   We live in a hurting society where God is being rejected and pushed aside at every turn. There are a thousand areas where we can see rebuilding would be helpful. Ask God if He has a work for you to do, to be part of, to join, in the world in which you live. Your workplace, your family, your church, your neighborhood. And as He leads, you follow. If it's a work that requires you to build with a sword in one hand and a trowel in the other, that's okay. It's happened before, with success, and God does not change, He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Who He is does not shift, and we can ask Him to help us and know that He will.    And if you need some part of your life to be rebuilt, would you be brave enough to believe that God cares for you, about that area of your life, so very much that He will do the rebuilding work that needs to be done, in the way He knows is best, in the timeframe that He chooses, and with the means, resources, people and ways that He decides? Sometimes we've just been so hurt, we don't even realize we never asked Him to help us, to heal us, to rebuild. Go ahead and ask. He's so good, and His love for you knows no bounds. Rebuild in us and through us, Lord! Do what You do best! Thanks for joining me today and I hope you'll be back next time - I'm so grateful for your time and I am praying you have a blessed, Christ-centered month of December. Lord bless you! Bye bye! 

Fig Tree Books & More location info Fig Tree Books & More on Instagram Well hey there! Hello to you today and I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, spent time resting and also able to spend time with loved ones, and of course had the chance to express your thankfulness for what God has done and will do in your life. He is good and He acts out of His lovingkindness toward His children, and that is something that we should never stop being thankful for. I really do believe that Christians ought to be the most thankful people on this planet. Thanksgiving is a time to express that thankfulness in all sorts of ways, and I do hope yours was wonderful. I am thankful for you.   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 Fig Tree Books & More, located in Branson. If you are planning a trip to the Branson area at any point in the future, I hope you get the chance to swing by Fig Tree Books. You will not regret it, that I can promise you! It's more than a bookstore, it's an experience with some of the most rock-solid, Jesus loving believers I have ever met. I'll have the link to their Instagram here in the show notes as well as a link to their exact address. Fig Tree Books & More, thank you for the work you are doing for the Kingdom, for every prayer you pray with customers, for every product selection you make with such care, for reaching your community and for being a haven for those visiting the Branson area. May the Lord bless you and the work of your hands in ways beyond your wildest imagination. I am thankful for you! This is episode number 167, and today we are looking at the book of Ezra.   The Amplified Bible is what I'll be referencing for this episode, and I'm going to read a couple of verses from Ezra chapter 7. Verses 9b and 10 say this: …because the good hand of his God was on him. For Ezra had set his heart (resolved) to study and interpret the Law the the LORD, and to practice it and teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.    Ezra lived in captivity in Babylon, so think about Daniel and his life in Babylon and Nehemiah and his calling to work on rebuilding the Temple at the end of this season of Israel's captivity. Ezra was alive in this same era. He left Babylon and traveled for months to get to Israel, according to verse 9 of Ezra chapter 7. Months of travel. What do we do for months? Like, what's worth that to us? Granted this was normal in that day, travel from Iraq (which is modern day Babylon) to Israel just took that long, and it doesn't take that long today, but it is worth thinking about, this idea of what is worth a long journey for us? And have you considered as of late that you are on a long journey? A journey home, to eternity with Jesus. You are on a long trek, you are a pilgrim on your way to your final destination. We as Christians are, in a way, sort of like Ezra. And the destination is more than worth the long, hard road we walk to get there.    When the Temple was rebuilt at the end of this time of captivity, as we see in Ezra chapter 6, the Temple was completed and dedicated and Passover observed in the homeland of the Jewish people once again, then we move into chapter 7 and we see Ezra making the journey to Jerusalem.    The promise in these verses is that when we, God's people who bear His name, have the good hand of our God on us (not the heavy hand of the Lord on us, as we find in the Bible at times, but the good hand of our God), we are able to do hard things for His Kingdom and His purposes. Ezra had set his heart to study and interpret the Law, the first five books of the Bible written by Moses, the Torah. How about us? Are we set like that? Do we have our hearts set on studying the Bible? It's easy to answer, yes or no, there is no middle ground or wiggle room on this…the question begs an answer, an immediate and honest one. Is my heart set on studying God's Word? Yes or no. Can you be brave enough to answer this honestly? And then, be brave enough to ask the Lord to make your heart set upon this, if the answer is no…and make it even more set upon it if the answer is yes? I'm not bagging on anyone, but I am asking an important question that warrants and honest and introspective answer because Jesus held back nothing to save us from death and hell, and He is worth everything, including our hearts set on knowing Him better and better day by day as a result of studying the Bible.    The Amplified says “resolved”. Ezra had set his heart resolved to study and interpret the Law of the Lord. How resolved are we in our study of God's Word?  Ezra made this long journey to a place that had been decimated and trashed during this terrible exile season in Israel's history, and at this time it was on the uptick. He was going back home, but to a home that had been broken down alongside a people who had been broken down. Sometimes the journey we make in life is alongside those who have also been broken down. You know, we want those strong leaders to lead us…and I think when we are strong in the Holy Spirit, when we are weak then God is strong in us and through us, that's good strength. But it doesn't always look pretty and it isn't always neat and tidy and polished the way the world tells us our leadership ought to look. Looks don't seem to matter as much to God as they do to man, to you and to me. Good leadership, chosen and appointed by God, may not look shiny and lovely. Good leadership may be the guy next to you, walking the same path you're walking, who has answered God's call to leadership. It may be the lady who is just a few steps beyond you on the road of life, she's far from perfect and she's got her hair in a messy bun or a banana clip and she may be walking with a limp…but she's going where God says to go, following His leading as she obeys His call to lead others. You want leaders who are good followers, who follow Jesus closely and who obey quickly, immediately, because otherwise they're not fit to lead anybody and they know it. What might happen if that kind of leadership became what we as the Church look for rather than wanting only leaders who look like the world, act like the world, and run the Church like a business, like the world. I have been young and now, I'm getting older and I've seen both kinds of leaders. And I know which kind have impacted me the most with the things of the Lord, and it's not the polished and social media post perfection kind of ones who made real impact. It's the one just a few steps ahead, been through some stuff in life, and they just keep on loving, serving, trusting, following, obeying and honoring God with the whole of their messed up, messy life.    Ezra may have been somewhat weary before his journey even got started. Anybody else ever feel like that? Lord, I'm so tired from this…and now You are asking me to start this next leg of my race when I'm feeling weary? Sometimes that is how it goes. I'm not against rest, but I think I can honestly say that we can have sabbath rest, resting in Jesus, even while walking the path He's called us to. How many Bible characters were totally ready for the task God called them to? The blessing came from their obedience. Lack of obedience would not have yielded the same degree of blessing…or likely much blessing at all.    Sometimes we feel weary before the journey begins.  Others were probably weary too, and Ezra as a leader was dealing with his weariness and theirs. It can be hard to lead weary people. Not always, but at times our flesh cries out for ease and after a long season of reign by an oppressor, some happy news may have been pretty appealing. But an honest study of the first five books of the Bible would come with conviction and a real hard and honest look in the mirror.  Weary people can want an answer and a solution more than they want to be taught, and Ezra was called in verse 10 to teach Israel what the Bible had to say.  The point here is that Ezra did not have the easy street assignment, and even when he was weary, he still obeyed. That's the mark of a mature believer. Ezra had a tough role to play, but he did it. Do we want the good hand of God on our lives? Do we really?  Verse 25 tells us that Ezra was tasked with appointing magistrates and judges in accordance with God's wisdom and instruction. He was to appoint those who knew the laws of God, and he was told to teach anyone who did not know God's law.    If hard times come - and I mean hard hard times, not so so hard times, but hard hard times, if those times come, do you realize there may be a special role for you provided you know the Bible well? I'm serious about this! Do you know any part of your Bible well enough to instruct someone about it? Over a cup of coffee, as part of a Bible study group, in a group text of Christian friends. The need may well arise. Are we ready if it does? Because when hard hard times come, people tend to land in one of two camps, and it's pretty distinct. They either want to know more about God, what the Bible says, how to pray, or they get hard hearted and want to shut God out while blaming Him for everything that has gone wrong. But those that will want to know how to seek and to find the Lord in the hard hard times may need someone to show them the way, to explain the Bible to them, to pray with them. Could that someone be you?   Now these may not seem like promises at first glance, the verses I'm sharing today. But I think they actually are. Can you imagine receiving the call of the Lord to teach people about His word in hard times, in a season that could be considered the tail end of a long spiritual famine?    Church attendance in the United States post COVID has dropped and remained below 50% for the first time since attendance began being tallied or monitored in our country. It's below and it's staying below. How's that for the mark of a spiritual famine? I think we're in one in the US. It's also a bit of an indictment on us as a so-called Chrsitian nation. Where will you and I land in this post-Christian era in which we live? Will we be ready to teach others what the Bible says, or fail to be ready? And as far as hard times go, the writing is on the wall, so to speak, when the people in a nation have turned away from, even against, the God of the Bible. We know what happened to such nations in the past. We know from the book of Revelation what will happen to those who deny the Lord God Almighty in the future. And so we understand that in our day, hard times may come, probably will come sooner rather than later.    We also know that persecution grows Jesus' Church. Hard times drive people to their knees in prayer. And we have this moment, this era, to ready ourselves to serve God in like manner as Ezra when those days come to pass. But only if we know His Word! We cannot teach what we do not know!   In the new year, I'm planning to start sharing monthly Bible reading plans and some pdf Bible study tools and do a weekly study of the psalms in my private prayer group on Facebook, working through all 150 psalms week by week and praying based on what we find in those passages. These are just a couple of ways I hope to encourage people to get in the Word and to learn it, to live it, and to know it well enough to teach it to others. Which is discipleship 101 and Titus 2 ministry in a nutshell.    On my other podcast, The Prayer Podcast, this week I'm going to share and pray from Ezra chapter 8, a prayer for protection that God answered powerfully, you can find this in verses 21-32. And also, side note, on TPP soon we will start a series on the NT book of James and it's going to be a good prayer series because the book of James brings life change, like, every single time we read it and apply it and study it and believe it and pray that what it says will become our reality. I'd love to have you join us for that series on The Prayer Podcast.   But when we look at Ezra 8, verse 23 from the Amplified, we find this: So we fasted and sought help from our God concerning this matter and He heard our plea. And verse 31 - We set out from the river Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month to go to Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and He rescued us from the hand of the enemy and those who lay in ambushes along the way.    Does God answer prayer? Yes Does God still in our day and age answer prayer? Yes Can we really expect Him to help us? Yes Can we talk to Him about anything and everything, specific matters that concern us and not just high and lofty spiritual things? Yes Can we do what He is calling us to do and make the impact that He wants us to make (or rather, to allow Him to make the impact He wants to make through us)? Yes Can we get to our destination safely, protected from marauders, fully able to do what comes next once we get to that place? Yes Can we ask Him to see us safely all the way home? Yes   More than just a single promise from the book of Ezra, preparing for this episode has shown me that the whole of Ezra, the whole book is God's promises being fulfilled. It's proof positive that God keeps His promises, every single one, in perfect detail. And it's a call to be reconciled to God. Our reconciliation should lead us to trust more. If it doesn't, are we really reconciled? I'm not fully reconciled to someone if I do not trust them. The two go together. Be reconciled to God and trust Him completely.  Pray to Him and listen for His answer to your prayers. Be like Ezra.   That's all for this episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show. Thanks for joining me today and don't forget to check out Fig Tree Books & More when you're in the Branson area.    See you next time. Bye bye!

2 Chronicles chapters 6 & 7   V 12 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of the entire assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. (Is this not a beautiful example of public prayer?) 13b he knelt down on his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven. 14 and he said, “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no god like You in heaven or on the earth, keeping covenant and showing mercy and lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You (in obedience) with all their heart.” (Make note of something here - Solomon is speaking out loud a profound truth, one that changes how we pray and one that we should say out loud to one another, as he did here before all Israel, this is an example of how we should follow the NT admonition to encourage one another all the more as we see that day approaching, and we are seeing the day drawing nearer, for sure…there is no god like the God of Israel, keeping covenant and showing mercy and loving kindness to His servants who walk before Him in obedience with all their heart….are we obedient? Are we obedient with all our heart? If so, we ought to expect to be on the receiving end of this promise, and it is a promise, this is part of God's character and He cannot be otherwise, so it is a promise to us, because what God does for us is tied closely to who He is, and He can never be less than fully God, always faithful, keeping every promise, keeping covenant - in the present tense, right now…He will show us mercy. And believe me you, His mercy toward us is remarkable, we want it, we need it, so let's walk before the Lord in obedience.) Ch 7, v 1-3 When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the (Shekinah) glory and brilliance of the LORD filled the house. The priests could not enter the house of the LORD because the glory and brilliance of the LORD had filled the LORD's house. When all the people of Israel saw how the fire came down and saw the glory and brilliance of the LORD upon the house, they bowed down on the stone pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and praised the LORD, saying, “For He is good, for His mercy and lovingkindness endure forever.” (What can we learn from this? Well, when God shows up and shows out, His people know it. Or at least, they ought to know it! Do we ever miss it because we are looking for something else? Maybe we've put God in a box in some manner, and we aren't expecting this because our expectation is for that, and we miss it. But can you imagine not seeing this event? The sacrifice Solomon made after God's glory was put on display, per the next couple of verses, was 22000 oxen and 120000 sheep. Wow! You ever made a sacrifice like that? It cost you something, it wasn't your leftovers or the extra you have lying around, but it came at a cost and you were thrilled to give it to the Lord? If not, I hope you get that opportunity. Sooner rather than later, because there's nothing quite like it.    A little later in chapter 7, the Lord appeared to Solomon by night and told him some things. Vs 13 and 14, and remember this is God speaking. “If I shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or if I command locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence and plague among My people, and my people, who are called by My Name, humble themselves, and pray and seek (crave, require as a necessity) My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear (them) from heaven, and forgive their sin and heal their land.” That's a direct quote from the Bible, the very words of God. Do we believe this? Do we do this? Do we even really know how to humble ourselves before Him? Have we ever done that? I know I'm being a bit frank here, but if we can't be nothing else, can't we at least be frank? Particularly when it comes to the word of God? Let's be frank about it - it says what it says, and here it says God's people need to humble themselves when hard times come on their land. Yes, this is to Israel. And yes, I think we can, and should, apply it to the NT grafted in big C church. We have problems in America. We have sin problems in our country. It does not say that everyone, those who don't know the Lord, don't want to know the Lord, are from differing religions, atheists, and so on, that they must humble themselves and pray and seek and crave God's face as a requirement and necessity…it says His people. That's you and that's me. Do you require as a necessity, you cannot do without it, God's face? And do you and I really turn from our wicked ways? Again, we can't only expect the lost, who don't follow Jesus, who have not experienced Christ revealed to them, as it talks about in the book of Hebrews, expect them to turn from their wicked ways. The implication here is that God's people can indeed have wicked ways and He wants His people to turn from those wicked ways. Turn away, put it behind your back, literally turn your back on the wicked ways in your life. Don't know what those are, on a personal level? Easy way to find out. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you any wickedness in your heart, your mind, your life. He'll answer that prayer, and then you need to turn your back on what He reveals. Spoiler alert: it will be different than you think it will be, what He reveals, and you may have to really make the decision to turn on it, to be done with it, to crucify your flesh in that part of your life. Couple of areas I'll mention that can be controversial in the Church…worship of our children. Misuse of our time, the most precious commodity God gives us and one that cannot be reclaimed once it is squandered. Being afraid to look enough like Jesus that the world sees us as a peculiar people. Just a few things that come to mind, to give you kind of an example of what the Lord may reveal to you if you are brave enough to pray and ask Him what your own wicked ways are in His eyes. And that's what matters, what He says, above all and over all and beyond all else. I cannot do anything outside of pray for other people and their messes. But regarding my own? I can yield to the Lord day by day and see Him make a molehill out of my mountain. And He gets all the glory.    I'm going to wrap up this episode and also, quick fyi, I will be out of town for over a week before and during Thanksgiving, so there may be a couple of extra days before episode number 167 releases. But I plan to share a couple of links from earlier episodes, take those out of the vault, and I'll be sharing that on social media. So watch for those posts on IG and X (Twitter, whatever) and FB. And I'll see ya back here after Thanksgiving! Bye bye. 

Nice by Shannon Hodde Miller   1 Chronicles 4:10 NLT -     He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request.   1 Chronicles 16:25-27 NLT -      25 Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!     He is to be feared above all gods. 26 The gods of other nations are mere idols,     but the Lord made the heavens! 27 Honor and majesty surround him;     strength and joy fill his dwelling.   1 Chronicles 16:34 NLT -     Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!     His faithful love endures forever.   In a world where we have no idea what news could drop tomorrow or what is going to pop off next, Jabez's bold prayer can bring us comfort, bolster our faith, & remind us that our hope in the Lord is never misplaced. For those of us who bear the name of the Lord as Christians, representing Him here on earth comes with a measure of responsibility & sobriety. Let's opt to live honorable lives, as Jabez did.  Ask yourself, "Am I truly honoring my Lord? And am I brave enough to pray the way Jabez prayed?" Take time to pause and give the Lord praise on a regular basis. Dig deep and spend time considering new things to thank Him and praise Him for. God is to be feared above all else. do we actually fear Him? Or do we have more of a "so-so" kind of fear of the Lord? Our fear of the Lord is proven or disproven in our hourly, daily, weekly, yearly decisions, thoughts, actions, choices, attitudes & behaviors. God is to be feared - and this is not a suggestion. Strength & joy fill His dwelling. We can, and should, rely on His strength that is over all else, and take part in His joy (which we are told in the book of Nehemiah is our strength). A joyless life is a strengthless life for the follower of Jesus. His majesty is always surrounding Him. It never departs from His presence. Do we stand in awe of the majesty of God?   Be sure to give thanks to the Lord - for He is good! And be assured of this promise: God's faithful love toward YOU endures ... for how long? FOREVER~

My Savvy Design on Etsy   Well hey there, hello to ya today. Thanks for joining me for this episode and today we are looking at the book of 2 Kings from the Old Testament. Just to get us all on the same page about this book, in 1 Kings the life of the prophet Elijah takes place, filled with remarkable events and it shows his life in total honesty, which is something the Bible always does and should be a comfort to us in our daily messes and also remind us not to be too judgey-judegey of people in the middle of their messes (point them to Jesus, offer them the hope we find in Christ, pray for them, speak life and truth based on the Word of God, and sometimes let the Lord do what He alone is able to do in their life, because He is so faithful and so trustworthy…do those things, working to make heaven crowded, but doing it with humility cuz we all need Jesus, nobody is exempt from that great need.) In 2 Kings, we will see the end of Elijah's life and see Elisha step onto the scene.  You're listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, part of the Spark Network, now playing in the Edifi app. Normally there is a sponsor for the show, but today I'd like to share about something more close to home and dear to my heart - my daughter Savanna's Etsy Shoppe. She has some trendy and fun designs in her Christian store and I've got to share it with you because her stuff is just beyond amazing. Her clients love her work as a graphic designer, and I think you will love her work, too. Click the link to her Etsy in the show notes and show her some love, cuz she's pretty terrific. And she didn't know I was going to feature her on this episode, so this is a surprise for her! Thanks for blessing her! This is episode number 164. So, we find Elijah in the book of 2 Kings. The one and only.    Followed by the life of Elisha, also the one and only. Elisha is successor to Elijah, but he for sure was not one to lag behind, to dawdle, to live a lackluster life of service to God. Nope. Elisha followed suit.   Both these men are inspiring in the sense that they encourage us to go all in with the Lord and give us comfort that even the “greats” in the Bible were dealing with the reality of their own humanness as well as  the fallen men of society around them… I think that is a fitting description of the life of a follower of Jesus, isn't it? We have our own issues that we are dealing with, and by dealing with I mean taking to the cross and leaving them there, seeking the Holy Spirit to heal and guide and deliver and protect and do what only He can do in us, for us, through us. All the while there is a lost and hurting world filled with people that we really want to love well, to be ambassadors of Christ to, and yet at times it is just plain hard because the people part of people makes it tricky sometimes, doesn't it?    So if living in this current world combined with a deep longing to live fully for the Lord is something that you strive toward (and by strive I actually mean abide toward, since we only have power when we abide in Jesus, the True Vine), then this one's for you today, my friend.   Now, let's say that you feel like you can't be an Elijah of sorts in this day and age. It's not the same (and it's not, that's true…but it's also not as different as you might think…). That's okay if you land in that camp because 2 Kings has got you covered. The lives of these two men hold a lot for us, no matter if we want to emulate them or want to just get through the day. The word of God is living and active, it says in Hebrews, and that means it is still speaking to us today…and there is something God's word has to say to you. Isn't He good to give us a living Savior and a living Bible and prayer that allows us to enter into His throne room of grace to seek, and receive, help when we need it?    Before I read a few verses for this episode, can I just mention one more thing? Many of us know more about Elijah than we do about Elisha, and so we may have decided that we don't have the tenacity to be an Elijah in our day. If that's you, no worries! That's okay! But I will say that if God chose to take somebody from their regular job and place a calling on their life, would you be willing to respond to that call if the one He called was you?   And one more thing to make mention of - are you willing not only to ask for a big blessing, but also be willing to walk out the life that comes with that big blessing?  Just a couple of questions for you to think about! I'm going to read 2 Kings chapter 2, verses 1-14 from the Amplified.   When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal. 2 And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha replied, “As the Lord lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3 Now the [a]sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that the Lord will take your master away from you today?” He said, “Yes, I know it; be quiet [about it].” 4 Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lord lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. 5 The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that the Lord will take your master away from you today?” And he answered, “Yes, I know it; be quiet [about it].” 6 Elijah said to him, “Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. 7 Fifty men of the sons of the prophets also went and stood opposite them [to watch] at a distance; and the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8 And Elijah took his mantle (coat) and rolled it up and struck the waters, and they were divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground. 9 And when they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let a double [b]portion of your spirit be upon me.” 10 He said, “You have asked for a difficult thing. However, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” 11 As they continued along and talked, behold, a chariot of fire with horses of fire [appeared suddenly and] separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” And he no longer saw Elijah. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces [in grief]. 13 He picked up the mantle of Elijah that fell off him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and struck the waters and said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he too had struck the waters, they divided this way and that, and Elisha crossed over. The prophet Elijah's exit from Israel, from the planet earth, was amazing, wasn't it? Truly an epic event in the history of mankind. Elisha saw it happen with his own eyes because he really desired to be there when this took place. He didn't want to see Elijah go, per se, we know that to be true based on the text found in chapter 2 of 2 Kings. But he did know this event, the time Elijah was to go and be with the Lord, was upon them and he simply did not want to not be there, in spite of the grief he would experience (remember in verse 12 when he took his clothes and tore them into two pieces in grief - Elisha did not rejoice or celebrate this moment…but even in his grief, he made sure to be there for this moment… Can you relate to that at all? Doing the thing that's hardest to do even in the midst of your grief?)   He opted to follow Elijah closely throughout this day so that he wouldn't miss Elijah being taken. Also, isn't that beautiful? Now of course Elijah did not die when he was taken via a chariot of fire to be with the Lord, but it still is a beautiful way to look at the end of a life on earth for a Christian. Just being taken. I really love that!   He followed closely and he didn't miss it. Even though it would bring grief, Elisha stayed close to Elijah. Sometimes we hang back when we should stay close. Jesus is the friend who sticks closer than a brother, so even when it's hard to deal with the things that grieve us, we've not alone. He is close. Close enough to collect our tears in a bottle. Don't hang back when you know God wants you to stay close.   Elisha followed and followed and followed all over the place so he would be there when Elijah was taken. And in verse 9 Elijah asked him what he should do for him before being taken from him. Elisha asked for a double portion of his spirit. A difficult thing is how Elijah described this request! And what he asked for was what he received. The double portion he asked for is exactly what he got.    And when he turned back and returned the way they had both come, it was time for him to step into the new role that came with the double portion blessing he'd asked for.   Sometimes we ask for things and we just don't really think beyond it. Not really. We know what we want, and we ask for it, and that's oftentimes where our thinking has stopped. We have put it in park at that point, receiving what we want…but in reality, getting what we ask for may be the moment we need to put the car into drive or overdrive and get moving. A responsibility came into Elisha's life when this request was granted. He was now the leader of the prophets and the hardships of leading and teaching, the actual work of being a prophet in this leadership role, on the heels of Elijah no less, that's a tall order. Who can fill those shoes? Thankfully, God only called Elisha to be himself in this role, not a 2.0 version of his predecessor. And thankfully, that's what God requires of us as well. You don't need to be anybody else, there is no need for any 2.0 upgrades when God made each one of us unique and individual in the exact way that only He can.    But I want you to consider if perhaps you've asked for something, prayed about it, and gotten what you requested…and then have simply stopped. Hit pause. Put it in park. Things are now on hold. You're living in the pause rather than living your life out in the way that the Lord wants you to.   Elisha had to go back the way he had come, but go back in a new role with this new mantle. And he had to be about this new role under this new mantle for the rest of his days. Do you think it was always easy for him? And do you and I ever avoid putting it back into drive and moving forward simply because we know it's not gonna be easy? What if the answered prayer God provided was not just for us to hold on to and do nothing with…what if God has something for us to do with those answered requests? What then? Can we buckle up and get going and not give in to laziness, procrastination, or fear? Ever feel like it is just plain hard to live out the daily reality of that thing you prayed for - I guess that's the real question I am asking. And if so, can you believe the overarching hope the Bible gives you that every promise of God will prove true for you, they are all yes and amen through Christ Jesus our Lord - can you believe the promise God gives to be with you, never to leave you nor forsake you? And can you do the thing He wants you to do, trusting fully in His goodness and faithfulness toward you? Or will you remain in that place where it's just so hard that you don't want to move on.   God has this thing for you - you prayed for it and put some skin in the game by faith as you asked Him for it again and again perhaps, like this was a prayer that you kept praying, not a one time prayer, but it was on your prayer list for a while. Now the answer has come and it's go time and while you thought the great act of faith was what it took to ask and keep on asking in prayer…but now you see that it will take a great act of faith to step out into what this answered prayer holds for your life. It's here! Finally! God answered my prayer! I'm thankful, I'm rejoicing, I'm overwhelmed and undone by His goodness toward me! And now, the journey has just begun.   Am I only talking to myself today or can anybody else relate? Has anyone else ever felt like they had to lean so hard on the Lord and choose to daily believe His promises yet again, totally by faith, as a response to answered prayers? That new mom who prayed as she battled fertility issues…now the newborn is here and wowza, this answered prayer is just the start of a new journey. The job with the amazing promotion and the best coworkers who are on the next level is now taking a lot of faith as you learn the ropes and bump up against things you've never dealt with before. The ministry you prayed about for so long is here, the opportunity has arrived and now you have to add your preparedness to that opportunity and do some things that are super hard in order to advance the Kingdom of God in this new ministry that the Lord has entrusted you with. Anybody?    When you feel like asking, “Well, what now?” I would say that the answer to the question what now is this: put your new mantle on, that's what now.   If you know Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit within you. He will equip you, not ditch you. He'll lead and guide you, not abandon you. The New Testament says the same power that raised Jesus from the grave is a work in us, it dwells in us. That's ample power for what this new mantle, this answered prayer, will demand of you.    Don't make the mistake of looking back at your former life, before the prayer was answered, looking back wishing you could go back there, wishing you had never stepped out and asked big and leveled up.    Listen - insecurity is normal for all of us when we are in new situations. When we are changing life roles. When a big prayer gets answered in a big way. But insecurity can be a signal for us - a signal that you are being grown, being stretched, in your faith and in your maturity in Christ. Insecurity does not have to have the last word. It can be a laser pointer letting us know that in this exact spot, right there where you're feeling really out of your depth and vulnerable and the new kid on the block, right there is the place God is simply maturing you and where you can expect His strength to come in hot in the midst of your weakness. That's all it is.    So, yield to the Spirit of the Lord. Do the next thing, and then the next. Don't make the mistake of looking back at the former things, because the Lord wants us to behold Him doing a new thing. Don't despise the day of small beginnings. Rejoice in what God is just getting started in your life! It's a gift, this answered prayer, and hey…if you are listening today and you're in the middle of some long time praying and now you're like, huh, well if there is gonna be a lot of new faith required when God answers, maybe I'll stop asking. I suppose you could do that and just stop. Stay stagnant, remain where you are, do nothing new. But wouldn't you rather live the adventure that is your life when walking by the Spirit with your Good Shepherd guiding you, to the glory of your Father? (The answer is yes, btw…there is no alternative answer.)   Don't stop now. Don't go backward, cuz that's like reverse potty training and yeah, that's not a good plan.    Are you called to live like Elijah or like Elisha in your generation? Like Barnabas or Lydia? Like Ruth or Esther or Mordecai or like Joseph in Egypt or like Peter, moving forward even after heartbreaking, gut wrenching failure? Honestly, yes, you probably are called to live like the Bible characters…because you are a child of God, and so you are called to live like one. You're called to be a disciple and to make disciples, to live a life of discipleship on both fronts, like a two front war. Your own discipleship and investing in others. Don't stop now. Go and tell about Jesus and live your life for Him. He's worth it! In eternity, you'll never regret so much as one second spent for the Lord and His purposes and His glory and honor. The promise of 2 Kings is the all-encompassing promise of Elisha's life. So please, don't stop now!    Thanks for joining me on the podcast today - I'm super grateful for you and honored to have you as a listener. And the link to my daughter's Etsy shoppe with Christian themed encouraging and super cute and modern items like tees, coffee mugs, journals, hoodies, etc is in the show notes. I'll see ya next time! Bye bye. 

My Savvy Design on Etsy   Well hey there, hello to ya today. Thanks for joining me for this episode and today we are looking at the book of 2 Kings from the Old Testament. Just to get us all on the same page about this book, in 1 Kings the life of the prophet Elijah takes place, filled with remarkable events and it shows his life in total honesty, which is something the Bible always does and should be a comfort to us in our daily messes and also remind us not to be too judgey-judegey of people in the middle of their messes (point them to Jesus, offer them the hope we find in Christ, pray for them, speak life and truth based on the Word of God, and sometimes let the Lord do what He alone is able to do in their life, because He is so faithful and so trustworthy…do those things, working to make heaven crowded, but doing it with humility cuz we all need Jesus, nobody is exempt from that great need.) In 2 Kings, we will see the end of Elijah's life and see Elisha step onto the scene.  You're listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, part of the Spark Network, now playing in the Edifi app. Normally there is a sponsor for the show, but today I'd like to share about something more close to home and dear to my heart - my daughter Savanna's Etsy Shoppe. She has some trendy and fun designs in her Christian store and I've got to share it with you because her stuff is just beyond amazing. Her clients love her work as a graphic designer, and I think you will love her work, too. Click the link to her Etsy in the show notes and show her some love, cuz she's pretty terrific. And she didn't know I was going to feature her on this episode, so this is a surprise for her! Thanks for blessing her! This is episode number 164. So, we find Elijah in the book of 2 Kings. The one and only.    Followed by the life of Elisha, also the one and only. Elisha is successor to Elijah, but he for sure was not one to lag behind, to dawdle, to live a lackluster life of service to God. Nope. Elisha followed suit.   Both these men are inspiring in the sense that they encourage us to go all in with the Lord and give us comfort that even the “greats” in the Bible were dealing with the reality of their own humanness as well as  the fallen men of society around them… I think that is a fitting description of the life of a follower of Jesus, isn't it? We have our own issues that we are dealing with, and by dealing with I mean taking to the cross and leaving them there, seeking the Holy Spirit to heal and guide and deliver and protect and do what only He can do in us, for us, through us. All the while there is a lost and hurting world filled with people that we really want to love well, to be ambassadors of Christ to, and yet at times it is just plain hard because the people part of people makes it tricky sometimes, doesn't it?    So if living in this current world combined with a deep longing to live fully for the Lord is something that you strive toward (and by strive I actually mean abide toward, since we only have power when we abide in Jesus, the True Vine), then this one's for you today, my friend.   Now, let's say that you feel like you can't be an Elijah of sorts in this day and age. It's not the same (and it's not, that's true…but it's also not as different as you might think…). That's okay if you land in that camp because 2 Kings has got you covered. The lives of these two men hold a lot for us, no matter if we want to emulate them or want to just get through the day. The word of God is living and active, it says in Hebrews, and that means it is still speaking to us today…and there is something God's word has to say to you. Isn't He good to give us a living Savior and a living Bible and prayer that allows us to enter into His throne room of grace to seek, and receive, help when we need it?    Before I read a few verses for this episode, can I just mention one more thing? Many of us know more about Elijah than we do about Elisha, and so we may have decided that we don't have the tenacity to be an Elijah in our day. If that's you, no worries! That's okay! But I will say that if God chose to take somebody from their regular job and place a calling on their life, would you be willing to respond to that call if the one He called was you?   And one more thing to make mention of - are you willing not only to ask for a big blessing, but also be willing to walk out the life that comes with that big blessing?  Just a couple of questions for you to think about! I'm going to read 2 Kings chapter 2, verses 1-14 from the Amplified.   When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal. 2 And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha replied, “As the Lord lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3 Now the [a]sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that the Lord will take your master away from you today?” He said, “Yes, I know it; be quiet [about it].” 4 Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lord lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. 5 The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that the Lord will take your master away from you today?” And he answered, “Yes, I know it; be quiet [about it].” 6 Elijah said to him, “Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. 7 Fifty men of the sons of the prophets also went and stood opposite them [to watch] at a distance; and the two of them stood by the Jordan. 8 And Elijah took his mantle (coat) and rolled it up and struck the waters, and they were divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground. 9 And when they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let a double [b]portion of your spirit be upon me.” 10 He said, “You have asked for a difficult thing. However, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” 11 As they continued along and talked, behold, a chariot of fire with horses of fire [appeared suddenly and] separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” And he no longer saw Elijah. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces [in grief]. 13 He picked up the mantle of Elijah that fell off him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and struck the waters and said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he too had struck the waters, they divided this way and that, and Elisha crossed over. The prophet Elijah's exit from Israel, from the planet earth, was amazing, wasn't it? Truly an epic event in the history of mankind. Elisha saw it happen with his own eyes because he really desired to be there when this took place. He didn't want to see Elijah go, per se, we know that to be true based on the text found in chapter 2 of 2 Kings. But he did know this event, the time Elijah was to go and be with the Lord, was upon them and he simply did not want to not be there, in spite of the grief he would experience (remember in verse 12 when he took his clothes and tore them into two pieces in grief - Elisha did not rejoice or celebrate this moment…but even in his grief, he made sure to be there for this moment… Can you relate to that at all? Doing the thing that's hardest to do even in the midst of your grief?)   He opted to follow Elijah closely throughout this day so that he wouldn't miss Elijah being taken. Also, isn't that beautiful? Now of course Elijah did not die when he was taken via a chariot of fire to be with the Lord, but it still is a beautiful way to look at the end of a life on earth for a Christian. Just being taken. I really love that!   He followed closely and he didn't miss it. Even though it would bring grief, Elisha stayed close to Elijah. Sometimes we hang back when we should stay close. Jesus is the friend who sticks closer than a brother, so even when it's hard to deal with the things that grieve us, we've not alone. He is close. Close enough to collect our tears in a bottle. Don't hang back when you know God wants you to stay close.   Elisha followed and followed and followed all over the place so he would be there when Elijah was taken. And in verse 9 Elijah asked him what he should do for him before being taken from him. Elisha asked for a double portion of his spirit. A difficult thing is how Elijah described this request! And what he asked for was what he received. The double portion he asked for is exactly what he got.    And when he turned back and returned the way they had both come, it was time for him to step into the new role that came with the double portion blessing he'd asked for.   Sometimes we ask for things and we just don't really think beyond it. Not really. We know what we want, and we ask for it, and that's oftentimes where our thinking has stopped. We have put it in park at that point, receiving what we want…but in reality, getting what we ask for may be the moment we need to put the car into drive or overdrive and get moving. A responsibility came into Elisha's life when this request was granted. He was now the leader of the prophets and the hardships of leading and teaching, the actual work of being a prophet in this leadership role, on the heels of Elijah no less, that's a tall order. Who can fill those shoes? Thankfully, God only called Elisha to be himself in this role, not a 2.0 version of his predecessor. And thankfully, that's what God requires of us as well. You don't need to be anybody else, there is no need for any 2.0 upgrades when God made each one of us unique and individual in the exact way that only He can.    But I want you to consider if perhaps you've asked for something, prayed about it, and gotten what you requested…and then have simply stopped. Hit pause. Put it in park. Things are now on hold. You're living in the pause rather than living your life out in the way that the Lord wants you to.   Elisha had to go back the way he had come, but go back in a new role with this new mantle. And he had to be about this new role under this new mantle for the rest of his days. Do you think it was always easy for him? And do you and I ever avoid putting it back into drive and moving forward simply because we know it's not gonna be easy? What if the answered prayer God provided was not just for us to hold on to and do nothing with…what if God has something for us to do with those answered requests? What then? Can we buckle up and get going and not give in to laziness, procrastination, or fear? Ever feel like it is just plain hard to live out the daily reality of that thing you prayed for - I guess that's the real question I am asking. And if so, can you believe the overarching hope the Bible gives you that every promise of God will prove true for you, they are all yes and amen through Christ Jesus our Lord - can you believe the promise God gives to be with you, never to leave you nor forsake you? And can you do the thing He wants you to do, trusting fully in His goodness and faithfulness toward you? Or will you remain in that place where it's just so hard that you don't want to move on.   God has this thing for you - you prayed for it and put some skin in the game by faith as you asked Him for it again and again perhaps, like this was a prayer that you kept praying, not a one time prayer, but it was on your prayer list for a while. Now the answer has come and it's go time and while you thought the great act of faith was what it took to ask and keep on asking in prayer…but now you see that it will take a great act of faith to step out into what this answered prayer holds for your life. It's here! Finally! God answered my prayer! I'm thankful, I'm rejoicing, I'm overwhelmed and undone by His goodness toward me! And now, the journey has just begun.   Am I only talking to myself today or can anybody else relate? Has anyone else ever felt like they had to lean so hard on the Lord and choose to daily believe His promises yet again, totally by faith, as a response to answered prayers? That new mom who prayed as she battled fertility issues…now the newborn is here and wowza, this answered prayer is just the start of a new journey. The job with the amazing promotion and the best coworkers who are on the next level is now taking a lot of faith as you learn the ropes and bump up against things you've never dealt with before. The ministry you prayed about for so long is here, the opportunity has arrived and now you have to add your preparedness to that opportunity and do some things that are super hard in order to advance the Kingdom of God in this new ministry that the Lord has entrusted you with. Anybody?    When you feel like asking, “Well, what now?” I would say that the answer to the question what now is this: put your new mantle on, that's what now.   If you know Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit within you. He will equip you, not ditch you. He'll lead and guide you, not abandon you. The New Testament says the same power that raised Jesus from the grave is a work in us, it dwells in us. That's ample power for what this new mantle, this answered prayer, will demand of you.    Don't make the mistake of looking back at your former life, before the prayer was answered, looking back wishing you could go back there, wishing you had never stepped out and asked big and leveled up.    Listen - insecurity is normal for all of us when we are in new situations. When we are changing life roles. When a big prayer gets answered in a big way. But insecurity can be a signal for us - a signal that you are being grown, being stretched, in your faith and in your maturity in Christ. Insecurity does not have to have the last word. It can be a laser pointer letting us know that in this exact spot, right there where you're feeling really out of your depth and vulnerable and the new kid on the block, right there is the place God is simply maturing you and where you can expect His strength to come in hot in the midst of your weakness. That's all it is.    So, yield to the Spirit of the Lord. Do the next thing, and then the next. Don't make the mistake of looking back at the former things, because the Lord wants us to behold Him doing a new thing. Don't despise the day of small beginnings. Rejoice in what God is just getting started in your life! It's a gift, this answered prayer, and hey…if you are listening today and you're in the middle of some long time praying and now you're like, huh, well if there is gonna be a lot of new faith required when God answers, maybe I'll stop asking. I suppose you could do that and just stop. Stay stagnant, remain where you are, do nothing new. But wouldn't you rather live the adventure that is your life when walking by the Spirit with your Good Shepherd guiding you, to the glory of your Father? (The answer is yes, btw…there is no alternative answer.)   Don't stop now. Don't go backward, cuz that's like reverse potty training and yeah, that's not a good plan.    Are you called to live like Elijah or like Elisha in your generation? Like Barnabas or Lydia? Like Ruth or Esther or Mordecai or like Joseph in Egypt or like Peter, moving forward even after heartbreaking, gut wrenching failure? Honestly, yes, you probably are called to live like the Bible characters…because you are a child of God, and so you are called to live like one. You're called to be a disciple and to make disciples, to live a life of discipleship on both fronts, like a two front war. Your own discipleship and investing in others. Don't stop now. Go and tell about Jesus and live your life for Him. He's worth it! In eternity, you'll never regret so much as one second spent for the Lord and His purposes and His glory and honor. The promise of 2 Kings is the all-encompassing promise of Elisha's life. So please, don't stop now!    Thanks for joining me on the podcast today - I'm super grateful for you and honored to have you as a listener. And the link to my daughter's Etsy shoppe with Christian themed encouraging and super cute and modern items like tees, coffee mugs, journals, hoodies, etc is in the show notes. I'll see ya next time! Bye bye. 

Free access to the ROAR Marketing Conference - What's So Holy About the Hustle? Jan's Speaker Request Form   Well hey there, hello to ya today. Hope you are blessed beyond measure (and I actually do mean blessed BEYOND your ability to measure all the blessings from the Lord to you). Today we are continuing to look at a promise from each and every book in the Bible. And we have made it to the book of 1 Kings. (Remember the kids' songs … 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles…that's all the first and seconds.) 1 Kings is our landing spot today. Sometimes I think of podcasts or Sunday morning sermons or reading a chapter of a Christian book that aims to make me a better disciple of Jesus, I sort of think of them like I'm on a plane headed to my final destination (which is eternity with the Lord, right?) and the plane lands but I don't disembark, I stay on the plane for a refuel and then take off again for the next leg of this journey home. I hope this podcast is like a bit of a refuel for you, and that you are, as much as possible, enjoying this journey home with the Lord. He's a trustworthy pilot and I believe He wants you to experience the full depth of His love (even though it is impossible to fully know it, said the apostle Paul) but to know the depth of it as much as possible on this journey home where you get to live out, day by day, the Lord's unique calling on your life. My prayer is that this refuel blesses you, not because of me, but because of the Lord Jesus and His tremendous love for you.  You're listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, part of the Spark Network, now playing in the Edifi app. This episode is sponsored by the ROAR Virtual Marketing Conference. If you may be interested in speaking or podcasting from a Christian perspective, this conference may be just what you're looking for. Grab access to the conference at the link above, and make note of the fact that there are paid options as well as a free ticket option. It's happening soon, in mid-October, so don't delay! I'll see ya there! Now, on with the show. This is episode # 163. 1 Kings 8:56 from the Amplified reads this way:   Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, in accordance with everything that He promised. Not one word has failed of all His good promise, which He spoke through Moses His servant.   These are the words of Solomon during his benediction, which is part of the Scripture portion where he dedicated the newly completed temple. It's a wonderful chapter, all of 1 Kings 8, and marks a beautiful moment in the history of Israel.   This verse seemed like the right one to talk about on the podcast today because it reassures us that the same God who kept His every promise to Israel, in total accordance with everything He promised through Moses, is the same God who keeps His every promise to us. And we know that all God's promises are yes and amen through Christ Jesus our Lord, as it says in 2 Corinthians 1:20.   We can read the Old Testament and discover mountains of hope and assurance…or we can skim read it or skip it altogether and think that there is a vast sea of separation between the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament. But what happens when we choose to believe that God is the same yesterday, today and forever? That there is no shadow of turning with Him?  How do we think then? And how do we live day by day as a result of that thinking?   Can we say, like Solomon did, blessed be the Lord? Can you right now, in this very moment and this exact place in your life, say blessed be the Lord! Helpful hint for ya today: you most certainly can, and you most certainly should.  Choose to believe that God is going to keep every promise He has made. To you. And as a result of your choice to believe that (even if you don't feel like it's true…we don't all feel it all the time…belief is sort of like love in that it is a continual choice…you are normal if you have to choose to believe today and then choose to believe again tomorrow…) When we choose to believe that God is a perfect keeper of all His promises, then we can say, blessed be the Lord, and we'll mean it. We mean it when we say that out of a place of belief, because the place of belief really is the place of trust.    And I'd like to note what Solomon said after he stated, “Blessed be the Lord.” It goes on to say, who has given rest to His people. In accordance with everything that He promised.    Isn't that awesome?  Rest comes for us as part of God keeping His promises to us. Rest.   If you feel weary today, and need rest, my prayer is that you will have what you need, straight from God. In whatever way best blesses you and brings Him glory, may He grant you rest and more rest and then some more rest. It may not come in the form of a nap, but God can give us rest in our inner being and renew and refresh us and give us renewed strength….may your strength be renewed like the eagle, as it says in Psalm 103:5.  Keep Your promises to the one listening to this podcast today, Lord, and give them rest that is perfect for them right now in this season of their life. Provide all that they need, and be glorified in this time of rest.    God knows just what He has promised to you. And He knows how to keep every bit of those promises to you.    It can be hard when we feel a bit stuck in the in-between. We know we've been given a promise, but it hasn't come to pass yet, and we have needs and hopes and we are feeling like maybe we missed it…did we do something wrong? What's going on, Lord? What's up with this? (ever have a prayer time that sounds like that…your prayer is, I don't know what's going on and I sure hope I didn't miss something…)  Those are the moments when it is hardest to hang on to belief, which is also hanging on to our trust.  Those are also the moments that can be real faith stretchers for us. Faith that is untested is no faith at all. I've read that somewhere and I'm not sure who to attribute that quote to, but it's a good one.  Faith that is untested is no faith at all. We don't need a flashlight at high noon in Tucson on a sunny summer day. And we don't need faith if life is constantly giving us nothing but ease.    If you are experiencing a moment of faith stretching, can I read today's verse once more as a rock solid reminder that God will, absolutely and with utter perfection and precision, keep His promises? One of those promises is that He will never leave you nor forsake you, and I think that may be a promise that somebody needs to hold onto today…your God who loves you beyond measure or comprehension WILL NEVER leave you nor forsake you. You are chosen, not forsaken. You are His beloved. You are loved by the God who spoke the world into existence.    1 Kings 8:56 - Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, in accordance with everything He promised. Not one word has failed of all His good promise, which He spoke through Moses His servant.    Not one word failed. Not one word will ever fail. All God's good promise, which He has given us via the Bible, all of God's good promise is unfailing and infallible. It's certain, and it cannot fail. God's promises are inerrant.  And not one word of God's good promise to you will fail. Ever.    Choose belief today, even in, maybe especially in, those hard places, those faith stretching spots, and when it's not high noon in Tucson and you need no faith.   Take heart, and remember that in this world you will have trouble, but Jesus has overcome the world. The words Solomon spoke in 1 Kings 8 during the dedication of the first temple are an encouraging reminder of the truth about God and His promises to us as we look toward the soon building of the third temple in Jerusalem. True, true, ever always true…God's promises are true for you.   Thanks so much for joining me today, and hey, I haven't asked in a while so I'll ask today. If you are encouraged by The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, I'd be super grateful for a review or a rating or a share of the show. And if you have a women's ministry event coming up, or a moms event, or maybe even an online event, like a summit or conference, and you are looking for a speaker, I'd be honored to be in the mix, to be considered for those events. I've got a link in the show notes to a Google form - click that or pass it along to the women's ministry leader if that might be helpful. Have a blessed rest of your day…a blessed week, and I'm praying that you have all the rest you need and receive an outpouring of God's favor, grace and tremendous love today. See ya next time. Bye bye. 

Well hey there, hello to ya and welcome to this episode. Today we will be taking a look at 2 Samuel, studying the word of God to find out what it has to say to us right here, right now, today, in the very place we find ourselves. There is no part of your life that God is careless about. He cares, and His care runs deep. And today, we're going to see heartbreak versus loyalty within the pages of our Bible. I'm so glad you're here! ROAR Virtual Marketing Conference Link  You're listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, part of the Spark Network, now playing via the Edifi app. Today's episode is sponsored by the third annual ROAR  Virtual Marketing Conference (happening online October 12-14, 2023…if you are a writer, speaker, podcaster, in some type of ministry or are thinking about beginning a podcast or hosting an online summit or other event, in women's ministry perhaps, this event could be just the thing you've been looking for. I'll be attending and it is something I am very excited about.) For information or to register just click the link in the show notes, or go to roarmarketingconference.com  ROAR marketing conference dot com. Seriously, if you're looking for marketing info from a Christian perspective, you gotta check it out. Now, on with the show! This is episode number 162. Way, way back in the earliest episodes of this podcast, I remember mentioning that people's last words are often chosen carefully and are paid close attention to. When we know someone is sharing their last words, we listen much more closely and with greater intention than our normal state of listening. Which is kind of like listening…kind of? With a question mark more than a period, if we're honest. And sometimes we just don't know that the words someone is sharing are their final ones, and when we don't know, then we don't know to listen closely.    Chapter 23 of 2 Samuel contains David's last words.  When it came to this remarkable king, this man after God's own heart, do you think those around him and those within his kingdom and even those outside of his kingdom whom he had influenced and impacted, do you think they listened to what he had to say? How much weight do you imagine David's last words carried?    In a handful of verses from the pages of my Bible, the life of arguably one of the most well-known and admired figures from God's word comes to a close.    I'm reading from the NLT today.   2 Samuel, chapter 23 -  These are the last words of David: “David, the son of Jesse, speaks—     David, the man who was raised up so high, David, the man anointed by the God of Jacob,     David, the sweet psalmist of Israel.[a] 2  “The Spirit of the Lord speaks through me;     his words are upon my tongue. 3  The God of Israel spoke.     The Rock of Israel said to me: ‘The one who rules righteously,     who rules in the fear of God, 4  is like the light of morning at sunrise,     like a morning without clouds, like the gleaming of the sun     on new grass after rain.' 5  “Is it not my family God has chosen?     Yes, he has made an everlasting covenant with me. His agreement is arranged and guaranteed in every detail.     He will ensure my safety and success. 6  But the godless are like thorns to be thrown away,     for they tear the hand that touches them. 7  One must use iron tools to chop them down;     they will be totally consumed by fire.”   (David knew who he was, as indicated by what was just read. He knew how greatly the Lord had blessed him. He knew the Spirit of the Lord spoke through him. And he knew the difference between the godly and the godless. These really are lovely words to speak at the end of your days.) Continuing in chapter 23 -  David's Mightiest Warriors 8 These are the names of David's mightiest warriors. The first was Jashobeam the Hacmonite,[b] who was leader of the Three[c]—the three mightiest warriors among David's men. He once used his spear to kill 800 enemy warriors in a single battle.[d] 9 Next in rank among the Three was Eleazar son of Dodai, a descendant of Ahoah. Once Eleazar and David stood together against the Philistines when the entire Israelite army had fled. 10 He killed Philistines until his hand was too tired to lift his sword, and the Lord gave him a great victory that day. The rest of the army did not return until it was time to collect the plunder! 11 Next in rank was Shammah son of Agee from Harar. One time the Philistines gathered at Lehi and attacked the Israelites in a field full of lentils. The Israelite army fled, 12 but Shammah[e] held his ground in the middle of the field and beat back the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory. 13 Once during the harvest, when David was at the cave of Adullam, the Philistine army was camped in the valley of Rephaim. The Three (who were among the Thirty—an elite group among David's fighting men) went down to meet him there. 14 David was staying in the stronghold at the time, and a Philistine detachment had occupied the town of Bethlehem. 15 David remarked longingly to his men, “Oh, how I would love some of that good water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem.” 16 So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew some water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out as an offering to the Lord. 17 “The Lord forbid that I should drink this!” he exclaimed. “This water is as precious as the blood of these men[f] who risked their lives to bring it to me.” So David did not drink it. These are examples of the exploits of the Three. (Remarkable! The battles these three, David's top three warriors among his thirty mighty men, the mighty men of David, doing exploits that leave us astounded and wondering, “How can this be true?” And yet, true it is. Let God be true and every man a liar - His word is true. These things really did happen. What about you? What great exploits can you do for the kingdom of your God? Are you a prayer warrior? Then do it with all your heart, working as unto the Lord, expecting great results and powerful answers to those prayers. Never stop praying - never stop seeking the Lord's will to be done right here on earth just as it is in heaven. And one day, your faith will become sight and you'll find out how your prayers impacted people for all eternity. There is no doubt that a praying man or woman holds great sway in the Lord's throne room of grace, where we boldly approach His throne to obtain grace and mercy in our time of need. When He looks, does He find one who stands in the gap? Who intercedes for others? Are you that one? Don't stop praying. Never stop praying.) David's Thirty Mighty Men 18 Abishai son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, was the leader of the Thirty.[g] He once used his spear to kill 300 enemy warriors in a single battle. It was by such feats that he became as famous as the Three. 19 Abishai was the most famous of the Thirty[h] and was their commander, though he was not one of the Three. 20 There was also Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant warrior[i] from Kabzeel. He did many heroic deeds, which included killing two champions[j] of Moab. Another time, on a snowy day, he chased a lion down into a pit and killed it. 21 Once, armed only with a club, he killed an imposing Egyptian warrior who was armed with a spear. Benaiah wrenched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with it. 22 Deeds like these made Benaiah as famous as the Three mightiest warriors. 23 He was more honored than the other members of the Thirty, though he was not one of the Three. And David made him captain of his bodyguard. 24 Other members of the Thirty included: Asahel, Joab's brother; Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem; 25  Shammah from Harod; Elika from Harod; 26  Helez from Pelon[k]; Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa; 27  Abiezer from Anathoth; Sibbecai[l] from Hushah; 28  Zalmon from Ahoah; Maharai from Netophah; 29  Heled[m] son of Baanah from Netophah; Ithai[n] son of Ribai from Gibeah (in the land of Benjamin); 30  Benaiah from Pirathon; Hurai[o] from Nahale-gaash[p]; 31  Abi-albon from Arabah; Azmaveth from Bahurim; 32  Eliahba from Shaalbon; the sons of Jashen; Jonathan 33 son of Shagee[q] from Harar; Ahiam son of Sharar from Harar; 34  Eliphelet son of Ahasbai from Maacah; Eliam son of Ahithophel from Giloh; 35  Hezro from Carmel; Paarai from Arba; 36  Igal son of Nathan from Zobah; Bani from Gad; 37  Zelek from Ammon; Naharai from Beeroth, the armor bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah; 38  Ira from Jattir; Gareb from Jattir; 39  Uriah the Hittite. There were thirty-seven in all. (That was a list of names. Why is that important? Because you're important to the Lord. Important enough that your name is written in the Lamb's book of life, if you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Reading a list like this reminds us that  people matter so very much to our God. And that means everyone you encounter matters to God. He cares about them, He cares about what happens to them, He cares where they spend eternity. And while I butchered some of those for sure, there were some tough ones on that list, God never gets our name wrong. He knows who you are. He knows where you are. And He knows where you fall in history. You matter, your place matters, and you are not forgotten. Your name is on a list, and once it's written there it cannot be erased because the precious blood of Jesus bought you with a price. And if you don't know that your name is written in Jesus' Book of Life, you can know it immediately by praying by faith for Jesus to forgive your sins, by accepting His payment on the cross as the full payment for all your sins, and then give your life to Him fully and completely. If you declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved - that's Romans 10:9 and it is God's honest truth. You can know immediately that your name is written in the book of life, and when the roll is called up yonder, you'll be there.)   Can I mention that this chapter ends with the mention of Uriah the Hittite. There's a story there, one of heroism on Uriah's part and great heartbreak as well. Godly people really do ungodly things sometimes, as was the case with the death of Uriah as ordered by King David. One of his mighty men, as listed here. When you have an in-the-spotlight kind of life, as David certainly did, there is added possibility of great heartbreaks. Is it fair? Well, I suppose life isn't fair, honestly. And so, if you are in some sort of a spotlight type of role, be sure to pray and ask the Lord to give you discernment, conviction, grace, compassion, empathy, wisdom and His protection in that role. That is a prayer you won't ever regret taking time to pray.  And you know, for those of us living a “small” life, not one in the spotlight, just kind of normal (which we may feel is boring, but normal or small does not have to equate to boring!) - a small life may just be good for you. A blessing from the Lord. Don't assume that a small life, a small ministry, a small role is a curse. I'm very serious when I say it may be the biggest blessing you never knew you had. In the spotlight, it gets warm. The spotlight is the hot light. And it can be so very hard. There is no shame in a small life lived well for God's glory, for a small ministry that serves others and honors the King of kings. Maybe social media says it's not big enough to be good enough. But that's not what God says, and His opinion really is the only opinion that matters since it's the only opinion that will stand at the end of all time. Uriah's life was cut far too short, and it serves as an example for us to daily rely on the Holy Spirit.

So today we're back to our series, Every Book A Promise, and here we are in 1 Samuel. You know, I first thought we'd look at the life of Hannah and her son Samuel, because it's beautiful and encouraging and just causes hope to spring forth.  But as I prayed over this episode, I landed on chapter 8.  In the Amplified, this chapter has a header title - Israel Demands A King.   Sometimes the results of the things we want the most are not so great. And it's really critical to yield to the Lord, to let the Holy Spirit do what only He can do in us and through us, and not just fight for our own way. The work of yielding is, at times, hard work. It takes effort on our part to bend the knee to the Lord, and let Him have His way fully and completely, while we choose to trust Him even when we know that our own desires may need to be placed on the altar, given fully to Him, and we step back and choose trust and gratitude and ask Him to give us a heart that wants what He wants for us. His ways are best, and what He chooses for us is best…but boy, it can be hard to get to the place of accepting that and yielding to His will when we really really want some certain thing.   Here we find the nation of Israel in 1 Samuel chapter 8. Israel demands a king.   Samuel was a prophet, and in this chapter we find him older, verse one says Samuel was old, and he appointed his sons as judges over Israel. Verse 3 tells us that his sons did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice. Now that's a sad, sad result. Those boys were not like their daddy. Isn't that just so sad?    Verse 4 says the elders of Israel went to see Samuel and just told him, Hey, you've gotten old and your sons don't walk in your ways. Now give us a king, appoint a king over us to judge us and rule over us. Like all the other nations. (verse 5)   When we want to be like the crowd, like they have over there, and they have this and everybody else has it and is doing it this way, so that's what I want too, that can be a sign that we're on the wrong path, the wrong track. Cuz usually when everybody is doing some certain thing, it's likely not honoring the Lord. What the world does, well, that doesn't look like the Kingdom of God. Let's put it that way. When, say, your kids want to do what everybody else is doing, do you just say yes, sure, go for it, I don't care what you do, go on, be like everybody. Be a photocopy of the world. UHHH, ya probably don't react that way. And God doesn't want us, His people, His Church, to look and act and demand the things of the world. Our citizenship is in heaven, it says in Philippians 3:20, so we're here but as ambassadors, not as citizens. Pilgrims. Just passing through.    Now here's what it sort of takes a turn as far as what we might expect God's response to be. In verse 7 the Lord tells Samuel that the people hadn't rejected him, but had rejected God from being King over them. Verse 9 from the Amplified says this, and this is God speaking to Samuel here: “So now listen to their voice, only solemnly warn them and tell them the ways of the king who will reign over them.”   That's a powerful verse. God's response to being rejected by the people He'd rescued out of Egypt and given this nation to, like He made them into a nation, and His response to being rejected as their King was to let them have what they're demanding but to warn them solemnly and tell them what is going to be life under a king. The king will reign over them, because that's what kings do.    Verses 10-18 provide the record of Samuel's warning to the people. The king will take your sons for these tasks and your daughters for these other tasks, and he will take the best of your fields and vineyards and your olive groves and your grain and your donkeys and your flocks and you will be his servants, and then one day you're going to cry out because of the king you've chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you on that day because you have rejected Him as King.   There is a twofold promise in chapter 8.  A promise of living with the result of what you demand, and by this I mean any area of life that we reject God's Lordship and Kingship over, we can't demand what we want, reject His reign and rule, and then expect Him to make it all right in the snap of a finger when we realize we don't like the results of that which we demanded from God. (Now I believe per the New Testament there is grace but that comes with repentance, and that's not always a theme that folks in the Church like to hear about. Often churchy people don't like to repent. We like the grace, we like the forgiveness, but it's kind of goes with repenting, doesn't it?)    In the end, the people got their king. Saul, from the tribe of Benjamin.   And God did a profound work down through the lineage of the next king, David.  God gets done what He aims to get done, and we don't really have the power to thwart His eternal plans…because guess what? He knows every word we speak before it is formed on our tongues so says Psalm 139:4.  So we don't mess up and trash and thrash His eternal plans. We are created, He is the Creator, and we don't have the power to ruin what He wills to be accomplished. But that's not an excuse to demand our own way. It should be a warning that we don't understand the holiness of God the way that we ought to.    God's holiness reminds me that I should trust Him fully and serve Him honorably and repent when I find myself demanding my own way.    And when He solemnly gives me a warning about what will happen if He gives me that which I am pining and whining for…do I listen, or do I say, “Yeah yeah, just give it to me.”   So what's the positive promise here? That we can listen and heed and be blessed beyond measure, if we have ears to hear and hearts to understand. If we yield. If we say, “Not my will, but Yours be done in this area, in this part of my life, where I really want this, but Your will, not mine.” There's a blessing to be had in those moments of yielding, a blessing that may well be unique to those situations.    You know, kings like the one they were demanding in 1 Samuel chapter 8, kings recruit. That's evidenced clearly in this passage. He'll take this, he'll take that, he'll take the other, and then he'll take even more. Kings recruit. Sometimes people in other positions of leadership recruit. But God, He doesn't treat us like recruits, like a mass of numbers, because that's not very personal or loving. Your God is so personal. Your God loves you so incredibly much. Isn't that the reality of John 3:16 and 17? For God SO loved. That tiny word SO is awfully important, it packs a huge punch and gives us a mighty big glimpse into the heart of our Father.    God will have assignments for you, tasks that fit into what Paul told us about in Ephesians, good works created in advance for you to do. I think that's in chapter two of Ephesians. Super encouraging chapter, by the way, Ephesians 2. And 3. Well, the whole book…who am I kidding, it's powerful and man you need a boost about your life and if you matter in the whole scheme of things? Read Epheisans. It'll boost ya!   Being recruited feels so very different than being granted a Kingdom assignment straight from the God who SO loves you. No comparison between the two. Man recruits. God assigns out of the depths of His great and unending love.  One feels heavy and burdensome and wearying. The other brings joy and nearness to the Lord and fits us. Like a cookie back in the shape of the cutter, ya know? Okay, this fits me exactly and perfectly, this is the cloth I was cut from, wow oh wow, this is not heavy and cumbersome and awkward. It fits. And feels like a gift even as I do the work of it.  Does that kind of make sense as a distinction? Recruit vs assign.    Yield to Him, ask Him for His assignments, the good works He has planned for you to be doing, and enjoy the truth that you are SO loved by your King. The promise of 1 Samuel for this series on the podcast is basically this: you will never regret yielding to your one true King rather than demanding what you want, and you will be blessed by the God who SO loves you each and every time you say, “Not my will, Lord, but Your will be done.”

Well hello again, and thanks for listening to this special PART TWO episode of the podcast. In this episode I'm reading the chapter of Matthew 24 from the New Living Translation and encouraging you to be attentive and to be about the Lord's business. He loves us too much to pull His punches in His word, and this chapter has a whole lot for us to know about in order to live well for His Kingdom and His honor. And as a little side note, my new podcast - The Prayer Podcast with Jan L. Burt - is up for a podcast award & I'd be so honored if you'd cast your vote! Visit THIS LINK and vote for The Prayer Podcast with Jan L. Burt in the category of Best Solo Podcast. Thanks so very much!  Here is Matthew 24 in the NLT Jesus Speaks about the Future 24 As Jesus was leaving the Temple grounds, his disciples pointed out to him the various Temple buildings. 2 But he responded, “Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!” 3 Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?[a]” 4 Jesus told them, “Don't let anyone mislead you, 5 for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.' They will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don't panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won't follow immediately. 7 Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. 8 But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. 9 “Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers.[b] 10 And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. 11 And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. 12 Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations[c] will hear it; and then the end will come. 15 “The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration[d] standing in the Holy Place.” (Reader, pay attention!) 16 “Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. 17 A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. 18 A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat. 19 How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. 20 And pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again. 22 In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God's chosen ones. 23 “Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,' or ‘There he is,' don't believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones. 25 See, I have warned you about this ahead of time. 26 “So if someone tells you, ‘Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,' don't bother to go and look. Or, ‘Look, he is hiding here,' don't believe it! 27 For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man[e] comes. 28 Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.[f] 29 “Immediately after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened,     the moon will give no light, the stars will fall from the sky,     and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.[g] 30 And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.[h] 31 And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world[i]—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven. 32 “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door. 34 I tell you the truth, this generation[j] will not pass from the scene until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear. 36 “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself.[k] Only the Father knows. 37 “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day. 38 In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 39 People didn't realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. 40 “Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left. 42 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don't know what day your Lord is coming. 43 Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. 44 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected. 45 “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. 46 If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. 47 I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. 48 But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won't be back for a while,' 49 and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? 50 The master will return unannounced and unexpected, 51 and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."   Be attentive and make sure the two things that Jesus said we MUST do in this passage are on our to-do list and of the highest priority. When He says MUST, may we say, "Yes, Lord!"        

Well, hello there! Welcome to the podcast! As mentioned in episode #158, we're taking a brief break from the Every Book A Promise series so that we can look at a passage that the Lord put on my heart to share with you. A couple of weeks ago I covered this passage on my other podcast (The Prayer Podcast with Jan L. Burt) and I mentioned on that show that I'd be sharing about Luke chapter 12 and Matthew chapter 24 over here on The Burt (Not Ernie) Show.  This has been in the works for a bit, and I say that in order to *hopefully* prevent anyone from thinking that this content is to make a point or is in response to or directed at any one person in particular. IT ISN'T. I promise. Now that that's out of the way and there's no reason to wonder if this is a pointy stick being jibbed and jabbed at someone, let's get down to it!   This podcast is now playing on the Edifi app. This is episode number 159.   Luke 12:35-56 (read aloud in the NLT) 35 “Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. 37 The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat! 38 He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn.[d] But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready. 39 “Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.” 41 Peter asked, “Lord, is that illustration just for us or for everyone?” 42 And the Lord replied, “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. 43 If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. 44 I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. 45 But what if the servant thinks, ‘My master won't be back for a while,' and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? 46 The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant in pieces and banish him with the unfaithful. 47 “And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn't prepared and doesn't carry out those instructions, will be severely punished. 48 But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required. Jesus Causes Division 49 “I have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning! 50 I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished. 51 Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other! 52 From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against—or two in favor and three against. 53  ‘Father will be divided against son     and son against father; mother against daughter     and daughter against mother; and mother-in-law against daughter-in-law     and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.'[e]” 54 Then Jesus turned to the crowd and said, “When you see clouds beginning to form in the west, you say, ‘Here comes a shower.' And you are right. 55 When the south wind blows, you say, ‘Today will be a scorcher.' And it is. 56 You fools! You know how to interpret the weather signs of the earth and sky, but you don't know how to interpret the present times.   In the NLT, the header for verses 35-48 reads “Be Ready for the Lord's Coming” and in the Amplified it reads “Be In Readiness”. Be in readiness. Live in a state of perpetual readiness. Now, this is no easy task, no small order we find here.    Be dressed and ready for service. Keep your lamps burning. The oil often referenced in the Bible refers to the Holy Spirit. Be so filled with the Spirit of the Living God, be much with the Lord to put it very frankly, because that Holy Spirit oil is what will keep your lamp burning. No oil? No fire in the lamp. And if the lamp is not lit and burning, then we are not obeying the Lord Jesus and His command to us here in Luke chapter 12. If you do not spend time, and ample time, in the Word of God and with Him in prayer and thanksgiving (not talking about a Bible reading checklist here, but a personal relationship with the One who loved you enough to die for you). Talk with Him all day long, make a conversation with Him the thing you are doing as you drift off to sleep, pray and listen first thing when you awaken. Be dressed for service, as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. You'd be paying attention, have certain things at the ready that the master would want upon his return, and if it were from a wedding feast, it would likely be a late return. Nonetheless, you'd be ready with what would please the master, ready to do your assigned tasks. That's how active waiting should take place. Though the hour seems late, don't slumber and don't slack off. Stay dressed for service and be so much with the Lord, filled with His Spirit, that when He returns you are ready and waiting, and in your readied state of waiting you will be doing the things the Lord has called you to be doing.  What are those things for you? Probably not exactly what they are in my life. For example, my children are all adults now, so I do not have the same daily child-rearing things to do that I had to do earlier in my life. This isn't a one-size-fits-all, but rather that solid relationship with your Father so that you know just what it is He wants you to be doing in this season.    This is how you will be ready to open the door and let Him in the moment He arrives and knocks. Be alert to the times and seasons in which we live. Eyes on Israel - very prudent to pay attention to what is happening in Israel in these last days. And you know, there are so many people in ministry who are talking frankly about the soon return of Jesus, I cannot think of a time this has ever been the case to this extreme. Where we see Matthew 24 coming to pass in all its varied aspects, and have church leaders who are not what could be considered out there on the fringe, stating openly that this is it, we are in the final hours. Children, even toddlers, are having dreams about Jesus and His return and there is a widening gap between those who are in the Church, who profess Jesus as Lord, this widening gap where some believe these are the last days and at any time we truly could (and I believe, will) see the beginning of the 7 year tribulation begin, a treaty that involves Israel that will be a 7 year promise type of treaty, and that's the kick off of the final 7 years, that's the book of Daniel and also Paul in both his letters to the Thessalonian church. We're almost there, folks. And yet there is a large (too large!) number of professing believers who are not in belief about this very subject. They say it's coming, but not now, later on down the road, there's more time…and really to be fair, if they don't search out the information about specifically Israel and things like looking at the number of earthquakes happening around the world, or looking into the state of the Euphrates River right now, and line this all up with the Bible, if they don't know what's going on, that would for sure contribute to not thinking we are so close. And often the one single verse, not the whole counsel of the Word of God, but one single verse that Jesus spoke, is their reasoning behind not believing this is the season of His return. Of course, that verse is that no man knows the hour or the day of the return of the Son of God. That's a true verse, 100% true. But if we take it in context, and read all of what Jesus says in this passage in Matthew 24, all His words here regarding the end times, we would find that He is actually calling us to be ready because He will come at an hour when you do not expect it. He gives signs in this chapter to know that His return is very near, and Jesus said that when you see all these things, the end is near, even at the door. That's verse 33 of Matthew 24.   I'm doing this episode of this podcast, and also of my original podcast The Burt (Not Ernie) Show about this topic, the signs of the times and the return of the King of kings, because the Lord put it on my heart to do so. To share on this. Right now. Without delay. To make short work of my obedience to what He called me to do.    In spite of those who don't want to hear it, who don't think it's time just quite yet.  But it is time. And I hope you do hear. Things are advancing. That seven year treaty will be signed soon. As it says in Luke 12, when He comes He will reward the servants who are ready. If you knew exactly when a burglar was coming, you would not permit a break in. A servant who knows what the master wants but isn't prepared and doesn't carry out those instructions will be severely punished. But what if the servant thinks, “My master won't be back for a while,”...the master will return unannounced and unexpected and will cut the servant in pieces and banish him with the unfaithful. These are the words Jesus spoke about being ready for His coming. So please, be ready. Be dressed for service. Keep your lamp burning. Be ready and waiting for His return and there will be a reward for you. It will be unexpected…so do your utmost to expect the unexpected. You must be ready all the time, it says in verse 40. Again, I use the word please…be ready all the time, starting at this time, this very moment, right now, today. Get ready, be ready, stay ready. The King is coming soon.   Lord, lead us as we serve You wholeheartedly in these last days. Show us how to pay attention to the signs of the times, the signs that mark Your soon return, and help us live ready and attentively, but not in fear or giving way to despair. Keep our eyes fixed on You, remind us of all You've promised, and keep us as the apple of Your eye as we are dressed for service, picking up our cross daily and following You, keeping our lamps burning, waiting for Your return. Save all who will come to You, Lord, and do not delay. Bring about a great end times harvest and move in the hearts and minds of men and women and children all over the world. Show us what we need to know, and by the same power that raised Jesus from the grave, enable us to do the things You want us to be doing at this moment in time. We still must go to work each day, and we want to do that for Your glory and Your honor, so lead us in doing our work well, as unto the Lord, even while we remain aware and watchful. May we be a blessing to those around us in the daily tasks we must do, and remind us to pray with boldness and great faith for the people in our lives who have needs, and who do not know You as their own Lord and Savior. May be remain dressed and ready for service continually, and never doubt in the dark what You have told us in the light. And Lord, work in the lives of Your people in Israel. Reveal Yourself to them as their Messiah. Come quickly, Lord Jesus, and save and rescue as many as possible in the days remaining before Your return. Amen.   Thanks for joining me for this special episode of The Burt (Not Ernie) Show. And I hope to see you back here for Part Two in episode number 160!    

Well, hey there!  I'm so thankful you're here for this episode and I hope you stick around all the way to the end, because there is a very special blessing I'd like to share with you and speak over you as a prayer.    And here's a link to share any prayer requests (or to check out the Psalm 91 Pray It & Believe audio course or for an all-access pass to the latest prayer retreat online event), just visit JanLBurt.com & an option to text your prayer requests will be right there on your screen. I'd be honored to pray for you!    The book of Ruth begins with a heartbreaking story of loss and pain and moves on to a story of redemption and blessing. It truly is one of the most beautiful tales the Bible has to tell. Rather than have lengthy show notes for this episode, I'll just share some verses from the book of Ruth and allow you to listen to the podcast and be blessed by the message from today's text. God has good for you, and I hope today's show is encouraging! I so appreciate you joining me and taking a look at God's promises and blessings for His people in this part of the "Every Book A Promise" series on the podcast!  Ruth 1:1-5 NLT In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to live in the country of Moab, taking his wife and two sons with him.  The man's name was Elimelech, and his wife was Naomi. Their two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. And when they reached Moab, they settled there. Then Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons. The two sons married Moabite women. One married a woman named Orpah, and the other a woman named Ruth. But about ten years later,  both Mahlon and Kilion died. This left Naomi alone, without her two sons or her husband.   Ruth 2:12 NLT May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.   Ruth 4:11-12 NLT Then the elders and all the people standing in the gate replied, “We are witnesses! May the Lord make this woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, from whom all the nation of Israel descended! May you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.  And may the Lord give you descendants by this young woman who will be like those of our ancestor Perez, the son of Tamar and Judah.”