Friday, 23 October 2026

Seeing Women Through the Eyes of Jesus Fresh Manna by Pastor Tim Burt

Fresh Manna with Pastor Tim Burt 
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A Note from Pastor Tim
Greetings and thank you for reading. I pray that Fresh Manna is a blessing to you and helps you launch your day in the Lord. If you are blessed by what you read, please share it with a friend. There is a link in this box and  at the bottom of each devotional that says:  "Forward this email to a friend." Click on it, and put in their email and it will go to them. Thanks in advance for sharing! God bless you and thanks again for reading!

Seeing Women Through the Eyes of Jesus

 October 23, 2026

by Timothy Burt

As I was worshiping and praying recently, I found myself thinking about the absolute purity of Jesus. We know that Jesus never sinned—not outwardly and not inwardly. There was never an impure action, an impure motive, or a lustful thought hidden somewhere in His heart. Then I began thinking about what that must have meant when Jesus looked at women.

The Bible doesn’t soften the truth about the rest of us. Romans 3:23 (NLT) says, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” Most men, if they are truthful, would probably admit that somewhere along the way they have looked at a woman with thoughts that weren’t pure. Jesus even took purity beyond our actions and brought it directly into our hearts. Matthew 5:28 (NLT) says, “But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Yet Jesus, who spoke those words, perfectly lived them. Scripture tells us that Jesus “faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15 NLT). Think about what that means. Jesus never once looked at a woman lustfully, entertained an impure fantasy, or reduced a woman to her appearance or what He could get from her. His eyes and His heart were completely pure.

And then I thought about Paul’s instruction to Timothy. 1 Timothy 5:2 (NIV) says to treat “younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.” Since all Scripture is God-breathed, that instruction reveals God’s heart concerning how men should view and treat women.

When I look at Jesus in the Gospels, I see that kind of purity everywhere. He spoke with the Samaritan woman when others would have looked down upon her. He showed mercy to the woman caught in adultery without approving her sin. He welcomed women as His followers, learning from Him and supporting His ministry. And when a suffering woman reached through a crowd and touched His garment, Jesus tenderly addressed her as “Daughter” (Mark 5:34). That word daughter struck me.

Jesus is the eternal Son through whom everything was created. Colossians 1:16 (NLT) says, “for through Him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.” What must it have been like for the Creator to look into the eyes of one of the women He had created? While Scripture doesn’t tell us that Jesus consciously thought daughter or sister every time He encountered a woman, everything Scripture reveals about Him tells us that He looked upon women with perfect love, dignity, compassion, and absolute purity.

But here is what makes this truth so beautiful: Jesus did not come merely to expose our impurity and leave us condemned. He came to save us. Jesus was able to become the sacrifice for our sins precisely because He was without sin. 1 Peter 1:18–19 (NLT) describes Jesus as “the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.” The perfectly pure One willingly took the sins of impure people upon Himself. He didn’t stand at a distance pointing His finger at us. He went to the cross for us.

Maybe you’ve failed in this area. Maybe you’ve looked at things you shouldn’t have looked at, entertained thoughts you shouldn’t have entertained, or crossed boundaries you deeply regret. Jesus already knows. And His response to a repentant heart isn’t condemnation; it is cleansing and restoration. 1 John 1:9 (NLT) says, “But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”

That doesn’t mean Jesus lowers the standard. Grace never makes holiness unnecessary. Grace makes holiness possible. Jesus forgives us, cleanses us, and then teaches us to increasingly see people as He sees them. For men, that means learning to look at women as people precious to God, never as objects to satisfy our desires. Each woman is someone’s daughter, someone’s sister, and, above all, someone created by God and deserving of dignity, honor, and respect.

Imagine what could happen in our hearts if, when temptation came, we stopped for a moment and prayed, "Jesus, help me see her the way You see her." That is a step toward transformation. We aren’t trying to become pure so Jesus will love us. We pursue purity because He already loves us, has forgiven us, and is transforming us into His likeness. His purity becomes our example as the Holy Spirit continues His work within us.

Perhaps Paul’s simple instruction gives us one of the clearest pictures of what this looks like: “…younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.” 1 Timothy 5:2 (NIV) When we see women this way—as sisters and spiritual daughters in the Lord—wrong thinking loses its power. Temptation is confronted at the level of perception, because we are no longer looking at a woman through the lens of desire but through the eyes of Jesus.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You that Jesus did not come to condemn me but to save me. Thank You for forgiving and cleansing me wherever I have fallen short. Help me to see others through the eyes of Jesus. Purify my thoughts, my motives, and my heart. Teach me to treat every woman with dignity, honor, love, and absolute purity. Make me increasingly like Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Wednesday, 21 October 2026

Am I in the Will of God? Fresh Manna by Pastor Tim Burt

Fresh Manna with Pastor Tim Burt 
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A Note from Pastor Tim
Greetings and thank you for reading. I pray that Fresh Manna is a blessing to you and helps you launch your day in the Lord. If you are blessed by what you read, please share it with a friend. There is a link in this box and  at the bottom of each devotional that says:  "Forward this email to a friend." Click on it, and put in their email and it will go to them. Thanks in advance for sharing! God bless you and thanks again for reading!

Am I in the Will of God?

October 21, 2026
by Timothy Burt

Can I truly say I’m following God’s plan for my life while choosing to live apart from a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching local church that clearly proclaims salvation through Jesus Christ? God never intended us to grow in Christ without a spiritual home and family.

That may sound like a strong statement, but I believe it expresses a powerful biblical truth. God loves His Church! Jesus demonstrated just how precious the Church is to Him by giving His life for it.

“For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up His life for her.” Ephesians 5:25 (NLT)

When I speak of being part of a church, I don’t mean simply attending a building with the word “church” on its sign. I was raised in a church with liturgy, but we were never encouraged to read the Bible for ourselves or taught that salvation is God’s gift of grace received through faith in Jesus Christ—or what that truth meant for us personally. Consequently, I entered adulthood totally Bible-illiterate and did not know Jesus as my personal Savior. It wasn’t until someone shared the gospel with me that I came to know Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

This is why simply telling someone to “go to church” is not enough. We need a church that faithfully teaches God’s Word, clearly proclaims salvation through Jesus Christ, and helps believers grow into spiritual maturity.

The Church is not a building. The people are the Church. But when believers gather in Jesus’ name to worship, pray, study God’s Word, encourage one another, and serve together, that local church becomes their spiritual home.

“All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.” Acts 2:42 (NLT)

The early believers did not accept Jesus and then attempt to live out their faith alone. They gathered. They learned God’s Word together. They prayed for one another, shared their lives, and helped each other grow. They understood that receiving Jesus also meant becoming part of His spiritual family.

God loves His Church so much that He has given ministry gifts to help lead, teach, equip, and mature His people.

“Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do His work and build up the church, the body of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11–12 (NLT)

God’s plan is not for people to merely sit in a church service once a week, listen to a message, and go home unchanged. His plan is for us to be taught His Word, strengthened in our faith, encouraged through difficult seasons, and equipped to serve others. A healthy church helps us discover and develop the gifts God has placed within us so we can become an asset and a blessing to our spiritual family and to the world around us.

No local church is perfect because every church is made up of imperfect people. There may be times when someone has been hurt by a church or when a church has drifted away from faithfully teaching God’s Word. In those situations, prayer and wisdom may lead someone to find a healthier church. But disappointment with one church should not become an excuse to abandon God’s plan for the local church altogether.

I also realize that some believers live where there is severe persecution or no Bible-teaching church available. God knows their circumstances and their hearts. But we should not allow the exceptions to cause us to miss the powerful truth God has revealed: Christians were never intended to live disconnected from the Body of Christ.

Without a spiritual home, we can gradually become isolated and spiritually homeless. We need people who will pray with us, speak truth into our lives, encourage us, and lovingly correct us when necessary. We need people who will stand with us through life’s victories and struggles—and they need us to do the same for them.

So the question is not simply, “Do I attend church?” The deeper questions are: Do I have a spiritual home? Am I being taught God’s Word? Am I growing in my relationship with Jesus? Am I building meaningful relationships with other believers? Am I using the gifts God has given me to strengthen His Church and reach the people around me?

God never intended Christianity to be lived alone. His Church is His family, His body, and His instrument for bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world.

Hebrews 10:24–25 (NLT) “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me and making me part of Your family through faith in Jesus Christ. Lead me to a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching local church where I can grow spiritually, develop meaningful relationships, serve others, and help share the gospel. Help me not merely attend church, but become a faithful, loving, and valuable part of Your Church. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Monday, 19 October 2026

Don't Let Familiarity Steal the Blessing Fresh Manna by Pastor Tim Burt

Fresh Manna with Pastor Tim Burt 
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A Note from Pastor Tim
Greetings and thank you for reading. I pray that Fresh Manna is a blessing to you and helps you launch your day in the Lord. If you are blessed by what you read, please share it with a friend. There is a link in this box and  at the bottom of each devotional that says:  "Forward this email to a friend." Click on it, and put in their email and it will go to them. Thanks in advance for sharing! God bless you and thanks again for reading!

Don't Let Familiarity Steal the Blessing

October 19, 2026
by Timothy Burt

Have you ever received something that was so special when it was new that you could hardly stop looking at it? Maybe it was your first new car, a diploma you had worked years to earn, a beautiful ring, a new Bible, or something you had saved for and dreamed about for a long time. Or maybe it was something far more precious—like looking into the face of your newborn son or daughter for the first time. Do you remember how you felt? You smiled. You appreciated it. You handled it carefully. You knew its value, and because you knew its value, you treated it as precious. But something happens over time if we're not careful. What was once new becomes familiar. What once thrilled us becomes normal. What we once thanked God for can slowly become something we simply expect to be there. Familiarity can quietly begin to steal our appreciation. This doesn't just happen with possessions. It can happen with our health, our home, our church, our friendships, our family, our marriage, and even our relationship with God.

The Bible warns us not to forget the blessings of God. Psalm 103:2 NIV says, “Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” Why would God tell us not to forget? Because He knows how easily we can become accustomed to His goodness. Yesterday's answered prayer can become today's expectation. Something we once desperately prayed for can eventually become something we barely notice. I've learned this lesson in my own marriage. Speaking from a husband's perspective, it would be very easy for me to take my wife, Renee, for granted. She is incredibly sweet and kind to me and has been a tremendous blessing in my life. But I remember a moment years ago, probably about 15 years into our marriage, when she said something that got my attention. She told me I was treating her more like a roommate than my wife. Ouch! She didn't give me a long speech or go on and on about it. That's pretty much all she said, but it was enough.

At first, it bothered me. At that point in my maturity, I probably felt a little defensive. My plate was full. I had work responsibilities, ministry, marriage, children, bills, projects, and all the normal things that come with raising a family and trying to succeed in life. In my mind, I was working hard for all of us! But instead of dismissing what Renee said, I took it to the Lord. As I prayed about it, the Lord helped me see something I didn't particularly want to see. Renee was right. I loved her deeply, but familiarity had crept in. I wasn't treating her poorly, but I wasn't cherishing her the way I once had. Somewhere along the way, I had become accustomed to the blessing. I began deliberately thinking about Renee differently. I thought about how much I loved her, what an amazing woman she was, everything she did for our family, and all the ways she blessed my life. Most importantly, I began thanking God for her again.

And something wonderful happened. As appreciation increased in my heart, it began showing up in my actions. I became more tender toward her, more thoughtful, and more affectionate. I began treating her again like the precious gift from God that she was and still is. Almost immediately, I noticed something else. Renee responded to that love with even greater tenderness and love toward me. We never sat down and had some big discussion about what I was doing. There wasn't a marriage conference or a ten-step plan. It was simply heart and action. God tells husbands something powerful about their wives. Proverbs 5:18–19 NLT says, “Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. She is a loving deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts satisfy you always. May you always be captivated by her love.” I love those words: “always be captivated by her love.” God doesn't tell us to cherish our spouse only when the relationship is new. He doesn't say to rejoice in your wife only during the honeymoon. He says, “May you always be captivated by her love.” That takes intentional appreciation.

The same principle applies to every blessing God has placed in our lives. We have to periodically stop and remember the value of what we've been given, and nowhere is that more important than in our relationship with God. Think about when you first truly understood what Jesus had done for you. Your sins forgiven! Eternal life! God's love and mercy extended toward you! What an indescribable gift! Yet even something as magnificent as salvation can become familiar if we stop thinking about what it cost and what it means. That's why gratitude is so powerful. Gratitude restores value in our thinking. It causes us to look again at something familiar and remember, This is a blessing from God! James 1:17 NIV says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.”

Today, pause for a few minutes and think about the blessings you've grown accustomed to. Think about your spouse, your children, your family, your friends, your home, your church, and your health. Think about answered prayers you've almost forgotten were once prayers. And above all, think about Jesus and the gift of salvation. Don't let familiarity steal the joy from something God intended to be a blessing. Look again. Appreciate again. Cherish again. And thank God again.

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 NIV

Father, help me never become so familiar with Your blessings that I stop appreciating them. Open my eyes to the people and blessings You've placed in my life. Help me to cherish them, express my appreciation, and continually thank You for every good gift You've given me. Most of all, never let me lose the wonder and gratitude of knowing Jesus and what He has done for me. In Jesus' name, Amen.


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Friday, 16 October 2026

“der Kreis” (The Circle)

Seeing Women Through the Eyes of Jesus Fresh Manna by Pastor Tim Burt

Fresh Manna with Pastor Tim Burt  ...