Monday, 16 February 2026

Pause First Fresh Manna by Pastor Tim Burt

Fresh Manna with Pastor Tim Burt 
Tim Logo   A Note from Pastor Tim
Greetings and thank you for reading. I pray that God speaks to your heart, helps you understand His word, and brings insight and direction to your day and your life! Be inspired and blessed! 

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Pause First!

February 16, 2026
by Timothy Burt

Luke 6:27–31 (NLT) “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. Do to others as you would like them to do to you.”

Jesus did not give us these words as ideals to admire from a distance. He gave them as a way of life—a pattern for how love is meant to function in a broken, confrontational world. This passage is often called the “Golden Rule,” but in truth, it is far more demanding than it sounds. It calls us to live out the love of Christ in moments when everything inside us wants to react, defend, correct, or retaliate.

These responses do not come naturally. Loving enemies, blessing those who wound us, and choosing mercy over retaliation take time to develop within the heart and mind. Spiritual maturity is not measured by how quickly we understand Jesus’ words, but by how consistently we learn to walk in them.

Elsewhere, Jesus summarized this same command simply: love your neighbor as yourself. That, too, is part of the Golden Rule. Yet our daily lives are filled with confrontation—some personal, some indirect, and much of it constant. Even when we are not personally involved, confrontation is pushed toward us through every form of media. We see arguments, offenses, accusations, and outrage unfolding in real time. And the moment we take a side—even mentally—we begin to feel the emotional weight of those conflicts as if they were our own.

Jesus knew this. That is why His call to love is so intentional and so radical. To love as He loved, we must learn a discipline that does not come easily in fast, emotional moments. We must learn to pause first.

Pausing first means refusing to let our initial reaction have the final word. It is a holy interruption—a moment where we stop, breathe, and bring God into the space between what happens to us and how we respond.

Consider what this might look like in everyday life.

When a family member says something sharp or dismissive, pausing first might mean choosing not to return the same tone. Instead, you remember the mercy God has shown you, and you respond with restraint rather than sarcasm.

When someone in authority frustrates or disappoints you, pausing first allows you to step back and ask, What might I not see? Empathy does not excuse wrong behavior, but it keeps our hearts from hardening.

When a comment online stirs anger or fear, pausing first may mean not engaging at all. You choose peace over proving a point, prayer over outrage, and wisdom over winning an argument.

Pausing first creates space for the Holy Spirit to work. It gives us time to remember how patient God has been with us—how often He withheld judgment, extended grace, and met us with kindness when we did not deserve it. That memory reshapes our response.

This does not mean we ignore truth or avoid difficult conversations. It means we allow love to lead before words follow. The Golden Rule is not lived out through instinct; it is lived out through intentional obedience, practiced one pause at a time.

Over time, something beautiful happens. The pause becomes shorter. The awareness becomes deeper. The response becomes more Christlike. What once felt impossible begins to feel natural—not because we are strong, but because He is at work within us.

Loving like Jesus starts with a simple decision made again and again: pause first.

Colossians 3:12–13 (NLT)  “Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”

Prayer Father God, We come before You knowing that loving like Jesus does not come naturally to us. Our reactions are quick, our emotions are strong, and our instincts often pull us toward defense instead of grace. Teach us to pause first. Help us remember Your mercy when we are stirred up. Remind us of the patience You have shown us, the forgiveness You have freely given, and the love You continue to extend even when we fall short. Train our hearts to respond instead of react. Give us empathy where there is frustration, gentleness where there is offense, and wisdom where there is tension. Let Your Spirit guide our words, our tone, and our silence. May our lives reflect the Golden Rule—not just in what we believe, but in how we live, speak, and love before a watching world. Shape us day by day until loving like Jesus becomes our way of life. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen!‍‍

In His love,
Pastor Tim Burt
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Friday, 13 February 2026

Don't step on a crack

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Faithfulness God Chooses to Reveal Fresh Manna by Pastor Tim Burt

Fresh Manna with Pastor Tim Burt 
Tim Logo   A Note from Pastor Tim
Greetings and thank you for reading. I pray that God speaks to your heart, helps you understand His word, and brings insight and direction to your day and your life! Be inspired and blessed! 

Explore more on my website →

Faithfulness God Chooses to Reveal

February 13, 2026
by Timothy Burt 

Mark had worked in aviation for nearly fifteen years. It was a job people loved—airports that never slept, crews that changed every trip, long layovers in cities filled with lights, music, and late-night laughter. After flights, most of the crew headed to restaurants or bars near the hotel, still energized from the day.

Mark often wished them well and took the elevator alone. His hotel room looked the same everywhere—neutral walls, a small desk under a lamp, a chair that never quite fit right. He would set his Bible on the desk, open a notebook, and sit quietly for a moment before reading.

Sometimes he studied a Bible course he was taking. Sometimes he prepared notes for a small Bible study he led back home. Other times, he simply read and prayed.

No one asked him to do this. No one applauded it. It was simply how he stayed anchored.

Over time, coworkers noticed—not because Mark said anything, but because consistency has a way of revealing itself.

On a late flight one evening, with passengers asleep and the darkened cabin quiet, a fellow crew member glanced at the Bible in Mark’s hands and asked, “Do you actually like reading that?”

Mark smiled. “If you knew how much this book changed my life, you’d read it too.”

That question led to another. And then another.

Sometimes conversations ended quickly. Other times they stretched across multiple flights. A few ended with Mark helping someone pray—giving their life to Jesus and becoming part of the family of God. Mark never counted. He never kept track. He just kept showing up as the same person, year after year.

One December afternoon, Mark attended a large Christmas banquet at a local convention center. A friend had invited him. The banquet was for pilots and flight attendants. Hundreds of people filled the room. Round tables stretched wall to wall. Stage lights glowed. Large screens played videos as voices and laughter echoed through the space.

As Mark and his friend were led to their seats, something unexpected happened.

He began recognizing faces. Not vaguely—clearly.

The woman coordinating volunteers at the entrance. The man providing organizational leadership. Others helping people find their tables. One by one, a realization settled in. He had worked with many of them over his career. He remembered conversations about Jesus—answering questions about God, Christ, and the Bible. He had led the majority of them to the Lord on flights somewhere in the world.

Each of them greeted Mark warmly—excitedly—as though he were someone deeply meaningful to them, including the host at his own table. It was an acquaintance he had led to the Lord a decade earlier.

As the evening unfolded, a young woman stepped onto the stage to sing. Her voice filled the room. Mark remembered praying with her years before when she had confided that she felt completely lost.

Later, the event’s hostess welcomed everyone and shared a few opening words. Mark remembered her too. She had once been a supervisor on one of his flights, overwhelmed by life. He had led her to the Lord as well.

As the evening continued, Mark sat quietly, hands folded, heart steady—but full.

And then, without spectacle or sound, the Lord spoke gently to his heart:

You don’t always see the influence you’ve had for Me. Tonight, I wanted you to see it.

Tears welled—not from pride, but from gratitude.

This wasn’t recognition from people. It was reassurance from God.

Mark left strengthened and deeply thankful that God had helped him walk out his calling—to be Jesus to the world around him. The Lord had allowed him to see just enough fruit to encourage him for the rest of his life.

It was the greatest reward he could imagine.

Hebrews 6:10 (NLT) For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for Him and how you have shown your love to Him by caring for other believers, as you still do.

 ‍
‍In His love,
Pastor Tim Burt
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Pause First Fresh Manna by Pastor Tim Burt

Fresh Manna with Pastor Tim Burt    A Note from Pastor Tim Greetings and thank you for rea...