Wednesday, 18 February 2026

Salt and Light in a Loud, Confused World 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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Being Salt and Light  in a Loud, Confused World

February 18, 2026
by Timothy Burt

Matthew 5:13–16 (NLT) “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

Jesus didn’t say we should try to be salt and light. He said we are. This is not an optional role for especially mature believers—it is the normal identity of everyone who follows Him. Long before our modern culture became loud, divided, and reactive, Jesus knew His people would be called to influence the world in quieter, deeper ways.

Salt and light work differently, but both are essential.

Salt works quietly. It preserves. It slows decay. In biblical times, salt was priceless because it kept food from spoiling. When Jesus called His followers the salt of the earth, He was saying our presence—our integrity, obedience, and godly character—would restrain moral decay simply by being lived out faithfully.

But salt does more than preserve. Salt also adds flavor. It makes food enjoyable. It brings out what is good rather than overpowering it. Without salt, even the finest meal tastes bland and lifeless. In the same way, Christians are meant to bring something life-giving to this world. Our faith should not make life dull, harsh, or joyless. It should add warmth, hope, kindness, and encouragement. When Christ is alive in us, the world should taste something better.

Light works visibly. It reveals what is hidden. It brings clarity where there is confusion. It provides direction when people are unsure of their next step. Light does not argue with darkness—it simply shines and changes the environment by its presence. Even a small light makes a noticeable difference in a dark room.

In today’s loud, divided, and often angry culture, many believers feel pressure to be louder, sharper, or constantly reactive. But Jesus never called us to be noise. He called us to be salt and light.

Salt influences without controlling.

Light guides without shaming.

Being salt today may look like refusing to join conversations that tear others down. It may mean choosing grace over sarcasm, honesty over exaggeration, humility over winning an argument. Salt does not announce itself—it simply improves the environment it is placed in.

Being light may look like calm steadiness when others panic. Hope when cynicism feels justified. Compassion when judgment would be easier. Light does not demand attention. It simply shines and allows others to see clearly.

Jesus also warned that salt can lose its flavor. Salt that no longer tastes like salt is useless. In the same way, when believers blend so thoroughly into the culture that there is no distinction—no holiness, no joy, no love—we lose our influence. A faith that looks no different than the world around it offers nothing worth tasting.

Likewise, light hidden under a basket helps no one. Faith kept private to avoid discomfort or criticism may feel safer, but it fails to fulfill its purpose. Jesus did not call us to hide our faith; He called us to live it openly, humbly, and consistently.

This does not mean perfection. It means presence—Christ living through us in ordinary, everyday ways. The way we speak. The way we respond. The way we treat people who disagree with us. The way we carry ourselves at home, at work, and online.

You do not have to win every debate. You do not have to comment on every issue. You do not have to shout to make an impact. You simply need to remain salty. You simply need to stay lit.

When believers live this way, Jesus said the outcome would be unmistakable: people will not glorify us—they will glorify our heavenly Father. That is the purpose of salt and light—not self-promotion, but God’s goodness being tasted and seen through ordinary lives lived faithfully.

In a world desperate for clarity, stability, and hope, being salt and light has never mattered more.

Colossians 4:6 (NLT)  “Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.”

Dear Lord, Thank You for calling us to influence the world without becoming like it. Help us remain salty in a culture that is losing its way and bright in places where darkness feels overwhelming. Let our lives add grace, joy, and hope to the people around us, so they experience Your goodness through us. May our words, attitudes, and actions bring glory to You each day, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

‍

In His love,
Pastor Tim Burt
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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! 

Explore more on my website →

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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Salt and Light in a Loud, Confused World Fresh Manna by Pastor Tim Burt

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