Friday, 26 June 2026

796863 is your Substack verification code

 
Cognitive Ritual

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324026 is your Substack verification code

 
Cognitive Ritual

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Light Years by Gaurav Krishnan

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Am I Backslidden? 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 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! Forward this email to a friend


Am I Backslidden?

June, 26, 2026
by Timothy Burt

You might wonder why I wrote this devotional.

I'll be honest. Over the past year, I've encountered several people who are simply not in the same place spiritually that they were just a couple of years ago. Their choices reflect it. The words they speak and the stories they tell reflect it. The absence of church and Christian fellowship in their lives reflects it. Even some of the worldly habits they left behind after coming to Christ have quietly crept back in.

Am I judging them? Not at all.

In fact, it has burdened my heart to pray for them because I love them dearly. Before I would ever speak a word of encouragement, I want to spend time asking God to open the eyes of their understanding and draw them back into close fellowship with Himself. I know that prayer can accomplish what difficult discussions often don't.  It's far better that they hear from God and me or anyone else. But, if the Lord ever leads me to speak to one of them, I pray it will be as a loving brother, not a critic or their judge, but someone who simply wants God's very best for their life.

But perhaps before we think about anyone else, we should examine our own hearts.
Every now and then, every believer should stop and do a spiritual self-check.

Am I closer to Jesus today than I was a year ago?
Do I hunger for God's Word?
Do I long to pray?
Do I desire fellowship with other believers?
Do I look forward to worship?
Am I becoming more like Christ, or more comfortable with the actions and sins of the world?

Do I think often about eternity and the rewards Christ has promised those who faithfully serve Him, or have I become consumed with only the things of this life?

Am I living today with eternity in view, longing to hear Jesus say, 'Well done, good and faithful servant,' or have I become so attached to this world that heaven rarely enters my thoughts?

If the Holy Spirit gently puts His finger on an area of your life today, don't resist Him. Respond to Him. The Father has never stopped loving you, and He delights in restoring every child who turns back toward Him.

Today would be a wonderful day to draw close to Him again.

"Come near to God and He will come near to you." — James 4:8 (NIV)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me enough to pursue me even when my heart begins to drift. Search me and reveal anything that has pulled my affection away from You. Restore the joy of my salvation, renew my passion for Your Word, deepen my desire for prayer and worship, and rekindle my love for Your church and Your people. Help me to live each day with eternity in view, longing to hear the words, 'Well done, good and faithful servant.' And if I have wandered in any way, thank You that Your arms are always open to receive me back into close fellowship with You. Draw me nearer to Jesus than I have ever been before, and let my life bring honor and glory to Your name. In Jesus' precious name, amen.

 

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Wednesday, 24 June 2026

David's Final Encouragement 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 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! Forward this email to a friend


David's Final Encouragement

June 24, 2026
by Timothy Burt

Most summer mornings, I step onto the deck behind my home with a cup of coffee in my hand and simply watch the day begin. My backyard is a beautiful garden bordered by a gently flowing creek. I began building it in 2003, clueless as to where to start or what to do. But every spring, I would ask the Lord to guide me and show me how to build a garden. And step-by-step, he would lead me, not only teaching me gardening, but teaching me all the principles of his word that are revealed in the process of gardening.  Today it has become one of my favorite places to meet with God before the busyness of the day begins.

As the early morning sun rises over the corner of the garden, its first rays catch the dew resting on the flowers and grass, making them sparkle like diamonds. The entire landscape seems to awaken with warmth, beauty, and hope. It is one of those quiet moments that remind me how God's creation often preaches its own sermon.

This morning, as I watched the sunlight spread across the garden, I found myself thinking about David's final recorded public testimony as God's anointed king.  Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he declared: "When one rules over people in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings grass from the earth." (2 Samuel 23:3-4)

What a beautiful picture. David compared a life governed by righteousness and reverence for God to the gentle sunrise that awakens the earth. It brings light where there was darkness, warmth where there was coldness, hope where there was discouragement, and life where things once seemed barren. Just as the morning sun quietly transforms an ordinary landscape into something breathtaking, a person who walks in the fear of the Lord leaves beauty, peace, and blessing in the lives of others. It is almost as if the Lord wanted the last public message from "the man after God's own heart" to echo through every generation.

David begins by reminding us that these words did not originate with him. "The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me; His word was on my tongue" (2 Samuel 23:2). After all his victories and failures, triumphs and tears, David's confidence rested not in his own wisdom but in the God who had faithfully guided him every step of the way.

Then he gives us a timeless principle. Whether leading a nation, raising a family, serving in ministry, managing a business, or simply influencing those around us, righteousness and the reverence of God are like that morning sun that brings beauty and blessing to our life and the lives of others.

David knew firsthand the pain that comes from sin and self-reliance. He had experienced both—the heights of obedience and the depths of failure. Yet as he looked back over his life, he did not point people to his accomplishments. He pointed them to the faithfulness of God and the importance of living under His authority.

That message is just as relevant today. Our culture celebrates power, influence, wealth, and self-promotion. God values something far different: hearts that fear Him, lives that walk in righteousness, and leaders who serve with humility.

One day, every one of us will leave behind a final testimony. It may never be written down, but our children, grandchildren, friends, and those we have influenced will remember what mattered most to us. Will they remember our possessions and achievements, or will they remember that we loved God, trusted His Word, and walked faithfully with Him?

David's final public testimony reminds us that the greatest legacy we can leave is not success but faithfulness. Long after our voices have fallen silent, a life lived in the fear of the Lord continues to shine like the sunrise, pointing others to the goodness and greatness of God.

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭4‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.”

Prayer: Father, help me to live in such a way that my life points others to You. May my words, my choices, and my example reflect righteousness and reverence for Your name. And when my days are complete, may the legacy I leave behind encourage others to trust You and walk faithfully with You. In Jesus' name, Amen.


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Tuesday, 23 June 2026

Locusts

796863 is your Substack verification code

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