“Anything but Ordinary Promises”

Fresh Manna 2009© by Pastor Tim Burt

Rom 10:8 “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming”

I had a strong religious upbringing. I say the word “religious” – not Christian on purpose. I was brought up in learning Christian religion which is not the same as having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ by receiving Him as Lord and Savior. The truth was, I never read – not even cracked open a Bible – not once – until I was 24 years old. I never knew anything concrete about God or how to relate to Him except in “religious ceremonial ways” until I finally began to read and understand the Bible.

Today’s Fresh Manna verse says that God’s Word is not only called “the Word,” but it is also called the “Word of Faith.” “The Word refers to the scriptures being God’s inspired Word – His Word from His heart. “The Word of Faith” refers to the Word of God being that which we can put our absolute faith in. It is so powerful to understand this small but profound truth.

Every religious thing I was taught growing up concerning God was theory. I was taught that you couldn’t take the Bible literal – that some parts were true and some parts fable. Great! Who was capable of deciding that? That reduced everything to theory. Theory is basically a platform for unbelief – not having enough facts or concrete information to be fact. That was my religion.

Theories I grew up under or were taught along the way were: there are many gods; there is a universal God that God accepts everyone’s religion; there is a Heaven and a Hell; there is no Heaven or Hell; there is punishment when we die; there is no punishment when we die; Hell is the pain on earth that we go through now; God is too big and too busy to answer our little unimportant prayers; God kills people when He needs them in Heaven; God puts us in car accidents and tragedies to teach us lessons about life; God will get you when you are bad – maybe with a lighting bolt; no one can know for sure where they will go when they die; there is a place that you go when you die; after death you go to something like prison and you do time and get time off for good behavior or if people on earth pray you out; if you do certain religious things for a certain amount of time or enough good things in life, you can earn your way into Heaven; and on and on. This confusion actually convinced me to try and believe there was no God for about three years. I tried that. I professed it to others, but the truth was, I never really believed it. Deep down in my heart, I did believe and know that God existed. I just didn’t understand Him. I kept wondering – “Are you there God?” Just the complexity and beauty of the human creation and nature told me He existed!

Christianity is not based on theory. It is based on the truth and facts of Gods Word. Because we know and believe what God tells us through His Word, and because we know of the intimacy we experience through the truth of Jesus Christ, Gods’ Word becomes a Word of Faith – a word that we can put our absolute faith in. It becomes a Word of Faith we base our lives on. It becomes a Word of Faith we base our eternal salvation on. It becomes the Word of Faith that clearly tells us how much He loves us. It becomes the Word of Faith that fills our life with the promises of God – of provision, of peace, of protection, of help, of guidance, of miracles, of intimacy between a Heavenly Father and His earthly children. It eliminates the gods of theory, myths, and fairy tales. His Word becomes a powerful, transforming, and life-changing force that helps us see the world through His eyes while filling us with His compassion for lost mankind. Thus our lives become purposed filled sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and His love for all.

David, who slew Goliath, was one who saw the Word of God as the Word of Faith. To Him it was fact. God was real. God was intimate to David. God had given David words from Heaven that He based his entire life and existence upon. Having great faith in God’s word was what fueled David in his to stand up to Goliath when an entire army cowered at Goliath’s very presence. David was convinced God would help him in every situation – especially at defending the name of God. We see in the Psalms what was in David’s heart and how he thought. “Though a thousand shall fall at my side, and ten thousand die around me, it shall not happen to me,” Psa 91:7

It didn’t make any difference what happened to those around him; He knew God would help him. God’s Word was his Word of Faith – that which he put absolute and total confidence in.

There will always be those that read the Word of God and to them it is a storybook – a book of myths and fables. To them it is not God’s Word given by Him to us and to them it is definitely not a Word of Faith.

Hebrews 6: 11 says “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” That chapter then goes on to list the heroes of faith who walked by the faith that pleases God and consequently experienced mighty exploits at that hand of God.

To those who believe, God’s Word “… it is the power of God to salvation (to be rescued, helped, protected, healed, and made whole) to every one that believes. (Romans 1:16) God’s Word is so rich in promises to us, that it compels me to shout it from the rooftops (or at least through email.) Be blessed as you let your life be touched by and dare to put your faith in His Word of Promise to you today.

In His Love,
Pastor Tim Burt