Lives Depend Upon You!

Fresh Manna
by Pastor Tim Burt

At the age of 24, I was seeking to know God. I grew up with questions about God I could never answer. I wanted to know in my heart that God existed and if so, what did He want or expect from me. At that time, I felt like I had read numerous books and perspectives on God and religion. Honestly, all they did was confuse me and make me wonder if it was possible to know anything about God for sure.

Then one day, God arranged for me to bump into an amazingly kind person named Sharon that had answers to my questions. She filled in all the blanks I had about Jesus and helped me understand what He did for me—that He took the punishment I deserved for my sins upon Himself and offered to exchange them for forgiveness and eternal life with Him—this as a free gift that I only had to personally receive. I wanted to receive it. I knew I couldn’t be good enough to please God on my own! She helped me pray and I sincerely asked Jesus to forgive me of all my sins, wash them away, and become my Lord and Savior.

That day, my life changed forever. I started reading the Bible and it began to come alive to me. I started attending a Bible-teaching church and met many Sharons—people who kindly answered the multitude of questions I had, and help me understand more. In didn’t take long before I could see God leading me down a path of blessing and transforming my entire life.

The reason Jesus was able to reveal Himself to me was because I was seeking Him. Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. ” But it was also because of Sharon, a light and a person who was able and willing to share the knowledge and love of Jesus with me. I will never ever be able to repay her for her willingness to take the time with me that day. It was the greatest gift ever given to me and the greatest day of my life.

Do you know why this happened in the first place? Because Sharon was being a light. She was different from anyone I had met. Upbeat. Kind. She had a positive attitude. She was confident in who she was. Because she was this way, it led me to asking her, Sharon, what makes you so happy? Her answer let us to talking about Jesus and me receiving Him. She left the most incredible impression on me and why it is so important to be a light!

Jesus taught His disciples, “The harvest is ripe”. What did He mean by that? He meant that we would always have people around us who were seeking the truth about God. They would be in our midst whether we knew it or not. They’re confused like you were. They want to know who is living it, not just talking it. And so they are watching you to see if you are the real deal! Are they seeing Jesus in you? God is using our witness as a tool to help reveal Himself to them. God has asked us to be a light to the world. A light can be seen. We must be different enough in our love, kindness, and lifestyle that others would suspect a difference and would see our light. And when that moment comes, we need to be ready to plant a seed, water a seed that’s already been planted in them, or harvest someone’s efforts and lead those who are ready, to receive Jesus as Savior. It’s the greatest gift of love you’ll ever give any person. You might be the one who plants the seed. You might be the one who waters the seed already planted in them. Or you might be the one to lead them to the Lord in prayer! Sharon harvested me! You have people around you who are wanting to know God. So be a light! Pray God help you be one today and everyday! Develop this heart and it will change the entire course of your life!

1 Peter 3:15 “In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect”

In His love,
Pastor Tim Burt

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