BBD 01.17.17 Pretenders (Classic)

#1 · January 17, 2017, 11:03 am

Quote from Forum Archives on January 17, 2017, 11:03 am
Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>

Classic from 2009

Burning Bush Devotional

17 January 2017

Pretenders

Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you
may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. -
James 5:16 NKJV.

…casting down arguments and every high thing (We demolish arguments and every
pretension - NIV) that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing
every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. - 2 Corinthians 10:5
NKJV.

An intoxicated 23-year-old man fell off a bridge in Minnesota early one
morning. He did not really intend to fall off the bridge, although while he was
pretending to be falling off the bridge, he actually fell. He fell about 30
feet into a marshy area of the Minnesota River and thankfully was in stable
condition following his rescue. A friend was present at the time and called for
help.

Have you ever pretended to be something that you were not? Have you ever
pretended to be “holier than thou” when you were really just a worm of a
sinner (Romans 3:23) like everyone else? Have you ever pretended that
everything is perfect in your family and life when actually everything is
falling apart? Have you ever prayed for all those others out there with
addictions when you have your own secret addiction?

I am often told about situations and problems in the lives of people, but am
told at the same time that this is very private, and not to send out a prayer
request about it. I do understand their fears about others knowing of some
secret, perhaps shameful thing, because I have had those fears too. However, if
we really want God to do something about the situation or problems we need to
share what is going on in our lives with our brothers and sisters in Christ. If
we were all upfront and honest about our lives it would be easier to share
about our own lives; because then we would know that those Christians
pretending to be perfect, are not any more perfect than we are.

Before we come to know Jesus as our personal Savior, we pretend that we have no
need for God, because we are self-made people. We live in denial of our lost
condition by pretending that we do not sin any more than anyone else, and so if
they are going to Heaven, we will too. After we come to know Jesus as our
personal Savior and are born again, many then begin to live their lives as if
they have no need for God, because their lives are perfect. How sad! Let us
stop being pretenders!

Pretending we are something that we are not just causes more problems, fear,
and pain. If we are truly brothers and sisters in Christ then we are family. If
we are family, we should be able to share our problems with one another
and then the whole family can help to bear those problems. If you are a child
of God you are not alone! You have a family. You have brothers and sisters who
love you and care about you. You no longer have to pretend, because God is your
Father, and through Jesus you are perfect in His sight. Rejoice! He has covered
you with the “garments of salvation…the robe of
righteousness (Isaiah 61:10).”

Copyright © 2009-2016. Ed
Wrather. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On
June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.
Ed Wrather began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of those
first devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent to
prison facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

Visit the
Burning Bush websites:

www.theburningbush.net

www.theburningbush.org

The Burning Bush websites are celebrating
18 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush
Devotional has been spreading the truth of God's Word to more than 12,000
subscribers across the world. (At one time there were 18,000 subscribers to the
email devotional. Email has become less important as many are using the social
platforms like facebook and twitter more frequently.)

The Addictions Kit - Biblical Help for Addictions by Ed Wrather is now
available for download from Amazon. The Addictions Kit provides practical Biblical steps to defeat
your addiction that actually work.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VIYLNLM

The New Pastor's Training Manual is available for download on Amazon. Here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PJ8UTGS If you prefer a paper copy of the book you can order it from
the Burning Bush website at http://bit.ly/1uXDBnk

You can leave comments/feedback
about the devotionals at www.theburningbush.net.

There is a translation tool on
theburningbush.net website in the top right hand corner of all of the pages.

Check out the Scripture Index being constructed for the
Devotionals at the Burning Bush website. The Links are in about the middle of
the home page. Topics for each devotional are now being added to the Index.

Prayer
Requests:

Please continue to pray for
healing for Michelle Abetz, Shane Hall, Brad, Damon D. & wife, Beverly
(Jeanie’s sister), Brent Baker, Lexi McCalip, Gary Kirk, and Jeanie.

Please pray for an end to the
racial hatred in the USA and that it will be replaced with peace and love. Many
prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page.
You can also post your prayer requests there (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for me. My
prayer focus is now that God will give me opportunities to preach. As the
apostle Paul says, “…woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!”).

You can contact Ed Wrather at edwrather@yahoo.com or
theburningbushdevotional@gmail.com View LinkedIn profile with
endorsements at http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=92988105

If you enjoy the devotional
please recommend it to your friends. They may subscribe by sending a blank
email to burningbushdevo-join@welovegod.org

There is a complete devotional
archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/DevotionalArchive.html.

Devotion vs Devotional: We do our
devotions, we read devotionals.

You can unsubscribe to the burningbushdevo devotional group by
sending a blank email to burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org and then respond
to the confirmation email.

You may subscribe to the html text group (Because of time
constraints the devotional is only being sent now in html format) by sending a
blank email to burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by
sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond
to the confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

--

To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org

Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>

Classic from 2009

Burning Bush Devotional

17 January 2017

Pretenders

Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you
may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. -
James 5:16 NKJV.

…casting down arguments and every high thing (We demolish arguments and every
pretension - NIV) that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing
every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. - 2 Corinthians 10:5
NKJV.

An intoxicated 23-year-old man fell off a bridge in Minnesota early one
morning. He did not really intend to fall off the bridge, although while he was
pretending to be falling off the bridge, he actually fell. He fell about 30
feet into a marshy area of the Minnesota River and thankfully was in stable
condition following his rescue. A friend was present at the time and called for
help.

Have you ever pretended to be something that you were not? Have you ever
pretended to be “holier than thou” when you were really just a worm of a
sinner (Romans 3:23) like everyone else? Have you ever pretended that
everything is perfect in your family and life when actually everything is
falling apart? Have you ever prayed for all those others out there with
addictions when you have your own secret addiction?

I am often told about situations and problems in the lives of people, but am
told at the same time that this is very private, and not to send out a prayer
request about it. I do understand their fears about others knowing of some
secret, perhaps shameful thing, because I have had those fears too. However, if
we really want God to do something about the situation or problems we need to
share what is going on in our lives with our brothers and sisters in Christ. If
we were all upfront and honest about our lives it would be easier to share
about our own lives; because then we would know that those Christians
pretending to be perfect, are not any more perfect than we are.

Before we come to know Jesus as our personal Savior, we pretend that we have no
need for God, because we are self-made people. We live in denial of our lost
condition by pretending that we do not sin any more than anyone else, and so if
they are going to Heaven, we will too. After we come to know Jesus as our
personal Savior and are born again, many then begin to live their lives as if
they have no need for God, because their lives are perfect. How sad! Let us
stop being pretenders!

Pretending we are something that we are not just causes more problems, fear,
and pain. If we are truly brothers and sisters in Christ then we are family. If
we are family, we should be able to share our problems with one another
and then the whole family can help to bear those problems. If you are a child
of God you are not alone! You have a family. You have brothers and sisters who
love you and care about you. You no longer have to pretend, because God is your
Father, and through Jesus you are perfect in His sight. Rejoice! He has covered
you with the “garments of salvation…the robe of
righteousness (Isaiah 61:10).”

Copyright © 2009-2016. Ed
Wrather. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On
June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.
Ed Wrather began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of those
first devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent to
prison facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

Visit the
Burning Bush websites:

http://www.theburningbush.net

http://www.theburningbush.org

The Burning Bush websites are celebrating
18 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush
Devotional has been spreading the truth of God's Word to more than 12,000
subscribers across the world. (At one time there were 18,000 subscribers to the
email devotional. Email has become less important as many are using the social
platforms like facebook and twitter more frequently.)

The Addictions Kit - Biblical Help for Addictions by Ed Wrather is now
available for download from Amazon. The Addictions Kit provides practical Biblical steps to defeat
your addiction that actually work.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VIYLNLM

The New Pastor's Training Manual is available for download on Amazon. Here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PJ8UTGS If you prefer a paper copy of the book you can order it from
the Burning Bush website at http://bit.ly/1uXDBnk

You can leave comments/feedback
about the devotionals at http://www.theburningbush.net.

There is a translation tool on
theburningbush.net website in the top right hand corner of all of the pages.

Check out the Scripture Index being constructed for the
Devotionals at the Burning Bush website. The Links are in about the middle of
the home page. Topics for each devotional are now being added to the Index.

Prayer
Requests:

Please continue to pray for
healing for Michelle Abetz, Shane Hall, Brad, Damon D. & wife, Beverly
(Jeanie’s sister), Brent Baker, Lexi McCalip, Gary Kirk, and Jeanie.

Please pray for an end to the
racial hatred in the USA and that it will be replaced with peace and love. Many
prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page.
You can also post your prayer requests there (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for me. My
prayer focus is now that God will give me opportunities to preach. As the
apostle Paul says, “…woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!”).

You can contact Ed Wrather at edwrather@yahoo.com or
theburningbushdevotional@gmail.com View LinkedIn profile with
endorsements at http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=92988105

If you enjoy the devotional
please recommend it to your friends. They may subscribe by sending a blank
email to burningbushdevo-join@welovegod.org

There is a complete devotional
archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/DevotionalArchive.html.

Devotion vs Devotional: We do our
devotions, we read devotionals.

You can unsubscribe to the burningbushdevo devotional group by
sending a blank email to burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org and then respond
to the confirmation email.

You may subscribe to the html text group (Because of time
constraints the devotional is only being sent now in html format) by sending a
blank email to burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by
sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond
to the confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org