Daily life with Jesus by Grahame Howard

Tuesday, 8 July 2025

See what He has left you - and there's more

"I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid." John 14:27. NLT

It must have been a difficult time for the disciples when Jesus left them. They had been with Him for three years. Their life had been changed by associating with Him and now they heard from Him that He would be leaving them soon. Put yourselves in their position and for a moment forget all you have learnt about Jesus returning and eternal life. Just be them for a moment. It must have been a major blow to them. He was their life, He had promised that He would be with them always. Now, He is leaving them.

Of course, we now know, more than they could have known at that particular time. Nevertheless, if they had known, it would still have been a shock. Anyone who has had a loved one leave them would understand the way it affects the heart, the sleepless nights, the fear and the lack of confidence. But we can never prevent the loss happening.

But look what Jesus told them He was leaving for them: peace of mind and Heart and the peace was not like the world has to offer either. ' Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 6-7. NKJV.

This blessing was also for you and me and let's face it, with what is happening all around us, we need peace. This gift of peace, used properly, is intended to guard your heart and mind and prevent you becoming anxious. We all have the stuff that messes up our life and rips our heart apart. We've all been there and maybe some are there right now. Jesus didn't leave us that day. There were preparations to take place until the right time for His return to take us to Himself -John 14:1-4. Until then, He reigns within us and we have instant access to Him whenever we wish.

So you are not alone and, pretty soon, when Jesus comes to take us with Him, we will enjoy the Kingdom of God with Him for eternity. Therefore, remember this when troubles come by - and they will, remember that you have the gift of peace within you and, you have Jesus too. Do not fear or become anxious.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now
Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Monday, 7 July 2025

Don't ever doubt God!

13Then the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ 14Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” 15Sarah was afraid, so she denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh.” But the LORD said, “No, you did laugh.” Genesis 18:13-14 NLT

Two things that stand out today are: 'Is anything be too hard for the Lord?' And Sarah claimed she didn't laugh and the Lord said 'No, you did laugh'.

Firstly let's look at at God's first statement. We are often caught in situations and feel that we can never get out of this, yet, as we pray, nine times out of ten God is there to deliver us. There may be occasions when it feels that He is not around but, He is and He is waiting for the right moment to help us. Nothing is too hard for Him. We only have to read Paul's words: 20'Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.' This on its own gives an amazing description of whom we serve. Nothing can stop Him.

Secondly, we can never hoodwink Him. He sees and hears everything. Sarah didn't realise this when He challenged her. She was adamant that she hadn't lied, God told her that she had. We must never lie to God, He knows what we are doing and He may just turn to you and tell you like He did Sarah. On its own, it was quite a genuine statement Sarah made, how on earth could she have a baby at her age. The problem was, she lied to God.

How would you feel if God told you something incredible; something that was impossible in your own mindset, to happen. It would make you struggle a little bit, no doubt. You would probably say, 'No, that's me, God would never do that.' These were bible people, not like us. They were specially picked by God. But the people in the bible were no different from us - they were human beings, and yet, we could never imagine anything so powerful to happen. But it could, you just never know.

Look again at Paul's words in Ephesians 3:20. Enclosed in this statement is a word of faith: 'according to the power that works in us.' God wants us to have faith 'Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.' Hebrew 11:1.

The definition of this verse is, Believing God totally. And finally: 'So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever'. 2 Corinthians 4:128.

God wants us to be believing vessels; not just believing in Him but, believing what He says. He is able to do whatever He tells you. Grab a hold of the type of faith that God wants you to live by. You will then be the believer He wants you to be.

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Sunday, 6 July 2025

Don't worship an idol

"You must worship no other gods, for the LORD, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you." Exodus 34:14. NLT

God is a jealous God and so, He has the name Jealous. This is not for petty, jealous reasons; it is because He wishes to watch over us, protecting our righteousness and spirituality. He is jealous for His reputation. He made a covenant of protection with Moses and the Israelites. He will go before them, protecting them and guiding them but, they must never give themselves to false worship, thus bowing to an idol, they must only worship the Lord their God.

It is the same today. People without knowing it, are worshipping false Gods - football teams, we see them raising their hands to their team, nothing else matters. This is making a football team more important than God Himself. Pop stars is another area where people are in error of making them an idol. In fact, anything that takes God's place can be seen as a idol.

People may think this is splitting hairs but, if what they do becomes the most important thing in their life, it becomes an idol. He doesn't mind us enjoying seeing our favourite team win a match, not at all. And He loves us to enjoy the musicians of the day playing their hit songs but again, they must never take His place.

Some people can make their job an idol too. They are totally devoted to their work spending long hours doing what they love. It is great to see successful and dedicated people at work, that is what they Are supposed to do. However, there is a fine line, if that line is crossed, then something has to suffer. This could be anything in your life that takes God's place. When this happens, God takes second place. This is where His jealousy comes into play.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." Proverbs 3:5-6. NLT.

We can't get away from what this says 'all your heart' and 'all you do.' That to me is everything we do. A helpful thing to do is to place your own name in these two verses and claim them for yourself. Give all to God and, He will give all to you. Don't miss out on the blessings He has for you. They are rich

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Saturday, 5 July 2025

Just trust God for everything

3Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
4Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires.

Psalm 37:2 NLT

Giving God everything pays dividends! He knows all of the answers in life. and He knows how to do things you never thought was possible. Relationship is what it is all about. If you want to get ahead - Get God. He can take failures and turn them into winners. He can take a failure and make it a success. He turns losers into winners.

The more you enter into relationship with Jesus, the more you will be able to learn things about yourself that are holding you back. His delight is to bring you delight and this can give you the courage you need to forge ahead into new things. You may run a business that has been struggling for a little while. Make Jesus your business partner and watch it zoom.

You may work in sales and your boss has been on your back for more sales. Take Jesus on the road with you and watch your sales go up rapidly. In fact, whatever you do for a living - work for someone, have your own business, you're in the services or you may have retired, including Jesus in your day adds the security and prosperity that you need.

These two verses carry a promise from God. As we trust in Him for everything and obey His laws, He will protect us and prosper us. This doesn't mean He will make us all millionaires. He could but the prosperity He means is the value of a happy and blessed life. Jesus takes care of His people. He loves to walk and work with us. He also loves to talk to us so, make sure you talk back to Him.

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Friday, 4 July 2025

Where are you?

8When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the LORD God among the trees. 9Then the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” Genesis 3:8-9 NLT

Why did Adam and His wife hide from God when He called? You could say because they were afraid because they had eaten from the tree. You could also say, because that they were naked and didn't want God to see them this way. A half truth! But really when you think about it, they were feeling something they hadn't felt before - the burden of sin and guilt. Up until that moment, they didn't know what sin was; they had been living in the peace and the love of God's garden. But now, that wonderful feeling of love had departed from them and they felt fear.

God knew what had happened; He knows everything. If they had repented straightaway, it may have been a different story, but here they were caught out. The term 'Where are you?' Was God's way of calling Adam to stand up and confess and take his place. He was the leader and he had failed. Yet instead of saying he was sorry, it turned out to be a blame game. Adam blamed Eve and tried to put it all on God 'The woman you gave to be with me' v 12. Eve blamed the serpent and they were all banished from the garden.

God knows what we have been up to, we cannot deny it or blame others. You are the one responsible. He is always looking to see where you are spiritually; to remind you who you belong to. But, there is another side to 'Where are you?' God is checking where you are spiritually and giving you an opportunity to receive help, guidance or forgiveness if you have blown it, which we often do, The Holy Spirit will prod you back to realisation and give you the chance to put things right.

We are prone to sin and if we disagree with this, then 1 John 1:10 clarifies this: 'If we say, “We have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.' It is a very unwise thing to call God a liar. He is the Truth and any other definition of this is a lie and from the devil. It is far better to throw the towel in and pour it all out before Him. When you do, He forgives you.

Where are you today? Do you feel that you need to bow the knee and ask God for His forgiveness? You have the opportunity right now:

'Dear Father, I have sinned and I ask You to forgive me according to Your Word. I am truly sorry Lord, In Jesus' name I pray. Amen'

That's it. Now you know where you are, go and have a good day!

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Thursday, 3 July 2025

Change can come so quickly

2Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
Acts 2:2-4. NLT

Things can change so suddenly. The Bible includes various verses that speak to the theme of sudden and unexpected change, often related to divine intervention or the unpredictable nature of life. Examples include God's actions described as "suddenly" appearing, and the concept of the "twinkling of an eye" for significant transformations. Other passages emphasise the inevitability of change and the importance of finding stability in God's unchanging nature.

These changes can come with so much force that they knock you off your feet, spiritually. They can also cause devastation and pain because the change was so unexpected. Take for instance that day in Jerusalem. It was Pentecost and many Jews from far and wide were gathered there to celebrate this ceremony. Suddenly (without warning) There was a sound like a mighty rushing wind and it filled the whole house where the disciples were. They saw tongues of fire and they began settling on all of them, and they were all filled by the Holy Spirit, as Jesus had mentioned to them in Acts 1:8. They began speaking in different tongues, not the heavenly tongues that many Christians speak in but, native tongues of the various language of the visitors who had come there. This caused confusion with the crowd and most thought the disciples were drunk. They were, but with the Holy Spirit and as Peter spoke 3000 souls were saved that day. Now initially, this was frightening as the people were all confused, until Peter spoke with them.

Sadly, there can be changes that cause our lives pain, humiliation and heartache. A bereavement, especially when it came out of the blue and was definitely not expected. Then there may the loss of a job that brings with it all the anger and humiliation that is associated with this. There can be money problems and a person may lose there house. What about a sudden move? This can happen when someone gets a promotion out of their area and, it would be impossible to travel there and back daily. A family may be evicted and the move is forced upon them. They may have nowhere to go and the frustration, fear and even anger of it all can be tremendous.

We should never take things for granted and we must be open to sudden change in order to be able to negotiate it. Things never stay as they are forever. We all will die at some time. You may think it happens to other people but not you and your family. It doesn't work like that. We need to live for today; this is all we've got. Yes we still have to plan certain things like holidays and such. However, we can't plan too far ahead. So it is best to live for today, and to be grateful for all God gives us. The changes He makes to bless us or rescue us. Change is not all gloom and doom It can be exciting.

Just be thankful and grateful that you are here at this moment to praise the Lord.

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Wednesday, 2 July 2025

Be courteous on your way up

“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.' Matthew 7:12. NLT

The phrase "Be careful on your way up, because you never know who you will meet on your way down" is a common saying and not a direct quote from the bible. It emphasises the importance of treating others well, as those relationships may be relevant in the future. It is similar to the sentiment found in some biblical passages about treating others with kindness and consideration.

Jesus taught His disciples about The Golden Rule and it fits very aptly with our statement above. Many people who have responsibilities such as pastors, managers, directors, Military officers and whoever else, have charge over another, need to apply this verse to their life. Many in the past, through bullying tactics, harsh treatment and dictatorial methods have actually received this verse personally. There is no place in heaven for the person who treats another in such a way. Jesus would never act like this.

Jesus is our role model; if a person acts as Jesus did when He was on earth, he or she will reap success. If they are a pastor, people will flock to their church. If they run a business of any type and act accordingly, then they too will reap what they sow.

This goes for house groups as well. The leader needs to have the anointing to grow the people in God's word. He or she are there as an extension of the pastor's ministry, who in turn is walking in step with Jesus. We are all one and extremely important to the work of God.

Have you ever been on the receiving end of unrighteousness abuse towards you? Some people dread going to work and sadly, even a church because of it. It can come in the form of gossip which escalates until it is full blown. It can also come in the form of being blamed falsely for something. Where you used to be a star attraction in your work, you suddenly find yourself on the sidelines and even though you have been hardworking and faithful in yiour service, you just can't win.

Yes it hurts and it can appear that you are on your own. You are not. Jesus is right beside you and if you allow Him, He will act on your behalf. And this is a warning to for leaders and managers etc. Be wise and courteous in how you treat your staff or congregation. God will not be pleased if you persist.

Remember, be courteous on your way up because, you never know who you will meet on your way down. .

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Tuesday, 8 July 2025

Monday, 7 July 2025

Sunday, 6 July 2025

Saturday, 5 July 2025

Friday, 4 July 2025

Thursday, 3 July 2025

Wednesday, 2 July 2025

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