Tuesday 31 March 2020

Coronavirus - on Jesus, I lean and rely

"I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I (confidently) trust!"  Psalm 91:2.  Amplified Bible

 At the risk of sounding repetitive, I bring yet again a verse from Psalm 91. I last gave you this Psalm on 17th March, but this is different and we all need to hear it. It's a living word and what we need to bring us through this plague - the Coronavirus.

 Check out the phrases, 'I lean,' Rely,' and 'I confidently trust.' Let's look at these in a little more depth:

 LEAN
Proverbs 3:5 says, 'Lean on, trust in and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.'
To lean on someone or something means to 'Support yourself.' Many times we need to do this and the going can be a tough one, as it is now. We need to submit things to Him then slowdown and wait. We need to make sure we have a sense of peace to go along with the plans and ideas we have in mind. 
Jesus is our greatest friend. He is the one we can lean on in times of trouble. He is always with us, just waiting for us to engage in conversation with Him or ask Him for direction. We can trust Him, which at this time of uncertainty with Covid-19, is very much needed. We are hearing so many things and it can be overwhelming and confusing. But Jesus is a solid rock of love and certainty. We can trust in Him and be confident that he will support us through the days and weeks ahead.
RELY
The means to depend on with full trust or confidence. To place our faith in someone or something. If you're relying on the world, it will let you down. The only one that can be truly relied on is Jesus Christ. he is the answer to this virus. He has the answer and he will give us the victory over it. He can be relied on.
CONFIDENTLY TRUST
Ask yourself this question: 'Do I fully trust in Jesus; am I confident that he will bring me and my family through this time of uncertainty? If you can answer yes to this, you are on to a winner. To the world, there is uncertainty but to Born Again believers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have a certainty - a confidence, a full biblical hope that He will keep us safe and deliver us. For us, there is nothing to fear. He will be with us in trouble (Psalm 91:15) and no plague shall come near to your dwelling, (Pslam 91:10).

 Jesus Christ is our refuge and our fortress; there is nothing to fear. If we have called on Him and set our love upon Him, He will deliver us (Psalm 91:14). Many unbelievers are going to realise this as the days go on. There is going to be a great outpouring of God's Spirit as they call on the Lord Jesus for help in their time of need. Thousands are going to be saved, but sadly, many more will die because of their unbelief. That's the way it is.

 But make this your exclamation right now:

  'But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.' (Joshua 24:15)

 As you make this statement, decide that from this moment on, you will lean on Jesus, rely on Him and be confident in His love for you.

 Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard















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Monday 30 March 2020

The devil doesn't like you

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy."
                                                                          John 10:10a.  NKJV

 The devil is the source of destruction in our world today. He steals, he kills and he destroys. Open your eyes and see what is happening in the world today, sickness and death like we haven't had since WW2. Who is to blame? God? Never; the true culprit behind all of the Coronavirus is satan himself. He is the author of all of this death and misery and the world needs to recognise this quickly and put a stop to it, in the Name of Jesus!

 The devil comes to:
STEAL
He steals our wealth, with businesses folding, bankruptcies and loss of jobs. He steals our health, not counting this current virus, look at the many cancers, cystic fibrosis, MS, ME, Polio, depression and many, many more terrible illness. He will steal our marriages with people committing adultery and abuse. Then there is our happiness and our joy, homes shattered by death, separation, eviction etc. etc. He is a thief.
KILL
He is out to kill us. He hates us, especially if you belong to Jesus; and he'll do whatever it takes to disable you in your walk with God and if he can bring sickness or a fatal accident on you or your family, he will relish in it.
DESTROY
In fact, he is the destroyer. He will destroy your life, your reputation and your walk with God if you let him. How can you stop him? IN THE NAME OF JESUS! Get your bible out; quote relevant scripture, pray, pray and pray more. Put on the armour of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). Learn Psalm 91 and personalise it for you and your family. Stand up and fight. You're a winner in Jesus.

 The devil knows how to push the buttons that will hurt or wind you up. Be alert. You're in a battle. Perhaps the biggest battle you have been through in your life. People are dying all around you. Firstly heed the guidelines that the government are giving you and then put this alongside the words of Jesus' government - Heaven. 

 As a Christian, you can make such a difference in this world at the moment. Spread some love and encouragement about. Ring someone, FaceTime, Message or Skype them. Let someone know that you care. We have to look after ourselves, yes. But it is not a time to be selfish. Think of others too.

 Be Jesus to them and realise, that we will win this battle - together. People need to know Jesus. They need Him like never before. If you don't tell them, they may be lost!

 Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard







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Sunday 29 March 2020

Calmness is Infectious

"A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger"
                                                                               Proverbs 15:1.  NKJV

Many a conflict is created by the way we either respond to another person's comments to us, or by the way we speak to someone about an issue. For example, if a person comes to us with both guns blazing, ready for an argument, to respond to them with the same type of anger is going to end with a full scale row or worse. But, it is possible that the way we react to them, in a quiet, reserved and controlled manner, we can calm the situation down. For instance, if you're driving in your car and accidentally knock another driver's mirror, he may chase after you and rant and rave about the way you were driving. If at that time you retaliate, telling him that the bad driving was his, not yours and he needs to re-take his test, then you are asking for trouble. On the other hand, to stay calm, apologise and keep the peace, the other driver may well calm down themselves. You see, calmness is infectious, people pick it up from us; it spreads to others.

We can also be the perpetrator of a harsh word. A person may wind us up in some way and instead of taking control of the situation straightaway, may dash out and rip into this person with angry and even violent words. It can happen when we are not in control of our reactions; when we are tired and had a bad couple of days. You may have kept control over this time, then all of a sudden something or someone comes along, says or does something and, 'POW!' you turn into a raging bull, complete with horns and ready to charge at anyone in sight. Sadly, it can often be the people close to you - your family. They take the brunt of your fiery temper.

If you're fiery by nature, it is not easy to change this. However, it can be changed with practice and todays text is a good place to start. Meditate on it and add to this James' word in James 1:19, 'So then, my beloved brethren , let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.' Then keep making the confession to yourself, that calmness is infectious. 'I am calm and will spread this to whoever I meet.'

Nothing comes easy. It is hard to make changes to how we react to given situations, but take heart, you can do it. Talk to Jesus about it.


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Saturday 28 March 2020

Jesus' love for you


20“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
22“I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 23I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. 24Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!
25“O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. 26I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.”
                                                                                  John 17:20-26.  NLT

It does the heart good at times, to just sit and realise, how much Jesus loves each one of us. Here in John 17, Jesus prays for Himself, for His disciples and then, as we see above, for us. Note the highlight in verse 23; God loves each one of us as much as He does Jesus. That is an astounding verse and, at first glance, is difficult to comprehend. Just stop for a moment and let that sink in. Say to yourself, 'God - the Almighty God; El Shaddai, loves me just as much as He loves Jesus.' Meditate on this and let it be part of your worship today. God loves you as much as His Beloved Son Jesus.

You may be feeling unloved at this moment in time. You may have been rejected or cast aside; but that will not stop God loving you as much as He does Jesus. You may be worried about finance, about your job, your livelihood but it will not stop God loving you as much as He does Jesus. In fact, think about it, if He loves you that much, is He likely to let you down? Never; He just couldn't because you are loved.

Jesus has given each one of us His glory. We are one with Jesus and the Father. Jesus is our Saviour and has given us the Holy Spirit who dwells within us in power. Such power can never be diminished. We can be knocked down but we get back up. We can be robbed, kicked, hurt, mistreated and abused. But we get back up. Why? because we're fighters. We never give up because the King of all kings is right beside us; God loves us as He does Jesus and the Holy Spirit is resident in our hearts. What else do we need?

Give God a shout!

 Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard


dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com










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Friday 27 March 2020

The Act of Grace

"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."
                                                                           2 Corinthians 12:9.  NKJV

 Just what is grace? Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us: 'For by grace you have been saved, through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast'. Again in 2 Peter 3:18, we read: 'but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.' 

 Grace is an Ancient Greek word meaning Charis, which at that time meant giving pleasure and awakening joy. It also meant giving help, unselfish attitudes and unmerited favour - an undeserved act of kindness. 
Aristotle defined grace as:

 'Helpfulness towards someone in need, not in return for anything, nor that the helper may get anything; but for the sake of the person who is helped.'
                                                                         Enduring Word David Guzik

 This is what God did for us when Jesus died in our place. He gave us grace - totally undeserved and unmerited favour so that you and I could have a place with Him, in Heaven when our life comes to an end, and until then, that we could walk with Him on a daily basis.

 This is why it is written in Hebrews:

 'Let us therefore come boldly to the Throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.'
                                                                           Hebrews 4:16.  NKJV

 We can have the confidence to approach the Throne of God whenever we have a need. That is such a privilege. Try approaching Her Majesty the Queen's throne whenever you have a need and you would soon see what the inside of the Tower of London is like. But God's throne is always open to His children, through His grace.

 God has given us this grace and He wants us to show this grace to others that we meet, who have a need. We may not want to. We may think they don't deserve it but let's be grateful that God didn't think that way about us. He gave us undeserved and unmerited favour. Therefore, we should show others this too. This is why Peter said that we should grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. (2 Peter 3:18)

 Today, there is someone out there, who needs some grace. They may not deserve it in the eyes of the world, but God would give it to them anyway. Also, someone may have hurt and upset you badly. Why not show them the grace of God instead of feeling bad about what they may have done or said. 
Everybody needs some grace.
Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com














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Thursday 26 March 2020

Remember your past victories

"But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God."  verse 6
                                                                                         1 Samuel 30.  NKJV

 At times we need encouragement and support; an arm around our shoulder with the words, 'Don't worry, it'll be ok.' However, this is not always possible, especially if you're on your own or the people you're with are not sensitive to your concerns.
These are the times that we need to seek that encouragement and strength from Our Father.

 David's men were about to stone him. They were so grieved and bitter that while they were away from home, the Amalekites had attacked and taken their wives and children and burned down their village. 

 David had no one to turn to. He too was grieving because his family had also been taken, but as always happens, if you're the leader, you always get the blame; and this was no different. His very life was at stake.

 But David was a warrior; he was a mature and wise man and he knew what to do. He remembered the times that he had been in problems before and how God had been there to carry him through to victory. Therefore, he did what many of us forget to do - he called on God, and God gave them the victory, delivering their families back to them. (Read 1 Samuel 30)

 David followed a pattern; he didn't panic even though he was distressed himself.
He:

 HE REMEMBERED how God had been good and faithful to him in the past and became encouraged in this. He knew that God could be relied on and would never let him down. He won't you either.
HE PRAYED and enquired of God, asking Him how to go about the predicament that he found himself in. Remember, all those who call on the Name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13).
HE PURSUED what God had told him to and received the victory. It is when we seek God's advice and obey His commands, that we receive the answer to the problem.

 If you are facing a dilemma today, put this pattern into action. Do as David did and you will receive the victory.
Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com



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Wednesday 25 March 2020

Things will get better

" 21 But after a long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, 'Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss. 22 And now I urge you to take heart for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, 24 saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul, you must be brought before Caesar, and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.' 25 Therefore, take heart, men for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me. 26 However, we must run aground on a certain island."
                                                                          Acts 27 21-26.  NKJV

 The Apostle Paul was on board ship to see Caesar in Rome, when they run into a tempest. Paul had warned the crew that he had a bad feeling about the trip and advised them not to sail, but they had disregarded his concerns. Therefore, they became fearful as they entered the tempest and the boat began to sink. Paul spoke with them and encouraged them not to fear. Everything would be all right. However, they would run aground.

 The world is in a state of emergency today where many countries are now on lockdown and people have been confined to their homes. It's a frightening time for many. In today's terms, we have run aground and urgent action has to be taken so that we can survive. However, allow me to encourage you. Like Paul said here, please be encouraged that, even though we are going through this time of severe uncertainty, we are not lost. Jesus knows where we are and is watching over us. Even though we have run aground - in lockdown - if we do what we have been advised, all will be ok.

 God is not worried. His word still tells us not to be afraid, or to worry. He is still telling us to be at peace. (John 14). It is a time when we need to take on board His Word to us:

 "Be still, and know that I AM God; I will be exalted among the nations , I will be exalted in the earth."
                                                                        Psalm 46:10.  NKJV

 If there is anything that you can do to change the situation that we are in, then go ahead and do it. But, you have to admit, there is nothing we can do - except rely on the Word of God. There has never been a time in our generation when we need Jesus more than now. He is calling out to the nations, offering Himself to us.

 At this time, the only thing that you can do is pray and then commit yourself to Jesus:

 'Lord Jesus, this is a scary time that I am going through. I can do nothing to change it, except call on You to help me and my loved ones. I give myself to You this day. I surrender to You and ask that You will show us all mercy. Jesus forgive my sins, live in my heart and be my Lord and Saviour from this day. I give myself to You.
Today Lord, I will be still and know that You are God and that you will glory the Name of Jesus throughout this world..  In Jesus' Name, Amen

 Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard



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Tuesday 24 March 2020

Never stop Praising Him

"The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:

Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!"
                                                                                      Revelation 4:8   NKJV

These were Cherubim - the highest ranking celestial beings. They represent all the vital forces of creation whose primary function is worship. They never rest from doing this and are forever watchful- they are fully alert.

As we've heard many times, praise stops satan in his tracks. It is such a powerful force that it is a wonder why we don't do it enough. It should be the first thing we think to do when we wake each morning and the last thing we do before we go to sleep. Praise surrounds us with power. It takes us to the very throne room of God. Remember the Apostle Paul, together with Silas? They were in the stocks at midnight, in a filthy, rat-infested dungeon. Yet, they were praising God. And what happened? Their chains fell off and all the doors of the prison were opened. Now that is powerful stuff and it was all down to praise. Praise opens doors. It wins battles. It changes lives. It will change yours.

You may feel that you haven't got the time to praise God. Well, make the time. It's more important than anything. Just look at Jesus. He was brutally tortured and abused and finally murdered, left hanging on a cross. Crowds of people were jeering at Him. But look at Him now! He is no longer on that cross. He's the King of all kings; the risen Lord of all lords. He is our King, our Saviour. Look at Him now! He was the Lord Almighty. He is the Lord Almighty, and He is the Lord Almighty - Jesus who will come to gather all of His friends, all of His people, all of His Children - us - to Himself and take us all to be with Him in Glory forever and forever. Now if that doesn't make you praise Him, you need some help.

It doesn't matter what is going on in our world today. Yes, it is a little scary. We're dealing with the unknown. It can be like sitting and looking at a large hill, waiting for impending doom to come over it and annihilate us. NEVER! We are Children of the Living God. How dare this virus come against us. It is pestilence. But Jesus will deliver us from the perilous pestilence (Psalm 91:3-6). 

Come on, Stand up. Now is not the time to sit here feeling afraid. It is time to stand and when we've done all we can, still be standing (Ephesians 6:13-18).

Stand and if you get knocked over, stand up again. But whether you're standing or have been knocked down, keep praising Jesus.

Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!"

Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard












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Monday 23 March 2020

Be sensible and follow the guidelines

"Mark out a straight path for your feet; then stick to the path and stay safe."
                                                                                          Proverbs 4:26.  NLT

 David Guzik comments on this verse:

 'When we carefully ponder where we are headed, it helps to establish our wise direction and help us to not turn to the right or the left.'
                                                                     Copyright David Guzik Enduring Word

 There are a lot of warnings and news flashes about at the moment. They are all concentrating on what we should do to protect ourselves, our families and the NHS from the Coronavirus. Pubs and restaurants have closed; theatres and other meeting places and people are being advised to stay at home and avoid contact with other people wherever possible. 

 Of course, this can lead to panic and has already in some places. People are panic buying, others refusing to stick to the guidelines. There is confusion and unrest around the world as the virus begins to spread and consume people's lives.

 God would want us to be Spirit-led but not to be flip about this. Yes, we were healed by the stripes of Jesus but that doesn't mean that we put ourselves to the test by ignoring the advice from professional healthcare officials and blatantly going into risk situations. We need to be wise and walk in the Spirit of God.

 We all have choices and at the moment a lot of these choices are limited because of the virus. Love would not wish for us to be selfish and go to places where we could infect other people. So therefore, even though it is difficult, there is a need to heed the warnings from our government and stay safe.

 This doesn't mean that we are giving into fear - not at all. It means that we are being obedient in obeying those who rule over us (Hebrews 13:7.) There's a lot we can still do. Most of us have social media. Therefore, we can contact people, checking to see if they are ok or if they need anything. We can encourage each other and pray for people. There is a way through this and Jesus is the way. He will lead us to victory!

 Jesus says, 'Let not you heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in Me.' John 14:1. Jesus will not let us down. Just be at peace and don't worry. Stick to the guidelines and be sensible.

 Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com


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