Call back all the devil has stolen

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly."     John 10:10    NKJV

As I was waiting on the Lord this morning, for something to write; I asked Him, 'Lord, what do You want me to say?' Straightaway, my mobile pinged. It was my wife, Hazel. She had sent this text:

'There is one thing he cannot steal and kill and destroy, and that is the Blood of Jesus shed for me and the Word of my Testimony, that Jesus Christ is Lord of my life'

                                                                                                           Hazel Howard 2021

This got me thinking around John 10:10. Satan has stolen many things from people: lives, marriages, children, good health, riches and much more. But, he cannot steal our salvation. We belong to Jesus Christ. Our names are written in Heaven, in fact, we have stamped on us, 'Made in Heaven', and he cannot change that at all.

Just think what Satan has stolen from you. It may be family, who have become separated from you causing total heartache. It could be your health or prosperity. Question: are you just going to sit there and die? This is what the four leprous men said in 2 Kings 7:3-4. They decided they were going to get up and do something about it; and so should you! Satan may have broken your heart, that's what he does, he's the joy robber. But Jesus is the joy bringer, He's very good at repairing hearts.

In Psalm 23, we read of the shepherd with a rod and a staff. The rod would probably have been, solid oak and about two foot long. It's purpose was to drive off any wild animals that tried to attack the sheep. The staff was for guidance. Often the sheep would fall into deep holes or fall down a hill. The shepherd would use his staff to pull them to safety. Nothing gets past a shepherd.

We need to realise that Jesus is our Shepherd. That He wants to guide us and bring justice to our lives. He is on our side. Therefore, we need to stand up, pray and take back what the devil has stolen. We need to believe that it is God's highest desire to bless us with superabundance and good health. So, we need to line up our highest desire with His. We then have agreement. The devil is a robber of our faith, health and prosperity, but God is the abundance giver, the healer and the rewarder. 

Jesus has your best interests at heart. Get in line with Him and ask Him for help. Get your authority bubbling in the name of Jesus and order the devil to return all he has stolen. Take Jesus at His Word and get your faith stirred up. Then sit and wait for the angels to bring you your request!

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

How do you see yourself?

"(31) We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we ..... (33) we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight." 

                                                                                             Numbers 13:30 - 31 + 33   NKJV

Canaan was a land of opportunity that God wanted to lead His people into. Caleb saw this and said, 'Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.' v30. However, fear distorts faith and truth and it also devours people's judgements. This fear provoked a lie within the others and so, they presented a bad report. 'We are not able to go up against the people', they protested, 'they are stronger than we are.' v31

They looked at the giants and felt that there was no chance they could move there. They felt like grasshoppers in comparison to the giants, and because of this they were; the giants saw them this way. Doubt and fear produces a low self-image and people see us as we see ourselves. If you are of a strong and productive nature, people around you will notice this determination that you present and will be impressed. If you hide away in a corner, they will pass by because you are no threat to them. We either have a giant mentality or a grasshopper one. Which are you? God sees us as winners and overcomers. How do you see yourself? Our attitudes either lift us or bury us when we possess a, 'I can do this,' or 'I can't do this,' attitude.

 In all honesty, the giants were not the Israelite's problem, their tongues were and what they confessed from their mouths. When we confess doubt, we receive doubt in return. We begin to believe it and so, we go nowhere. Many people today, allow fear and doubt to rules their lives. They won't take risks; they want the answer before they've asked the question. Remember the waters of the River Jordan didn't part until the priests stood in the water. When they did, the water stood still and rose in a heap, and the people were able to cross over. Joshua 3:14-16.

Things happen when we exercise faith; when we speak faith out of our mouths and when we feel and hear it in our hearts; 'So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.' Romans 10:17. 

Do you believe a bad report or do you go for the good one? How do you react when you hear bad news? Remember, God has the final word; therefore we need to place our trust in Him. He can change any situation - and I do mean any!

Today, see yourself as a Man or Woman of God. A believing, Holy Spirit filled, soldier of Almighty God. Fear and doubt do not figure in such a life - only Spirit-Filled faith.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Make it a habit to focus on Jesus.

"Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth."  

                                                                                              v2 of Colossians 3:1-2     NKJV  

These two verses  in Colossians 3, give us a good insight into focusing all we have on Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith. We have been raised with Christ. Those who have been baptised by submersion, symbolically died with Jesus as they went under the water and as they re-surfaced, they were raised to a new life in Jesus. Baptism is an outward sign to the world that we belong to Jesus. Don't worry though if you haven't been baptised. It won't prevent you getting into heaven. If you've accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour then you have died to your old life and been raised to a new life in Him. Baptism is a symbolic example of belonging to Jesus. Maybe if you haven't been baptised, you may want to do this at some stage.

Now that we belong to Jesus, we are to set our minds on Him. The world has relatively nothing to offer like Jesus has. We have His DNA; we have identified with Him by being born again. Therefore, we need to make a daily habit to focus on the things above where Jesus is. On the earth, things are all gloom and doom; there's endless news on Covid 19, political arguments, violence and deep unrest all over the place. It doesn't draw us to it and is definitely, not edifying. Newspapers are just full of stuff that can lead our thoughts away from what matters the most.

What we think about affects us more than we realise. Unimportant things can take our minds over. Whenever we hear gossip, we should nip it in the bud straightaway before it takes a hold and we begin to see it as the truth. All through our day, we encounter things that want to misguide us and lead us in the wrong direction. We become wound up over something that really does not matter, such we take the dog out and it begins to rain - heavily. On the walk, despite being saturated, the dog decides to do, 'his business', right in the middle of some grass which has now become quite muddy. 'Why can't you do it next to the path?' you exclaim as the dog looks at you wondering what you're saying. Think, yes you're wet and you're now covered in mud; but is it really worth losing the peace of God.

Be in control of your thoughts; focus on Jesus - on the spiritual reality of heaven. Let this control your motivations. Make it a daily habit, rather than being caught up with earthly things. When you set your mind on things above, you are setting your mind on higher things - Jesus, the Holy Spirit and all He wants to show you today.

Make it a habit to speak in tongues more and more. You may not understand it and the devil definitely doesn't understand it and he hates this fact and becomes paranoid that you may be plotting something against him. But you're probably not; he's not that important anyway because you're speaking to the one who really matter, Jesus Himself; and He totally understands what you're saying.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

God's benefits

"Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits."           Psalm 103:1-5   NKJV

The benefits that are handed out to people who cannot work for some reason or other, in the UK, are means-tested. This means they give it to you with one hand but, if you receive finance from another quarter, they will take the equivalent away with the other hand. Thank goodness that God's not like this. His benefits far outweigh any you could receive anywhere else. 

This is why David here, tells us to bless the Lord with our souls: 

Our Minds:

what we think and say; what we profess or confess; what goes on within us.

Our Will:

our determination to be faithful to God; to be a trusted follower of His; what we do

Our Emotions:

How we receive His benefits with gratitude in our hearts towards Him and show compassion to others with the willingness to try and bless them too.

His benefits cover a multitude of things, but here David mentions, forgiveness, healing, redemption, love and compassion and an attitude of gratitude and satisfaction towards God, so that we feel renewed - and this is for each day of our lives.

Think back if you will, on all the things that you have done wrong in your life. Yes, God has forgiven you, if you've asked Him to, but if you were God, would you? Would you forgive? Some of us can't even forgive ourselves when we have done something wrong, let alone forgive others. Thank goodness for God.

There have been times when you were ill, on medication and with a deep fear within your heart about it all. But God turned up and laid His healing hand on you. What about when God rescued you (redeemed) from certain destruction or death?

Each and everyday, He showers us with love and kindness - His love knows no end. Ok, things may go wrong and there may be pain for some people. However, He never leaves your side and shows you endless tenderness.

He has given you satisfaction. You have food and clothes and live in nice places. You are blessed. At this moment, you may not feel that you are blessed but, you are and as you begin confessing that you are blessed over and over, something will happen - you'll begin to believe it.

Try it - try saying, 'I am blessed, I am blessed'. Keep saying it, then begin to shout it out. Open the windows and shout it outside at the top of your voice. You may get taken away, but relax, if you do, God will redeem you, still shouting, 'I am blessed'. 😀

As you confess this over and over, you will not only believe it, but you'll begin to live it. You'll believe and accept it so much that you will live a blessed and a satisfied life with God's benefits.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Choices

"You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain."                                       John15:16    NKJV

You are a beloved friend of Jesus (v14). He chose you, not the other way around. That is amazing in itself. Jesus chose you and I; we didn't have to do a thing. He came along and chose us to be His friend. He trusts us enough to say this. We are friends of Jesus Christ and He has appointed us - ordained us to serve Him every day of our lives.

Each day, we have a choice whether to serve God. This is an over and over kind of thing. It's not just when we said, 'Yes', to Him and He came into our lives but, each and every day, we need to choose to serve Him afresh. It's a daily decision. Some would disagree and say that they serve Him anyway. However, this is a way of rubber-stamping the fact and it keeps us on our toes instead of getting staid.

We choose to serve Him in every situation. We all have choices. We have a choice to be depressed or blessed. You may say that you can't help being depressed but. God's Word disagrees by saying, 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.' Philippians 4:13. We were delivered from this and healed, 'by whose stripes you were healed.' 1 Peter 2:24 and 'who heals all your diseases.' Psalm 103:3. We have a choice to make, so choose to be well and blessed.

Serve God and Him only. Each day we are faced with many alternatives. We must continually choose to serve God - wholeheartedly! Therefore, we can say, 'I choose not to lie, I choose not to steal, I choose not to commit adultery, I choose not to judge or criticise' etc. etc. We have to make the choice today, not tomorrow. 

If you have made the choice to follow Jesus and live for Him and Him only, then He will help you accomplish this. A well used Proverb is one that I recommend you stand on:

'Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways, acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths.

                         Proverbs 3:5-6    NKJV

 

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

          

Your Reward is Absolutely Inexhaustible

"Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for My sake. (12) Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."                                                

                                                                                                            Matthew 5:11-12    NKJV

How do you feel when people insult you for being a Christian? How do you take it when you find that people you trusted, are saying false things about you, behind your back? When I first became a Christian in 1980, I was a little rough round the edges and, not being out of the army very long I would always respond loudly to anyone who, 'Had a go at me.' When I first found people talking about me from the church, I wanted to punch their lights out. This was what I had been used to and I was ready. Fortunately, Jesus began a re-moulding job on me - which is still going on today, I can assure you. I have learnt, by verses such as above, that it is actually an opening for me to be blessed.

The whole meaning of 'Blessed', is to be happy. It possibly could be written as, 'Happy is the man who....'. God wants us to remain in a state of happiness and joy. Why? Well the amplified version of these verses give us a clue. Verse 12 says, 'Be glad and exceedingly joyful for your reward in heaven is great, (absolutely inexhaustible. Did you get that? God's blessings to us will be nothing less than absolutely inexhaustible. Now I don't know about you, but I want blessings like that. So insult me any way you want to Lol.

As Christians, people insult us because of our association with Jesus Christ. Just the mention of His name winds some people up. In some quarters, it's a conversation stopper. Others use the name of Jesus as a swear word. Many do not like Him, but why? Because He convicts them. He makes them see what they are really like and the guilt hits them like a meteorite. Just the mention of His name or your presence in front of them, freaks them out and they do almost anything to get away. And so, they revert to abuse towards the Christian person and church, which they normally use the word, 'religion'.

To be verbally abused, or reviled as the NKJV says, is hurtful, especially when it comes from a Christian brother or sister who you have respected and trusted. It is devastating and makes you feel, 'Who can I trust?' The sad thing is, we are not going to be able to stop it and as time goes on, it will get worse as we continue into the End Times. Therefore, we are going to have to be able to stand against this and receive all insults as a blessing. This is hard I know, but remember, Gods blessings to us will be nothing less than absolutely inexhaustible. What we do is learn to turn the abuse into a blessing; the insult into gems of glory; the hate into life and joy. You can do this because, Jesus Christ dwells within you and He will deal with the abusers, not you. You just keep your eyes on Him and receive that absolutely inexhaustible grace and blessing - that mercy (Hesed) and keep on, keeping on and then keeping on a little longer.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

'Lord, I need Your help'

"I called on the LORD in distress; the LORD answered me and set me in a broad place." 

                                                                                                        Psalm 118:5    NKJV

There may have been times when you have been in distress - in anguish - when it seemed that everything was against you and there didn't appear to be a way out. Then Jesus turned up in answer to your call for help. You may have been in a dangerous position - life-threatening even and, as you called out to God, He was there quick as a flash to help.

The scripture above reads, that God set the psalmist in a broad place. This means that when God answered, He set him free, delivered him and gave him the victory. If you've been on the end of a desperate prayer such as this, you too have been delivered, given the victory and totally rescued.

There are many who have become enveloped and chained in difficult situations and you may be in one of them right now. You may have tried everything to set yourself free but, it has all been in vane. There is only one who can set us free from anything and, His name is Jesus. (John 8:36). 

Some of us need to be set free from habits that have become a rigid part of out lives. It may be over-eating - obesity, drinking too much alcohol or smoking. Pleasures at the time but pleasures that can reduce the length of our lives, drastically. It may be difficult to change this but with Jesus' help, it can be attained. It just takes a little dedication, commitment and sheer hard work. Some people can do this by going cold turkey, others can't. Don't be put off by this; Jesus has the answer for you. You must though, recognise that He may not just wave His hand over you and the habit has gone. He can set you free this way and has done to many in the past, but not always. He may expect you to bite the bullet and be prepared - with His help - for a determined effort.

Many folk may have burdens and hurts from the past. They crop up from time to time but they are usually buried before anyone can notice this. When we do this, it is similar to painting a very cracked wall with whitewash. Initially, the job looks good but then it dries and all the cracks come back to the surface and they look uglier. In the same manner, our burdens and hurt do the same. They're forever there until you decide to do something about it, such as ministry, counselling or prayer. You may not want this but it's better than a lifetime of bad memories, isn't it?

Try this:

'Lord Jesus, I recognise that I need your help. I need to be set free from my stubborn habits such as......................Please help me Lord. I also have burdens and hurts from the past such as ............................. Again, please help me Jesus. I know that you have flagged this up today, so I come to You in faith, approaching Your throne of grace in my time of need, and ask You to heal me and set me free. May the chains fall off today Lord. Also, Lord, I have walked away from You like the Prodigal, I return right now and give my life back to You. Come into my heart, forgive my sins, fill me with Your Holy Spirit and be My Lord and Saviour.

I ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Those Little Foxes. 🦊🦊🦊🦊🦊🦊

 "Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes."                                                                                    Song of Solomon 2:15   NKJV

I've always loved foxes. I remember seeing them years ago chasing rabbits and tricking them into submission for the kill. This ritual is called 'Charming', one where the fox runs around chasing its own tail and generally making a fool of itself, whilst the rabbit looks on mesmerised. Gradually, the fox gets closer to the rabbit until it can finally grab it and that, is the end of the rabbit.

I have also quite often, seen a fox trotting through my local nature reserve with a coot in its mouth. Wonderful stuff, but from another point of view devastating especially when the fox attacks chickens totally destroying it. Sady, the fox is only doing what nature has taught it to do for survival.

It was no different in bible times. The foxes were related to jackals and could be quite a menace, especially the little foxes who would gnaw at the tender shoots of the grapevine and run amok about the place destroying the whole crop. 

In this passage, Solomon uses little foxes as a metaphor for the many problems that creep into marriage destroying the sweetness of it all. Initially, a new Christian marriage can be bliss where each partner is caught up in this new adventure. However, after a time, the flame can begin to flicker a little and little things can begin to wind a partner up until it is a big problem. Before it gets this far, each partner needs to recognise what is happening and determine to sit down and talk things through. Remember, the devil will steal your love for each other if you allow him to. Don't! Communicate with each other instead.

This can also happen to well-seasoned marriages too. No one is exempt tensions and outbursts and quite a few older people sadly, have affairs and/or divorce because they have nothing left for each other. Don't let the little foxes steal the joy of your marriage and love no matter how long you have been together. Love and marriage built on the Rock of Jesus Christ is too precious for this to happen.

Little foxes can turn up in churches too, again destroying everything that has been built up. Also your own walk with Jesus can be open to devastation. Don't forget this is also a marriage - Jesus is the Bridegroom and the church/marriage partners, are the bride. We belong together.

The fox is sly, clever and cunning. Who does this remind you of? Yes, that's right - the devil himself. Don't be out-foxed. Check out your own marriage and walk with God. Are there any niggles or tensions around? It could be a little fox. Be careful!  🦊

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Nothing is going to stop you

 "and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us..."  v1

                                                                                                          Hebrews 12:1-2    NKJV

Reading through Hebrews 12:1-2, we see several phrases that I want us to ponder on. 

Firstly we have:

Cloud of witnesses   

In our daily lives, the people around us can observe how we handle ourselves and live the life we profess as Christians. This may be our family, friends, neighbours and the people that we  work with. Even in the supermarkets, people still observe us. How we react to a given situation determines what they think about us. There are witnesses everywhere we go.

Alternatively, we have a cloud of witnesses in Heaven - our Heroes of Faith which includes names such as, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Issac, Jacob, David and many more who have run the race with determination and urge us to do the same. Experts of faith even though they may have made mistakes.

Lay aside every weight

There are so many things that we need to lay aside in order to run our race successfully. We worry about this, fear that and lie awake all night wondering how we can sort this out. Stop, it's a weight and it needs laying aside. We should not carry around burdens. Its true that we will fall into some sort of sin most days of our lives, but we are not to feel condemned by it. There is only one who condemns us - Satan. He is the accuser of the brethren. Romans 8:1 tells us, 'There is therefore now, no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." We may feel guilt but once we confess to Jesus, we are declared not guilty. That feeling of sin must depart and, in the Name of Jesus, you have the power to command this.

Ensnare us

There are traps everywhere we walk and we need to avoid them by walking with Jesus in the armour of the Lord. Some things from our past may pop up and accuse us. This may lead to us feeling chained and imprisoned. If you've never submitted this to Jesus, do it now and allow the chains to fall off. Be watchful and alert; be careful of who you spend time with, where you go; what you read and what you speak and think about. Don't allow yourself to become ensnared. Shake it off.

Endurance

Run the race of faith with determination and true grit. Beat your body into submission. You're a soldier who is on the assault course of life. Train and complete the race and never surrender; never, ever, give up.

Author and Finisher

Jesus started it and He will finish it. With Jesus, we 'back the winner every time'. He's taken you this far. No matter how further ahead it is, you can be sure that He will take you to the end, even if He has to carry you.

Joy

His wish for us; His dream for us and His desire for us, is to be joyful in all we do, because then we will be full of all of His strength. (Nehemiah 8:10).

In closing, just think a moment; Jesus has sat down relaxing with His Father. This means He is confident that you will make it. Amen? Amen.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Jesus knows how you feel!

"14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathise with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in our time of need."     Hebrews 4:14-16    NKJV

Jesus has been there. He knows what life is like and what it takes to walk with God. He knows the struggles, the heartaches and the persecution that may come our way every now and again. He knows what a struggle it is to keep our sinful nature under control and how temptation can lead us astray at any time. He's been there, as we say in these times, He has the t-shirt, but His is covered with His blood shed on the cross for each one of us.

Jesus is our great High Priest. He is the only High Priest that is great. We can go to Him whenever we need to and His door is always open. He has passed through the heavens; He is the Son of God and He is the only one that truly knows what the Christian life is like and what a battle it can be at times. He knows temptation but He never sinned; He does know what the pull of it can feel like, however. He knows.

Jesus sympathises with us, with our struggles, with the sin we commit and the way we feel when we do sin. He tells us to 'Hold fast', our confession. This means we are to cling to our confession with determination. It takes all we have got. We are to cling to His forgiveness, to the fact that He knows what it is like. He cares. 

Sympathise in the Greek, is made up of two words = 'Suffer with', and this is what Jesus does for each of us. Counsellors speak about being in someone's Internal Frame of Reference; and this means, to sit in their shoes so that you know exactly what it is like to suffer. David Jeremiah in a comment about 'Suffer with', says: 'The term expresses the compassion of one who does not simply see suffering from the outside, but who enters into the suffering and makes it his or her own.' Copyright 2013 David Jeremiah.

Jesus becomes involved in what we do - if we allow Him, and that includes our suffering. He knows what weakness is. This is why He tells us that, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.'  2 Corinthians 12:9. He calls us to pass all our problems to Him and whenever, we have blown it - which we do and will do until we are perfected in Heaven - to have the confidence to approach the throne of grace, confess our sin and receive His love and forgiveness. We receive His grace and His mercy (Hebrews Hesed), and we receive this to help in our time of need V16, in other words, 'just at the right time'.  

In conclusion, He will never cast you aside; He will never ground you or tell you that 'you've gone too far this time'. Not at all. As you come boldly to His throne, He will bless you beyond your wildest dreams. Why? Because He just can't stop loving you.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Be a worthy soldier of Jesus

"So I, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to you to live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called (that is, to live a life that exhibits godly character , moral courage, personal integrity and mature behaviour - a life that expresses gratitude to God for your salvation)."                                                             Ephesians 4:1 Amplified Study Bible

This is the life that Jesus has called us to and the life that grabs the attention of people around you. Yes, you may suffer persecution from people who see you living for Jesus but, deep down, many of them want to be like you but they can't lose their street credibility, they have so much peer pressure that they just have to play the roles that they do.

To start with today, ask yourself:

Does my life exhibit godly character?

Do I live a life that expresses gratitude to God for my salvation?

Your honest answers to these two questions, will give you an idea about your Christian walk and what changes you may need to make in order to get it on track. To start with:

*  Change the way you talk about yourself. 

You are a child of God, so act accordingly. Don't accept the bad things others may say about you, just start confessing what God says about you and begin living that life, for Him. Listen to your words and change them where necessary. Only use wholesome, faith-building words about yourself.

*  Does what I do and say, live up to what I practice  - Christianity?

When you are in non-Christian company, be careful to keep your Christian values uppermost. Keep your witness by refusing to act the way the others may be acting - such as, dirty jokes, gossip and the language you use. When you're in company with non-believers - family or friends - it is so easy to drop your guard and start saying things like they do; using unwholesome words and generally lowering your standards. The American preacher, Bill Winston says, 'You can't run with rabbits and hunt with the hunters as well.' There is a choice that we have to make and this goes for the company that we keep.

*  Don't get dragged in

Don't ever let what the majority is thinking or saying influence you to go against the Word of God. Remember Joshua and Caleb. They had been sent out with others to spy out the land that God was leading them into. Joshua and Caleb came back singing its praises saying how great the land was. The others, brought a bad report - full of woe - saying that it was not for them, it would be a bad move (Numbers 13). So therefore, they ended up wandering around the wilderness for 40 or so years, and died there, except for Joshua and Caleb and that generation. Don't allow anyone to cloud your judgement. If God says it's ok, then it's ok.

Just live your life for Jesus, living up to your calling. This way you will be blessed.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Laugh your way to victory

"Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. (11) So the Levites quieted all the people saying, 'Be still, for the day is holy, do not be grieved."    

                                                                                                         Nehemiah 8:10-11    NKJV

Ezra the priest had just read the Book of the Law to the people. He had started in the morning and now, at midday, he concluded. The people were so touched by the Word of God that they began to weep. Nehemiah, the governor at that time, told the people not to mourn or indeed, weep because the day was holy. Instead, he told them, to be filled with the joy of the Lord which is their strength.

Realise that each new day is holy to us because Jesus is in our lives. We should live holy lives because He is holy. (1Peter 1:15). And what is more, each day Jesus tells us not to mourn or be sorrowful but, to be joyful. 'This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.' (Psalm 118:24). He has created a new day for us - a day that is holy and he expects us to enjoy it - be glad in it and joyful. 

There are many opposites that we come up against each day. Take for instance faith; the opposite of this is fear. Joy is no different; it has an opposite and this is despair, which is the misery of the world. It includes depression, anger, moaning, criticism, judging and aggression. These are all wrapped up in weakness, failure and spiritual decay. So therefore, joy is our strength; but to live the opposite is weakness.

God did not say, 'This is the day the Lord has made, we will despair and moan about it'. Absolutely not. We can choose to do this, that is our right. However, it is not a very good choice. It's far better to carry out God's directive, 'we will rejoice and be glad in it'. 

Laughing is a great way to be free. It releases tension. We can laugh our way to victory. We can also laugh ourselves into good health. 'A merry heart does good like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.' (Proverbs 17:22).

Joy and merriment are a recipe for victory and we should choose to live this way every day of our lives. We need it - the world needs it. Each day is a holy day with Jesus and He is never in despair. Take a leaf or two out of His book - these verses.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Are you holding a grudge?

"But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him."                                          V30 of Luke 15:11-32     NKJV

We all know the Parable of the Prodigal Son and the way he went off with his father's inheritance, wasted it on wild living and then returned to his father asking for help and forgiveness. It is well documented and we can all see a part of ourselves within the text. However, what about the brother? It would appear - from his perspective at least - that there was a kind of favouritism between his father and younger brother. Younger children sometimes do take the 'favourite' roll for a time.

The father must have been devastated to hear that his younger son was leaving home but, he acted very fairly to him, sharing out equally, his livelihood between the two sons. But when this all went wrong and he returned to the homestead, the older brother, being a faithful and reliable son, felt that his brother had treated the family abysmally.

He was hurt and angry towards his brother and his father for welcoming him back as if he was a king returning from a mighty battle. He had a big, 'This is not fair, Pharisaical attitude and he couldn't even bring himself to call his brother by name. He called him, 'this son of yours'. Have you ever been like this? I have, especially when our dog has been up to no good. I say to my wife, 'This dog of yours has done - whatever.' We may joke but we do this.

The older brother couldn't see that grace was ruling the moment - the unmerited favour which God shows to us all when we need it. We don't deserve it but we get it anyway, and this was what happened to the younger brother. The older brother had a major grudge about all of this and we don't read that he ever repented.

We have to be careful of this powerful weapon. Grudges hold you back, they separate you from God; it is unforgiveness with a giant blame and accusation attached to it. Be careful, there is only one accuser and that is Satan himself. 

Think back, are you holding a grudge about some person who has wronged and hurt you or treated you unfairly? Listen to me, you are going nowhere with God until you let go of this and forgive the person. When you do, you will receive God's grace to help you deal with it all.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

He has anointed us and sent us to carry on the work

"18 The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor, He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."                            Luke 4:18-19    NKJV

Jesus stood in the synagogue and read this out, loud and clear. He was reinforcing Isaiah's statement in Isaiah 61:1-2 and declaring that this was being fulfilled in their presence; He was the promised Messiah.

Later, in Chapter 9:1-2, we read that He passed this ministry to His disciples, 'Then He called His disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. 2 He sent them to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.' And then the entire church Acts 1&2.

As disciples of Jesus ourselves, we have this same mission. Jesus has commissioned us (Matthew 28:16-20 and Mark 16:14-18), to carry on this work wherever we are and whenever we can. We have been anointed by Jesus Himself to preach the gospel to the people who haven't heard it or don't fully understand the meaning of it. Without this, they are hell-bound, it is serious business. There are many people who are brokenhearted in our world today, who desperately need Jesus. He is the answer to their problems and their longing and they need us to explain this to them. Then there are those who are chained and held captive to drugs, porn, abuse of all kinds and poverty. They are in need of Jesus, they need to be set free and we, have the power within us, to do that. Depression, oppression, sickness, loneliness, just to name a few, are being suffered by people all over the world. I heard the other day about a person who was executed in a distant country for owning a bible. People need Jesus and now!

And we have the capability, we have the anointing of Jesus and there are many ways that we can help. We can send money to Christian charities; we can help children be schooled, fed and clothed by a small amount of cash each month. But also, there are the people in our neighbourhood, the people we live near to, who we work with, our family or friends. Everyone needs Jesus. This is why Jesus anointed you and I. We can make a difference.

Their is vast pain in this world. People have lost loved ones through Covid 19. People have lost someone through a car crash or a stabbing. People have been raped. Pain, pain and more pain. We can't take the pain away but we can help a little.

Do you realise that there is someone living near to you who has awful, pain-filled problems? They don't know Jesus either. They really have no one to help them. Can you help?

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Your Valentine

"6 When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. 7 Because You have been my help, therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. 8 My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me."     Psalm 63:6-8    NKJV

It's Valentine's Day and many people, all over the world are receiving cards, flowers and the promise of a nice meal later on. Some celebrate it, some don't. But when you think about it, what a fabulous way of showing somebody that you love them; care for them and enjoy them in your life. It's designed that we send a card to someone that is special in our lives. Does that include Jesus; after all, He's special isn't He?

Just imagine what you could write on a card to Jesus:

'Jesus, I just want to say that I love You. You are truly wonderful and words cannot express what You mean to me. You were there for me when it seemed that everyone else had deserted me and You built me up into the person that I am today. Thank you Jesus for saving me and giving me my life back. Jesus, You really are my lifeline, my rock and my redeemer and I am eternally grateful for all You have given me; my family, my home, my ability to work and be blessed. Today Jesus, I salute You and declare that You are my number one Valentine.'

JESUS

YOU ARE MY VALENTINE!  💕

It may seem a little zany to do this, but why not and who cares. You are demonstrating just how much the King of kings means to you. Why not give it a try today!

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Watch the devil doesn't trip you up!

"Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."                                                            1 Peter 5:8    NKJV

Without trying to promote paranoia, we need to realise that our enemy may be around every corner hoping to trip us up. But, when we are walking with the King of kings, we always have the victory. This is why praise is so vital to our survival.

Gloria Copeland writes: 

'Your mind is where the battle will take place. Whatever you allow to captivate your mind will rule your life. Will it be the Word of God or the lies of Satan'   Gloria Copeland, From Faith to Faith.

The main area that the enemy hits us, is in our thought life. He will plant things in our minds that are so convincing and as we focus on this lie, he brings us False Evidence that Appears Real - F.E.A.R. If we're not careful, we begin to believe the lie and we are captivated and nothing anybody says to the contrary convinces us differently. This happens every day to people and it drives a wedge between relationships, home-life, church-life and even our places of work. We become convinced that someone has gossiped about us; convinced that our partner is being unfaithful; we become paranoid that we are being forced out of a particular job and whatever else. It all originates from believing the lie - which we allow, to take over our minds.

When thoughts such as these come, we need to cast them down at once and take authority over them. (2 Corinthians 10:5). We need to take authority before we're taken over by it all. Just refuse to consider the lies. How do we refuse to consider the lies? By praising and worshipping God.  

'(3) Your unfailing love is better than life itself. How I praise You. (4) I will praise You as long as I live lifting up my hands to You in prayer. (5) You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise You with songs of joy.'        Psalm 63:3-5    NLT

By doing this, we are allowing the Word of God to rule our life and the devil will shoot away:

'Therefore, submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.' James 4:7 The devil will then lose that particular battle. 'The Lord is known for His justice. The wicked are trapped by their own deeds'. Psalm 9:16 NLT. Instead of the devil snatching and devouring us, we have taken control over him in this particular incident. We have caught him in God's trap. But be careful, he will try again at a later stage. 

From today, learn to recognise what comes into your mind. The devil will bring aggression and disruption and will try to cause pain and heartache. God fills your mind with joy and wholesome thoughts that thrill your heart. In other words, you will either feel fear or faith. Learn to recognise this and clear your mind.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

God - Our shelter and our refuge.

"The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble".     Psalm 9:9   NLT

We all need a safe place to go every now and then. It's a shelter and a refuge, somewhere away from the worries and cares of the day and a place that we can unwind and know, that no one will bother us for a while. Most schools these days have such facilities - a special place where a pupil can go if they're not coping well and may be subject to being bullied or pressured. It is their safe place. If King David needed this, you can be sure that we will at some time or another. Everyday life can be stressful. Problems mount up and if they're not resolved quickly, they can become a great burden. 

Praise is one way that can bring freedom because it stops Satan in his tracks. He cannot stand to hear such things as prayer and praise and will quickly vanish from our presence. However, when we're stressed and troubled, one of the last things we want to do is praise God. It can be such a sacrifice to do this (Hebrews 13:15) and it takes all we have got to put it into action; but, once we do, the chains that the enemy has been trying to bind us with, fall off. 

Focus on Jesus, not the problem. The problem will eventually go away when we fix our eyes and full attention on to Him. James 4:8, tells us to, 'Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.' But be aware, praise should never be governed by our emotions. God is worthy of our praise all the time, whether we feel like praising Him, or not. Psalm 34:1 tells us 'I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak His praise.' We should develop a life of praise.

Focusing on Jesus is a must for our daily walk and survival. When we are up against problems, the ones that are so difficult to deal with, we need to re-focus. If we don't re-direct our focus, the problem will consume our life. God is our shelter and our refuge in times of trouble but, we need to be full-on with Him. When we praise Him, which should be a regular occurrence, our praise should be our all - everything we have, and it should be at all times, not just when we think about it, but in the good and the not so good times.

Many people do a daily Keep Fit schedule which may include, jogging, swimming and general exercise. It is a great way to keep in shape both mentally and physically. In the same way, we also need to develop a Keep Fit Plan for our daily walk with Jesus. This should include, praise, prayer, listening to God, reading our bibles and generally keeping focused on Him. When we do this, we are guaranteed to be in constant connection with Jesus - our shelter and refuge.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

'If You are willing - I am willing.'

"If You are willing, You can make me clean. (41) Then Jesus moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, 'I am willing, be cleansed."    V40-41                                                                             Mark 1:40-45    NKJV

There was faith and determination in this man's words to Jesus. He had obviously heard about Him and how people were being healed. Having leprosy, he was an outcast; people would not go near someone who had this disease. They believed that it was caused by sin in their life and one would be defiled if they touched such a person.

We get a glimpse of Jesus' heart here; when He spoke with the man, He was filled with compassion. This man was an outcast and had nothing, no life that you could speak of. He had no one to love or to love him. Then he met Jesus and his whole life changed for the better. 'I am willing; be cleansed.'

It would be easy to berate the man. Jesus had healed him on the spot and told him to go to the priest for confirmation that he was ceremoniously clean. He was told to tell no one what had happened, but he did. Think about it for a moment though, he was not blatantly disobedient, not at all. He had been an outcast with no life at all, now he was a somebody with his life back and a future; of course he wanted to tell someone, wouldn't you? He had a story to tell. Sadly though, this prevented Jesus from preaching in the area because of the publicity, so it was an hindrance. People all over the world love to testify of God's goodness to them. He was just doing the same. He just had to tell someone.

Looking deeply into this account, we see someone with a very great need. An outcast with no one to turn to, no one to share love with. We may also see a deep poverty, that is filled with brokenness, loneliness, depression and desperation. You may be married, separated or single and life at the moment may be pretty grim. In fact, for many reasons, your life may be falling apart. No one seems to care; the telephone never rings and no one ever calls in. Money is also tight and that special job is always too difficult to secure. 

In a way, this is similar to what the man with leprosy was feeling. But notice one important thing; he didn't just sit around waiting for things to change. He became proactive and approached Jesus - 'If you are willing'. And that is all it took. He knelt down before Jesus and poured out his heart. Jesus' heart melted, and His heart will melt for you as well. Go to Him now!

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE