Endure hardship

"You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ."  

                                                                                                           2 Timothy 2:8    NKJV

The Christian life is not always easy; we have mountains to climb, problems to negotiate and difficult decisions to make. On top of all of that, we have to deal with the persecution that we suffer from unbelievers. It is never easy. This is why Paul wrote the above statement. We need to be totally committed and disciplined in our relationship with Him, especially when we face trials of all kinds. We are soldiers, we enlisted into the army of the Living God and we serve our Commander - Jesus. Therefore, we must be focused on Him and obedient to His orders, despite the obstacles that we may face. 

Rather like an athlete, we need to press through the pain in order to reach the goal which is glorifying Him. Athletes do not receive a gold medal just for competing, they have to train and work hard so that they can claim this prize. We may feel like giving up at times but, this is never an option for the committed man or woman of God. We press on and get the job done and Jesus gives us the energy to be able to do this.

We should never be entangled with petty arguments and affairs of the world. Our job is too important. Rather, we need to allow people to see how we handle situations and also help them to overcome certain problems; but we should never become too involved that we lose our focus.

What are you struggling with at this time. You may be waiting for an answer from God about a certain thing. Or you may be asking God to bless a certain area of your life. Waiting is never easy and when we have been waiting a long time, this can be a trigger point to throw the towel in and give up. DON'T!. Keep going; keep believing that what you have asked for, God will give the answer. The life of a soldier is committed to fighting, overcoming and keeping the peace. This is the blue print that we need to follow. 

You can do this, you know you can. Remember all of the others who have been in your place and overcame. You will do the same, deep down you know you will; it's just that it is difficult at this time. But things will get better probably sooner than you think. Because, Jesus will never let you down.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard

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Are you kicking against God's direction?

"It's hard for you to kick against the goads"                                         Acts 9:5     NKJV

Saul, before God changed him, was a terrible persecutor of the Christian church. He was responsible for the death of the first Christian martyr - Stephen and went around finding men, woman and children who were of 'The Way.' This was an early term referring to Christianity and promoted by Jesus, who was the way John 14:6. Saul was a bounty hunter and a very ruthless man to come against.

Saul obtained letters from the high priest to take to the synagogue at Damascus in order to root out believers and bring them bound to Jerusalem. While he was on the Damascus Road he encountered Jesus shining as a bright light that blinded Saul, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? Jesus then went on to say, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads,' Two points are raised here. Firstly, when people persecute us, they are also persecuting Jesus. He identifies with us. Anyone who attacks us is attacking Him also, because we are the body of Christ. Don't ever feel that you are on your own; Jesus knows what it feels like too.

Secondly, a goad or prick, was an ox stick with a sharp iron point on the tip. It was used to guide the oxen by pricking them. If the ox rebelled by kicking out, the tip was pushed in deeper until it complied. The more it rebelled, the more it suffered.

Think about this; Jesus guides and directs us. At times there is a need for Jesus to amplify this and we don't like it, in fact, we can rebel. The more we ignore His leading, the more we feel that we are not in step with Him, until we comply. Jesus is not a taskmaster, but He does wish for us to obey His word. We can go no further until we do.

Think about these two points, you are not alone during persecution. Jesus suffers with you and will, help sort it out, if you let Him. Secondly, are you kicking out against what God wants you to do. The more you kick the deeper the prick. It's much better to say yes to Jesus. Saul, who later became Paul, found this out and went on to write the biggest part of the New Testament and brought many to know Jesus. God knows best and wants the best for you.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard

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What is your weakness?

"He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength."     

                                                                                                               Isaiah 40:29   NKJV 

Unlike our own, God's power is unlimited. He is all powerful and nothing causes Him a problem or catches Him out. He is always ready and alert. The words 'weak' and 'have no might' in our text today, apply to us all. We all have our weaknesses; the things that let us down constantly. The things that we try to walk away from but, follow us around. Look at our text, 'He gives power to the weak'. That is us and it is a promise. This is why we need to know the Word of God throughly, otherwise we miss these gems. We are weak but God gives us the strength to overcome. When we have no might, He gives us the strength that we need.

'Yes but you don't know what I get up to, I keep on doing the things that I know I shouldn't.' Then join the club, we all do. If you can show me someone who is perfect in everything, then I will be very surprised. We can look at people in church and think, 'I wish I was like them, they never fall'. Then, go and live with them for a week and you'll soon see differently. We all have our weaknesses and, we all mess up. That person who you look up to and may put on a pedestal, has struggles too. There is only one who is perfect and His name is Jesus.

As you read this, you may be thinking that there is no hope for you. Well, there is and His name is Jesus. He is our only hope - the only hope that we need. Having lots of money will not bring hope, you can lose that in a day. Living in an idyllic place in the Caribbean may be very nice but, it will not give you hope and what's more, you will still have your weaknesses. There is only hope in Jesus.

Jesus can help you in your weakness. He can give you the strength you need and even though you may be feeling condemned because you have let Him down again, He never points the finger, and what's more, you are not condemned; only the devil does that Romans 8:1. This doesn't mean that we can continue to deliberately sin each day and expect Him to forgive us. However, it does mean that when we do make the same mistakes, as we confess our sin, He is there to forgive us 1 John 1:9. 

This is grace that He gives us. (see 2 Corinthians 12:9)

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard

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It's time to Praise the Lord

"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord"                          Psalm 150     NKJV

Work, play, family and friends; shopping, cleaning, football, the pub, overtime and the garden; whatever you are at, it is time to get out of the fast line and praise the Lord. We can never be too busy to do so but we come close. We have very little time to do this. Kids, breakfasts, the school run, this appointment and that interview. Slowdown, it is time to praise the Lord. If you have breath, which I hope you do, spend some time with Him. 'Yes but'. But nothing. We should never allow anything to get in the way of praising God. We owe this to Him for all He has done for each one of us.

If you can play an instrument then play it to God. If you can't, then sing to Him. You say that you can't sing in tune. That's ok, to God it sounds like a sweet melody. Alternatively, fill the house with praise by playing a CD or Christian music from the internet. Then start singing along with it. When we praise, Satan is unable to touch us; in fact, he runs away because it may be music to God's ears, but to him, it sounds like warfare. Praise stops Satan in his tracks. This is why it is so important.

When we praise and worship, like we saw yesterday in Isaiah 6, the foundations of heaven shake with passion, the Seraphim worship Him too and it is a sweet sound and fragrance to God. Praise also make us feel good too. When we are praising God, we are not thinking about the problems that are nagging away at us. There is no place for them when we approach the Throne of God. At the Throne, there is only grace and love. There is no fear at all. There can't be because we are totally in God's presence. The more time we spend in His presence, the fear and the problems of the world seem insignificant, they are redundant, not needed anymore.

Be honest, do you praise God enough, do you worship Him often? I think it is something that we all need to brush up on. The world we live in, is a busy place with stress and struggles around every corner. We can become overwhelmed with the pressures of life if we are not careful. We often say that we need time for ourselves. Why not turn this into a, 'I need to spend some time with Jesus.' It can only do you good.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard

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The call of Isaiah. Part 2 - A glimpse into heaven

"Here am i. Send me"  

                                                                                                       Isaiah 6:2-8    NKJV 

Isaiah was overcome with the glory of heaven. He observed Seraphim flying around the throne of God, praising and worshiping the Almighty God. Seraphim are described as having two or three pairs of wings who focus on praising and worshiping God V2&3. They are the closest angels of God, who serve Him night and day.

As Isaiah saw this, it was awesome for him and he witnessed the foundations shaking with the power of the Seraphim's voices. The temple was also filled with smoke which is a reference to the glory of God. It was an amazing but fearful sight to see.

Isaiah was so overwhelmed by it all that he cried out, 'Woe is me for I am undone (ruined)' He felt like he was falling apart before the Holy God. He spoke again saying, 'I am a man of unclean lips' v5. He was making the statement that he was inadequate in the presence of God and confessed to being unclean. This touched God's heart and a Seraphim came and touched Isaiah's mouth with a hot coal and told him, 'Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away and your sins purged' v7. Isaiah heard the LORD saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for us.' And he replied, 'Here am I! Send me'.

It would have been a painful experience for Isaiah to have the hot coal touch his lips. However, he needed to remember the pain of his old life and calling of his new life in order to carry out the work that God had planned for him.

God is amazing and He will show us things that we never thought was possible. When we open ourselves up to Him - totally, and elect to serve Him wholeheartedly, as Isaiah did here, He will make the way for us to do this. As Isaiah found, it may be painful to do so; nothing in God's Kingdom business is easy and it takes our total effort to fulfil our calling. However, it is worth it.

Has God called you to His work? Is He calling you? It is something that you should not rush into until you are confident that it is God calling you. When you are, it is a journey that has lots of bumps and hassles. However, the rewards that you feel in your heart, are well worth it. 

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard

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The call of Isaiah

"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple"                                    Isaiah 6:1     NKJV 

King Uzziah was not perfect, but he was a good king and had brought Judah close to believing in God again. He had brought hope, something that they needed and Isaiah had a heart for him. Now that he had died, Judah and Isaiah were in turmoil, the hope was disappearing. But when Uzziah had died, Isaiah saw the true God sitting on His throne, high and lifted up in heaven. He was totally in charge. The kingdom of God operates according to His will not, according to outward circumstances. God would bring back hope. 

Uzziah had died and Isaiah had to learn it was God he should rely on, not man. Man can be taken away in an instance. Sometimes it takes a tragedy to help us to see God clearly. Until this death, Isaiah had belonged to God but had not really seen Him. Now it would be different.

Sometimes it takes a tragedy in our lives to see God clearly, to get to know Him deeply. As long as we rely on man, we can never really become close to Jesus because we tend to rely on that other person to bring us through. This doesn't mean that we should not have people in our lives, not at all but, they are only flesh and their support is limited, whereas with Jesus, we can do anything He wants us to. In addition, if they are taken away from us, we become lost with no hope. We need to adjust our vision from the temporal to the eternal.

Isaiah had to learn all of this, as we do as well. Our hope can only be truly filled by having Jesus in our lives. He has the blue print for our lives, knows the way ahead and will bless us on the way.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard

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Giving to God

"And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, 2 and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. 3 So He said, 'Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; 4 for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had."    

                                                                                                      Luke 21:1-4    NKJV

To the casual observer, it appeared that the widow gave next to nothing compared to the richer men. But to Jesus, she had put in more than all of them. They gave out of their surplus, she gave out of her poverty. The rich people's offering would have made a loud noise as they put it in the receptacle but, the widows two mites would have been heard in heaven and that's what matters.

A mite, also known as a lepton, was a Jewish coin and the smallest used in New Testament times. At that time, it would have been worth about 1/64th of a denarius, the denarius being a day's wage for the common worker. Therefore, it would have paid for six minutes of work, two being twelve minutes; and yet, today, one cannot buy one of these certified ancient coins for less than around $9000 on the internet.

The widow's offering demonstrated her total dependance on God, she gave all that she had. Jesus noticed this demonstration of faith, trust and love towards God and, He notices when we give whether it be a tithe or offering to the church or to another source. Some people are desperate for financial help and, if we can help because of our financial abundance, God is impressed and honours us. Sadly, some may say, "I'm sorry to hear about your financial status, I'll pray that you won't be evicted,'  and then walk away. If we have the resources to help a person who is desperately in need, it is something that we need to consult God with. If we have the funds perhaps He may want us to pay someone's bill, buy them a lunch or give them a gift. After all, it is God's money in the first place; He has the first call on our finances.

Let me ask you, do you tithe? It is something that God takes very seriously. Many people give a tenth of their income or some other figure. Really, whatever you give, is helpful to the kingdom of God or other organisation. We can never out give God, He will always supply back to us. The widow knew this; she knew that she could give all she had and God would honour her. Do you know this?

'Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need'. (Mal. 3:10)

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard

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It will be ok

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."    Isaiah 41:10     NKJV 

The popular singer/songwriter, Keith Green before his untimely death, wrote these words in his song 'When I hear the praises start'

'My precious bride, the day is nearing, when I'll take you in My arms and hold you

I know there's many things that you've been hearing, but you just hold on to what I have told you.'                                                                                       Copyright Keith Green

The message is clear, there are so many things around us that point to hatred and ungodly actions, but just hold on to what God has told you. No matter what has happened to you or is happening all over the place, just hang on to Gods word. There are wars, famines, earthquakes, terrorism, murders, rapes and many other types of evil going on around us. However, as Jesus told us in Mark 13, this does not point to the end times, they are just the birth pains.

You may have been wronged just lately and hurt pretty badly, however God is with you and He will strengthen and help you. We are living in a time of greed where people are more concerned with themselves than with others, Take for instance when there is a rumour of a food shortage; people are in the supermarkets grabbing whatever they can and it can be close to war as they battle to do so. However, just think for a moment, you are special in God's eyes. Whatever is happening around you or directly to you, He is there right beside you and He will honour you.

Just lately, things may have been bad for you with things not going well at home, college or at work. But they are not the end for you, these are birth pains and before you know it, you will be delivered from them. People may not believe you and tell you basically, that it is stupid to believe in God. But you just hold on to what He has told you. He never lies and He is forever with you and will see you through this dilemma. 

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard

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So you want to be like Jesus?

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond servant and coming in the likeness of men." v5    

                                                                                                  Philippians 2:5-11    NKJV

Often we will pray to be just like Jesus, this is our ambition, we just want to be like our Master, and this is not a bad thing. After all, Jesus has got it right, He is our mentor as well as our God, we all want to walk the earth as He did. However, have we really looked at the implications of this prayer?

To be like Jesus, we need to see that He emptied Himself, by assuming the form of a servant. He still had His deity but He took on human flesh. He was fully God and became fully man. In theology, this is know as hypostatic union - two natures in one person unmixed forever. He was secure in Himself and never lost sight of who He was. He knew His identity. What about you? Are you secure in God and yourself. When you are secure in God, you will serve Him wholeheartedly no matter what.

We can never be like Jesus when we are insecure; when we don't really know our identity. Notice that Jesus emptied Himself of who He actually was. He kept His deity but He took on the role of a servant in human flesh. In other words, He made Himself of no reputation. We all like to be a 'someone,' we like to feel that we belong and people know who we are and what we stand for. But to be truly like Jesus, we may have to give this up, if He asks. 

To be like Jesus, we must allow Him the first call on our lives and we must be willing to face any flack that may come our way. A soldier gives up everything to serve His country, a soldier of Jesus does the same and when we give up everything we have, to follow Him, it may be difficult at times. The apostle Paul suffered much hardship to serve Jesus. It was His choice and He knew the risks and the cost that it would take. When we say, 'Lord, I want to be like You,' be sure you know what you are saying because there will be a cost to pay. However, there will be blessing as well, 'If anyone serves Me let Him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honour him.' John 12:26

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard

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Lord, we don't know what to do! Part 2

"Thus says the Lord: 'Do not be afraid or dismayed because of this multitude, for the battle is not yours but God's.'"                                        2 Chronicles 20:15     NKJV 

This statement underpins everything that concerns us. It's the main part of the solution to our problem but, is one of the last things that we consider when we are in a crisis. Many years ago, my wife and I were faced with a problem that needed urgent attention. We had to drive unexpectedly, overnight, to London to try to resolve this. We had one praise tape in our car and continually played one track that had the words, 'Why worry, God's in charge, the Lord of the land and sea, I'll put my trust in the one who saves and He'll take care of me.' And He did. It took a few days to sort out but God came through for us big time.

This is the value of God's Word whether it be from the bible or a song; it enriches our soul and gives us peace. What these words were saying to us were, 'Don't worry, I'm in charge, I will take care of things and you will not have to do a thing.' These are the gold nuggets that God gives us when we need them so much. He is always there for us, through thick and thin.

Here Jehoshaphat after declaring a fast, needed encouragement and God gave him this through Jahaziel, who was part of this fast. To hear that the battle was not his but the Lords, greatly encouraged Jehoshaphat and gave him a fresh outlook on the problem, and He will do the same for you as well.

You may be going through a rough time at present; one in which you cannot see a way through. However, even though you cannot see a way through, God can and He is telling you to leave it to Him, it's His battle not yours.You may have sleepless nights worrying about the problem, but God doesn't. He will defeat where man will retreat. As you give the problem to God, He will give you the victory because, He is a winner and so can you be because the battle is His not yours.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard

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Lord, we don't know what to do!

"For we have no power against this multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."                  2 Chronicles 20:12     NKJV 

Jehoshaphat was met with a great problem, the people of Moab, Ammon and others began to come against him in battle and he was afraid. However, he was a man of God and took the matter to Him. He decided to seek the Lord and have a national time of fasting and praying because he knew this was the thing to do. He surveyed the current threat from an unjust nation and implored God to intervene. And, this is the correct way to go.

Whenever threats and major problems come our way, and they will, our first port of call should always be Jesus. Why? Because He is our Lord and Saviour; He has control over our lives because we gave it to Him in the first place and let's face it, without Him we are nothing.

The problems and threats that may come our way, may not be in the form of a battle such as Jehoshaphat faced, but they are still a battle and we need to use every weapon that we can get hold of, to be able to survive. Therefore, when we are faced with overwhelming pressure such as this it is advisable to seek God, fast and pray and then wait. Waiting is the hardest thing of all, because our natural instinct is to rush forward to take action. However, this can only conclude in disaster because we are leaving God out of the situation. The sequence is to seek God, decide whether you are going to fast and then pray. 

Basically, Jehoshaphat was saying, 'Lord, we have a problem here and we don't know what to do, but You do and we're counting on You.' God answers prayers such as this because, we are putting Him in the driving seat. We need wisdom to know the way ahead and so we look at God's formula: 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.'   Proverbs 3:5-6. This is the way forward.

Maybe you have a decision to make at this time, one that is a major one and your are struggling to know the way to go. It is here. Trust in God, rely not on what you think you know. Ask him to direct what you should do and then, wait for the answer

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard

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No attack - No defence

"Beloved, do not avenge yourself, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord."               Romans 12:19    NKJV

When someone upsets or hurts us it can be natural to retaliate and do the same to them. This is the way that the world has taught us. Tempers can flare at times such as this and there can be an urgent desire to attack or defend ourselves. If we don't retaliate, we can be classed as a coward. However, when we observe Jesus' attitude to such things we see that He never retaliated. Take for instance the cross and the pain and humiliation that He endured but hardly said a word. He didn't avenge this torture even though He could have called on angels to help Him. He chose to leave the payback time to His Father.

Be honest with yourself, how many times in your day, are you tempted to attack or defend yourself when you have been wronged. Quite often I would think. It is natural to do so and if we don't, we can be burning inside with anger. However, with Jesus on our side, we never have to repay anyone, He will do this for us if we allow Him to. Are you open to the fact that the reason He has not dealt with your enemy yet, is because you are still in the way? How can this happen? The answer to this is, we hold grudges, we sulk or slander the person who has hurt us. We become like a dog with a bone, we bury it, walk away and then return and dig it up again. It never comes to rest. If we see the person, we glare at them and there is no sign of love or forgiveness. We can even take communion while we hold these feelings towards someone. The answer to this is to give it to God.

Are you carrying a grudge against someone and having conversations with yourself of what you would like to do to them? God gives you a promise here. He says that vengeance is His and He will repay but, you have got to pass it over to Him and stop this attacking and defending that is taking place in your heart. It is eating you away and you can go no further in your spiritual life until you surrender it to Jesus. Do it today, forgive them and be free and God will take care of the rest.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard

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What do people see in you?

"Then Paul looking earnestly at the council said, 'Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day'. 2 And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, 'God will strike you, you whitewashed wall. For you to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?' And those who stood by said, 'Do you revile God's high priest?"                                                     Acts 23:1-4     NKJV

Paul had been arrested for his faith but, as he was a Roman citizen by birth, had caused a panic and was therefore on His way to Rome to answer this. Here he is before Ananias, who was trying to get more information from him. Ananias considered Paul's reference to having a good conscience before God, to be blasphemy and ordered that he be slapped on the mouth. This provoked Paul to call him a 'Whitewashed wall.' This was quite a strange comment to make and if used today, would make people think the person was insane. Actually though, Paul was using this term because, as a high priest, it was not the thing to do and demonstrated that he didn't live up to his calling.

The term whitewashed wall can be interpreted as, something that looks clean on the outside but, is actually dirty on the inside. In other words it was hypocrisy, False teachers could be classed with this term, as could people who profess to be a Christian to people, but when alone, are far from this. Satan uses such people to spread unrest and deceit to God's people. He is intent on breaking up churches and causing mayhem wherever he can. He uses this counterfeit to spread lies and fear whenever possible.

It is imperative that we look after our own Christian testimony. To live two lives - one for Jesus and one for ourselves is not the way forward. Jesus demands all of us, nothing short of that. What is more, He knows us through and through. Therefore, if there is any hypocrisy or false ways within us, He will bring it to our attention. We are not perfect, He knows this. However, we can come close and what is more, he will help us to do this.

Have you ever spoken to someone about what they shouldn't be doing and suddenly realised that you are guilty of the same thing? If this is so, the Holy Spirit is flagging up an area that needs some attention. Nip it in the bud, with prayer before it spreads like wildfire. And then let people see in you - Jesus, your friend and Saviour.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard

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A seed has been sown

"So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God"    

                                                                                                      Romans 10:17     NKJV

Before you were saved a seed had been sown by someone, for you. Think back on your life before Jesus, there may have been Sunday school, a 'religious' relation or someone standing on the street evangelising and the words just seemed to touch you. I remember back to my childhood. I went to Sunday school for a short time, that is, until I was asked to leave for disrupting the place. Then when I was in the army, we were given a New Testament when we joined up. I also remember having to sit in a room while speakers from the Gideon Society preached to us and afterwards, gave us a little New Testament. I never read it at the time but when I was in serious need, that was the first thing I went to. Strange that, because I hadn't a clue what I was reading, or even why.

From my point of view, to admit that you had read a bible, been to church or even prayed, was such an embarrassment and provoked peer pressure. I am sure that I am not alone with this. I also remember, when I had left the army and the bottom had fallen out of my world, a vicar knocking on my cottage door offering help if I needed it. But again, because of embarrassment, I declined the offer. Strange though, after this I was drawn to go to his church in the village but embarrassment stopped me. All this time, seeds had been sown until the day that I accepted Jesus as my Saviour.

You may relate to something like this. You may also have people in your family who are not saved and refuse to even accept this. Be at peace and just pray for them. By speaking the Word of God over them, you are actually sowing a seed into their life and one day, that seed will bud and become fruitful. Don't give up. Someone may have prayed for you and even though there was a mighty struggle, Jesus still had His way and you came into His kingdom. So will they, just be patient.

Check out Habakkuk 2:3, 'For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.' As you pray for someone, picture them to be saved, picture them as such and hang on to this vision each time you pray. Your prayers will be answered. You are sowing a seed and it will come to fruition at the right time.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard

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Give God a call

"Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and almighty things which you do not know."                                                                                   Jeremiah 33:3    NKJV 

Many of us started our Christian walk describing this scripture as God's telephone number. Can you remember that? It was a convenient way of remembering to call to God when we needed Him. Thankfully we do not have to rely on technology to contact Him, especially with todays telephoning system: 'We are trying to connect you, please hold, your call is very important to us. Press one for finance, 2 to record your details or if you wish to speak to an advisor, press 3.' Then the awful music broken only by 'We're still trying to connect you.' 

Thank goodness that we do not have to go through all of that to speak to God. He tells us to call on Him and He will answer and that is a promise. With the world's system of connection it can be hours but, with God we have an instant connection.His door is always open. We don't even have to have an appointment, He's always ready for us. Try that with your bank manager, general manager or even the prime minister and you'll be turned down. But not with God.

So why don't we call on Him more often? We get ourselves into problem after problem, attempting to sort things out that there is no easy answer to. We fret, become flustered, frightened and throw a wobbly when really, all we have to do is call on Jesus. How many times have you worried about something for days on end when all you had to do was call on Him. And really, why worry anyway. Jesus told us not to, so really it's a command. Most of the things that we worry about never happen anyway. Just think, all that nervous energy you have burnt up for no reason at all. Worry is a killer, it can seriously affect us medically. Don't do it. Jesus knows best.

Many of us have conversations with ourselves throughout the day. You can see people's lips moving as you pass them in the street. Now they could be on a mobile talking to a friend but, there is every chance they are having a conversation with themselves. If that is you, why not talk to Jesus instead. You will get more out of it than having a moan about something to yourself and it is a great way of keeping the connection open to God. Try it, it makes sense. 

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

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Be a faith-filled believer

"What is that in your hand?"                                            Exodus 4:2     NKJV

Do you trust God - wholeheartedly? Are you man or woman of faith, or do you just get by each day? Moses was struggling. In his opinion, God had called him to do the most horrendous thing - go to Egypt and confront Pharaoh about letting the Israelites go. It was one awesome task and he would have sooner done anything else that carry out this task. What if this and what if that? Suppose they don't believe me etc? It really was a nightmare time for him. How would you have felt about it? 

But God said something amazing to him, 'What is that in your hand?' He was referring to Moses' rod and told him to cast it down on the floor where it became a snake. When he picked it up by its tail, it became his rod once again. God was showing Moses that He was in charge and with Him in charge, nothing was impossible. And it is the same for you as well.

Without faith we are lost. We can't see fresh air but we know it is there and we naturally breathe it in all through our day. We can't see the wind but we witness the devastation that it can bring. We are the people who walk by faith, not by sight 2 Corinthians 5:7. We can't see certain things, but by faith we believe they are there. God is calling us to believe more; to walk in faith not by what we see.

Just look through the bible and you will see people who had incredible faith. 'Yes, but that was back in bible times, it's different now'. No it isn't, in fact there has never been a time when we need to exercise faith. All around us, evil is displayed, murders and rapes on the increase, and terrorism. Some folk believe that we are living in the end times and that may be true. If that is so, we need to stop believing in fear and believe in the opposite - faith and begin living it 24/7.

For some, food and clothing may be a shortage and aid is really helpful to them. However, nothing is more helpful than prayer - asking and believing and receiving. 'Lord we need this'. When He answers with, 'What is that in your hand?' believe and receive it. This is the way God wishes for us to live. 

We either believe God or we don't. We either believe that He can put something in our hand or it is just make believe. You know deep down that faith is the answer, however it takes practice to keep on believing as things will not happen always at once. But they will happen. Just believe.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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Make the most of your time

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven."   

                                                                                                   Ecclesiastes 3:1   NKJV 

You are called to make the most of your time. When you do, you are walking in wisdom. Don't waste your time or your life. Mostly, we are only given one opportunity for that special thing in life. Don't miss the chance of success. 

Paul says: 'See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil' Ephesians 5:16. In other words, keep your eyes open to what is around you and, if you are certain God is directing you, seize the moment when it is available, you may not get another chance.

What opportunity is God giving you today? What are you going to do about it? When God speaks about something He wants you to do, it is not unusual to feel nervous, after all, it may be something big and you are not sure if you could manage it. You may try every trick in the book to convince yourself that it would be wrong for you to take this on. Check out Moses when God called him to go to Egypt. Be at peace, if God is showing you something today, you can do it. He has ordained you for the task. 

Get alone with God and ask Him to show you a little bit more of what He is asking or showing you. He will. You will not be totally convinced until you push the door and take a step forward but, as you take that step He will give you the assurance that you are needing.

Just think about it, this could be your day to succeed, make the most of it and don't miss the opportunity.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

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'I have a plan'

"Commit your actions to the Lord and your plans will succeed".    Proverbs 16:3    NLT 

Many people throughout the world come up with excellent plans and put them into action very quickly. Many succeed from their actions and make lots of money. Many don't and fail. Thomas Edison was a great pioneer of inventions and tried and failed many times with his quest to produce the electric light. When questioned about his exploits, he told the people, that he had not failed but just found 1000 ways that didn't work. A great answer and attitude. There are the doers and the thinkers. The doers get down to business and put their plans into action. The thinkers, just think about it and never try. 

God has given us a brain and the ability to create great things. There are colleges and universities where we can go to pursue study and learn the process of developing our God given talent. That doesn't mean that the person who hasn't been to these establishments cannot dream big and be successful, not at all. Many who haven't had academic training have become successful with their plans.

For us as Christians, the best place to start is with Jesus. He is the greatest inventor and creator of all time. Just look at the world and all that is in it for testimony to that fact. Therefore, if you have a plan, it makes sense to go to Him and give Him this and allow Him to help you develop it. The difference between you and the person who is of the world, is that you have given Him your life and that, includes your thoughts and your dreams. He has charge of them but, still allows you to go ahead on your own if you choose this route. However, if you want to be successful, God's way is the best route to take. 

Perhaps you have a plan at this moment. It may include a new job, a move to another area, even emigration. You may also have thoughts about starting your own business. Don't rush ahead and try to put it into action. Discuss it with God first. Get His opinion on this new venture. You see, He knows the way ahead - the pitfalls, and He will guide you expertly if you let Him. Your intentions may be the greatest thing that could happen to you. However, they may be your worst nightmare. Check it out with your Life Manager - Jesus right now.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

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Don't do it!

"So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate."    

                                                                                                        Genesis 3:6    NKJV

Temptation comes in many forms and affects us all. No one is exempt temptation, it goes with the territory. It is though, down to each individual how they handle this - walk away or fall into the trap. The trap may be adultery, theft and a desire to be rich and famous or many other areas.

The problem is, falling into the trap can be very costly. It can cause a marriage to fail no matter how sorry the offending individual is. It can result in a lengthy prison sentence when a person has fallen to the temptation of embezzlement and worse of all, it can completely ruin a person's integrity and testimony. Once a person has become involved in these areas, they carry the label of untrustworthy.

The eye is a great offender, through these lenses, a person looks at something they shouldn't be viewing, such as pornography, and a desire can be ignited. Familiarity with someone if left to fester, can lead to an unsavoury relationship. No matter how pleasant this may be at the time, it will only lead to disaster and heartache and, rather like Eve found, it will be too late to rectify.

An urgent need for finance can tempt a person to put their hand in the till. However, when they get away with it they may be tempted to try it again and again until they are found out and arrested. Shoplifting can fall into this category. Theft and adultery and perhaps, child abuse can all be viewed as desirable to the person who is being tempted but, it will lead to a light being cast down on the whole sorry affair and a person being sent to prison or a divorce are all   that's left to look forward too. Children's lives will be wrecked, families torn apart and all because there was a desire that needed to be satisfied. At the end of the day, one is left with the phrase, 'Was it all worth it? And the answer has got to be, no.

Please don't feel that this would never happen to you, many people would be able to testify that they used to feel this. If you could ask Adam and Eve,they would tell you the same. A ten letter word can carry a devastating sting with it and it is called 'temptation'

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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You are not a broken vessel

"We are pressured in every way (hedged in) but not crushed; perplexed (unsure of finding a way out) but not driven to despair; 9 hunted down and persecuted, but not deserted (to stand alone), struck down but never destroyed."   

                                                              2 Corinthians 4:8-9   The Amplified Study Bible 

We face trials every now and then, some people more than others. It all depends on how we handle them. Satan would have us believe that we are broken vessels - useless and incapable of being useful to God. What a lie; don't for one minute believe that. Things come at us but they are not always from Satan, we have everyday trials, like the lack of money, job and pressures from family and home. However, we are not broken. Let me just give you a comment on verse 8 from the Amplified version: "God controls trials and uses them to strengthen His people. God's glory is manifested through broken vessels, by people who endure trouble by relying on His power." 

You may feel like a broken vessel at this time, but God doesn't want you to remain this way. He is into mending brokenness, He repairs the soul, the person and He will do this for you too. We face trials but God is with us through them. Take a look at our text today, you may feel crushed and perplexed, unsure of finding a way out. But God knows the way and will even create a way to get you through this time. You are not deserted; you are not on your own. He is with you and will remain so. Don't give up, look up.

If a pot falls on the floor and shatters, it is ruined and needs throwing away. That is the world's perspective - the natural. However, you are not of the world, you are of the supernatural and no matter how broken you may be - even shattered, your God, your friend Jesus can put you together again. They couldn't put Humpty Dumpty together again because he was of the natural, but you are not Humpty Dumpty, you are a loved and cherished child of God and Jesus has your back. If you're shot at, God will shout, 'Man down', and Jesus will pick you up and carry you until you are strong enough to cope.

Hey, life has been tough for you just lately, but Jesus is on your case. Just spend sometime with Him alone and tell Him how you feel - everything, and watch Him move on your behalf.

He takes broken vessels and makes them whole again.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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