Are there changes to be made?

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."     Hebrews 13:8    NKJV 

The Amplified Bible puts it this way, Jesus is: 'Eternally changeless - always the same.' Jesus is the only one that does not need to change. He is forever the same, always there, always loving  and ever faithful. We are not the same, we need help. If we want to grow, we need to change.

No-one likes change, it threatens our comfort zone. When a new boss is on the agenda, we think, 'Oh no, what is going to happen, I was just enjoying my job.' However, having staff that enjoy their job is not conducive to a healthy production. Employers need to be on the ball because the competition is so great, therefore there needs to be change in order to survive.

Change brings loss and this loss can be quite costly. Death and divorce are the highest contenders for pain due to loss and change; but there are others, such as moving house where there are loss of friends and family, school mates. The list is endless. However, We have to avoid being set in our ways, we may feel it is safer this way, after all, there is little risk in doing this. But look at the potential that you are depriving yourself and others from. You have a gift like no one else and, God wants you to use it. Change is healthy - scary yes, but it is needed because it is essential to our lives and existence. Change though, can be very difficult and also painful but, as I have already said, if you want to grow, changes must be made. 

It is New Year's Eve and people throughout the world make resolutions which they intend to carry out. About 90% of these forget about them within 24 hours, the 10% may be successful in carrying them out. However, the percentage is very low. Instead of New Year's resolutions, why not try praying, firstly that God will show you the changes that you need to make and, secondly give you the ability to carry them out. When we are serous with God, He will be the same with us. He is committed to us and wants us to succeed in all we do. You know there are some changes that you need to make - you know, don't you? Therefore, get a pen and a note book and write down the changes that you feel you need to make. Then pray about them and allow God to speak to you about them,. There may be more and, then again, there may be less than you have listed.

Once you have done this, pray about these changes each day and make notes in your book with regards to your success or failure. What has worked for you and what hasn't? If you stick to this, pretty soon you will be on the way to getting things right.

Happy New Year

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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Don't disqualify yourself - believe!

"while we do not look at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."    

                                                                                            2 Corinthians 4:18   NKJV

Faith tells us to look at things that are not seen, this is what faith is all about. If it is raining outside, we don't pray that it will rain, it already is doing. However, if we are having a drought, that is the time to pray for rain and, believe that we have received it before it happens Mark 11:22-24.

2 Corinthians 5:7 says, 'For we walk by faith, not by sight.' This is basically telling you the same. Faith is receiving something before it comes to you. Jesus did it all the time and His word shows you to do the same. However, it is so easy to disqualify yourself. Take a look at 1 Corinthians 9:26-27, 'Therefore I run thus, not with uncertainty. Thus I fight, not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.' 

You have to watch the doubt. It will squash your faith every time. Mark 11:23 says, 'For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, be removed and be cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.' There it is in a nutshell, Jesus' words not to doubt. When you do this, you can say goodbye to what you have asked for - believing - in prayer.

Be careful though, just because you have the faith and ask believing, with no doubt in your heart, this does not mean that you will have what you ask for straightaway. Jesus didn't say that. He said that you will have whatever you ask for but there was no promise of when this would take place. And, this is where people begin to doubt. Initially, you can be all fired up believing in prayer. However, after a little while of waiting, it is like the devil whispers in your ear, 'it will never come, give up.' If you have shared what you have asked for with someone, their faith may not be as strong as yours, and so, they can easily say, 'I think you may have this wrong, you know.' Again, doubt enters in. Remember Jesus' words to Jairus, 'Do not be afraid, only believe'  Matthew 5:36.

You are called to walk by faith but, you have to exercise patience and stand firm throughout the ordeal of waiting. The word to Habakkuk was, Though it tarries, wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry.' 2:3.

If you believe that God is answering your prayer of faith, don't give up and disqualify yourself. Keep believing. It will come.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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The Importance of Joy

 "The thief does no 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

How does your joy get stolen? The devil is no fool; he knows what he is doing; he knows how to disarm you and will use this to disable every plan that he can. He knows that if you keep your joy, you will be strong and equipped for battle (Nehemiah 8:10), therefore he has to steal it away before you gain the victory.

Think about this. How many times do you determine to be victorious and joyful, only to fall at the first hurdle. You cannot just click your fingers to become joyful; it would be great if there was a button that you could press to discharge this joy. James writes, 'Count it all joy when you fall into various trials' James 1:2. Therefore, this shows us that you have to assume this joy, it is not necessarily there in the first place. It is how you view the things that come against you.  Tony Evans writes:

'What you focus on governs how you feel. The reason why many of us stay grieved for so long, is because we stay focused on what is wrong. Rather than finding our chief joy in the Lord, we turn on the TV to escape. We enter into illegitimate relationships to escape. We get involved with drugs or alcohol to escape. If your focus is properly situated on the Lord however, He will give you His joy; and His joy will give you strength.'

                                                                                    The Tony Evans' Bible commentary

Joy contains an intense, ecstatic happiness. It makes you feel wonderful; you cannot fail to praise God when you feel this way. You take great pleasure in praising Him, therefore, you are filled with the strength to achieve your goals. The joy of the Lord, is the joy that springs up in your heart because of your relationship with God. It is a God-given gladness found only when you're walking in unity with Him. Remember, when your goal is to know more about the Lord, the by-product is joy.

What James tells you in James Chapter one, is not easy to accomplish; but if you can manage it, it gives you the ability to cope and get through each problem that you face. When you think about it, it is another opportunity to praise God. Whatever is happening to you at this moment, remember, He is still on the throne. Jesus' joy shone through as recorded in Hebrews 12:2. The joy that was set before Him, made Him endure the cross, despising the shame and He did it all for you. You may say, 'Yes, but He was God'. That is true, but He was in His humanity at the time. He still hurt and He still bled and he still died. The same Spirit who was with Him, is the same Spirit that is in you. Being joyful is not easy to accomplish all the time but, if it provides you with God's strength, it is well worth reaching out for it.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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You are His special treasure

"You are the children of the Lord your God; you shall not cut yourselves nor shave the front of your head for the dead. 2 For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth."                                       Deuteronomy 14:1-2    NKJV 

God did not approve of the Israelite's behaviour of cutting themselves and shaving the front of their head in an act of mourning for the dead. This was embedded in pagan and Canaanite ritualistic behaviour. God told the people that they were a holy people, chosen by God who classed them as a special treasure.

Have you ever stopped to consider that God, sees you as His chosen, special treasure. It may sound unbelievable but, it is true. This is the way that He sees each of us. You belong to a holy nation. Therefore, you should be living up to this. You are not a copy of another person, so stop trying to be. God knows you as yourself not someone else. Don't imitate rituals, don't become involved in them at all. The only thing on your mind and in your life, should be Jesus.

Let your life so demonstrate this - you are different, you don't follow the crowd, you follow Jesus Christ. Some may mould themselves on pop stars or a Hollywood movie star and then, they become disappointed when they realise that it was only a pipe dream. You don't come from Hollywood, you come from Heaven - a child of the Living God. You are different.

Because you are special, you need to take care of yourself. This means eating the right food and keeping your body in trim. Diet and exercise all lead to a healthy lifestyle. If your waistline has suddenly expanded and you are finding it difficult to fit into your clothes, this is a good indication that you need to check this. You are special; you are set apart and sanctified. You know who God is and, in return, He knows who you are too. The bottom line is, God wants you fit and healthy. Ensure that you eat the right food, not for religious reasons or to be like someone else. Be fit and healthy because this is what God wants for you, His special person.

Now this doesn't mean that you have to join a gym, buy all the lycra you can find and punch your body into shape. Not at all, although, if you feel that is ok for you, then go ahead. For the average person, God wants you fit and healthy. The wrong type of food can give our bodies lots of problems including, diabetes and heart problems just to mention two. Be honest, you know that you need to keep a check on yourself health wise. Therefore, with the New Year almost upon us, why not get your special body into shape. 

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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Have a forward focus

"Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."                 Philippians 3:12-14    NKJV 

This past year or so have been real testers. What with lockdowns and all the frustration and panic that this has caused people, it has been a difficult time for us all. However, you should always have a positive attitude; there is a New Year ahead of. Obviously, you don't know what the outcome of this will be but, you have the opportunity for new ideas, fresh hopes. Let's face it, if you give up hope, there is very little left.

Yes, you may have messed up a little bit throughout this past year but, don't give up; you are not perfect and you are trying your best to get your walk with Jesus right. You are one of the people who should never look back. You are forward person. When you are tempted to look back, you see all of the hurt, disappointments and failures. They are the past, the future is ahead. Move on, you can't change the past but you can be instrumental in framing the future. Looking back is like looking into a rear view mirror; stop this and look towards the bigger view - through the windscreen. Anyway, think for a moment, when you look into the rear view mirror, you are leaving things behind and that is the way to accept this. So move forward.

There are things that you would have done differently but perhaps there is nothing you can do to change this now. Forget these things, discard the failures, hurts and disappointments. Why focus on them? It is the past, they are gone, you are probably the only one that will really keep them alive. Don't! The future is ahead, focus on that. Have a forward focus.

Think about that phrase for a moment, 'Have a forward focus'. When you have this, you look ahead, your hope is ahead, that's how plans are formulated. A Forward Focuser, doesn't allow distractions to hold them back. They count the cost yes, but they go by faith and there is always an element of risk with this. Really, this is where the excitement begins to form. When you involve Jesus in your forward focusing, He will place great ideas in your mind, ideas that can turn into success stories. So, have a forward focuser mindset - be known as a Forward Focuser!

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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You raise me up

"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 

There is a most beautiful song released around 2003, entitled 'You Raise Me'. It was made famous by an American Christian named Josh Groban. Westlife also covered it but I actually preferred the Aled Jones version.  The song goes like this: 

'When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary, When troubles come and my heart burdened be,

Then I am still and wait here in the silence, until You come and sit awhile with me.

There is no life, no life without its hunger, each restless heart beats so imperfectly,

But when You come and I am filled with wonder, sometimes I think I glimpse eternity

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains, You raise me up to walk on stormy seas,

I am strong when I am on Your shoulders , You raise me up to more than I can be"

                                                                                    R Lovland and B Graham

These words say it all and interlink with scripture perfectly. There is no need to be afraid or fear anything because, we can be assured of Jesus' help wherever we are. Isaiah 46:4 Amplified version compliments the words of this song very well:

'Even to your old age, I am He, and even to your advanced old age I will carry you

I have made you and I will carry you; be assured I will carry you and I will save you'

No matter what you may fear or how you may be concerned of how you will manage in old age, Jesus has got this covered. He will be there and will carry you. If you fall, He will raise you up. Today you may be weary, troubled or burdened but, wait, He is coming to help, you only have to ask Him and he will help. What a wonderful friend we have in Jesus. He never lets us down.

And whatever is on your mind today, He is there for you and will carry you if need be. Don't worry!

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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The greatest present you have ever had

"Behold the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanual, which is translated, 'God with us"                    Matthew 1:23    NKJV 

For many people, Christmas is the greatest time of the year. Families join together and presents are exchanged, great food is enjoyed and hopefully, peace is spread around. It is Jesus' birthday and the world over many shout out 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS! And thanks to Jesus, He has made all of this possible.

But there are still many who do not know Him, they cannot share this day with Him the way we do. Perhaps you have a family member or friends with you today and you are concerned that they do not believe. This may actually be you. The words of a famous Christmas Carol come to mind:

How silently, how silently, 

the wondrous Gift is given!

So God imparts to human hearts,

the blessings of His heaven

No ear may hear His coming

But in this world of sin

Where meek souls will receive Him still

The dear Christ enters in

Do you know Jesus as the Lord of your life, as your Saviour? You can do now and this could be the greatest Christmas you have ever had. Why not give your life to Him right now and make this a memorable year:

Lord Jesus, I come to You on this special day. I have never really known You, but I so much want to today. Please come and live in my heart and forgive all of my sin. Fill me please, with Your Holy Spirit and make this Christmas Day, the best ever. Amen.

Now go and enjoy the rest of your life.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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Have you heard?

"Do not be afraid Mary, for you have found favour with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father, David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His Kingdom there will be no end."                                                  Luke 1:30-33   NKJV 

The announcement the Angel Gabriel gave Mary,  must have been super scary for this young girl, no wonder she asked how it could be. She was a virgin. But picture the scene that followed, Jesus the Messiah born to her in a stable in Bethlehem; shepherds and great kings bringing amazing gifts and the wonderful feeling of the peace of God around. A song, which is not usually classed as a traditional carol, gives a great picture of the feeling that must have been around at the time.

'Do you hear what I hear?' written by N Regency and G Shayne is a beautiful song and well worth a listen. A piece of it reads:

Said the King to the people everywhere, listen to what I say

Pray for peace people everywhere, listen to what I say

The child, the child, sleeping in the night, He will bring us goodness and light

He will bring us goodness and light

Jesus, the King of kings and the Prince of peace, was born in the cold stable in Bethlehem, and no one fully knew what would happen from thereon. But He rose to be our Lord and Saviour - the Messiah, the one that offers us peace, love and eternal life. The dates of the birth may not be as we know them, this doesn't matter. What does matter, is that, Jesus, our friend, was born and He will reign forevermore. This is the great news of Christmas. Picture yourself there, in the stable, gathered around the manger. This sleeping baby who, despite the cold, is at peace. Can you see Him? Would you have guessed that this little baby could be the Messiah, that He would be betrayed and hung on a cross to save us from our sin? Would you have guessed that He would be resurrected and offer us a place in heaven?

Do you hear what I hear? The cries of this baby are now cries for His people. He wants us all to be with Him in heaven. Do you hear Him call? Will you accept Him this wonderful Christmas Eve, as Your Lord and Saviour? Do you hear what I hear? He wants to bring you and your family, goodness and light.

Lord Jesus, thank you for Your constant love. Thankyou, for Christmas Eve. Lord I want to realise in my heart, the true meaning of Christmas. Therefore, I give myself to You, today. Please come and live in my heart, forgive me my sin, fill me with You Holy Spirit and please, be my Lord and Saviour. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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He came to us

"He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name; 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."    

                                                                                                     John 1:10-14    NKJV 

The Christmas carol 'Once in Royal David's City' originated as a poem by Cecil Frances Alexander and was later put to music and published. A section of the words from this great piece of work read as:

He came down to earth from heaven, who is God and Lord of all

And His shelter was a stable and His cradle was a stall

With the poor, oppressed and wholly, lived on earth Our Saviour holy.

Jesus, as we know, was born in Bethlehem in a stable. A very humble birth but one that would change the world forever. As John puts it in verse 14 of our text, 'the Word became flesh'. Being fully God, Jesus came to us as a child and little did anyone know what an impact He would have on this world. Humble beginnings to the King of kings and Lord of lords. He will come down to earth once again which is called the second Coming. This will be when He comes to claim His church - all of those who belong to Him. This may be sooner than we think. The world is decaying rapidly and the evil is rampant.

If Jesus was walking around today, I believe that He would spend a lot of time with the oppressed - the homeless, addicted, the abused, the lonely and poor. One has only to observe who He spent time with throughout the gospels. He came to earth as a babe, grew into a man and commenced His ministry and reached out to people who would accept Him. Rather like we see here within the text, many refused to accept or recognise Him. It's the same today. However, He will not give up on us. He cares too much for that. The Saviour who suffered so much, still reaches out His hand to all who will accept Him. This is why He came down to earth from heaven; Jesus fully God and Saviour of all, loves you, yes YOU! Don't be among those who refuse Him. You have a right to become children of God because He says so.

Why don't you receive Him now:

Lord Jesus, I recognise that You came down to earth from heaven for me. Forgive me that I have refused You in the past. I accept You now, as Lord and Saviour. Please come into my life, forgive my sin and fill me with Your Spirit.

In Jesus' name. Amen

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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Come, let us adore Him

"O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our maker. 7 For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice, 8 do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, as in the day of trial in the wilderness.                                                                                 Psalm 95:6-8   NKJV

Many people today, in China, North Korea and other countries, are suffering for their faith in Jesus Christ. Many in our world do not know this, but these people are imprisoned, tortured and some executed just because they choose to follow Jesus. They have no freedom to worship as we do. Deep down, I believe that the leaders know how powerful God is and realise that if they allowed people to follow Jesus, they could have a problem on their hands. Therefore, they act the way they do. We have the freedom to accept Jesus; many may want to in China etc, yet they are threatened. We can accept freely and need to be very grateful for this.

The Christmas carol, O come, all Ye faithful, was written and published in 1751 by John Francis Wade and has been very popular ever since. The words from Psalm 95 above, bear a great resemblance to this carol and may have been written around it. Let us look at a piece of this:

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem,

O come and behold Him, born the King of angels, O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him

Christ the Lord

We are His people, He is our God. He is the shepherd, we are His sheep. Many do not have the opportunity that we do to choose Him as Lord, so please make the most of it and be grateful. Don't harden you heart V8, as is so easy to do, especially when someone gives an altar call in church. At that time, it is like our backsides are fastened to the pew, holding us back. Force yourself forward if you want to accept Him. You will be glad you did when you get to meet Him, believe me. There will be no second chance then. You'll either know Him or you won't when you stand before Him. Make sure you know Him today. O come all you faithful, come and behold Him, Christ the Lord. Worship Him and bow down and say this with me:

Lord Jesus, I come to You, joyful and triumphant; I come to worship You, adore You and ask You to be my Lord and Saviour. Forgive my sins Lord, live in my heart, fill me with Your Spirit. I ask in Jesus' name. Amen

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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I will be with you, always

"And I will pray the Father and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you - 17 the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive , because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him for Her dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you."                                  John 14:16-18     NKJV

The following Christmas carol was written by Sir David Willcocks and WJ Kirkpatrick. Again, I want us to look at a section of it as below:

'I love You, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky

And stay by my side until morning is nigh

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask You to stay

Close by me forever and love me I pray'

This reminds me very much of our scripture today. As believers, we have a promise from Jesus Himself informing us that He will not leave us as orphans but will come to us. Here He was discussing with His disciples, the events that would be taking place very soon. This has three interpretations (1) His Resurrection; He would die on the cross but, would rise again and be with them, albeit, on a temporary basis. (2) Pentecost, The Holy Spirit would come-on them all while they were in the upper room praying and fellowshipping. (3) The Second Coming, Jesus will never abandon us, He is in heaven now but will return when the Father tells Him, to claim us, His church.

Until then, He has left us the Holy Spirit - our helper, comforter, advocate, intercessor, counsellor and strengthener. We are not alone. He is near us and in us; He will never leave us (Hebrews 13:5). The Father has left Him with us because He love us. He tells us how much in John 17:23:

' I in them and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that, You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me'

This is a mind-blowing verse and describes just how much the Father loves each one of us and how much Jesus is committed to us. When we sing this carol, we have the assurance that He will stay by our side and He will be close to us forever, loving us. What an amazing love He has for us.

If you don't know Jesus today, why not say this prayer of commitment. If you know of someone who is not 'saved', then why not forward this to them:

Jesus, thank you for Your love and comfort. I ask You to come and live in my life today and be My Lord and Saviour. Forgive me for every sin that I have committed and fill me with Your Holy Spirit, right now. I ask in Jesus' name. Amen

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

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What can I give Him?

"Then the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid Mary, for you have found favour with God. 31 And behold you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus."                                                                           Luke 1:30-31     NKJV

In the lead up to Christmas Day, the day we celebrate Jesus' birthday and birth, we will look at five carols. Today we will look at 'In the bleak mid-winter'.

One of the verses contained in this beautiful Christmas carol originally written by Gustav Holst to a poem by Christina Rossetti, reads like this:

'What can I give Him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;

If I were a wise man I would do my part, Yet what can I give Him, - give my heart.

This just about sums it all up; what can we give Jesus? It is not possible to buy Him a birthday present like we would for someone else. There is nothing we could give Him even if we wanted to. This appears to be the frustration by Christina Rossetti as she writes. However, her love for Jesus shines through in these words and she concludes that she can give Him her heart.

The Angel Gabriel came to Mary and announced the good , yet startling news, that she would give birth to Jesus - the King of kings; and Jesus was born in the most humble of settings - in a manger in Bethlehem. Yet, Jesus is fully God and offers to us, a life that would never have been possible if He hadn't have been born. This is eternal life.

You can have the world's wealth but Jesus is not interested in this. What He is interested in, is your heart and the state of it. There is nothing you can do to buy yourself His interest. He is interested only in you coming to Him and giving your heart to Him. One day soon, this world will come to an end and by the state it's in at the present, this may not be long. He can come in the blink of an eye. When he does, please ensure that you are ready and belong to Him.

Why not do this now:

Lord Jesus, I come to You and ask that you will come and live in my heart; in fact, I give You my heart right now. Please forgive all of my sin, fill me with Your Holy Spirit, and please be my Lord and Saviour. I ask in Jesus' name. Amen

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

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Make it count

"Walk in wisdom towards those who are outside, redeeming the time. 6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one."                                                                   Colossians 4:5-6     NKJV

Our conduct is how people judge Christianity. We are watched practically on a daily basis by unbelievers. Many, in this day and age of political correctness, abortion and LGBGT rights, will try to draw us into debates which often result in arguments about these issues. In times such as these, we need extreme wisdom to help us know how to handle these situations. If we say too much, we can be judged and, if we say too little, we can be accused of not caring. Sometimes it can be very difficult and it may be wiser to only say what you feel the Holy Spirit is leading you to say.

Christians have always been seen as 'odd' to unbelievers. In the early church, believers were accused of being cannibals because of the way Jesus had described, eating the flesh and drinking the blood. And this is what we are up against; people latch on to just a part of what we say, twist it, gossip about it and in just a short time, what they believe we have said is taken as correct. We have to be so careful. This is why Paul tells us to walk in wisdom.

In explaining ourselves, we need to ensure that our speech is seasoned correctly, that we are open to people's comments and instead of being offended, have a sense of humour, but stick to the point. Barclay and Peake comment:

i. Barclay translates Colossians 4:6 this way: Let your speech always be with gracious charm, seasoned with the salt of wit, so that you will know the right answer to give in every case. He explains: “Here is an interesting injunction. It is all too true that Christianity in the minds of many is connected with a kind of sanctimonious dullness and an outlook in which laughter is almost a heresy… The Christian must commend his message with the charm and the wit which were in Jesus himself.”

ii. “They must strive to cultivate the gift of pleasant and wise conversation, so that they may be able to speak appropriately to each individual (with his peculiar needs) with whom they come in contact.” (Peake)

Many times, we only have a short time to to explain our point of view so, we need to make it count. Whatever we say, we should always attempt to leave the conversation with questions, 'Could this be right what we've heard?' If we become harsh with someone, all they will remember is our rudeness. Jesus wouldn't want this. It's better to make our point and leave them with something to think about.

The people we speak to may not speak to us with grace, but that doesn't mean that we should act in the same way. Always endeavour to show them the love of Jesus.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

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From old to new (4)

 "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father, through Him."                            Colossians 3:17    NKJV

Notice the word, 'Whatever'. This one word says it all. Whatever we do, whatever we say and whatever we think, should be about Jesus. This is the hallmark of the person who has signed up for the new self. The new man (self) lives his or her life totally for Jesus. This person points the way to Jesus through the things that they do, say or think. We know that not many unbelievers read the bible; they use the Christian as their bible. They view us and judge us accordingly. This is why it is so important that we fly the flag for Jesus wherever we are and in whatever we do, say or think.

As a new person, you are called to persevere in all you do; the road may be difficult, obstacles may try to block your way and the distractions may be endless. Also, you may face people who are rude and occasionally threatening but, God gives you the way to handle this and the route to take. You may receive no gratitude for what you do but then again, neither did Jesus when He carried His cross to Calvary. He persevered and got the job done.

Therefore, whatever you face, whatever pitfalls come your way, you know that you need to keep doing what you are called to do. You may say this is a hard task to achieve and this is true, but you can do it because you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you Philippians 4:13. Putting on the new self, is actually dying to the old and as Paul said in Galatians 2:20:

'I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.'

There it is, you do it all by faith and don't forget that we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7); so therefore, Jesus helps you through; if you get it wrong, which you probably will do, you pick yourself up and carry on. After all, you have a mission to fulfill; you were chosen by Jesus Himself and He knows that you can do it. Therefore, walk in the new self!

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

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From old to new (3)

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs --"   

                                                                                         Colossians 3:15-16    NKJV

Colossians 3:2 tells us, 'Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.' In other words you need to become totally committed to Jesus. When you are, the peace of God begins to rule in your heart and you find that you have an 'inner calm' despite what is going on within and around you. When you begin walking in God's peace you begin to receive confirmation of decisions that you need to make and instructions about the way forward in your life.

The more time we spend with Jesus, the more we begin to be like Him and aware of what He wishes for us. Therefore, spending time in His word, praying, speaking with Him and listening, are all conducive to a healthy spiritual life. The word of Christ begins to dwell within you richly - heart and mind, and it is almost as if you become saturated in it. Talking about Him, sharing testimonies and just fellowshipping become a way of life, it is just so natural. The advantage to this, is that you are able to encourage those who need it. You help spur them on by teaching, helping and possibly instructing them about the way forward. Your old self is left behind and the new self kicks in and takes over so much that you help those who are wanting to do the same but are confused. This is all called fellowship. The Greek word for fellowship is very interesting. It is called Koinonia and means sharing, unity, close association and partnership. In Koinonia, the individual shares in common, an intimate bond of fellowship with each other. In fact, Koinonia cements the believers to Jesus and to each other. I like that, it represents a solid and rigid connection.

A good example of Koinonia is found in the early part of Acts, where the people are meeting together every day, praying, taking communion and generally sharing the love of Jesus. The result of all this, is that the early church had thousands added each day. They were doing something right, it must be said; so it works.

This all relates to taking off the old self and putting on the new self. The old has to go because it holds us back and it is in the past. We live in the now and look to the future. There is a major difference, don't you think?

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle 

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