Covetousness

"Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  Hebrews 13:5  NKJV

In a footnote in The Spirit Filled Life Bible, it reads: 

'Covetousness and financial fear are overcome by a contentment founded on the assurance of God's constant presence and the promises He extends to us to supply our daily needs.'

We should never fall to the level of covetousness, it is totally not of God. He is our supplier and, He knows what is good for us. Let us look at what it actually means. I wrote this note some years ago in my bible and it goes like this:  'Covetousness includes seeking personal recognition and wanting power over others. It can be the need to be the centre of attention and craving for what other people have - house, wealth, wife, husband, car, job and success, to describe a few things. It can include being ungrateful for what God has given us. Moaning and grumbling and never being satisfied. We need to be content; what God has given us in Jesus is far better. 

God becomes angry when we are ungrateful, for example 'He gave them their request but sent leanness upon them' (Psalm 106:15 / Numbers 11:16-21). If your goals are God-centred, He helps us to achieve them. But if you're asking Him for something just because your neighbour has it, you'll be disappointed'.

It can be natural to look at what other people have and want it yourself, especially if they're driving around in a brand new sports car and you have to make do with an old banger. The same as entering someone else's home and seeing all the mod-cons that they have and returning to your own small place that is practically falling down. The thing is, life goes in seasons and the act of gratefulness to God for what He has given you is all you need. Who knows, you may be living in a nice home and driving around in a sports car this time next year. It's possible, but you won't get this by lusting after what someone else has.

The thing is, what you have is what God has given you. Don't covet what someone else has, speak with God about what you would like. Then leave it with Him. If this is in His plan for your life, you will get it, if not just be grateful for what you do have. 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

Lord Jesus, I have sinned   

I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today.

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

Copyright 2024 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

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

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

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Life is so good

"When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future".
                                                                           Ecclesiastes 7:14. NIV

Some may not think so but, we have everything to be grateful for and life is so good. Some things we just can't fathom out why they have happened but, as believers in Jesus, we know, without doubt that He will work things out for us and, He is in control. If you back up to verse 13, we read: 'Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what He has made crooked.' It is true, we can try in our own strength to change things but we'll only get a headache trying to do this. When our life goes out of control, we need to thank God that everything is in His control. Sometimes, from our earthly viewpoint life sometimes seems unfair (v15). But it isn't as we view life through our spiritual perspective.

If, when things are not going well, we can believe that God is in control, it will all be okay, we can begin to relax and enjoy the life that God has given us. If we don't enjoy life this way, the things are still going to happen so, we might as well relax in God and accept what He is doing. Joseph, when all things were going wrong, realised that he could not change anything - he could not make straight what God had made crooked. So he accepted his life and gradually, things began to change for him and later on, after one sleep, he was ordained Prime Minister of Egypt. God is good.

The late popular American singer John Denver, wrote this lovely song:

'Life is so good, Life is so good these days, Life is so good these days, Life is so good''

'Life is so good, Life is so good these days, Life is so good these days, Life is so good'

                                                      Copyright 1979 John Denver RCA

For the time that he lived on this earth, he was happy and made everyone happy through his wonderful music. For him, life was so good at that time, and for those who loved his music, their life was so good too, as they listened.

As famous, talented and rich as he was, he could not discover anything about his future. Like ourselves, he was here for a season and he used his talent accordingly. And it is the same for each of us. We are only here for a season; we don't know what the future may hold for us. So therefore, doesn't it make sense to adopt believing that our lives are so good and make the most of what we have?

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

Lord Jesus, I have sinned   

I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today.

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

Copyright 2024 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

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

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

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

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False accusations

" 13And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside,  14that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice.  15And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside.”  Genesis 39:13-15. NKJV

Poet William Congreve, said, "Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman scorned." Potiphar's wife repeatedly offered herself to her husband's young, successful, attractive servant (Genesis 39:1–10). He steadfastly refused for the sake of honour and morality. Finally, when she had Joseph alone and cornered (Genesis 39:11), she aggressively threw herself at him, grabbing his cloak.

Potiphar's wife was sexually attracted to Joseph and began urging him to have sex with her. However, Joseph was a faithful man and was grateful that his master had been so kind to him. He just couldn't betray him by sleeping with his wife, so he repeatedly refused. Because of the very hot climate in Egypt, Joseph would have worn very little and, because he was handsome in form and appearance (v6), this may well have led to her adulterous behaviour.

One day, when all of the other servants were working outside - possibly arranged by her, she lunged against Joseph, grabbing his garment and told him to lie with her. Joseph, broke free from her and ran outside (we should always run from sin). The problem was, the wife still had his garment in her hands. She went and found the other servants and told them her side of the story: “See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice.  15And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside.” v14. Notice that she insulted her husband in front of the slaves, too. When Potiphar returned home, he believed his wife and with rage, had Joseph thrown into prison. I feel that he doubted his wife's accusations though and was lenient with Joseph as he could have had him executed for such a charge. Joseph was placed in prison but, it was all part of God's bigger picture. Joseph didn't know it at the time but in a few years, his life would change for the better.

Many of us have had false accusations made against us, and they hurt, especially when they come from people we know very well and have trusted. Our initial reaction is mostly, 'Why?' But as the accusation settles in we can begin to feel anger, bewilderment and this can turn to bitterness. We don't know what Joseph said to Potiphar - if anything, but from what we know of him, he would have allowed God to handle the situation. Jesus said 'Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.'  Matt 5:11-12. And, we have the protection that God offers us "Vengeance is mine, I will repay' says the Lord. Romans 12:19.

So be sure to call on God and allow Him to help in times of trouble. He will avenge if you don't try to take the matter into your own hands.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

Lord Jesus, I have sinned   

I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today.

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

Copyright 2024 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

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

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

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

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Love

"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends" 

                                                                       John 15:13   NKJV

Burt Bacharach & Hal David wrote:

'What the world needs now is love, sweet love. It's the only thing that there's just too little of

What the world needs now is love, sweet love. No not just for some but for everyone'

When you consider the words of this song, it brings home the truth of it all. Just look at our world today, wars, death, drugs, murder, rapes, stabbings and much, much more. Take for example what is happening in the Holy land and nearby places. What do you think Jesus is feeling at this time. The Holy ground, part of where He lived, walked and loved people. Now a war zone where lives are being wrecked by the devastation of it all. His heart must be breaking, but He cannot intervene because man has free will.

Those who call on Him at this time will be saved; whether at this time or when they are in heaven. Until then, He watches while the devil has a hey day. They need love and He has oceans of it freely to offer, if only they will turn to Him. However, it is not only in the Middle East but the whole world is in pain also, because of dictators, drug barons and all types of abuse. They too need love. What can we do, you may well ask? We can pray and keep on praying that that those responsible, will fall under conviction and the one's who are controlled by Satan and are pulling their strings, are stopped. Satan incites people; he offers bribes of power and while people suffer in agony and die, he looks around with great satisfaction.

The world needs love; Jesus has that love and we, as men and women of Goid, can change things by praying for peace 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to: 'Pray without ceasing.' This means constantly, whenever you can. There has never been a time, since WW11 that the world really needs love. It's urgent and if Christians all over the world unite and pray without ceasing, then love will come and 'love never fails.' 1 Corinthians 13:8. Jesus never fails, God never fails and Love never fails because God is love 1 John 4:8.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

Lord Jesus, I have sinned   

I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today.

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

Copyright 2024 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

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

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

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

Check it out

                             

You can do anything through Christ

"I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfil His purpose--I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]   Philippians 4:13  Amplified

Can I really do anything? Yes, but only through Jesus. Obviously, you have to be sensible; it would be really unwise to go and climb Mount Everest without any experience. That would be a recipe for disaster. Also, you would need to know that God has called you to do this. Many people have misconstrued  this verse thinking that, 'You see, God says I can, so I can'. You need to read the scriptures carefully and read around verses to get the feel of what is being said. It is not a time to just take a verse such as this, out of context. Be careful of this.

Paul uses the word 'content', which literally means 'self-sufficient. In Stoic philosophy this Greek word described a person who would accept whatever circumstance came their way. For the Greeks, this contentment came from personal sufficiency. But for Paul, true sufficiency is found in the strength of Jesus. Paul was saying that he had been rich and he had been poor and had learned to be content in each area. He says in the Amplified: 

'I have learned to be content [ and self-sufficient through Christ, satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or uneasy ] regardless of my circumstances. 12 I know how to get along and live humbly [ in difficult times, ], and I also know how to enjoy abundance and live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance I have leaned the secret [ of facing life ], whether well-fed or going hungry, whether having an abundance or being in need. 13 "I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfil His purpose--I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]  Philippians 4:11-13 

Focus on verse 13 'I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency;' Paul is  confessing here that he is happy having what Jesus has ordained for him. He knows that Jesus will never desert Him' He knows that He will never let Him down. Wherever he is Jesus is there and, whatever He has, Jesus has given to Him and Paul was happy to accept all of this. Can we say the same? Within a church, there are many well-off people, some more wealthier than others. They may have made the right choices or life has been good to them. However, at the end of their life, they cannot take this wealth with them, and they may not have this in heaven, whereas, you may be wealthy there. Life can be like swings and roundabouts. Some  have, others haven't. But what does it matter, as long as we are content in what we have then God will bless us. Let's just be grateful.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

Lord Jesus, I have sinned   

I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today.

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

Copyright 2024 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

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

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

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

Check it out

The Criteria for avoiding anxiety (2)

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;  7and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus".  

                                                                 Philippians 4:6. NKJV

Just read the above scripture and let it settle in your heart. Jesus does not want you to be anxious, not for anything. He wants you to rejoice always. This is the foundation to build on that will help you avoid anxiety. As you can see, this leads to God's peace which is amazing and in turn, this will protect your heart and your mind. The heart can become hurt when we become anxious and this can lead us to think thoughts that are not there. The thoughts can appear very convincing but, the hurt that we have encountered can play tricks on our mind and thought waves. So be careful here.

We talked about the antidote for anxiety yesterday. This was Rejoicing, Prayer, Supplication, Thanksgiving, Being in close touch with Jesus and receiving the peace of God. This really is worth working on. We can become anxious quite easily, and if we are prone to being anxious, we can begin to worry at top speed. Now as I said, it is practically impossible to rejoice when you are anxious but, we need to break though that stumbling block by calling out to Jesus and then, offering a sacrifice of praise as the writer of Hebrews tells us: "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. 13:15. Now the OT believers used to offer animal sacrifices to God. Obviously, as NT Christians, our offering is from the heart. It is a spiritual sacrifice from us to Jesus. As we do this - always, Jesus will answer our requests and move accordingly. As we pray, pouring out our hearts to Him, with thanksgiving, we will begin to receive that peace - the peace that surpasses understanding. We just can't work it out but, we know we need it and can't live without it.

We will all become anxious at times. But we don't have to let it take up residence in our hearts. There's no room anyway because Jesus lives there, don't forget that. Praise and rejoicing are the answer to it all. Praise breaks chains, opens heavily locked doors, releases us from burdens that the devil intended to be there forever. And praise and rejoicing blasts the devil out of any situation. He can't stand it. It gives him a migraine like no other migraines. If you don't want the devil around you, start praising Jesus; start rejoicing and you'll soon find he has disappeared. But be careful, he will come back. This is why Paul says 'Rejoice always'.

SO keep your antidote kit ready for any further attacks and start living life in the power of the Holy Spirit. This is your message from Daily life with Jesus.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

Lord Jesus, I have sinned   

I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today.

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

Copyright 2024 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

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

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

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

Check it out