Daily life with Jesus by Grahame Howard: July 2025

Monday, 21 July 2025

He always was; He always is and He always will be!

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.” Revelation 4:8 NLT

Before I came to know Jesus, He was already there, I just didn't give Him the time of day. I may have called on Him in times of very great trouble but after this, I totally forgot about Him But, He never forgot me. He has always been here, even though I never really knew that fact. Wherever I went, He was with me and He put up with all of my wrongdoings too. And, He will always be with me no matter what happens and one day, possibly soon, He is coming to take me to Himself in heaven.

The great thing about all of this, is that He has been the same way in your life and will be when the end of time comes upon us. I wonder what it will be like in heaven. It is something that we cannot get our head around. Many times in conversations, we may discuss what we will do, will we work? It is beyond our comprehension at this time but when our day comes, in the blink of an eye we will be with Jesus.

In the blink of an eye is probably a good way to describe it but, for many grieving families, the deceased is still with them on earth. They have died and been laid to rest whether by burial or cremation. However, the grieving person will continue to visit the grave side to be with their love one. But for the deceased, if they knew Jesus, they are in heaven, not in the grave.

It is difficult to understand it properly but, if we were to accept that time has stopped for the deceased, they are no longer here in this time frame. But, for the grieving people, time still carries on together with the pain that death brings to loved ones. When we die, we will also go to heaven and will meet again.

One thing is for certain, you will see Jesus and, you will also see those you knew and loved while you were on the earth. It will be a different setting of course, but a pleasant one, we believe. Until then, continue to believe that, Jesus always has been, He is now and He will come one day and we will spend eternity worshipping Him, along with our loved ones in heaven

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.
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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Sunday, 20 July 2025

Your Appraisal

23Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Psalm 139:23-24. NLT

In many professional jobs these days, each person has an annual appraisal to see how they are getting on and, clarify if they have met objectives from the previous year. Thankfully God doesn't do this with His people but the above two verses are a similar thing that helps us to be focused on God and to have Him check where we may have gone wrong or, what needs to be changed.

God wants us to be transparent both with Him and the people we are with during our daily walk with Him. So therefore, one of the requirements is to ask Him to search us to check if there are ways within that need changing or sharpening. How would you rate your heart - your spiritual heart? What is in the heart comes out to others when we are with them. So, if you are carrying around bad feelings about something or someone, God will know of it and will help you change this. People hurt us that's true but, are you open to the fact that you also, may have hurt people and they are suffering from this?

It's not all about what people have done to you, but what you have have done to them. Do you need to put this right with someone? Anxiety causes us stress and can lead to anger. Our hearts send out signals to our minds which in turn process these signals and can lead us to want to get even with someone who has hurt us. The thoughts can be like a bitter root that if not attended to can cause upsets and bad feelings that can quickly end friendships, job positions and other relationships.

God wants to become involved in your life so much, that it can change things for the better. Without going into it deeply, we all know what needs to be changed within ourselves and God gives us the opportunity to approach Him and allow Him to help. It may be painful to face up to things. There may be deep-rooted stuff that your have tried to forget but they keep popping up. Whatever it is, why carry ithem around? Ask God to relieve you of this right now so that, His righteousness can shine through you once again.

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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Saturday, 19 July 2025

Miracle on the Lake

"That evening Jesus’ disciples went down to the shore to wait for him. 17But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn’t come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum. 18Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew very rough. 19They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, 20but he called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!” 21Then they were eager to let him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination!" John 6:16-21 NLT

Following the Feeding of the Five Thousand, Jesus was concerned that the crowd, who wanted Him as their own king, would take Him by force and the disciples would be hurt. He therefore slipped off into the hills and the disciples went to their boat to wait for Him. However, Jesus didn't show up so, they decided to set off to the other side of the lake as they knew Jesus have wanted them to do.

When they were a good way across the lake, a storm blew up which grew very rough. They had rowed about 4 miles by this time but now, it was becoming impossible to do so. Suddenly, Jesus came walking on the water, silenced the waves and the storm and went to climb into the boat. Then the most amazing thing happened, they discovered that they immediately were at their destination.

Now this is where it becomes contentious and confusing. Some say that because they had rowed 4 miles, they would have been at the north side of the lake. This would mean that they had already arrived at their destination which would account for the fact that when Jesus was seen walking on the water, He was in fact, walking on the sea shore. Others say that because the boat would have been grounded on the shore that Jesus would not have had time to climb into the boat because, they were at there destination.

Whatever the explanation, Jesus fed The Five Thousand; He walked on the water and His intention to go over to the other side of the lake with His disciples was achieved. Life is always filled with people who want to scrutinise the truth and come up with their own theories. However, as far as I am concerned, everything I read about Jesus is the whole truth. Amen.

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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Friday, 18 July 2025

Called to serve Jesus

26Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me." John 12:26. NLT

Bibleref.com speaks on this verse":

'being a born-again believer in Jesus Christ means "dying" to one's self and self-interests (1 Corinthians 15:36–42; Romans 6:6–8). Those who resist that obedience are like a seed which is never planted; seeming to "live" but merely stagnating in a state of immaturity and barrenness (Mark 10:21–2.' (Bible ref.com. John 12:26)

Many people, when they become a Christian, read this verse and believe God has called them to the ministry, to go to bible college or start their own church. This may be so but, not the minute they are born again. There is a time for each of us to settle into the Christian life and be nurtured in the faith. It can happen that God can call a person out and straightaway they give their job up and start serving Him. However, this is not often. They do need some training; but the thing they need to do more than anything else is, to die to self and rise in Jesus to a new life.

This verse is more about growing in Jesus. If Jesus has selected a person to 'follow' Him and serve Him full time, then Jesus has planted a seed and that seed must grow by being watered and fed in the word until it is ready for the harvest. And this is how it is with this verse. Yes, we may have heard about some people being called out to serve Jesus and straightaway have gone on to start an amazing ministry. The thing is, we only know a little; we don't know if the people had had bible training, been qualified already or what. All we know is what they have done. The Holy Spirit can pick someone and train them Himself and this must be amazing, but He requires each of us to die to self before anything else and then live for Jesus. This is the ultimate requirement.

So, if you feel you have a calling on your life, then ask Jesus to confirm it. Then speak to a trusted, Christian friend which may or may be not, your pastor. Take on board what is said, pray about it and then make a decision. If you are to be affective, then it takes time to build a soldier of Christ, so do what is needed and take it from there. But be patient

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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Thursday, 17 July 2025

Grace

"Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold." Proverbs 22:1. NLT

How do people see you and what opinion do they form? This is extremely important if we profess to belong to Jesus. We can't live as a Christian part of the day and then, switch off and start blaspheming for the rest of it. Of course, people can't see the real you when you're in the safety of your home, can they? There, you can be who you want to be. But God sees and we need to be aware of this fact.

If I was God, I wouldn't have my name written in the Lamb's book of Eternal Life. Not at all. Why is that? Because I tend to let God down the biggest part of the day. I try not to, but end up doing so anyway. My only comfort is Paul said something similar in Romans 7:18-19. But this is not an excuse.

How do you fare in this area. I feel we need to be honest here and hold our hands up. Being transparent is the way forward. After-all, we've just seen that God sees all. But it's not all gloom and doom. God formed us; He knows everything about us - every little mark upon us and, guess what, He still loves us. There's a little word with a massive meaning called 'Grace:

'Grace' (Charis) This is from the same root as chara 'Joy' and Chairo 'to rejoice' Charis causes rejoicing. It is the word for God's grace as extended to a sinful man. It signifies unmerited favour, undeserved blessing, a free gift.'

This grace cannot be earned as much as anyone may try; we just receive this from God when we accept Him as Lord. And then, whatever we do afterwards regarding sin, He forgives us Seventy times seven. Peter asked what this meant (Matthew 18:22). It means Total forgiveness which is unlimited. When does this run out? I haven't a clue but Jesus said it, I believe it and that settles it. This is not an excuse to carry on sinning because you will be forgiven. Not at all. We are forgiven because we belong to Jesus and by His grace, He blesses us with this.

Thank goodness for that. This also means that we are not condemned either (Romans 8:1-2). Therefore, we have so much that we need to thank and praise God for. He loves us.

So therefore, because of Jesus, we have a place in heaven and He will ensure that we get there too. When you sin, ask Jesus to forgive straightaway and, He will do - totally. Don't keep saying your sorry, He heard you the first time. Just be grateful that He is our friend.

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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Wednesday, 16 July 2025

Could you be a Phillip?

"The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.”
30Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him."

Acts 8:29-31. NLT

Phillip, on instruction from the Holy Spirit, saw a carriage coming along the road. Inside the carriage was the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. He had been to Jerusalem to worship and was now on his way back home. He had stopped and was reading aloud from the book of Isaiah. When Phillip arrived there, he heard him talking aloud and asked him if he understood the words. He answered that he couldn't make head nor tail of it, so Phillip joined him in the carriage and told him all about Jesus.

When we first become a Christian, it is difficult to understand what we are reading. We start ok and then get bogged down by a language that doesn't seem to make sense to us. This is where a church or house group can be of help. They may run an Alpha Course or something that is similar and the novice may learn quickly from there. But, it may not be possible to go to a church or group on a regular basis for some reason, and this is where a Spirit-Filled person may be of help. As the scriptures says in Romans 10:13-15:

13For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.14But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? 15And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”

This person can provide the basics and help the new convert to find their way around the bible and have daily study notes. Meeting as often as is possible, this person can help nurture the new believer step by step until, they are ready or able to join a church and become part of the body.

What about you? Could you be this person? You may have a little time to spare that could be put to good use by playing the part that Phillip did. How do you feel about this now it's been brought up? Could you do this? Ok, you may not be an evangelist like Phillip was but, it would still be advantageous. If so, why not offer your services and I have no doubt that you also, will benefit from taking this role. It could be a group or a one to one. What do you think? Pray about it and if you feel it is right, then take a step forward.

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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Tuesday, 15 July 2025

Adultery

"This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly." Matthew 1:18-19 NLT

It is so easy to judge about what people have done and declare, 'That would not have happened to me. I would have been gone!' But it's all right saying these things but, would you have fled the scene? Let's look at this'

Mary through no fault of her own had been chosen by God to give birth to the Lord Jesus. She was flabbergasted by it all. Now from her point of view, she was engaged to Joseph; being pregnant before marriage was bad enough, but her and Joseph had not had sex yet, so there was no way it could have been his baby. From Joseph's point of view, she had had sexual relations with another man so, she was an adulteress and this carried a death sentence of being stoned and all the family disgraced. He was in a quandary not knowing what to do but felt that he would just leave her and say nothing about this 'scandal'. This would ease the abuse the family would suffer. But then, the Angel of the Lord spoke to him in a dream confirming that Mary had conceived by the Holy Spirit and it would be ok to marry her and allow her to have this child - Jesus. It was God's work.

What a predicament to be in. When you think of it, Joseph was a righteous man and even though nothing much is said about him after this, no doubt he would receive mega blessing when he eventually went to heaven, which may have been just before Jesus became public.

Ok, today a man and woman would not be stoned for committing adultery but, this act, which appears quite pleasant in the adulterer's mind initially, still devastates a family and rips the guts out of every family member. Still people risk it. The hurt can cause so much anxiety in a family member's life that they can suffer from a mental breakdown. Many professional people who have to work in this area know the affect it has on individuals if the adulterer has left and gone away with the other party. But, if they have stayed and begged forgiveness, there is always that lack of trust that has been sown in the heart and this can lead to endless arguments, which once again, leads to the family suffering.

Where adultery has taken place, many marriages have managed to forgive and become a family again, but it is a hard road to begin on. Without God being involved, peace within this marriage would possible never happen and the marriage may be just another statistic. What is the answer here? DON'T DO IT! As a Christian you know it is wrong; you know the rules and the cost it carries when you're found out - and you will be! There really is no excuse. You are in control and you know the boundaries. We may all suffer temptations such as this but abide by the rules, the God given rules 'Do not commit adultery' Exodus 20:14. It can't be more clearer than that, can it?

If you're married, then keep the marriage sacred and holy as God requires.

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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Monday, 14 July 2025

Catch the Wind

"And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:20. NLT

In the 1960's, a chap called Donovan wrote quite a few top ten hits. One of them was called

'Catch the wind.' The opening verse went like this:

I bet you sang this? These words could so easily fit within our prayers at times, especially when things are not running too smoothly or, we have an anxious time ahead. How many times have you felt this way in situations such as these? Quite a few I would think. John Ortberg writes:

'In our ever-changing circumstances, we find seasons within our souls as well. We experience times of desolation and consolation. At times we feel dry spiritually. At other times we sense the presence of the Lord in even the tiniest details of life.'

Life is the rhythm. Life is adventure. Life is catching the wind in our sails, the wind that comes when it pleases. Ortberg contrasts a motorboat and a sailing boating. Piloting a motorboat, we're in control. In a sailboat, we're completely dependent on the wind. If the wind doesn't come, we stay put. We have to catch the wind. It's the same with spiritual transformation.

'Everything depends on catching the wind of the Spirit. Moses didn't ask for or arrange for the burning bush. But once it was there, he had to make a choice. God's responsibility is to provide the burning bush. Ours is to turn aside and pay attention to the work of God.'

If you have asked Jesus into your life then, He is with you 24/7. He provides the breeze to fall on your face, refreshing and lifting you up. Be alert to what Jesus is doing within you and obey., whether you feel His presence or not. Jesus never lied. If He says He is with you always, even to the end of the age, then He is with you. The secret is, staying in step with Him so that when the wind falls upon you, you are ready to spring into action. It can come anywhere; at anytime, day or night. Just be ready.

Just imagine the burning bush. In the desert areas, it is quite normal for a bush to catch fire. What is abnormal is when the bush doesn't burn through at all. Therefore, be ready to spot the abnormalities of life. Think, is God in this? If you have a thumping in your heart and your spirit seems to be on fire, it is probably God. Act on it and catch that wind.

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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Sunday, 13 July 2025

Get the Truth

"31Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 NLT

At the time that Jesus walked the earth, people would not believe who He said He was. It is rather the same today. We have churches like never before and internet that can reach anywhere in the world. We have bibles freely available, teaching books and courses to encourage our faith and still people walk by on the other side. They just don't want to know for many reasons. This was what Jesus was saying to the crowds that had gathered. Let's look at this in more detail:

Discipleship begins with belief. If you join an organisation or club you will probably get a membership card in return. This shows that you are a member who can freely enter into the venue. Without it, you may be turned away. With Christianity it is rather the same. When people become a Christian, they confess their sins to Jesus and He forgives them along with giving them eternal life. They will have a place in heaven when they die. If a person refuses Jesus and they die, they will be refused entry into heaven because of their sin and they will spend eternity in a place called hell.

The shut mind is the end of discipleship. So because of the person's refusal to accept Jesus, they will suffer a terrible future - one without Jesus, their family and whoever else may have accepted Jesus into their life. The shut mind is a rather unwise thing to have.

To learn from Jesus is to learn the truth. Jesus only speaks the truth. He can do no more because, He is the truth. And His desire is that we accept this truth into our hearts. Once we do, our eyes will be opened and we will see what Christianity is all about and what it offers us.

Discipleship results in freedom. There are many people today who are locked into the past. They hold grudges against people from years ago and most days they think about it, re-living the hurt. Yet:

(1) The truth makes you free. Once you allow Jesus access into your heart He helps you to release all of the pent up hurts of the past and gives you freedom.

(2) You receive freedom from fear. It is so easy to be governed by fear; it is the opposite of faith and can cause problems throughout your life. You fear this and worry about that. You think everyone is against you, talking behind your back or pointing the finger of blame at you. This is not the best way to live. Jesus can show you better.

(3) Freedom from self is a big one. You can be your own worse enemy. Your thoughts will convince you that something has happened when it hasn't. Once you begin to believe this lie, then Satan can put convincing obstacles in your way that reinforce this lie. The only way to defeat this stronghold is to ask Jesus for help. He will if you ask Him.

(4). Freedom from other people. Some people gossip and you may find that you are the main star in this practice. They hear something about you, add to it and in the end it is accepted as the truth. From your own point of view, refuse to be involved in any gossip and let the person know who tells you as well. If you are the subject of this gossip, the more you try to defend yourself from it, the more convincing it may become. Give it to God and let him handle this. Again, He will because it is not the truth!

But really, at the end of the day, it makes sense to belong to the truth - Jesus. He can be your life, your friend, your deliverer and your everything. What do you think? He is waiting if you want Him to be your Lord, Saviour and your Friend. Just say the prayer below.

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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Saturday, 12 July 2025

Then Jesus turned up!

"11Soon afterward Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain, and a large crowd followed him. 12A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. 13When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said. 14Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.” 15Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother." Luke 7:11-15 NLT

Jesus raised 3 people from the dead during His ministry on earth - this young man, Jairus' daughter (8:40-46) and Lazarus (John 11:38-44), as far as we know from the bible accounts. He has authority over life and death and we need to remember this. The widow' only chance of survival and support was her son but now, he had died and she would have been grieving for him and terrified of what was going to happen to her Then Jesus turned up!

As Jesus walked through the village of Nain - a village south of Nazareth near the Sea of Galilee, he saw a funeral procession. When Jesus found out about what had happened and saw the grieving mother, His heart went out to her and He told her not to cry. He then walked towards the coffin, touched it and said to the boy, 'Young man, I tell you to get up,' And the boy sat up in the coffin. Jesus lifted him up and handed him to his overjoyed, yet bewildered mother. Now Jesus broke some of the Jewish law here, a Jew was rendered unclean by touching a dead body or the coffin. But this was the man who had held the hands of people with leprosy. Jesus was not defiled, in fact He replaced disease and death with cleansing and life. Tradition never stopped Him, whatever was said about Him, and that was a lot.

Can't you just see the love and compassion of Jesus as He saw this poor grieving woman. Many people would walk by her but not, Jesus. He gave her back her son, the will to live and she would never be the same again. She had met with Jesus. No one who has received such love and blessing from Jesus could ever forget Him, in fact, this lady would no doubt have found out more about Him and for all we know, Jesus may have spent some time with her afterwards. There are many things that we don't know about and will need to wait until we speak with Jesus in heaven. What a day that will be!

But until then, grasp hold of the heart of Jesus. He is so loving and caring; so kind and generous and if you know Him, He will also show this love to you. He loves you so much. Keep hold of that statement!

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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Friday, 11 July 2025

The Eye of the Storm

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1 NKJV

What is the secret place? To Christians, this can be where God is. Now this can be anywhere but it has to be somewhere. It can be anytime but, must be a set time. The eye of the storm is, unbelievably, the most peaceful place on earth. Think about it, this is why Jesus slept on a boat in the middle of the night. while the disciples freaked out (Mark 4:38). He was at peace, He knew the storm couldn't take them under. Some may say, 'Yes, but He was God wasn't He?' Yes, He was but, He was also a human being at that time and bled like we do. The Eye of the Storm is a region of blue skies surrounded by towers of raging wind.

At the centre of the storm, is the eye, it can be total calm and peace. It can be metaphorically described as a peaceful place during a major storm, in the physical sense, such as a terrible argument or squabbles in the area. So metaphorically speaking, like Jesus, we can be in the middle of a raging storm and be at total peace.

With this in mind, why do we all become involved in the problems of life? Haven't we enough to contend with without looking for more? Being a Christian can involve opposition from unbelievers. Just read through the New Testament to see what I mean. If they have a valid point, then yes, speak your mind and have nothing else to do with it. However, many times we should just remain in our secret place - The Eye of the Storm, and be at peace.

A lot of it has to be the way we handle contentious speech. We need to watch our reactions. About 30 years ago, I read a book by a Canadian pastor, whose name I can't remember now. His main teaching was about reactions and he used the term 'No attack - No defence.' We should never have to attack people with our speech and we do not have to defend ourselves either. Jesus is the one who will do this for us, no one else.

Being in your secret place is the place to be, especially when all you hear is bad or fake news and rumours or war or massive tax rises. Can I encourage you to see it is no use getting upset about things if you can't do anything about it. If you can, then do it. If you can't then stay in your secret place. You will receive much more peace and blessing there. It may have a most unsavoury name, but The Eye of the Storm is where Jesus is and wants you to be as well.

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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Thursday, 10 July 2025

The Eye of the Needle. Part 2 - Making Investments

"The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked.
26Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” 27Then Peter said to him, “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?” Matthew 19:25-27 NLT

Following on from Jesus teaching regarding a camel going through the eye of needle, here, we have Jesus explaining what He meant to the confused disciples, 'Then who in the world can be saved?' Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” Then Peter, ever ready to speak his mind no matter what, said, 'We've given up everything to follow You. What will we get?' This was quite a blunt statement and one in which he could have received a rebuke from Jesus. However, Jesus answered him with great love and affection.

“I assure you that when the world is made new and the Son of Man sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. 30But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.

This was quite a difficult answer for the disciples to make sense of. But in a nutshell, Jesus was saying, faithful Christian people who have given themselves to serving Jesus, will receive great benefits from their investment. Those who have giving up all, here on earth to serve Jesus, will receive in heaven, blessings and rewards for what they have given up. Some rich people may be the last to enter heaven where those who have had basically nothing, will be the first to receive. Jesus will faithfully reward people for what they have done in His name.

Those who are Christ's warfare will share in His triumph too; those who wear the cross will wear the crown. Whatever we give up to serve Jesus, He knows about and He will bless abundantly 100%. That is a great dividend. If our decision to serve Christ has meant giving up certain friendships, they can be certain of having a much wider circle of friends here and in heaven.

The bottom line is, no matter what you have done for Jesus, He is grateful. He measures by heavenly standards not human ones. Remember the woman with the two mites? What the world may say is only small, is massive in Jesus' eyes. This is not a sales-based game, where whoever sells the most earns the most. Not at all. Our sales manager - Jesus, blesses people for their motives and effort.

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

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Wednesday, 9 July 2025

The Eye of the Needle

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.24I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” Matt19:23. NLT

The subject of riches has often been a topic of conversation. Many who are not rich, have been known to say if they were rich, they would give a lot of it to the poor and starving people in the world. However, would they? Once they got the taste of richness it is more likely that they would want to keep hold of it. Being rich is ok with Jesus; it is how we handle it that He looks at. (Mark 13:41- 44). If we become selfish and boastful about the riches we can receive this type of comment from Him.

Jesus' comments above, were the results of His conversation with the Rich man. This young man was enquiring He had asked Jesus what good would he have to do to have eternal life. Jesus was quick to tell him that he couldn't buy eternal life. This is one of the things about very rich people. Some feel that everything has a price (16 - 17). Jesus told Him that if he wanted to receive eternal life, he should keep the commandments: 'You must not murder. `you must not commit adultery, You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honour your father and mother. Love your neighbour as yourself.' (18 - 19). The young man said he had done all of these. Jesus told him if he wanted to be perfect, then sell all you have, give the money to the poor and come and follow Me. With that, he sadly walked away. Notice that Jesus had said, 'If you want to be perfect.' The rich chap didn't have to do this in order to follow Jesus, several people were rich who walked with Him. He was checking where his heart lay.

Jesus mentioned a camel going through the eye of the needle. Now there are two interpretations of this:

(1) A camel was the largest animal which the Jews knew of. Now most walled cities had two gates. the main gate where traffic went through and next to it, there was a very low and narrow gate. When the main gate was locked at night, only the small gate could be used. It is said that this little gate was known 'The Needle's Eye'. So Jesus was saying that it was difficult for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, as it was for a camel to enter through the little gate. The Needle's Eye. It would never make it.

(2) This was the other explanation. The Greek word for camel is Kamelos. The Greek word for the cable used to tie up a ship on the dock is very similar to Kamilos. It happened that Jews used the one word and Jesus may have been referring to threading a darning needle with a ship's candle. A very vivid example indeed.

So what's our conclusion

(A) Riches can encourage a false independence. If they have a good supply of the world's goods, they are apt to feel that they will cope very well.

(B) Riches can shackle people to the earth. If people believe they have enough, this can blinker them into believing this is where their heart is. We need no one else.

(C) Riches tend to make people selfish. However rich they may be, there is always the tendency to want more and this can bring a fear that they are spending too much and will run out if they're not careful.

Be rich and be happy. However, know where your riches are from - God your Father. Ask Him how you should use the money He has given you to further the Kingdom of God. Give and be happy. Enjoy the life Jesus has provided for you.

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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.