In the wrong place

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"It happened in the spring of the year; at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king's house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing and the woman was very beautiful to behold. So David sent and inquired about the woman."  
                                                                                                            2 Samuel 11:1 - 3 NKJV

Being in the wrong place, at the wrong time can cause all sorts of problems for us. David here, should have been out with his men. However, for some reason he had decided to stay at home. When we are not in the right place - the place we should be - things can happen that lead us astray. Here, David was probably bored, not knowing what to do with himself, therefore strolled about the property just glancing around. His eyes caught this beautiful woman and as he continued to look at her, it was rather like when Eve gazed at the fruit on the tree. It beckoned her, it created a temptation, which in turn created a desire to have it. This is what happened to King David. As he looked at this woman, temptation and then desire caught hold of him, and he sent for her. Adultery was formed. 

This is what James was warning about in James 1: 14-15, 'But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin when it is full-grown, brings forth death.'

We must realise that temptation is around every corner and we have to be on guard 24/7. Idleness and carelessness, lack of wisdom and feeding our minds with the wrong things, can cause us to stumble. Put on the armour of God and don't take it off (Ephesians 6:14-18)
Be warned that a lustful gaze will often lead to lustful thoughts and can result in immoral actions. The internet can be a temptation for some when we have open access to all types of pornography - heterosexual and homosexual. The internet caters for all tastes and many fall for its temptations. Be careful how you use it. Your mind can be in the wrong place and that temptation can create desires that lead us away to immoral gratification.

Do Christian men and women involve themselves this way? You bet they do. Some are so hooked with this behaviour that they cannot stop themselves. And let's face it, it is not an issue that can be brought up at a prayer meeting. 
The thing is, left un-challenged, this type of behaviour can ruin a person's life, marriage and ministry. If this is you, don't you think it's time you dealt with it? Who is the person that you could share this with; someone who would listen, pray for you and be totally confidential. There must be someone. Ask God to show you. Don't continue to be in the wrong place. Take a turn for the better and seek help. It will change your life.

Why not drop me an email.       dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

Forgiveness

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"And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that Your Father in Heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will Your Father in Heaven forgive your trespasses."     Mark 11:25 - 26 NKJV

These are very strong and powerful words. God says that as we confess our sins to Him, He will forgive us, but only if we forgive other people that have sinned against us. If we don't, we will not be forgiven either. God also says in Jeremiah 31:34, 'For I will forgive their iniquity and their sin I will remember no more.' Now that is amazing but makes it doubly difficult for us to carry out. Let me explain:

Some person comes along and for one reason or another, wounds us deeply. This may be over a period of time, a situation where they betray us all of a sudden. We are expected to forgive them - not harbour a grudge. It's our choice but from the scripture above, we know we really have no choice at all.We're either a Christian who believes and lives the Word, or not. However, we agree to forgive them, whether they've asked for this or not. But if we don't deal with this internally, it can begin to fester whenever we see them or think about them. It can get so bad that we can hope that they pay for what they've done to us. It becomes on a par with hatred.

When we're living in such a way, the hurt of what someone has done to us can completely take over our lives and it begins to affect our health and our attitudes towards people who still talk and like the person who has offended us deeply. We may even begin to gossip about them, telling whoever will listen, how hurt you have been by this person; what they have done and how they appear to have gotten away with their 'crime' against us.

As it gets this far, we really need to stop and look at ourselves. How can the Holy Spirit dwell within us - a vessel that is acting in such a way towards a brother or sister in the Lord. The Holy Spirit will never leaves us, but as we offend and hurt Him, it's almost like the anointing lifts off us and we start floundering around, moaning, groaning and feeling so sorry for ourselves. 'Well you don't know what he or she did to me?' That's very true, but I do know what God's Word says, and He tells us to forgive. He also tells us, 'Vengeance is mine. I will repay.' (Roman 12:19). When someone has done wrong to us, we forgive them, hand it over to Jesus and it becomes His problem. He will handle it in His way and in His time. Forget about it.

I know it's easer said than done to 'forgive and forget.' However, it really is the only way to go if we want to walk with Jesus. The people did so many bad things to Him, but He handled it all. "Yes, but He was God." Yes, that is true, but He was also a human being, that bled the way we do, at the time. He knows how hurtful things can be and He knows how much you have been hurt too. Why not spend a little time with Him today and let Him wipe your tears, smooth out the wrinkles of your heart and build you up again. It'll be like a spa day as He refreshes every part of your body and mind and makes you feel brand new again.

Why not drop me an email.     dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

Unity - Joined together

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"Now I plead with you brethren, by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement."  1 Corinthians 1:10 NKJV

Unity. The old saying, 'United we stand, divided we fall.' There's a lot of truth in these words. The church at Corinth was in threat of division because there were contentions between the church members. Not a lot has changed. All over the world, church members allow contentions to split churches and bring about disunity.. This should not be. The Apostle Paul, was urging the people of Corinth, to get it together and stop arguing and bickering with each other over who was in charge of the church.

One thing the devil cannot stand is unity. He will do all he can to bring about division by using people to spread lies and gossip throughout the church. If he can cause people to be jealous over someones ministry within the church, he will. He leads people to be jealous and envious of what people do and how they are favoured above them. The 'it's not fair,' attitude.

Unity is brought about by The Holy Spirit. The early church at Jerusalem demonstrated this by sharing together and living with each other in harmony. In other words, in 'Fellowship,' (Acts 2:40-42) The Greek word for Fellowship is KOINONIA, which means, Sharing, unity, close association, partnership and communion. This is brought about by the Holy Spirit as people respond and join together in unity. This type of fellowship, cements the believers to the Lord and to each other. A church that is practicing this type of fellowship, is a church that is going somewhere. It is a church that was very much like the early church, the church where thousands of people were saved and couldn't wait to worship God and be together.

There is no perfect church. You'll never find one, for the simple reason that none of us are perfect. We all have moods and things that irritate others. We all have problems and think we're the only one who is going through such stuff as this. We all are tempted to sin. However, when we are joined to each other with Jesus as the head, we're less likely to act in this way because we have people beside us who know what we're going through and support and love us.

Fantasy? Not at all. It's the way Jesus wants us to be. He wants us to put up with people's oddities. If they don't measure up to our expectations and standards, they more than likely measure up to Jesus' expectations. 

So, let us all pray and move towards unity. Let's face it, when we get to Heaven (if we make it) we will have to live with each other together, forever. If you don't like a particular person in your church at this moment, pray for them, ask God to help you see something nice about them and let Him love them through you. After all, we'll be together a long time.

I'd love to hear from you. Email me at  dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

Marital Teamwork

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"Wives be submissive to your husbands - Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honour to the wife as to the weaker vessel ..." 1 Peter 3:1 - 7 NKJV

God's idea of marriage is teamwork. One member of the marriage is not greater than the other. Verse 1says that the wife should be submissive to her husband. However, this doesn't mean that she should be a doormat, doing everything within the household. The husband is not the boss. He may, in God's eyes be the head of the wife (Ephesians 5:23), but that doesn't mean he should rule the home with an iron rod. Respect, honour and gentleness should be the way the husband treats his wife. He is responsible for her spiritual care and the provider to the home. Although in this modern age, both partners work, God still places the husband in the role of provision, so wherever possible, he is expected to work to provide for his family.

Verse 7 mentions the wife being the weaker vessel. This is not a derogatory term. God does not view the wife as weak in spirit or soul. Far from it. What it does mean is that the husband should treat the wife as a precious jewel that could so easily break if not treated properly. The wife should receive, kindness, courtesy and gentleness from her husband. She should never be degraded in the marriage, or treated as a plaything or a drudge or even an after-thought. On the other side of the coin, the wife should show love and honour to her husband. We are in a team here. It should never one-sided.

The husband should be consistent in his spirituality within the home; outside the home and towards his wife and family. Husbands and wives cannot be right with God if they're at loggerheads with each other. Other people may not pick up on this but God sees all. The husband and wife team are both heirs together. If their relationship is not exalting Christ or building each other up, their prayers will be hindered and this is where problems can really begin. The devil loves to get in and drive a wedge between marital partners. Don't let Him. Do things God's way. Your future happiness, life and walk with God depend on this.

If you would like confidential prayer, contact.  dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

He'll never let you down

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"For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we may boldly say, 'The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?' " Hebrews 13:5-6 NKJV

Has there ever been a time when God has let you down? If you feel He has, are you sure that it was Him that let you down? God gets the blame for a lot of things, when generally, it's just life events that happen. They hurt; we feel alone and let down, angry and forgotten. However, God has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' No matter where you go or what you do, He'll never desert you. He's always there, longing to help.

You may be going through a really bad time at this present moment. One in which you can't even feel God at all. But, He is there. Think back to a time when you were in a situation that you felt you could never get out of; an impossible event. But you made it. Are you sure that wasn't God helping you; rescuing you. He has done that so much in my life, I can assure you.
Some days, life seems virtually impossible to work through. You may be going through one of these times right now. Look at this scripture. Along with saying that He will never leave or forsake us, He lets us know that:

* HE IS OUR HELPER. He will provide a way through this present situation for you. There may not seem a way through it, but be reassured, God will find a way.
* THERE'S NO NEED TO FEAR. God understands what is happening in your life and is interested enough to say, 'Do not fear.' He is in control, if you put Him there. If you don't, you'll have to sort a way through alone; but why do that when the Master Resolver is waiting for you to invite him to help.

The message for you today is, Do Not Fear. God will sort it out for you if you give it to Him. It'll be ok. Everything will be alright. If the worst comes to the worst, God will still be beside you. Some things are inevitable, but He'll help you through it all. You're not alone.

Don't carry this alone. God cares and wants to help. Give it to Him, pray, listen and try not to worry.

If you would like prayer, contact in confidence dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

Thankfulness

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"Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with Psalms."
                                                                                                       Psalm 95:2 NKJV

Think about this scripture and meditate on it. There is always something to be thankful for, even when things are not as they should be. You may be going through a difficult time right now; but stop for a moment, through this time there is a space for you to say, 'I'm grateful and thankful for this.' This was why the Psalmist wrote Psalm 95. 'He said, 'Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with Psalms.' Let's take a closer look at what he says:
He said to:

COME If you don't go to where you're asked to go to, you'll remain where you are. Does that make sense. You're really going nowhere. However, he said to 'Come'. We have to come before God and into His presence. If we make no effort, very little will happen. God won't force this matter. We're told to come and as we do, we enter His wonderful presence, where we can lay all of our worries and thoughts down and just worship the one who matters most.
THANKSGIVING. As we enter into God's presence it's almost like He wraps His arms around us and bathes the wounds of life, those hurtful issues, those dreadful worries the things that give us sleepless nights and are at the back of our minds, constantly. God is also thankful to us as we do so. It's not a one-way thing, God loves our presence and is grateful when we seek Him out and spend precious time with Him. 
Just stop and think for a moment and think of all the things that you are grateful for and thank Him. For one thing, our lives. Without that, we would not exist. Our partners. If we still have them with us, that is a reason to be thankful. If they've departed to be with the Lord, perhaps, what lovely memories can be present in our minds. As I mentioned before, there is always something to be thankful for, even through the darkest of times.
What about our children? There may be hard times but they're a constant point of joy to us. Then there's our health, our finances, our homes, clothing, endless nice things that we have acquired. There's many other things too. Probably for some, there may be the loss of someone; the worry of a sickness that is terminal, a broken relationship. It's very hurtful, but probably there is something in this hurt that you can find just to be thankful.
SHOUTING JOYFULLY. Joy is a strength (Nehemiah 8:10.) There is something about singing and shouting loudly as you do it, that is liberating. Go to a concert of your favourite band and as you sing with them, you'll get the idea of what I mean. It is exhilarating. Within us, there can be so much pent up pressure that a release is needed. Rather like a fizzy drink. If you keep the top on and shake it, fizz and bubbles jiggle around. However, when you take the lid off, the drink spurts out like a spray from a cannon. That is what happens with us as we shout and praise and thank God.

He has done so much for us and is not about to stop. Get on your knees and say thank you for ...................................... Thank you Lord. I'm so grateful.

I would love to hear from you. dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

You've enough on your plate

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"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow ,for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble"  Matthew 6:34 NKJV

Worry and fear are killers. They kill faith for one thing. Fear is the exact opposite to faith. If fear is hanging around in your life, it gives way to worry and faith goes out the window. Worry and fear also injure our health and bring on all sorts of medical issues.

At times, our load for today is so large that we physically don't know how we're going to get through it all. Do you feel like that? It may be your job or it may be the busy work load at home. It can be stressful unless we take control of it.
I remember one time when I was a social worker in a very busy city office. I had been on leave for just over two weeks and the night before returning to work, I was fretting about all the work that would be in my tray at work. The life of a social worker is busy and, unless there's an emergency in your case load, the work stays in your tray until your return. That can be a nightmare.
So I lay in bed worrying about all I had to do and God took me into  dream, I was awake but only aware of Him leading me into my office and picking up my work tray. 'My what a lot of work we have,' He said. He then led me to my desk and He helped me get through it all. When I did go to work the following morning, the tray was full, as expected, but there was nothing really pressing and I cleared it all up within an hour. Amazing, but I'd fretted for nothing and I learned that God is in control, if we let Him be.

In Proverbs 16:3, it says, 'Commit your works to the LORD, and your thoughts will be established.' The word 'Commit', gives the picture of a camel, with a heavy load on its back.When it comes to remove this load, it kneels down and rolls over onto its side, depositing the load on the ground. What a lovely picture of rolling our many worries and cares over to God.

We need to learn from this picture. God does not want any of us stricken with worry and care; loaded down with problems that are causing us all kind of upset. Instead, He wants us to roll them over to Him. He is capable and He is interested and He is willing to help. However, He's a gentleman and waits for us to allow Him into the situation. He doesn't usually burst in of His own accord. He can do, but usually He wants us to call to Him.

Why don't you try this today? You cannot take on worries from tomorrow. You can only Cope with what you have today. Give it to God, NOW!

I would love to hear from you. dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com