Abortion

"For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb; (14) I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvellous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well."                                           Psalm 139:13-14.  NKJV

Is abortion wrong? Of course it is, because it is the act of taking a life. Many people will disagree with this but it is murder. Abortionists would argue with this statement. There are many Pros and Cons to this debate. One such American debate, reads as follows:
Pros 

'Personhood begins after a foetus becomes “viable” (able to survive outside the womb) or after birth, not at conception. Embryos and foetuses are not independent, self-determining beings, and abortion is the termination of a pregnancy, not a baby. A person's age is calculated from birth date, not conception, and foetuses are not counted in the US Census. The majority opinion in Roe v. Wade states that "the word 'person,' as used in the Fourteenth Amendment [of the US Constitution], does not include the unborn."

Cons

Abortion is the killing of a human being, which defies the word of God.The Bible does not draw a distinction between foetuses and babies: the Greek word brephos is used in the Bible to refer to both an unborn child and an infant. By the time a baby is conceived, he or she is recognised by God, as demonstrated in Jeremiah 1:5: "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee." The Sixth Commandment of the Bible's Old Testament, "Thou shalt not kill" (Exodus 20:13), applies to all human beings, including unborn babies. In the Hindu religion, the holy text Kaushitaki Upanishad states that abortion is an equivalent misdeed to killing one's own parents. The BBC states that "Traditional Buddhism rejects abortion because it involves the deliberate destroying of a life.                   https://abortion.procon.org

The bible points to the fact that children in the womb have Spiritual Identity. Pat Robertson says:

'From the moment of conception, there is a progression of development that continues through adulthood. God condemned the Israelites who were offering their children as sacrifices to the heathen god Molech. Such children, were burned up in fires of sacrifice (Leviticus 20:2) and offered to a god of sensuality and convenience. The same is occurring today and by acting in this way, we are saying that human beings are not worth anything.'
                                                       Spiritual Answers to Hard Questions Pat Robertson

The prophet Jeremiah was called  by God even before he was born: 'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.' (Jeremiah 1:5)

John the Baptist, leaped in his mother's womb when the voice of Mary - Jesus' mother, was heard. (Luke 1:44) Therefore, obviously, children in the womb have Spiritual Awareness. They sense and probably hear things.

There may be the odd occasion, probably caused by an accident or severe illness, where a termination is the only way forward. However, this must be an exception. Many women long for a baby but for many reasons, their wishes and hopes are not granted. How do they feel when someone who becomes pregnant, decides to have an abortion because it will not fit their lifestyle. You may be one of the many barren women that know how this feels.

Life is life. We only get one crack at it and as Christians, we must take a stand against this practise. There is little difference in what the early Israelites did to their children and what is happening today. It is barbaric and needs to be made illegal.

We need to pray for what is happening in our world today. There are signs of decay all around. While politicians play games with people's lives, we should not sit back without taking action. Otherwise our whole credibility goes out of the window. If we don't shout, we'll go without.

We can't just sit around, going through the actions of Christianity. We can't turn a blind to what is going on. We need to pray and then pray some more because, Jesus wants this changing!

Copyright 2019 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

An Open Door

"I know you're works. See, I have set before you an open door and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name,"
                                                                                     Revelation 3:8.  NKJV

Jesus knows our works; He sees all that we do. We don't need a pat on the back from anyone and we do not need to seek a persons approval for what we have done. Jesus sees and knows all that we do, even when no one is around.

He has set before each one of us, an open door. He opens the door or He closes it. We do not have the capability to do either and if we try to manipulate this, it is a recipe for disaster. The open door may be opportunities for work careers, schooling and other educational options, life experiences and a host of other good things. But, uppermost, the open door for a Christian will always have the evangelistic opportunity; those opportunities to speak with people about our faith and help them see the way more clearly. It's a faith thing and can take real courage to share our faith with someone, especially if we know them well and they us. Sometimes, we ignore the opportunity or just don't see it. A man once asked Spurgeon how he could win people for Jesus. Spurgeon asked him:

Spurgeon.   'What do you do; what is your job?'
Man.           'I'm an engine driver on a train.'
Spurgeon   'Is the man who shovels coal on your train, a Christian?
Man.          'I don't know'
Spurgeon.  'Go back and find out. Start with him.'

There are people very close to us who are not Christians and we fail to take the opportunity to tell them about Jesus. we fail to walk through that open door, the door that no one can close, not even you. God wants us to take every evangelistic opportunity we meet. He wants us to go through that door, the one that some of us, through fear and embarrassment, try to pretend is not open to us. 'I'm not called to do that type of thing. I'm a cleaner, not an evangelist.' Even cleaners are important in the Kingdom of God. For one thing, they clear and clean the way for a person who is covered in sin. 
'Yes, but I'm not capable of doing that. I'd get tongue-tied. I'm not strong enough.'
Yes you are. Take a closer look at verse 8. Part of it reads,'for you have a little strength.' Look at it closely, it doesn't say you have little faith, but 'a little faith.' To some, that may read weakness, but I believe it means, you're weak enough to be strong in the Lord. And that is a big difference. (2 Corinthian 12:9)

God knows your faithfulness and realises that you have kept His word and have never denied His name. So, the next time you see your next door neighbour, move through that open door and speak with them.

Copyright 2019 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

Don't curse yourself

"For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me. And what I dreaded has happened to me."                                                                                       Job 3:25.  NKJV

Basically, you're saying, 'What I dreaded has come true." (NLT) Really, we are putting curse on ourselves when we say such things. It is self-fulfilled prophecy. As I've mentioned recently. you'll get what you confess. But we all do it. We say things about ourselves and others such as:

'I knew this would happen.' Everything I buy goes wrong.' 'I knew he'd turn out to be a bad one.' It's no good setting the alarm because I'll never hear it.' 'I nearly died when he said this.' He hasn't got any idea, he really hasn't.' And so on and so on.

The devil is not your friend and if you keep saying such negative stuff as this, he'll be only too pleased to help you make it happen. Stop it, right now.

We really need to think before we open our mouths. James tells us, 'Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.' James 1:19. Negative words can pierce our armour that we should be wearing all the time. We profess to be people of God and then make confessions such as, 'He'll never come to anything, he's just not worth it.' Yes he or she is. They are worth it to God. If you've had these things spoken over you by someone or even yourself; revoke them right now and start confessing that you are a man or woman of God, saved by the precious blood of Jesus and destined to a place in Heaven when your time comes. Until then, you are forgiven, healed, righteous, loved, healthy, happy, blessed and anointed. Does that sound like you? Yes it does, because Jesus says so. 'Yes, but I've let Him down so much recently.' So what, so has every other Christian. No one is perfect. 'Yes, but my thought life is not wholesome and I swear sometimes, therefore I'm not worthy of Heaven.' Yes you are because the main man - Jesus, said so. Confess these things to Him, ask for His help. He's only too pleased to assist.

Let me remind you of what Peter did before Jesus turned him into a mighty man of God. Read Mark 14:66-72 and you will see Peter saving his own skin by denying that he had anything to do with Jesus and even cursing and swearing when he was pressed on the subject. And yet, Jesus - your Jesus, forgave him and built him back up and on the day of Pentecost, used him to bring over 3000 souls to know Jesus.

Come on, stop listening to the enemy and realise just how much you are loved and favoured by your friend, Jesus.

Copyright 2019 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

Walking through a maze

"My grace is sufficient for you for My strength is made perfect in weakness." 

                                                                                      2 Corinthians 12:9.  NKJV

Have you ever had one of those times when it feels like you're walking through a maze; wherever you go, the way forward is so difficult and confusing? Well, you're not the only one. It happens, and it happens to many people on a regular basis. Everything seems to look the same and you can have the feeling that you're going round in circles.

A dictionary describes a maze as an:

 intricate, usually confusing network of interconnecting pathways, as in a garden; a labyrinth.b. A physical situation in which it is easy to get lost
                                                                                                         The Free Dictionary

If you've ever walked through a very deep maze, you will know the meaning of these words. It  can seem fun at first as we explore our new surroundings, but after a while of being trapped in a place of endless tracks that lead to nowhere, frustration can kick in and for some, this can lead to fear.  A maze can bewilder and astonish us. We can feel like we're in a daze as we plod along these paths to nowhere. I remember walking through one a long time ago. The hedges were so thick and high that I just couldn't get my bearings. I wasn't scared but I did wonder if I would ever get out of this situation.

Our Christian life can seem like this at times. If we're not careful, we can become stale and lose that wonderful bubbly feeling of the Holy Spirit. He's still with us, but we fail to recognise this because lethargy can set in and once this happens it can feel like we're chained to an iron fence. We're going nowhere, and what's more, if we allow this to go on, we don't care either.

At times such as this, we need to remember that we can never be lost, Because Jesus knows where we are. He comes looking for us but will never force our hand. He waits for us to make a move. We are weak, but He is strong and very able to rescue us from the depths of despair. 

Charles Wesley wrote in his wonderful hymn:

'Long my imprisoned spirit lay

Fast bound in sin and nature's night;

Thine eye diffused a quickening ray,

I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;

My chains fell off, my heart was free,

I rose, went forth and followed thee.

And can it be Copyright Charles Wesley

Jesus is close by, watching and as we call to Him, He is there in a flash to break the chains of sin and despair. He repairs us, mends our hearts and puts us back together again. His grace is all we need because we have a strong God who is right beside us, wherever we may find we are.

Copyright 2019 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

You'll get what you confess

"(20) Wise words satisfy like a good meal; the right words bring satisfaction. (21) The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences."
                                                                    Proverbs 18:20-21   New Living Translation

The wise speak thoughtfully because they know that what they say will have consequences. We need to choose our words wisely by speaking positively instead of negatively. In other words, what we confess, we will get. Negative words are spoken wherever we go. We often hear people saying, 'I feel awful,' or 'I think I'm coming down with the flu.' If we speak in such a way, chances are we will suffer such things. It is like self-fulfilled prophecy. 'I'm not going to try to go to university, I won't be accepted and if I am, I'll never cope with the work anyway.' Again, chances are they won't. 'I'm useless at doing this,' is another phrase we use; or, 'If I apply for that job, I won't get it, so why should I bother. My face doesn't fit at all. I'm not going to make a fool of myself.'

Negative words. We need to take control of what comes out of our mouth. If, we allow it, our tongue can be our worst enemy. we need to practise taming the tongue and it can start by thinking through what we're going to say.

Ephesians 4:29 says: 'Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.' And that means us too. We hear what we say and if we're confessing that we feel awful or that we're coming down with some illness, or in fact, we can't do this or that, then the chances are, we'll be right. We'll get what we confess. Wise up.
We need to treat what we say as an investment not a destructive weapon. Our words carry faith or fear; blessing or cursing and life or death. 

Things may be going wrong for you at this time, or you may not feel that you are blessed. Check what is coming out of your mouth. Check what you are confessing. remember, 'Wise words satisfy like a good meal; the right words bring satisfaction.' But, 'The tongue can bring death or or life, those who love to talk will reap the consequences.' 

You'll get what you confess. So change your thinking and your words, and start being positive about your life.

Copyright 2019 Grahame Howard 

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

Giving yourself some escape

"Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
                                                                                         Matthew 11:28.  NKJV

When did you last go off on your own and just kick up some leaves? What I mean is, when was the last time that you gave yourself permission to have some quality time doing what you want to do instead of what others expect of you?

Psalm 23:3 says, 'He restores my soul.' He wants to restore your thoughts and those emotions that can appear so raw at times that you don't know if you're coming or going. Our world is a busy place and at times it can appear overwhelming. Time seems to be swallowed up by work and doing chores such as shopping, cleaning, gardening or mending the car. Most of us have hobbies but spend little time enjoying them because of such things. Therefore, you need to find the time before time runs out.

I used to work in a hospice and it could be heartbreaking listening to people, with very short time left to live, reminiscing of their earlier life. Many would say they wished they had done things differently. They would have spent more time with their family, instead of work and they would have given more time to their hobbies too. Now it was too late.

Make sure that you do all you can to spend quality time with people and your hobbies. Don't be that person who says, 'Yes, I'll do that tomorrow.' Today is the only day that you can be sure of; you may not have tomorrow. Make the most of it now!

We need rest. We need time to restore our energy level and to re-focus and build ourselves up. And Jesus advises us to do just that. The rest that He will give us, will restore our thought life. Let's face it, we all have thoughts that can burden us and drag us down. Our emotions can be stretched to breaking point so that we can find it difficult to make a move because we're frightened it will be the wrong decision. 

Take some time out and let Jesus build you back up. Have you ever walked the fields with Him? He knows every bird, insect and wildflower. He's great to have as company. 
What about that holiday; that weekend away that you've been talking about but haven't done anything about yet? What about that meal out in the restaurant? Don't keep putting it off. 

Have you a hobby that you can escape too? Everyone needs this. Some read; others go walking, birdwatching or sketching. You may think, 'I can't do any of them.' Of course you can! No ones going to be marking you out of ten for your efforts. It's just doing something out of the ordinary that you can disappear into.
Why not try it? You may find it's the best investment that you've made in a long time.

We all need rest and I'm not talking of going to sleep on the sofa. I'm talking of doing something that will give you great enjoyment, relaxation and more than anything, time with the one who matters most - Jesus!

Copyright 2019 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

Don't let idle words stop you

"(36) But I say to you, that for every idle word man may speak, they will give an account of it, in the day of judgement. (37) For by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned."   Matthew 12:36-37.  NKJV

God is very protective of us. Have you ever considered that? If anyone hurts you, they'd better watch out, because He won't stand for such behaviour against His elect. 
'Am I part of the elect?' you may ask. Yes you are! Elect means, 'Chosen ones,' and God chose each one of us. And what's more, He will take us to Himself one day:

"And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of Heaven to the other.' Matthew 24:31   NKJV

The New Living Translation puts it this way:

'they will gather His chosen ones from all over the earth.'

So, you are His elect and He is crazy about you.

Max Lucardo writes:

'God would give up His only Son, before He'd give up on you.'   (Six Hours on Friday)

Anyone who has spoken out against us in criticism or in judgement, need to repent. We need to forgive them and they need to ask God to forgive them. This is very serious business. God is not only protective towards us, but to others also. We need to search within ourselves and repent of any criticism or judgement that we have made against another. We also need to lift off  ourselves, any idle word that we know has been spoken against us. Remember, not everyone agrees with what we do or say. Not everyone will tell us that we have done well - that we are in God's will, not that we're seeking their approval anyway. However, we do need to watch the words that are released against us.

At times, people may be jealous or even envious about what we say or do. The words they speak to us, have the power to disarm us and totally take away our confidence - if we allow them too. Therefore, if you believe that God has spoken to you and you feel He wants you to do a certain thing, then do it. Some people will never agree with what you do, but if you feel deep down in your heart that it's right, then it's probably right. 

Don't let the words that have been spoken to you and caused you damage, rule over you any longer. Pray and ask Jesus to lift them off you and get on with your God-given task!

Copyright 2019 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com