Be careful with the seed

"Listen! Behold a sower went out to sow."                      Mark 4:3 & 13-20

The farmer has to sow his seed carefully; otherwise it may be snatched by the birds, it can be sown into ground where there is no root or choked because it is thrown into ground that is choked with thorns and all sorts of debris. Here, in verses 13-20, we see different variations of seed sowing:

HARD GROUND
In Galilee at the time, there were many strips of land with hard paths through them where people walked.This was so regular that the paths would become very compact and hard. As seed was sown, birds would swoop down before it even had time to root. Farmers, at times used donkeys that carried large bags of seed with a hole cut out at the bottom corner. As the donkey was led on, the seed would flow out on the paths and land. However, birds would still swoop down and snatch the seed. You've probably seen examples of this with tractors in a field. As the tractor goes along, hundreds of birds can be seen trying to take the seed away. The difference being, here the soil has been well dug and fertilised.

The analogy here is, many people hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ but the words don't take root. Many people are indifferent to the Word of God and feel that they don't need 'Religion,' in their lives. They're ok as they are. Sadly, one day, they may wish that they had done something about it.
STONY GROUND
Much of Galilee at the time, was covered with a shelf of limestone rock with just a shallow level of soil covering this. It wasn't deep enough for seeds to make root and when the hot sun rose, they would shrivel up with the heat.
Many people are drawn to Christianity but they don't give it their all. Living for Jesus, is an all or nothing exercise. We have to give Jesus our all. If there is no depth to our walk with Him, the world will shrivel us up with the heat of its temptations. 
CHOKED SEED
Farmers would hack large thorn bushes down but leave the roots still in the ground. Consequently, the thorns would quickly grow back, fresh and strong, and choke the freshly sowed seedlings. 
It's great to have hobbies and belong tp various clubs, such as a gym, sports club, art classes ad also church activities. But in our busy lives, we must leave room for Jesus. You may be an avid reader and plough through thrillers at a fast pace, but where is the value if you spend hours reading these books and minutes in your bible - if at all. Doing too much, chokes your Christian walk.

WE MUST HEAR THE WORD OF GOD
This happens by listening. Sometimes, we can be so busy talking that we fail to hear what God is saying. 
WE MUST RECEIVE THE WORD OF GOD
We must take it into our minds. At times, we may hear what we don't wish to hear. This is not the time to discard it, but learn from it. We all need guidance and teaching. The truth can hurt at the time but it can mend, the same way as a prescribed injection of medicine can hurt but we know that it will benefit us.
WE MUST PUT THE WORD OF GOD INTO ACTION
Faith doesn't call us to speculate but to act. If you don't act on your faith, very little will happen.

Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com

Strong and Courageous

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."                              Joshua 1:9.  NKJV

We can meditate on fear and accept it, as we saw yesterday. When we do, we're listening to the wrong source - we are listening to a lie from the devil. Moses had died and Joshua took over from him. God told him to take the Israelites with him and cross over the River Jordan, into Canaan - the Promised Land. 

Joshua had been there forty years earlier, with Caleb and the other spies that Moses had sent out. They had encountered giants and even though Joshua and Caleb gave a good report, that it was safe to go over there, the others gave a bad report, so the journey had been cancelled. 
Now forty years later, Joshua was to head back with a new generation of Israelites. 

This brought up several concerns for Joshua. What would it be like? Would it have changed much? Would the giants be even bigger than they were before - even more threatening? Would he and Caleb see good in the land once again? Questions needing answers.

Joshua was apprehensive about all of this and the thought of leading such a massive load of people. He was the leader; could he do it? Would it just be a repeat of last time, where the people refused to go? 
God sensed Joshua's apprehension and began to encourage him, telling him that he was well able to carry out this task and that, He Himself, would be right beside him. He would be able to achieve this.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."                              Joshua 1:9.  NKJV

He then told him the most important bit:

"This book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it, for then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success."    Joshua 1:8

Regarding this verse, Hazel Howard says, 'By sticking to the criteria, 'You will make your way prosperous and you will have good success. ' It doesn't say God will do it for us. It is down to us; we determine our future'.       Hazel Howard 2002

We are the ones that must put our feet down and tread the water. When we do, God will be right there to accompany us and help in all we do. However, the important part is that we MUST, read the Word of God - the bible. We must devour it, expound it and meditate on it. How can we know what to do unless we look at the book of rules - the blue print of Heaven. It is our atlas, our road map and without it we will fall by the wayside pretty quickly. With it, we will make our way prosperous and be successful. Now this doesn't mean walking round with a nice, new leather bible that cost a fortune and occasionally having a glance at it. No, it means reading it every day, sometimes all of the day; seeking God's wisdom on what He has just shown you in His Word and acting on it. 

You need to speak God's words, not your own, otherwise you can negate what God has said to you by speaking out or listening to negative words. Be careful what you tell people. If they're not full of God's Spirit, chances are, they won't understand what you're doing. Stick with the ones who will pray for you and support you. 

What is going on in your life today? Whatever it is, you can do this. I'll say it again, you can do this. But you need the prosperity and success; the strength and courage that comes only from God. Meditate on God's Word today and then go out and take what God is giving you. Just be strong and courageous!

Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com

Don't be a slave to fear

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, and of love and of a sound mind"                                                                                      2 Timothy 1:7.  NKJV

The enemy uses a powerful weapon against us, and this is fear. Fear can stop us in our tracks. John talks about this in 1 John 4:18: 'There is no fear in love but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment.' Torment is the root of fear, it's a kind of torture that attaches itself to our minds and feeds it with all kinds of lies and negativity. Once it sets in, it is very hard to get rid of it. It disarms us. It is then difficult for us to go forward because we feel immobilised in our walk.

The fear can come from anywhere in our day and at varying levels. A seed of fear is planted in our minds by the devil and as we begin to focus on it, it becomes bigger and bigger. The sad thing is that, we are allowing this. At the first sign of fear, we need to recognise it for what it is and deal with it in the Name of Jesus. Otherwise, as it catches us unawares and fully takes up residence, it can be hard to take action. We begin to believe the lie that the spirit of fear is telling us, it seduces us and we are fully convinced by it all.

When an attack like this comes - a fiery dart from the wicked one( Ephesians 6:16), we need to call on God, in fact shout to Him and order our angels to take care of the situation. As soon as we call to Him, He will discharge the angels to fight on our behalf. They can do nothing unless we call on God. 

When no action is taken; when you put up with the situation and live with the fear, it robs you of all the joy that you once had. You become bitter and irritable; suspicious and bad-tempered, in fact, you become totally disabled by it all and a slave to the fear that has attached itself to you. 

The Greek word for Fear is Phobos. It translates to fear, terror and dread. In the New Testament, it relates to a fear of terror and also a fear of reverence to God. The English word translated from the Greek is Phobia and this means, fearless confidence towards God and love for the brethren. The one who knows this love - which is God (1 John 4:16) has no fear of facing God at the judgement. The other side of the fear coin is, terror, dread, lies, torment and total horror. Fear is also known as timidity in spiritual or secular settings and makes a person reluctant to take on responsibilities. 

You may be struggling with fear. It may be tormenting you and ruining your spiritual walk and it may be preventing you from taking a step forward in your ministry or your spiritual walk. It needs to be evicted and evicted now!

Say this prayer with me now:

'I speak to you spirit of fear and I tell you that you have no place in my life. I belong to Jesus; I AM a child of God, not a slave to fear. Therefore I AM evicting you now in the powerful Name of Jesus. Get out of my life now.
Amen.

Reflect on these words from the worship song below by Jonathan & Melissa Helser 

I'm no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God
I'm no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God

I am surrounded
By the arms of the father
I am surrounded
By songs of deliverance
We've been liberated
From our bondage
Were the sons and the daughters
Let us sing our freedom

You split the sea
So I could walk right through it
My fears were drowned in perfect love
You rescued me
And I will stand and sing
I am the child of God
You split the sea
So I could walk right through it
You drowned my fears in perfect love
You rescued me
And I will stand and sing
I am the child of God (yes I am)

I am a Child of God
I am a Child of God (yes I am)
I am a Child of God (full of faith yes)
I am a Child of God
I am a Child of God

I'm no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God
I'm no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God                         Copyright 2019  Jonathan & Melissa Helser. Bethel Music


Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com

What or Who, takes God's Place?

"But as for me, I trust in You O LORD. I say, 'You are my God.' My times are in Your hand."                                                                                  Psalm 3114-15.  NKJV

The New Living Translation quotes the last part of this verse as, 'My future is in Your hand.' This makes it more clearer that, we have a future, and our future is in God, if we seek Him. (Jeremiah 29:11-13).

Some folk worship their football team or their current Pop or Movie Star. Many put one of these people in the place of idols - they copy them, their hair style, clothes and even the way they talk, sing or walk. They stand in front of a mirror with a hairbrush imagining they are the star. They play football or other sport, as if they are the champion. Let's face it, we've all probably done it when we were much younger. However, it shouldn't carry over into adulthood. Our future is in God, not some Pop or Movie Star who is here today and gone tomorrow.

Avid readers may base themselves on the hero of books that they read. They become totally transfixed by the person and act like them. Other people may drift into a dream world, where they fantasise about a different life style - one maybe of riches, living in a mansion type house in the countryside. Or they play a CD and pretend that they are the star singing and they imagine themselves on the stage with crowds applauding them. As they do this, for a few moments they can actually believe that this is a reality. However, it isn't and coming round from the fantasy can be disappointing as they have to face their real world.

Again, some people can be so engrossed watching soaps or dramas on TV, that they actually believe they are true and they find themselves thinking bad thoughts about the person who has wronged someone in the presentation. They really believe it.

Many times, all of this is about getting release and winding down - a place where we can hide or take our minds off the real world. But as we model ourselves on these people, we can become so much like them, that our whole attitude in life can change. It can affect our values and lead us off the rails. This may be the reason why so many young people become involved in violence and street crime, they live out what they have seen in films and videos.

Jesus really is our only true role model and mentor. As be base ourselves on Him, our life becomes much better. Spending time with Him, we become like Him and do and say the things that He would want us to. Actually, when you think about it, He's the only one we can trust! He's the only one that won't lead us astray. Imitating Him will not lead us into crime, it will lead us into Blessing and Glory. 

Our worldly héros may be good for a season but they will not lead us into Heaven. They will not heal our sick bodies or mend our broken hearts. We may be high at a concert or game, and that's good. However, that is just for the duration of the time spent there. Jesus is for life and He offers each one of us a future.

If you are searching for fulfilment in life; for peace, love and happiness, why not turn to the one that can help you achieve this - Jesus:

Lord Jesus, my life is a mess and I'm hurting, bruised and beaten up. I need you, I need a future, I need life. Please come and live in my heart, forgive me my sins, fill me with Your Spirit and be my Lord and Saviour. I ask in Jesus' Name. Amen

Let me know that you've done this. I would love to pray for you.

Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com

Enjoy your life and what you have - here

"I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living."                                                   Psalm 27:13.  NKJV

Evangelists have a special gifting from God of being able to speak and convince people about Jesus, and this is great - much needed. However, it can be argued that at times, they focus more on salvation and eternal life, than on a person having their lives changed NOW and living a great life with God before they eventually go to Heaven. I know that I have done this myself when I've been preaching.

There is much more to life than just being saved and a place in Heaven. God wants to change people's lives. He knows where they've been and what they have endured - what they have had to suffer in life and He wants to change all of that so that their new life in Him, is full of joy, abundance and love; then at the end of their lives, there is a place in Heaven for them with Jesus. 

For some people, life has been very difficult of late. There have been hurdles to climb, tears have been shed and life has been turned upside down. But now, it's time to see the goodness of the Lord. It's time to move on - time to live again. You may be feeling this way. But if you belong to Jesus, you're in the land of the living and this is what we have to do. It is time to live your life to the full.

When David penned this Psalm, he had been through great ordeals and he states here that he would have given up (lost heart). But David knew one thing, God would show him a good life here on the earth until he went to Heaven. He could have given up but he would have missed out on all the goodness that God had for him. And this is where you come in. 

We know that there is a Heaven; and we know that it is a great place and we will have eternal life and live with Jesus, pain and sin free. However, until that time, there is a lot a living to live. Jesus has an abundance of joy and happiness for us, in fact, a life of Blessing (John 10:10). There is nothing you can do to change the things that have happened - they're gone. You've been written into a new chapter of a best selling book and God wants to fill the pages with excitement, adventure, peace, love and happiness. I don't know how or what He will do, but He will! You just need to trust Him and hold His hand as He takes you through the land of the living.

Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com

Do what He says

"8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. 9 Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you." 
                                                                                                      Psalm 32:8-9.  NKJV

This Psalm was so instrumental when I was at Uni. As any graduate will remember, University presents you with lots of work and one really wonders how on earth they'll ever cope. My experience was no different. I was inundated with essays - a year's load of them annually. I failed the first one and considered packing it all in. However, God told me different. It was my own fault. He gave me the above text and told me to pray over each and every essay and exam that came my way. I would then have no problem at all. He was true to His Word. I not only passed all of them over the years, but I came top in many of them too. I learnt a big lesson - don't be stubborn like the mule, thinking you know it all. Ask God to help because He's interested. Therefore:

BE TEACHABLE
As we expound these two verses, we see that God wishes for us to be teachable. We cannot possibly know all there is to know. It's arrogant to believe this. Teaching is essential to life and the best teacher is the Holy Spirit. He's never failed in anything and never will! He knows how to do things and He knows the way forward. Each day we need to allow Him to teach us what to do or say in any given situation. If we don't, we end up rushing into things and completely messing things up. 
RECEIVE INSTRUCTION
One would be irresponsible to set out across an area of no man's land without a compass. Especially in dark or foggy conditions. When you can't see the way, a compass can be a life-saver, directing you to safety and your destination. Likewise, God instructs us through His Word - the bible. Failure to read it each day is not wise. We need His instruction - we need to know the way and what to do. If Esau had heeded God's instructions instead selling his birthright for a bowl of stew, things would have been very different for him. (Genesis 25:29-34.) Instead, he was seduced by the wonderful smell of this food and agreed to sell his blessing to Jacob. It's interesting that Adam did the same, he gave up his blessing to eat of the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3).
RECEIVE DIRECTION
There are many people who open a newly acquired gadget and attempt to make it work without reading the instructions. I AM told, it is mostly men, but I don't want to get into a sexist argument. 'Reading the rules', is essential for the satisfactory fitting together of whatever we are attempting to do. It may be a flatpack or a complicated TV system. Many is the time that I have put things together and realised afterwards that I didn't attend to an important detail. I know I'm not the only one. Let God read you the rules of what His plan is for you each day. Otherwise, it will go pear-shaped. Many people have set off on some pilgrimage somewhere and then shipwrecked themselves because God wasn't in it.
BE GUIDED
Proverbs 3:5-6 is probably the most famous of verses for guidance and they're well worth taking on board:

'5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.'

 There's nothing more that I can add to this because it says it all.

Verse 9 tells us to avoid being like a mule, which can be stubborn the majority of the time. Listen clearly to instruction, teaching and direction. It may save your life one day. It will most certainly help you to make the best of choices for your lives. It is not a sign of weakness to ask how you do something, or request guidance and direction for something. It is a wise thing to do and can save you much stress and heartache. If you knew it all, you wouldn't need God. You would be able to find your own way in life, you would be able to provide yourself with forgiveness and eternal life. You would be able to heal yourself and perform miracles when needed. But you're not and neither am I. 

Common sense tells us to surrender to the only one in life who can help us - Jesus. He took our sin, endured the cross and now puts up with us and our funny ways. But He loves us more than I could ever tell you here. Therefore, let Him be your guide every day of your life.

Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com

Just Keep on Blessing and Praising

I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the LORD."                                                                Psalm 34:1-2.  NKJV

David wrote this passage just after he had feigned a mental disorder  in order to flee for his life from Abimelech. What a terrible place he must have been in to do this. However, his message is, whatever, keep on praising God because He will never let you down. Basically he was saying that we need to encourage ourselves in the Lord because as we speak His Word we hear the words as they come back to us, reminding us how good God is. Secondly, it causes the enemy so much fear as he realises that his intimidation is not working.

Let us look at this Psalm in more detail. 
SOUL (v2)
The soul is made up of our Mind, Will and Emotions. So firstly:
MIND 
This consists of our thought life. What we think about determines what we do. The mind can encourage us or lead us into despair. It controls not only what we think but what we perceive, how we react and what we remember. Some thoughts are good, some not so good. Therefore, we have to determine which way we are going to go.
WILL
James 2:17 says 'Thus also, faith by itself, if it does not have works is dead.' We can stand there all day believing about something but until we step over the line into the realm of action, it won't happen at all. Our will consists of action - we need to step into the situation that we are confessing for it to work.
EMOTIONS
This is our passion, our desire and our yearning to please God and to fulfil all that He wishes us to do. It is the driving force within us, that part that keeps us going even when we feel like throwing the towel in. 

Lets note a few words that come from our text:

ALL (v1)
'I will bless the LORD at ALL times.  All means here- forever; wherever, always, everything. I will never stop blessing Him. It is a forever thing.
BOAST (v2)
'My soul shall make its BOAST in the LORD.' This is where we witness for Jesus - what He has done for us. It's our testimony - how proud and blessed we are to have Him in our lives. It's where we tell people about Jesus and when we are over the moon about what He has done for us - how we brag about Him.
CONTINUALLY v1
'His praise shall continually be in my mouth.' This is non-stop, a no matter what, I won't stop talking about what He has done for me. It is repeatedly praising and shouting for joy about Him.

James wrote 'My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.'  James 1:2-3.
Why did he write such a verse? It seems an odd thing to advise when you're going through a rough time. But he had a point to make. He was saying, 'Jesus is still on the Throne. He won't let you down no matter what is happening. Don't worry.' He is like a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24. And he wrote to encourage us to count it all joy because joy is our strength. Nehemiah 8:10.

You may be in the deepest of holes at this moment. Things may have gone terribly wrong and you may feel lost and at rock bottom. But as you bless and praise Your Father, He will give you the strength to get through each and every situation. 

Try blessing and praising Him right now.

Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com