An Attitude of Gratitude

"17 Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, though the labour of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls - 18 Yet, I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation."
                                                                                     Habakkuk 3:17-18.  NKJV  

Things may get bad for you at times - very bad. However, in comparison to the above scripture, have things ever been this bad? The majority of us, have a home or at least somewhere to lay our heads. We have finance from a job or social care, medical costs paid for within the UK, clothes, shoes, food, family and often, someone to love or have love us.

When we compare this with many other countries, we are very well off. Many of these countries are starving, have nowhere to live and are riddled with some type of disease, and yet, those who belong to Jesus Christ, have faith and a devotion to Him, that would make ours look shallow in comparison. Many are poor and live in mud huts or even on the streets, have no clean water, sanitation or nice new clothes to wear and some have to sell their bodies to provide the very basic of things - things that we, in the west take for granted every day.

Governments hoard their money and get richer, while their people die by the thousands. What is the reason for this? Is it God's fault? Not at all. The reason is at the top; governmental leaders who make sure that they are ok; that they have more than enough while their people perish and are subjected to dictatorship and death.
And yet, the ones who are Christians; the ones who have put their trust in Jesus have a deep love and devotion to Him. They are grateful for all they have- which is very little. They have learnt that Jesus is their Lord; their provider and against all the odds, for some, certain death for being believers in Jesus, they rejoice in their Lord and Master.

They may have very little by way of material possession, but they have Jesus and they devour the bible; they praise and rejoice in Him all through the day, even though it may cost them their lives for doing so.
One only has to look at the devastating horror that the Jewish people had to endure under the Nazis during WW2. They were slaughtered for their Jewish faith. Hitler thought he could end the reign of the Jew but he underestimated the strength of Jesus Christ. They live on and at the end of the day, Hitler and his associates will have to give an account for the atrocities that they caused. And so will today's world leaders for the way they have not taken care of their people.

Nevertheless, the people worship Jesus, yes, they would probably love to have what we even throwaway, but they are content in their faith and grateful for the little that they have.

It should make us in the western world feel very humble. Just think what you have but yet grumble and complain about because someone has better. Think about all you take for granted and just for one moment, spare a thought for the people who are not rich, the people who are dying because there is no medication or food, the one who is sleeping rough tonight because they have nothing. When you've done this, realise how grateful to God you need to be. 

'Count your blessings, name them one by one,

Count you blessings see what God hath done,

Count your blessings, name them one by one,

and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.'

                   Johnson Atman Jr

Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com

Three main areas of worry Part 3

"25 Therefore, I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?"                                     Matthew 6:25-34.  NKJV

Today, we come to our final part  of the main areas of worry. Today we look at:

HEALTH
We all desire good health, the alternative being unthinkable. Many people struggle with the fact that God's Word says that we are healed. 1 Peter 2:24, actually tells us that we were healed by the stripes of Jesus, and that is correct. The problem is, accepting this fact.

Why do we fret and worry about illness that comes upon us or a member of our family. Jesus told us if we ask in prayer for anything and believe that we receive them, then we will have them. Mark 11:24. We either believe that or we don't. It is not a case of, 'if we pray hard enough, God will hear us and take pity on us.' It is not that type of thing at all. Jesus was serious about what He said.

Let us look at Mark 11:24:

'Therefore, I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them and you will have them.'

This verse is so straight forward, that it would be so easy to say, 'What part of this verse don't you understand?' It couldn't be any clearer. But some people often think that there must be a hidden meaning. The only hidden meaning here is, 'Have faith in God,' Mark 11:22. The verse could be better analysed by breaking it into three parts:
A PRAYER OF FAITH
We are called to walk by faith 2 Corinthians 5:7. Also 'God who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.' Romans 4:17. Did you get that? If a person is sick, there is no healing there, ok? So faith tells us to call those thing - this sickness - as if they are healed and they will be, because we walk by faith, not by what we see, hear or what someone tells us. 'Oh that won't work, they're sick, they won't be made well.' Well you're right if you have that attitude because that is not faith, it is aggressive doubt. We have to get into the realm of faith, of believing for the impossible, because God is a God of the impossible.
A PRAYER OF EXPECTATION
When we pray, it must never be a formality or a ritual without hope. We should never pray, 'Lord, if it be thy will.' It's fruitless to pray this way because we know already that it is God's Will. 1 Peter 2:24. Don't be tempted to be one of the people who think, 'You never know, God may just answer my prayer.' This really is being a little flip with God. He is interested in you walking in divine health. He doesn't want you sick. 
So why then, are so many people sick? Well God doesn't bring sickness upon people. That is fact. There is none of this, 'God allowed this sickness because I can be helpful to Him.' That is not true. He can use a person who has a major illness, yes, as they can minister to others with similar symptoms. But it is never God's will for us to be sick.
It all boils down to whether we, the individual, receive healing, stand on our faith confessing that we are healed, though the symptoms remain, until the full manifestation comes to us. Many times, people are healed instantly as they receive it. At other times, it is like nothing has happened. However, this is where we need to use our faith and not confess sickness on us any longer. Yes, you need to still take your medication, it would be irresponsible not to. But only until the doctor gives you a clean bill of health. 

You may be reading this and have total doubt about it all. But really, have you anything to lose by trusting God totally and asking Him to heal you? God does not lie. What He says in His Word can be trusted. He is a God of love; a God who doesn't want you worrying about sickness and disease, especially when He has supplied healing in the first place. He loves you.

May I encourage you to read and study Mark 11:24 until you get a full revelation of what God is telling you. God wants you well, and well today. All you have to do is believe that you receive and you will have it.

Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com

Three main areas of worry Part 2

"25 Therefore, I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?"                                     Matthew 6:25-34.  NKJV

Worry affects all areas of our life. Today we look at the impact it can have on our families.

FAMILIES
We worry about our families in many ways: when they go away on holiday alone or with friends; when they have sleepovers; when they attend a new school, or meet someone that we don't approve of. We also worry when they take a job that we feel is inappropriate or risky such as working in a bar late at night. 

Sometimes it is hard to take and we tend to want to live their lives for them. However, there comes a time when we have to cut the cord and let them go.Young birds fledge when it's time to leave the nest. There is little difference when a son or daughter become of age to be independent. We have to let go. It happens to us all. We're not letting go of them, rather we're recognising that we've done all we can in bringing them up properly. Now it's time to let them find their own way in life. It hurts when your child leaves home to take up a new life but we can't hang on to them. There's a big world out there and they need to explore it. 

For Christian parents, there is always the worry that their child will become involved with people who will drag them away from their faith. All we can do is entrust them to God and stand on scriptures that are relevant, such as:

'Train a child up in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.'
                                                                                            Proverbs 22:6.  NKJV

Think about it; your child has spent years being brought up by you; spent endless hours at school and then possibly, university. Now is the time for their freedom. It's an exciting world out there and so much to try out. 
No amount of worrying on your part is going to change things. You could fret every moment of the day but you'll only make yourself miserable and possibly ill, by doing this.

This is the time that you need to have faith in God and stand on His promises, such as:

'Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.'       Matthew 6:33

This verse does not just focus on your physical needs but all of them, especially your emotional need. God is interested and has said not to worry. He is therefore committed to His promise. As you seek Him first - praising and worshipping Him, He will meet you in your time of need and give you the peace to be able to cope with it all. You still have to let go of your child's reins - they don't need them anymore! As you let go, Jesus will take hold of your heart. And I believe He will say something like, 'Don't be afraid, only believe' Luke 8:50

Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com

Three main areas of worry Part 1

"25 Therefore, I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?"                                     Matthew 6:25-34.  NKJV

Jesus told us not to worry, in fact, it was more of a command than a request because He is well aware of the devastation that worry and anxiety can cause. People all over the globe are suffering the consequences of worry. Depression and other areas of mental health are leading factors, together with cancers and heart disease. Ask yourself, is worry really worth it? You may answer me, 'It's ok for you to say, but you don't know what is happening in my life.' That's very true, I don't. But what I do know is, that worry is a choice. We can choose to worry about something, or we can choose to give things to Our Father because He says in His Word, 'Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.' 1 Peter 5:7. Again, 'Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you.' Psalm 55:22. 
It is difficult, I know, when you are going through the deepest of worrying times, to choose not to fear, but this is the most sensible. God tells us to cast our cares over to Him because he can carry us through the situation - sustain us through it.

There are three main areas that we all are tempted to worry about: Finance, Family and Health. Let us look at these over the next few days:

FINANCE
We need food and drink and clothes to wear. These are the most essential of our basic needs. We also need to be able to meet the ever increasing bills that mount up over the month, the rent or the mortgage payments, medical supplies and prescription costs, children's costs for school trips and uniforms and the other bills such as electricity, gas, water, car, petrol etc. It is never ending. 

Verse 26 in our text is an amazing one: 'Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns, yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.'
We can learn a lot from birds. They are not capable of earning a living for their needs but there is a great analogy here, of how God supplies all of their needs. God created trees, bushes, plants and small bug life so that they could be fed. He also uses many of us to supply them with seeds, nuts, fat balls and other tasty morsels so that in winter, they're catered for. In the summer they have berries and such from the plant life. God also supplies them with a home, completely free. This is how much He cares for them. So why do we fret at the lack of finance? We are of much more value to God than the birds are. V26. 
So what makes us fret when we're getting low on stuff, or when that large bill comes through the post? God knows that we need these things, do we consider that He will actually let us down? We really must trust in God more. Just think, you are a Kingdom person and God wants His Kingdom people to have faith and be blessed. There is absolutely no room for doubt. V32. But one important thing here is, don't forget to honour God with your finance - by tithing. "What, I can't tithe, I don't have enough for myself, let alone to give away.' Let me tell you something, you can't afford not to tithe:

'Honour the LORD with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then He will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.'
                                                                             Proverbs 3:9-10.  NLT

'Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this, says the LORD of hosts, if it will not open for you the windows of Heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.'  Malachi 3:10.  NKJV

Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com

God's Mercy Towards Us

"23 Who remembered us in our lowly state, for His mercy endures forever, 24 And rescued us from our enemies, for His mercy endures forever; 25 Who gives food to all flesh, for His mercy endures forever.
26 Oh give thanks to the God of Heaven! For His mercy endures forever."
                                                                                     Psalm 136:23-26.  NKJV

God not only shows us His constant, daily love, but He also gives us His Favour, His Mercy and His Grace. Someone once said that a breakdown of these three areas shows us that, Favour is God's unusual liking to us. Grace is free and unmerited blessings of God and Mercy is God not punishing us as we deserve.

In the above Psalm, we see all three of these areas being demonstrated. Note the phrase in v23, 'Who remembered us in our lowly state - ' God cannot forget us, we are imprinted on His heart. Even if we walk away from Him, He remembers us and waits for our return (Luke 15:11-32). There are many who have abandoned God for one thing and another, but He stands there waiting for their return. He will never give up on anyone and this is where His mercy kicks in. We just don't deserve His love. He's a Holy God but through Jesus Christ we receive God's mercy and we are forgiven and made His son. When that happens, He chooses to forget all of the bad things that we have ever done. Grace enters the discussion here as it is God's freely unmerited blessing upon us, in other words, His unmerited favour. We've done nothing to deserve it but we get it anyway because He loves and cherish us.

God's favour in the Hebrew is a word called Chen. It means to bend or stoop in kindness to another, as a superior to an inferior. God wraps favour around us:

'For You O LORD, will bless the righteous. With favour You will surround him as with a shield.' Psalm 5:12. The word favour offers us, pleasure, delight, desire and grace and when you consider this, mercy just has to be included here too. We need to keep living 'favour-minded', and God will deliver blessing after blessing. God loves you so much that He will even help you find a parking space in a very busy car park when you need it. You have the favour of God on you. Just think, if He'll find you a place to park, what else would He like to provide you with as well.

His Mercy, Grace and Favour last forever. We have them because Jesus made it possible for this. Stop and think for a moment, how many times has God rescued you from hazards and dangerous and risky things? How many times has He fought for you when you were in a dodgy position? How many times has He turned up to help when there has been no one else who seems to care or know about you? Jesus' love is immeasurable! and infinite. It will never end. He has provided for each one of us and will continue to do so. He gives us food to eat both spiritually and physically; clothes to wear; house to live in; family and friends, finance. What He gives us is unlimited! How can we not give thanks to the God of Heaven, for His mercy endures forever?

At the end of the day, He is there when we sleep and He is with us when we awake. He is there for us during our day; when we are busy and when we are having a rest; when we are happy and when we are sad. When we have problems and when all is well.

In Jesus, you have a rock solid friend. He is faithful and kind and great company too. Have you ever heard Him laugh? If not, then get really close to Him and you will. Really get to know him, He is great fun.

Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com




























Difference Between Favour Grace and Mercy. Favouris God's unusual liking to us. Grace is free and unmerited blessings of the God. Mercy is God not punishing us as we deserve.

Peace

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nether let it be afraid."    John 14:27.  NKJV

The two kinds of peace that we look at today are, Worldly Peace and the Peace of Jesus:
WORLDLY PEACE
The world give us peace and then takes it back again. It involves unrest and demands, the kind that leads to anxiety and fear. People may come along and show us two fingers as they declare, 'Peace Brother or Sister', to us. They may be genuine but the whole practise has a feeling of uncertainty about it. People may say to each other, 'I'm going to get some fresh air and a little peace and quiet'. They may do, but it is still uncertain, worldly peace. William Barclay comments on worldly peace by stating, 'The world's peace is a peace of escape, the avoidance of trouble and a refusal to face up to things.' In other words, it can be a kind of denial.
We may say at the end of some worldly conflict that we now have a time of peace. That may be so, but there is still a feeling of uncertainty about it all. Worldly peace is very shallow. This can be seen on annual events such as New Years celebrations. People are happy as the clock strikes twelve, indicating another New Year. However, shortly afterwards, they may be seen fighting, possibly because they have consumed too much alcohol to be in control of themselves. It is just world peace - temporary.

In the Amplified version, part of our text reads:

"Stop allowing yourself to be agitated and disturbed and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.' 

In the NLT, the text reads:

'I AM leaving you with a gift - peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give'

Note the words, 'the world cannot give.' The world cannot give the peace that we all yearn for. Only Jesus can offer us the free gift of this peace.

THE PEACE OF JESUS
The peace that Jesus speaks about here is, Shalom peace - everything that is for our highest good. 
It was a common thing and still is in many places, for Jews to say to each other Shalom when they met with people and when they left. What they were saying was, 'Peace be with you - Peace (Shalom) be with you.' It became a regular thing for Jews to greet and say goodbye with these words, rather like we may say, 'God Bless,' to some people. At times, it can feel like a casual and empty phrase to say. Jesus, however, was saying, 'My Peace.' He was letting them know that His Peace is untroubled and never fearful, in fact genuine. Jesus could say this although the road ahead for Him led to a lot of suffering.

We can have a life that is untroubled and free from worry and fear if we allow Jesus to sow this peace within our hearts. It is free and we just need to receive it without cost. Jesus is saying to each one of us, 'Stop being afraid; stop being fearful and anxious, worried and agitated by the things of life. It serves no purpose except to upset you and others as they hear you. Acting in such a way can also injure your health. Worry is a killer and also a sin, Because Jesus told us not to do it. (Matthew 6:25)

Don't you think that it is time that you received the Peace of God and stopped worrying and being anxious about everything? You know it is, and so does God. That's why He is telling you now.

Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com

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