Do you think you've blown it?

"Assuredly, I say to you that this night , before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."                                      Matthew 26:34.  NKJV

If you think you've let God down big time, then think again. Peter, who was devoted to Jesus, denied Him three time to save his own skin.

Jesus had been arrested and was facing death on the cross. He had predicted this. However, Peter had strongly said that he would never do this. But he did!

While Jesus was being interrogated by the Sanhedrin, Peter stood outside in the courtyard warming himself around a fire. Two servant girls came up to him saying that they had seen him with Jesus. But Peter said that they were wrong. He had never known Him at all. Shortly afterwards, some people who stood with Peter, also began to accuse him because of his Galilean accent. Peter lost it and cursed and swore saying, 'I do not know the man,'  Matthew 26:74. The rooster crowed.

Have you never done this? Have you never said a word out of place? We're human and at times, things get the better of us. Peter was a rough and ready fisherman; he was used to bad language, although he had been trying to get things right in his life, like you are.

As Peter denied Jesus for the third time, the rooster crowed and Peter remembered. Luke 22:61 records that Jesus turned round and looked at Peter at the time. This must have really hit him hard as he wept bitterly. He had blown it, He had denied Jesus. He had let Him down.

It's difficult to understand the pain and guilt that Peter went through at this time. But we get an idea when we consider the times we have let Jesus down badly. When we've done this, we just want to walk away; we feel so burdened; so awful and nothing we do can make us feel better. Peter felt like this, but notice, he kept on going. In fact, although he was feeling considerably depressed, he carried on his work, with the others, until a morning after the resurrection when he noticed Jesus preparing them all breakfast on the shore. John said, 'It's the Lord.' Peter didn't wait, he shot into the water and raced off to see Him, no doubt telling Him how sorry he was for denying Him. And later that day, Jesus restored Him.

And He will you too. If you've 'blown it,' tell Him you're sorry and He will forgive you (1 John 1:9). He's committed to doing this. It's a promise. He knows how difficult things can be at times. He's been there. He knows what temptation is like - although He never succumbed to this (Hebrews 4:15-16)

His word to you today is, confess your sin, accept His forgiveness and move on. There is nothing that can ever stop Him loving you. You're too precious to Him.

Look up, Get up and get on with your day. He sees no stain upon you.


Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com

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One thing I know Part 3

"25 Whether He is a sinner or not, I do not know. One thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see."                    John 9: 1-34.  NKJV

On the final part of our discussion of the healing of the blind man, let us take a closer look at the dynamics of the discourse.

The man gave Jesus three titles during this short time. Firstly in verse 11 he said, 'A man called Jesus,' when he was being questioned by the Pharisees. There was nothing else that he could call Him when you think about it. He may have heard about Jesus but, a closer look at the his conversation with Jesus shows us that he didn't know very much. V36.

Secondly, in verse 17, the man called Jesus a prophet. Through all of the bewilderment that had happened to him this day, it is understandable that his mind would have been trying to analyse it all. However, the healing of his eyes had shown him that Jesus was more than a man. He was something like, 'Superman', to him. He called Him a prophet.

Try and put yourself in his place. He had spent all of his life in darkness. He had never seen a man, woman or child, in fact, he had seen nothing. All of a sudden, images were displaying through his eyes and he would have been overwhelmed by trying to process it all. He would also have had a heavy dose of elation.

Thirdly, in his conversion with Jesus, he recognised and accepted that He was the Son of man. V 38. This man's life would never be the same again. And that is indicative of how Jesus changes lives. He changed you and no doubt, you could give a very moving testimony of the many times that Jesus showed up for you. You have shared this man's elation and you will never be the same again. You were blind and now you see.

However, not so for the Pharisees. Jesus spoke loud enough for the Pharisees to hear:

'For judgement I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.' Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, 'Are we blind also?' Jesus said to them, 'If you were blind, you would have no sin, but now you say, 'We see.' Therefore, your sin remains. 
                                                                                 John 9:39-41

Jesus had a way with words and sometimes it took a little working out. Clearly here, He is telling the Pharisees that, "Yes, you are blind and full of sin.' They were this way because they refused to have their eyes opened to the very fact, that the very one that they claimed to hold so dearly in their hearts - God - was actually standing before them in the form of Jesus. How could they miss this? But miss it they did and will spend eternity remembering and regretting that they could have spent forever with Him. 

Many thousands of people throughout our world are also blind and just cannot or refuse to recognise Jesus. John 1:11 says, 'He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.' 
Many leading figures in our world today are putting all of their energies into the subject of global warming - we must look after our world for future generations. And this is true. But it is not the most important thing, as they claim. The most important thing - the ultimate, is knowing Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, because without this, people will have no decent future. 

Jesus is coming soon and we will have no fear of global warming then because, all those who know Him will be taken to the perfect world - Heaven. This is not a selfish statement but fact. Look after the world yes, but make knowing Jesus Christ the most important part of you life - most of all!


Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com

MY BOOK:
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One thing I know Part 2

"25 Whether He is a sinner or not, I do not know. One thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see."                    John 9: 1-34.  NKJV

What a way to wind up the Pharisees. I like this guy. He had his sight back and quite rightly, he was exhilarated and beside himself with joy. He was seeing things he had never seen before and trying to put what he had thought before, into the present situation - he could see. The last thing he was interested in was an interrogation.

The man's frustration is seen in the way he talks back to the Pharisees:

''I told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?'  Verse 27

But then they said that he was Jesus' disciple, which at that time wasn't true. They would have had further problems, no doubt, if they had known that he wasn't and yet Jesus had healed him anyway.

In fact, their behaviour and conversation showed that they were blinkered. They could not see what was staring them in the face. That sounds like such a typical thing today, don't you think?
They were more concerned where He had come from and that He had healed the blind man on a Sabbath. This sounds amazing. Here was a man born blind but now he could see and yet there concern is more about religious issues.

The man. all fired up, now gave them both barrels. It was almost as if he had been filled with the Holy Spirit already. But this is what it is like when we meet with Jesus. He sets people ablaze. The man gave the Pharisees a mini-bible study V30-33. In fact, he spoke to them as if he was a very, well educated man - a true teacher in the making.

The Pharisees though, true to style, refused to be affected by it all. their hearts were hard and they were unteachable, when they couldn't get their own way. They threw him out of the synagogue.

Now note one thing here, Jesus was very busy. He had people demanding the whole of His time, wherever He went. Yet, when He heard that he had been cast out of the synagogue, He went looking for him. Doesn't that remind you of something? Read The Parable of the Lost Sheep:

Luke 15:1-7: 'What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?' v4

Jesus brought the man into the fold and I believe his gift of teaching, which Jesus had no doubt heard of too, would be put to good use, when he had been born again and firmly become a disciple.

He has done the same for you too. You were once lost and in a place where there was no certainty or hope. Life had probably kicked and ridiculed you. Life had treated you badly and you had probably made an inner vow that no one would ever hurt you again, 'I don't need anyone,' you may have said.

And then, Jesus turned up with a smile on His face and His love captivated you and you knew that you would never be the same again.
'What has happened to you?' people may have said. Your reply too, may have been, 'I don't really know, but one thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see.' 
Jesus had opened your eyes and you could see the way ahead.

Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com

MY BOOK:
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One thing I know

"25 Whether He is a sinner or not, I do not know. One thing I know, That though I was blind, now I see."                    John 9: 1-34.  NKJV

One of the greatest answers we can ever have for people who ask us tricky questions about Jesus, is this text. I say tricky questions because many times this is what we face from some unbelievers who just want to make a laughing stock of us. They come at us with both barrels blazing and say the most convincing things - things that stitch us up and leave us unable to answer adequately.

This was the case here with the man born blind. Jesus, seeing him, went up to him, made clay with His saliva, anointed his eyes and told him to go wash in the pool of Siloam. He did this and his eyes were opened.

When the Pharisees  heard about this, they grilled the man wanting to know what had happened. They didn't believe what the man said to them, so sent for his parents, who confirmed this. 

They caused chaos trying to investigate this and began calling Jesus a sinner for healing a man on the sabbath. The man replied, 'Whether He is a sinner or not, I do not know. One thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see.'

At times, this really is all we can say 'I don't know the answers to what you're saying, but what I do know is He's changed my life.' Like the Pharisees, they probably won't want to hear this or believe you. But that doesn't matter.

You know the truth - Jesus. You know what Jesus has done for you and really, that's all that matters.

Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com

MY BOOK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Daily-Life-Jesus-Bible-Commentary/dp/B084DFYKHD/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=daily+life+with+Jesus+a+daily+bible+commentary&qid=1580804373&sr=8-1


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Daylight Robbery

"The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy"
                                                                                                John 10:10.  NKJV

You're having fun and a great day and all seems well in your life, then suddenly - WHAM, your enemy satan attacks. Out of nowhere he comes, you didn't even know that he was around. THAT IS MISTAKE No 1. He's always prowling around somewhere and when you least expect it, he strikes and knocks the wind out of your sails.

The mistake you've made is you've taken your eyes off the ball and when you do that, he scores a goal. 1 Peter 5:8 says:

'Be sober, be vigilant because your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.'  

We do need to relax in this age of stress and pressures. However, we should never take time off from God. If you go on holiday, take Jesus with you, don't leave Him at home. The enemy attacks when we least expect it. He doesn't ring you up and ask if you're up for an attack tonight. No, rather like a snake, he lies in wait ready to strike.

You can have a load of things on your mind - home issues, work issues, bills to pay and places to go. Then stress and pressure kick in and you become distracted and choked of your faith. (Luke 8:14). THIS IS MISTAKE No 2. Your mind should be filled with Jesus and the things of God, not the things that cause you worry and pressure. 

Jesus told us not to worry (Matthew 6:25). Chasing around like a headless chicken is not conducive to a healthy walk with God.
Just look how the devil works, he:

STEALS                he steals your joy which is part of your strength. Nehemiah 8:10
KILLS.                   he kills your faith and brings you the opposite - Fear
DESTROYS          he destroys the moment and brings guilt, unhappiness and distress

Make sure Jesus is uppermost in your thinking and your life and avoid robberies.

Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com

DAILY LIFE WITH JESUS - a daily bible commentary

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