Friday 3 April 2020

The 'if' word

"If You are the Son of God.."                 V 3 of Luke 4:1-11   NKJV

 Satan has the audacity to approach Jesus and say to Him, 'If You are the Son of God.' If he is disrespectful to Jesus, you can bet your bottom dollar, he will be the same to you, probably worse.

 In this passage, Jesus had been led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After Jesus had fasted for 40 days, the devil came to start the temptation. Note, the devil will always come at your weakest moment (remember Eve as she looked at the forbidden fruit in Genesis 3). Jesus must have been very hungry after such a long time and the devil came with the tempting words, 'If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.' To most people, this would have been hard to resist. Jesus was no different, remember He was in human form. 

 Think back to the times when you have been at your weakest and the very thing you want, or even crave for, is offered on a plate. It's not easy to resist; but Jesus used the Word of God to deal with this, 'It is written.' This is why it is so very important to read our bibles. If we don't know the Word, how can we use it when we need it?

 Here the devil uses the word, 'if,' three times. In verse 3,'If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.' Again in verse 6, 'If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down.' Finally in verse 9, he uses the word differently, 'All these things I will give You, 'if' You will fall down and worship me.' 

 The word, 'if' can imply doubt or probably, as used here, 'since'. Used towards Jesus both would have been disrespectful. One would have been stating, 'I doubt that You are who You say You are.' The other, a very loose term of, 'Since You claim to be the Son of God.'

 This very small word can pack a very large punch. Many of us are tempted to say, 'What if this happens?' or 'What if I pray for him and he isn't healed?' It's a word that we would benefit from using sparingly. It is similar to the negative part of the word, 'but'. 'Yes, I will do that, 'but,' I'm not sure it'll work.' When we speak doubt, we do without! 

 If you use the 'if' word lot, try changing how you say something. We need to choose our words wisely, 'For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.'  Matthew 12:34. Make the abundance positive by using God's Words that forge a way forward, not words that negate any form of faith that you have been taught.

 Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard







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Thursday 2 April 2020

Where did the baskets come from?

"And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish."
                                                                                    Mark 6:43.  NKJV

 We often read the account of Jesus feeding the five thousand. We are also familiar with the fact that, the disciples gathered up twelve baskets full of leftovers. We are used to reading this and probably don't give it much more thought than that. However, where did the disciples get the twelve baskets from? There's no mention of them having them prior to this feeding taking place.

 Looking deeper into the Jewish people's lives, we find that every Jewish man, carried a basket with him, wherever he went. The Romans often made fun of the Jew and his basket. The basket, which was made out of wicker was shaped rather like a narrow-necked pitcher which then broadened out to make a bigger space. There were two reasons that the Orthodox Jew carried one of these baskets; firstly he carried his own food supplies in the basket. This ensured that he would be eating ceremoniously and clean and pure food. Secondly, many Jewish men at the time, were accomplished beggars and they would place their begging proceeds into this basket. This could well be the reason of the phrase, 'a begging basket.'
The reason there were twelve baskets was obvious, there were twelve disciples. It was into their own baskets that they gathered up the fragments of food so that nothing would be lost.

 From this account, we see that Jesus does not want things wasted. He knows that wastefulness, does not glorify God, especially when there is so many famines throughout the world.
Jesus not only supplied the five thousand people with much-needed food, but He also gave back a harvest to the young boy who had given up his lunch in the first place and then supplied His disciples with the food that they needed too.

 In Jesus' supply, He takes great care that all His people are catered for and demonstrates that as we, 'Seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, all these things will be added to you." (Matthew 6:33). Furthermore, in John 10:10, we're told that He gives abundantly, not only with a full life, but also with everything we will ever need.

 Whenever, we find ourselves in need - our money is running out and we have large bills to pay, we're short on food and clothing and the car also needs taxing, try and relax. Then seek God with these needs. He is committed to you and as you seek His help, praising Him all the time, He shall provide all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19).
Therefore, if your basket is empty fill it up with praise and watch Him supply!

 Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard















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Wednesday 1 April 2020

Stop being afraid

"Do not be afraid, only believe."                                         Mark 5:36.  NKJV

 Fear and faith are total opposites, they can never go together, anymore than a north Pole of a magnet can be joined to another north Pole on another magnet. This can't be done. The two north poles repel each other. But place a north Pole against a south Pole and the magnets are attracted to each other and joined together - firmly. It is the same with faith and fear. They are opposites and can never be joined together; they will always fight against the other.

 Jairus had to stop being afraid before full trust in Jesus could be established. He told him, 'Only believe.' This was all Jairus had to do, nothing else. The emphasis on the word, 'only,' meant that he should not allow himself to try and sort things out himself. We often try to do this, in an attempt to give God a hand. Well, remember this, He doesn't need your help, He is perfectly capable to sort things out on His own, so just relax. 

 In situations that are dire, the only thing we should be doing is believe. If we allow our minds to wander, our thoughts may negate everything that God has put in there. The enemy will have a hey day and send us lorry-loads of doubt to cancel out whatever faith we were hanging on to.

 What Jesus spoke to Jairus, was a word of hope, and that was biblical hope - that certainty, that faith-filled, Spirit-led hope. Not the hope that the world brings, such as, 'hopefully.' This type of hope is wishful thinking, something that we write on our Christmas list, hoping we'll receive it but knowing we probably won't.
No the hope Jesus spoke to Jairus was the 'hope-fully,' type. A biblical certainty, which is matched by our faith.

 The next time you are tempted to be afraid, listen to Jesus' words, 'Do not be afraid, only believe!'
Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

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Tuesday 31 March 2020

Coronavirus - on Jesus, I lean and rely

"I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I (confidently) trust!"  Psalm 91:2.  Amplified Bible

 At the risk of sounding repetitive, I bring yet again a verse from Psalm 91. I last gave you this Psalm on 17th March, but this is different and we all need to hear it. It's a living word and what we need to bring us through this plague - the Coronavirus.

 Check out the phrases, 'I lean,' Rely,' and 'I confidently trust.' Let's look at these in a little more depth:

 LEAN
Proverbs 3:5 says, 'Lean on, trust in and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.'
To lean on someone or something means to 'Support yourself.' Many times we need to do this and the going can be a tough one, as it is now. We need to submit things to Him then slowdown and wait. We need to make sure we have a sense of peace to go along with the plans and ideas we have in mind. 
Jesus is our greatest friend. He is the one we can lean on in times of trouble. He is always with us, just waiting for us to engage in conversation with Him or ask Him for direction. We can trust Him, which at this time of uncertainty with Covid-19, is very much needed. We are hearing so many things and it can be overwhelming and confusing. But Jesus is a solid rock of love and certainty. We can trust in Him and be confident that he will support us through the days and weeks ahead.
RELY
The means to depend on with full trust or confidence. To place our faith in someone or something. If you're relying on the world, it will let you down. The only one that can be truly relied on is Jesus Christ. he is the answer to this virus. He has the answer and he will give us the victory over it. He can be relied on.
CONFIDENTLY TRUST
Ask yourself this question: 'Do I fully trust in Jesus; am I confident that he will bring me and my family through this time of uncertainty? If you can answer yes to this, you are on to a winner. To the world, there is uncertainty but to Born Again believers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have a certainty - a confidence, a full biblical hope that He will keep us safe and deliver us. For us, there is nothing to fear. He will be with us in trouble (Psalm 91:15) and no plague shall come near to your dwelling, (Pslam 91:10).

 Jesus Christ is our refuge and our fortress; there is nothing to fear. If we have called on Him and set our love upon Him, He will deliver us (Psalm 91:14). Many unbelievers are going to realise this as the days go on. There is going to be a great outpouring of God's Spirit as they call on the Lord Jesus for help in their time of need. Thousands are going to be saved, but sadly, many more will die because of their unbelief. That's the way it is.

 But make this your exclamation right now:

  'But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.' (Joshua 24:15)

 As you make this statement, decide that from this moment on, you will lean on Jesus, rely on Him and be confident in His love for you.

 Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard















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Monday 30 March 2020

The devil doesn't like you

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

 The devil is the source of destruction in our world today. He steals, he kills and he destroys. Open your eyes and see what is happening in the world today, sickness and death like we haven't had since WW2. Who is to blame? God? Never; the true culprit behind all of the Coronavirus is satan himself. He is the author of all of this death and misery and the world needs to recognise this quickly and put a stop to it, in the Name of Jesus!

 The devil comes to:
STEAL
He steals our wealth, with businesses folding, bankruptcies and loss of jobs. He steals our health, not counting this current virus, look at the many cancers, cystic fibrosis, MS, ME, Polio, depression and many, many more terrible illness. He will steal our marriages with people committing adultery and abuse. Then there is our happiness and our joy, homes shattered by death, separation, eviction etc. etc. He is a thief.
KILL
He is out to kill us. He hates us, especially if you belong to Jesus; and he'll do whatever it takes to disable you in your walk with God and if he can bring sickness or a fatal accident on you or your family, he will relish in it.
DESTROY
In fact, he is the destroyer. He will destroy your life, your reputation and your walk with God if you let him. How can you stop him? IN THE NAME OF JESUS! Get your bible out; quote relevant scripture, pray, pray and pray more. Put on the armour of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). Learn Psalm 91 and personalise it for you and your family. Stand up and fight. You're a winner in Jesus.

 The devil knows how to push the buttons that will hurt or wind you up. Be alert. You're in a battle. Perhaps the biggest battle you have been through in your life. People are dying all around you. Firstly heed the guidelines that the government are giving you and then put this alongside the words of Jesus' government - Heaven. 

 As a Christian, you can make such a difference in this world at the moment. Spread some love and encouragement about. Ring someone, FaceTime, Message or Skype them. Let someone know that you care. We have to look after ourselves, yes. But it is not a time to be selfish. Think of others too.

 Be Jesus to them and realise, that we will win this battle - together. People need to know Jesus. They need Him like never before. If you don't tell them, they may be lost!

 Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard







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Sunday 29 March 2020

Calmness is Infectious

"A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger"
                                                                               Proverbs 15:1.  NKJV

Many a conflict is created by the way we either respond to another person's comments to us, or by the way we speak to someone about an issue. For example, if a person comes to us with both guns blazing, ready for an argument, to respond to them with the same type of anger is going to end with a full scale row or worse. But, it is possible that the way we react to them, in a quiet, reserved and controlled manner, we can calm the situation down. For instance, if you're driving in your car and accidentally knock another driver's mirror, he may chase after you and rant and rave about the way you were driving. If at that time you retaliate, telling him that the bad driving was his, not yours and he needs to re-take his test, then you are asking for trouble. On the other hand, to stay calm, apologise and keep the peace, the other driver may well calm down themselves. You see, calmness is infectious, people pick it up from us; it spreads to others.

We can also be the perpetrator of a harsh word. A person may wind us up in some way and instead of taking control of the situation straightaway, may dash out and rip into this person with angry and even violent words. It can happen when we are not in control of our reactions; when we are tired and had a bad couple of days. You may have kept control over this time, then all of a sudden something or someone comes along, says or does something and, 'POW!' you turn into a raging bull, complete with horns and ready to charge at anyone in sight. Sadly, it can often be the people close to you - your family. They take the brunt of your fiery temper.

If you're fiery by nature, it is not easy to change this. However, it can be changed with practice and todays text is a good place to start. Meditate on it and add to this James' word in James 1:19, 'So then, my beloved brethren , let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.' Then keep making the confession to yourself, that calmness is infectious. 'I am calm and will spread this to whoever I meet.'

Nothing comes easy. It is hard to make changes to how we react to given situations, but take heart, you can do it. Talk to Jesus about it.


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Saturday 28 March 2020

Jesus' love for you


20“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
22“I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 23I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. 24Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!
25“O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. 26I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.”
                                                                                  John 17:20-26.  NLT

It does the heart good at times, to just sit and realise, how much Jesus loves each one of us. Here in John 17, Jesus prays for Himself, for His disciples and then, as we see above, for us. Note the highlight in verse 23; God loves each one of us as much as He does Jesus. That is an astounding verse and, at first glance, is difficult to comprehend. Just stop for a moment and let that sink in. Say to yourself, 'God - the Almighty God; El Shaddai, loves me just as much as He loves Jesus.' Meditate on this and let it be part of your worship today. God loves you as much as His Beloved Son Jesus.

You may be feeling unloved at this moment in time. You may have been rejected or cast aside; but that will not stop God loving you as much as He does Jesus. You may be worried about finance, about your job, your livelihood but it will not stop God loving you as much as He does Jesus. In fact, think about it, if He loves you that much, is He likely to let you down? Never; He just couldn't because you are loved.

Jesus has given each one of us His glory. We are one with Jesus and the Father. Jesus is our Saviour and has given us the Holy Spirit who dwells within us in power. Such power can never be diminished. We can be knocked down but we get back up. We can be robbed, kicked, hurt, mistreated and abused. But we get back up. Why? because we're fighters. We never give up because the King of all kings is right beside us; God loves us as He does Jesus and the Holy Spirit is resident in our hearts. What else do we need?

Give God a shout!

 Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard


dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com










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