Don't let the praises stop

"Therefore, by Him, let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name."                                Hebrews 13:15.  NKJV

When things are going well for us, we can praise God fully from our hearts. It is no hardship, it just flows from within us. However, when things are not so good, it can be like wading through mud, we just do not feel like praising. Thoughts such as, 'I don't want to praise God, I'm not in the mood; in fact, I don't even want to go to church today, or ever again’

Praise should never be governed by our emotions. God is worthy of our praise whether we feel like praising Him or not. This is where the term 'sacrifice' comes in.

The Greek word for sacrifice is thusia which comes from the root thuo, a verb meaning to kill or slaughter for a purpose. Praise often requires that we 'kill' our pride or fear or anything else that threatens to interfere with our worship of the Lord. However we may feel on any given moment, we should never allow outside distractions or upsets to prevent us giving God what He deserves - our praise, respect and worship, in fact, ourselves. If we don't re-direct our focus, the problem will consume us.

You probably know that it is easier to do things for God when all is going well in our lives. We feel good about it all. But it is when things are not going so well, but we still do them that the sacrifice is made. We don't feel like praying, but we still pray. We don't feel like praising and worshiping God, but we still do it anyway. When we do the things that we really don't want to do, it pleases God and honours Him and we receive blessings.

Don't forget that we are subject to attacks from the evil one. I like what RT Kendall suggests about times such as these:

RECOGNISE.  Are the thoughts we have from God, the devil or are they our own?

RESIST.  Stand up to the devil

REFUSE  to think what he accuses you of. Quote scripture, sing hymns or chorus'. When the devil reminds you of your past, remind him of his future.             Copyright RT Kendall

So we are to recognise where the thoughts are coming from. If they are preventing you from prayer or praise, they're not from God. Are they your own thoughts? This may be due to tiredness, stress or any particular worries. If so, give them to God. Ignore any thoughts that come from the devil, you'll know the difference. We follow a winner - Jesus Christ, not a loser. Offer your sacrifice of praise to God wherever and whenever you can. Don't let anything or anyone stop you!

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

You need to put in, in order to take out

"Then the devil left Him and behold, angels came and ministered to Him" V11  

                                                                                                    Matthew 4:1-11.  NKJV

Jesus had won a battle; He had resisted the devil's temptations and the devil had run off. James tells us clearly, 'Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.' (James 4:7). And this is what had happened.

We can either surrender to Christ or we can surrender to chaos. As we surrender to Jesus and resist all of the evil one's schemings, he will turn away from us and run. Be careful to note though what Luke 4:13 says, 'Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him, until AN OPPORTUNE TIME!

We need to be aware that the devil will not give up; he will come back at an opportune time - a time when we're not expecting him to come; a time when everything seems to be going wrong and we are at our weakest. Be aware and ready (1 Peter 5:8). Learn from the meerkat's behaviour and be watchful and very alert.

As I mentioned earlier, Jesus had won this part of the battle but note how He had done this. He recognised Satan's mode of attack - lies and deception, and He counteracted all of his comments with, 'It is written.'. Jesus disarmed these tactics, triumphing over the situation (Colossians 2:15). 

Let's not forget though, that Jesus was in the flesh, He was just like you and I. Let's face it, when we have had a bad time with attack after attack from the evil one using someone or something to wear us down, we feel shattered. How was Jesus feeling after this encounter? He had been face to face with Satan; He was tired, hungry and possibly cold. And then he had to undergo such an onslaught as this. It's no wonder that angels came and ministered to Him.

Note though, the angels didn't come until after the event. It was something that Jesus had to do - alone, the same as suffering the pain and humiliation of the cross. Let's be aware, on both of these occasions, He could have called for their help, they were there, ready.

Angels are invisibly present around Christians and are appointed by God to minister to believers (Psalm 91:11-12). As we call on God, He releases His angels to come to our aid.

However, the concluding factor here, is that Jesus used God's Word to combat all the devil threw at Him. I make no apology to say again that we have to read and know God's Word. We need to learn and study because you can't give out what you haven't put in. No deposit - No return. Rather like a bank account, if money is not deposited in, you can't make a withdrawal when you need it. Do you get the idea?

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

Wash your own car!

"Peter seeing him, said to Jesus, 'But Lord, what about this man?' (22) Jesus said to him, 'If I will that he remain til I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.'   

                                                                                                               John 21:21-22.  NKJV

Many times we become concerned about what other people are doing or not doing. If we're not careful, we can become fixated on it. Here, it is almost as if Jesus is saying, 'Never mind about him, what about you? You do what I've told you to do, I'll take care of him.' In other words, keep your nose out of their business.

We can become so wrapped up in other people's business, that we neglect the things that we do. Just think, the person we've been talking to God about. may well be doing the same about us. Let's wash our own car, the other person's car may well be dirty, but they will wash theirs when they're ready.

Jesus will not take sides, we need to realise that. He'll always point us back to what we're  doing or not doing. Bob Gass says, 'The only thing you can change about another person, is your attitude towards them.' 

If we concentrated on God, as much as we concentrate on other people, we would be flowing high in the Holy Spirit. He is the most important person in our lives, not the other person who we feel is neglecting to live up to our standards. Think about that for a moment; the person may not be living up to the standards we expect them to, but they may well be living up to God's. This is easy to figure out - it's us who has the problem with the person, not God. Let's wash our own car, they'll wash theirs when they're ready.

Some people may well be living in error and we may have recognised this. If God directs us to become involved, that is ok. If not, leave it alone. God is far more able and qualified than we are. We need to get wisdom on it and act on His Word.

Do you know something? We're not loved because we deserve it; we're loved because God has made us worthy. Really as human beings on our own, we're weaklings; but with God, we're champions. Now champions don't always keep their title, they can sometimes lose their crowns, but they still fight on to regain their title. They may well have weaknesses that they're working on in order to get back into tip-top shape. It all comes by practice.

In our Christian life, people may not measure up to how we think they should be; but we don't know the struggles that they have. Possibly they're doing the best they can do at this time. They're a work in progress, so let's cut them some slack. Their car may appear dirty to us, but  they may prefer it that way at this moment.

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

                                                                                                   

The Two-Faced Person

"The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords."                   Psalm 55:21   NKJV

Sadly at times, we will come up against people who are two-faced; we all meet them. They are people who listen to your closely-guarded secrets or concerns and then go away talking about them to others that they meet. Amazingly, it can be in the guise of praying, 'Could I just pray for......... I'm concerned because....' They may then go on to tell your story but with greater exaggeration.

A two-faced person can be attention seeking and manipulative, knowing how to play with a person's mind and feelings. David came up against this realising the treachery of his friends. Yet it's interesting to note that, even though they were dishonourable to him, David remained honourable to them and didn't name them. And this is the difference.

There are times when we must challenge such behaviour, gossiping is a dangerous tactic, it spreads like wildfire. However, there is never a time when we should be accusatory towards a person. The devil is the one who accuses; but if such a time is necessary, confrontation may be the only way.

If confrontation is the only way to try and resolve this problem, it would be helpful to ensure that the person confronted will not gossip and falsely accuse you about this; one has to be careful. It may be necessary to have a witness at the confrontation - someone who is extremely trustworthy, as this may alleviate any twisting of the conversation that takes place.

It would be easy to just ignore what has happened, being careful to avoid the person in the future. However, this could mean that the person may go to others repeating what they did to you and it could really get out of control. Love must over-rule every action that is taken; it must be handled the way Jesus would do it. The thing to ask yourself is, would he allow two-faced gossiping to be rampant in His church. The answer is no. Therefore, a plan of action will need to be put into place. This may include running it by the pastor, but it would need to be done properly, otherwise, you could end up on a gossiping charge.

At the end of the day, we have to come to the conclusion that, as human beings, we all have our sinful ways and there are occasions when we may be in error ourselves. No one likes discipline, but it is necessary if the church is to be victorious. Remember the devil is always ready to attack. If he sees a way in, he'll take it. So, it's wise to make sure that things are snuffed out before they ruin all the fruit.

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

The Act of Covetousness

"Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have." 

                                                                                                 Hebrews 13:5.  NKJV

There is a fear attached to covetousness. At times, to covet is to pursue, urgently, what another person has with a strong need that it must be attained at all costs, even if it means getting into debt. It can be a love of money or belongings - a desire to be better than others. It includes seeking personal recognition and wanting power over other people. A need to be the centre of attention can be an indicator, together with a craving for what other people possess.

God wants us to be content with what He has provided, but jealousy and envy can often take over our urgency, causing us to want more. When this happens, God is not pleased as we can see from Psalm 106:13-15:

'They soon forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel,

(14) but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness; and tested God in the desert,

(15) and He gave them their request, but sent leaness into their soul.'

God had rescued the Israelites from captivity and was leading them to a bright new future. However, they moaned and groaned and wanted things now! They were never satisfied; so consequently they paid the price and didn't receive their blessing.

Some people covet people's houses, wealth, wife or husband, car, job and their success. When they see what others have in comparison to what they possess, they become ungrateful, and then are never satisfied. Some have said that covetousness is akin to ambition - wanting to succeed and be happy; and some of this may well be true. But God knows whether it is ambition or greed; there is a major difference. We really should have a strong need to be content with what we have. It could so easily be taken away from us in the blink of an eye.

If our goals in life are God-centred, He will help us to achieve them. But if we're asking Him for something just because a neighbour or relative have it, we will be disappointed. Covetousness is the total opposite of contentment and there is a need to check ourselves to ascertain which one we lean towards. He will not smite us from the face of the earth, if we lean towards covetousness. He knows we're only human and have many weaknesses. However, He will expect us to monitor this and make some changes. If we do, He will keep sending us blessings. If we don't receive many blessings, we will have an idea that we still have some tweaking to do.

Where do you stand on this? Are you content with what you have but have the ambition to want to make some positive changes? If so, you will be blessed. If you lean towards covetousness, lay it before Jesus and ask Him to help you get things right. God has so much for each of us and therefore, we have no need to want what others have.

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

Dying to Self

"Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much fruit."                          John 12:24.  NKJV

Here, Jesus was redefining His impending death. He had to die to fulfil His Father's plan. Once He had, He would produce much more grain - or fruit. It's the same for you and I. To bear the fruit that Jesus expects from each of us - our potential, we have to die - die to self. This requires leaving behind all of our bad habits and often our possessions and living fully for Jesus.

Martin Luther was reported as saying to a visitor who had called asking for him, 'Martin Luther has died, Jesus Christ lives here now.' Not many of us would explain things that way but Martin Luther was unique. He lived totally for Jesus, in fact, he was sold out for Jesus, and was willing to let the world know this fact.

Dying to self means just that. 'Self' has reigned in our lives for too long and we need to nip it in the bud before it gets out of hand. When we live a selfish life, no one else gets a look in, we are totally self-centred and focused on what we want, not what others need from us. But how do we die to self, satisfactorily? Well, it takes strict discipline on our part and we'll probably fail many times in the process of this transformation. Bob Gass suggests that we, 'Find a cause bigger than yourself and give your life to it. Do something that's not for you and watch what happens.' Now that is wise counsel and it works; however, it costs us and it takes all we've got.

A dead body no longer responds to whatever we do or say. A pin could be pricked into the body but there would be no response. This is because, it is dead to reaction. When you are living this way, people can say or do whatever they wish but you, will not react in the way you may have done before the transformation.

Making Jesus the most important part of your life and living in His Word, will change your thinking and the way you react to any given situation. You are dying to self and living for Jesus. However, it is not as easy as it sounds. It takes great commitment to be able to live this way. When we take on the non-reactionary ways, together with the No Attack - No Defence principle, we are headed for victory, but don't forget, still open for attack. The devil does not like you and he'll like you all the less for the changes you have made. It means, he'll have to change his tactics and try harder, so make sure your armour is on before you go into battle. Remember, you're not only a winner but you're a new creation too. (Galatians 2:20)

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

Light exploded through the darkness

"Then God said, 'Let there be Light,' and there was light."            Genesis 1:3   NKJV

Have you ever imagined what it was like prior to God giving this command? Genesis 1:2 tells us that the earth was without form; it was totally empty and dark. But the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters. Wherever the Spirit of God is, there is life! Your life may be void, empty and lonely at this time but God's Spirit is looking over the situation, waiting for you to call to Him.

Do you realise that there would have been nothing else on the earth except the Lord Almighty? There wasn't even a weed because weeds hadn't yet come into existence. There was not even a fox barking in the dead of night, eyes glistening. There was nothing, until - LET THERE BE LIGHT, and there was light, and that light exploded through the darkness!

We can be in a situation where there appears to be nothing. Nobody around to be our friend, nobody around to walk or sit with and then, POW, God explodes through the situation and brings life. Let me say one thing, you may be all alone with no one to give you love or be your friend, but Jesus is watching over you and as you call out to Him, He explodes into your very existence, because He loves you.

Notice that the Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters but nothing happened until the Word of God was spoken. God spoke - the Spirit acted. As you call out to Him, He will speak into your situation and changes will be made. Only God can create something out of nothing. You may feel that you have nothing in the whole world, but placed in the hands of the King of kings, you can have everything.

God was walking around the Garden of Eden one day when He suddenly called to Adam, 'Where are you?' (Genesis 3:9). Just imagine that God is calling out to you today, asking the same question, what will be your reply? I believe His reason for asking this question is to get you to consider your spiritual position at the moment. So this could include, 'Are you at peace, are you contented?' or, 'Are you full of fear and anxiety?' 

Consider these questions and any others that be flagged up and answer them honestly. Mentally, have you all you need at this time, or is your mind full of turmoil and worry? Only you know the answers to these question, but the Spirit of God is hovering over you waiting for you to respond to what He is asking, 'Where are you?' The answer to this question will determine what type of day you will have today.

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com