When you think you know best

"And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father give me the portion of goods that falls to me.' So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living." v12-13

                                                                                                                   Luke 15:11-24.  NKJV

This was a situation that is relevant to many families today; a young son or daughter, thinking they know best, gather up their things and leave home, looking for stardom or any other kind of wild living and then end up with problems and some in peril.

When we are young, we do tend to think that we know it all and despite much advise and pleading from parents, go off and do our own thing.

It was no different for this younger son. He asked for his share of his inheritance. At this time, a father could release the inheritance before or after his death, mostly it was after. However, this would be at his discretion. The son was successful in having his wishes granted and he set off on his adventure. After living the high and wild life for a while, his fortune ran out and he was broke. Adding to this, there was a famine and he made the mistake of joining himself to a citizen of that country in order to gain a wage and some food. I say mistake, because with his father, he was in a covenant relationship. With this relationship there was no covenant, as he quickly found out.

He was assigned to feeding pigs with pods. These were seeds from a carob tree, which was evergreen. The fruit - the pod, was like a bean which was used as fodder to feed the animals, which here, was a total insult because he had to feed these pods to pigs, which to a Jew was unclean. He was in such a state that he would gladly have eaten them himself, such was his hunger. However, the hunger he felt in his heart, was for his father, who he had wronged and left. He would have been crestfallen.

He eventually, came to his senses and returned to his father, rehearsing what he would say on his return. But note what happened. His father had been looking and waiting for him possibly ever since he had left and when he saw him in the distance, he ran to his son and hugged and kissed him, restoring him back into the family.

And this is how it is when we return to our Father. We may have left Him out of our thinking for a while, or even walked away, but He is always watching and waiting for us to come back. But notice some thing, we have to go to Him, He doesn't come to us, although He may give a few nudges. As we return to Him in repentance, He throws His arms around us, kisses us and gives us His all. Why does He do that? Because He loves us and can't get enough of us. He adores us. You may know what this is like if you have had a child return home to you. It is a time to rejoice and this is what our Father does.

The bottom line though, is stop thinking that you know best, because you don't. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, '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.'

Do you need to return to Him and say that you're sorry?

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

Bless the Lord

"I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth." 

                                                                                                   Psalm 34:1   NKJV

How do you feel about what David said here when someone has been rude to you. When they've shouted at you in public and embarrassed you. Can this Psalm be in your mouth at such times? Difficult isn't it? You may say, well it's not God's fault, He hasn't done this to me. This may be true, but He still sees how you react to such things. He knows the way you feel and although it may go unsaid, He still knows what you're thinking.

It is so difficult to be a Christian at times.The devil knows what winds us up and so, he plays on it. There is only one way we can react in such situations and that is, 'be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.' James 1:19. 'Isn't that being a doormat, letting people walk all over me?' you may ask. No it is not, it is being like Jesus; it's thinking, how would Jesus react to such situations and acting accordingly.

This is why Paul told us to bless those who do us wrong Romans 12:14. That may cause us to shout, 'Ouch,' at such times but it needs to be done. We need to bless them. Probably, you may find it easier to bless God instead. Our text directs us to 'Bless the LORD at all times.' In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Paul further says, 'in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.' As we bless and praise God from the heart, it becomes difficult to have bad feelings towards someone who has wronged you. 

We are called to forgive; paraphrased, this could read, 'Deal with it.' Otherwise, it will fester away ruining your day and causing you bitterness. When we bless God, affectionately - from the heart, all of the things that mattered to us one minute, diminish as we become enveloped in His love and in His presence. When we do this, our very soul, which is made up of our mind, will and emotions are placed into Jesus' hands. In other words, we are surrendering our mind - all the things that we have been thinking about and becoming angry about; our will - all the things that we would have liked to do to the person who wronged us and finally, our emotions - the way we are feeling about the situation. Put together, we are surrendering it all to Jesus by blessing Him and offering Him our praises.

You may feel that this is difficult to do. I agree, it is; but it needs to be done if we are to enjoy our walk with Jesus and allow people in the vicinity to witness how we handle such a situation. Think for a moment, there are eyes around wherever we go. People love to see people, who claim to be 'religious,' acting in a way that they can use as gossip. 'I saw such and such the other day, and he was shouting at someone in the shop; isn't he supposed to be a 'churchgoer?' Know what I mean?

It's far better to bless and praise God than allowing someone to rob you of your peace.

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

 

Don't try to climb the mountain - speak to it

"For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says."                                                  Mark 11:23    NKJV   

Have you ever done any mountain climbing? Some people find this adventure so thrilling; others won't even consider it. Like most things, it depends on each person's taste. For myself, I prefer to do what Jesus advises here - speak to the mountain. It is less stressful to say the least.

Think about the type of mountain that Jesus is speaking about here. Sickness is a mountain. It looms over a person's life and if it is life-threatening, it will bring that life to a premature ending. Therefore, Jesus told us to speak to the mountain and tell it to be removed and if there is no doubt, just total belief, it will be done, the person will be healed.

Financial lack is a mountain. Lack of food and clothes or somewhere to live falls under this category. If a person has no job or only has one that pays a very low wage, it can become a mountain too. Think about it, there are many things in our lives that qualify as mountains and Jesus directs us to take action against them.

Now there are two ways of accepting this verse, as well as Mark 11:24. Some say that what we ask for, must be in accordance with God's will. Well, healing most certainly is; Psalm 103:3 tells us, 'Who heals all your diseases,' and then, 'And by His stripes we are healed.' Isaiah 53:5. And then, 'And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.' Philppians 4:19. 

But one cannot get away from what Jesus said, 'I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours.' Really it all comes down to how you interpret the scriptures. Some say praying for a house with all expences paid, is not God's will. Others, who have done this, successfully believe otherwise. As I've said, it is how you choose to interpret this. What I feel is more important, is the state of a person's heart. If we are holding a grudge against anyone and we're refusing to forgive them, the scripture tells us that we will not be forgiven either. Mark 11:25-26. How can we expect God to bless us when we refuse to bless someone else. It's hypercritical.

Whatever you believe, as you pray, believe and receive, the things in accordance with God's will, will be changed. But, I believe, what Jesus says; whatever we ask for, if our heart is right with Him and we believe and receive it by faith, then we will have it.

There are many mountains to speak to in life, we have a choice to speak to them or not. The choice is yours.

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

 

                                          

We never give up Part 2

"Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the LORD upholds him with His hand."                                                                                                    Psalm 37:24   NKJV

Did you get that? If we fall, God holds our hand. The Amplified Study Bible puts it this way, 'When he falls he will not be hurled down, because the LORD is the one who holds his hand and sustains him.' That in itself is amazing. Lets put that with Isaiah 41:10, 'Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.' As Pastor George Pearsons says, 'We don't survive - we thrive!'

And this is how God wants you and I to be. Yes, we will blow it at times because we're not perfect; come and live with me for a week and you'll soon discover that, but I am sure that I am not alone with this. One thing, when we do fall and feel like giving in, God holds our hand, reassures us and gently lifts us back up. He gives us the courage and the strength to get back out there and do the job.

There are many mighty men of God who wanted to give up. Elijah for example. When he was under extreme pressure, 'And he prayed that he might die and said, "It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life  for I am no better than my fathers!"  (1 Kings 19:4 NKJV). Now that is extreme to say the least. This mighty man wanted to die because he was in fear - things were not really going the way he had thought they would. The thing is, some days, they rarely do. But God is an exciting God, a God who is alive and willing to help us through each situation we find ourselves in.

There has been times when we all feel like giving up. You see, we're weak human beings that become hurt and upset when people have a go at us. We become fearful of some situations and people. When we do this, we are leaving God out of the equation. He knows the way and He'll never ask us to do things that we are not equipped for. He knows our limitations and therefore He accompanies us on our daily missions. Yes, things can be difficult at times and we will find it hard when it's like this; but when this happens, we need to remember, Jesus is right there with us - right beside us. We don't have to get our mobiles out to contact His office. We don't have to go through the 'Your call is important to us and we will connect you as soon as someone is able to speak with you. Until then, I am going to play you some stupid music.' (Well that's my opinion about it anyway). No, joking aside, we have direct access to Jesus anytime of any day.

The bottom line is, He calls you to do something but He is right there with you and helps you to do it. Now that's pretty cool. You wouldn't find many leaders willing to do that, that's for sure. The thing is, He is not so much our leader, but our God; our friend and someone who is committed to helping each one of us to complete the job.

So dont' ever give up!

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

 

We never give up!

"But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved."                                           Hebrews 10:39.  NLT

Some versions say, 'We are not of those who shrink back....' What does this mean? Basically it points to the people who turn away or draw back when they are in the face of adversity. When the going gets tough, many back away because it is too overwhelming for them to go on. Really, it means, giving up.

Many give up when they feel the odds are against them. This may be in a simple way, such as a game of Monopoly. The other players may be gaining all of the property and money and it is easier to give in instead of staying and trying to get back in the game. I remember a time back in my army days when I was playing a few frames of snooker with my best friend. He started on a winning streak and I couldn't do anything right. After a few frames, I hung the cue back up in the holder, said a few harsh words with my friend - in fact, quite a few harsh words; I wasn't a Christian then - and then stormed out of the hall like a spoilt child. I not only lost the frames but I lost my best friend because he wouldn't speak to me again - ever, no matter how much I pleaded. He's dead now and it saddens me that I never got to put it right with him. That is why it is so important not to give up. When we do, we not only lose our peace with God but we can lose much, much more.

Destruction can be only a few heartbeats away unless we are careful and keep our eyes on God. We are not called to give up, walk away or draw back, we are Children of God and no matter what we are facing, we are called to stand and keep on standing. (Ephesians 6:13). No matter what we face, we rely and trust on God to get us through and by doing this, we receive confidence to take the next step, preserving our souls - our mind, will and emotions.

Most of us have turned back in the face of adversity at some time in our walk with Jesus. If Peter did it by denying Jesus, then we are no different. Peter knew that he had done wrong and was so full of remorse and pain (Luke 22:61-62). Even though Peter had denied Jesus, he still hung around and although broken, was never far away from Jesus and the others. And then, finally on that breakfast morning (John 21:15-17), Jesus restored him and he never looked back.

You too, may have let Jesus down. You've carried that remorse and emptiness around that only Jesus can fill, and now He wants to restore you back to your rightful place with Him. If you're willing, why not say this prayer:

Lord Jesus, I feel that I have let you down in the past by shrinking back when I should have been surging forward. My lack of confidence, teaching and embarrassment have prevented me from going deeper in You. I am sorry Lord, please restore unto me, the joy of Your salvation (Psalm 51) and help me to walk the walk with You from now on. Amen 

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

 

Angels all around you

"Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them."  v16

                                                                                            2 Kings 6:15-17.  NKJV

What an amazing verse! Those who are with us, are more than those who are with them; or those who are coming against us. The enemy may have a great plan to get you, but God has a greater plan, to get him and protect you. Romans 8:31 says, 'If God is for us, who can be against us.' As we walk in the Spirit, we will see this happen.

The king of Syria had sent a great army to capture Elisha because he had been telling the king of Israel, his battle plans: 'Elisha the prophet, who is in Israel, tells the king the words that you speak in your bedroom.' (2 Kings 6:12). Elisha was using his God-given gifts to obtain the king of Syria's schemes. Therefore, he sent a great army to capture him and when Elisha's servant looked around, he saw the awesome sight of enemy soldiers, all around. But, as Elisha prayed, the servant's eyes were opened further and he saw the amazing spectacle of angels all round them and the enemy. They far outnumbered them.

We too, can be like Elisha's servant, and we can't see the reality. We don't have a big enough vision to see what God is doing around us and in us. We tend to become too wrapped up in our own ideas. At times, we can be so full of ourselves that there is no room for God and the vision He wants to bring into our lives. We must learn to see the bigger picture and that will only happen as we begin a closer walk with God- not until.

Often, we become panicked by things around us; by things that we hear that are frightening. When this happens, we can tend to get things all out of proportion, fearing the worst and there becomes no time or place for prayer. Think back to a time when you became like this. Something had come against you that was so big that you began to feel that you would never be able to find a way out of if. What did you do? If you prayed there and then about it on the spot, you did the right thing. God wants us to give Him our burdens. But if you panicked and became so full of fear that you became so worried that it made you have sleepless nights, you got it wrong. 

Look around you. Ask God to show you the angels that are there to protect and help you. Just think about it; it's amazing to know that they're there. However, they can do nothing for you unless you call out to God. When you do, He releases the angels to fight on your behalf.

Whatever, you are going through at this time, there really is no need to become fearful and upset by it all. God has everything under control - if you allow Him to help. This is all down to you though.

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

 

Is your glass half full or half empty?

11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:  12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 

                                                                                                 Philippians 4:11-12.  NKJV

Are you a pessimist or an optimist? Is your glass half empty or half full? This is really important because it demonstrates how content you are. In the Stoic philosophy, this Greek word 'Content' was described as being self-sufficient. Paul takes this further stating that his sufficiency is in Jesus Christ, whose peace and purpose he enjoys regardless of life's circumstances. Bob Gass said, 'When your contentment is based on status or possessions, it can be taken away in an instant. But when it is based on your relationship with Jesus, nothing, absolutley nothing can rob you of it.' 

In this contentment - when your glass is half full, your are satisfied to the point where you are not disturbed or uneasy, regardless of what is happening in your circumstances. You are being an optimist and optimist's thrive on faith. Pessimists, believe and then waver losing it all.

Where would you place yourself? How do you view your life? When the chips are down and there's no food to put on the table and no money in the bank to buy any, how do you cope with this? You may think this is rather extreme; but many people in the poorer regions of our world, have this dilemma every day. If they are believers, they have to trust Him for every scrap of food that they can get. This is their way of life and it is very much alien in our comfortable Western life.

The thing is, when we act in a pessimistic manner, it can actually stress us out. We constantly worry about what is going to happen next. This leads to sleepless nights and eventually to sickness if we're not careful. Do you really believe that God loves you? Are you convinced that in anything, He won't let you down? A pessimist will ask God for something and will then begin to doubt in their heart that He will give you this. They only see doom and gloom ahead. Some may believe that because they have been in a Covid 19 hotspot that they may now test positive for the virus. It's true. It is all doom. 'I won't apply for that job because I won't get it,' type of thing. The thing is, you'll never know unless you try.

If you can identify with this, isn't it about time that you gave yourself - and others, a break and start being more positive in your outlook? It is far better to have a glass that is half full. 

Start practicing living with a half full glass instead of a half empty one and I think that you'll begin to enjoy the things around you, much better.

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com