Spiritual Growth

"(1)Therefore, laying aside all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and all evil speaking, (2) as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word that you may grow thereby." 

                                                                                                       I Peter 2:1-2    NKJV

Here, Peter is addressing new Christians - babes. However, it does us all good to re-evaluate our walk with God so that we can check how we are doing; rather like we may visit the surgery for a health check, we often need a spiritual check too. You see, we belong to Jesus, we were Made in Heaven and we carry Jesus' DNA. We no longer belong to this world. Therefore, we need to act in such a way that demonstrates this. 

Let's take a look at Peter's check list:

MALICE  This is a desire to harm others. We may feel that we don't have this in our thinking; but what about when someone has seriously hurt us; are we tempted to enjoy their suffering? 'They got what was coming to them', type of thing. Where is the forgiveness in this?

DECEIT  This misleads and tricks people. It is pseudo, in other words false. It should never be in us. But have there been times when we have led people to think what we are not?

ENVY  Wanting what others have, even to the point of feeling jealous about this. Many marriages can be at risk by meeting up with someone who falls into this category.

HYPOCRISY  Again, this is false, making out you do when you don't. It has a form of godliness but misses the mark so much and has the ability to hoodwink people and draw them away.

EVIL SPEAKING  This consists of slander, gossip, criticising, judging and generally speaking what a Christian should never speak. Praising God one moment and cursing the next.

All of us can be accused of being this way every now and again, whether a baby Christian or a seasoned one. Therefore, we should all desire that pure milk of the Word. We would never take a very young baby out for a steak dinner, so likewise, we should never try to run before we can walk. We need to learn to grow in the Lord.

One way that we can do this is to look at three ways that can help us:

ATTITUDE  We need to train our attitudes to come in line with Jesus' attitude. He was never rude to people, firm yes, but He was never aggressive. Some people can be very difficult; but think, so can we.

APPETITE  What do we feed on - TV, Films or Reality shows? Or do we read our bibles or a good Christian book. There is nothing wrong with watching TV or Films, although we do need to be selective. However, we need to get the balance right. Feed on what will encourage and help growth.

AIM  So decide what your target for 2021 is. Despite the Lockdown you can still be productive. You are a unique person, chosen by God to shake the part of the world where you reside. 

Let your motto be: GROW, GO AND SOW

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

*If you would like to contact me, then please send me an email😄

grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Make your way prosperous

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous,  and then you will have good success." 

                                                                                                          Joshua 1:8    NKJV

Joshua had taken over from Moses, who had died. Therefore, God wanted to train him up into the man of God He needed. He gave him encouragement every step of the way and assured him that He would be with him wherever he went. He would never leave Joshua. God promises the same to us as well. He will encourage us in what we do and say and will always be by our side.

God also encouraged Joshua to be bold and of good courage (1:6-7) and be sure he did all that the Book of Law - the Instruction Manual - commanded. He was not to water it down at all but to carry it out to the letter. He would then be blessed and prosper. God told Joshua that by doing this, he would make his way prosperous and successful.

Hazel Howard comments on Joshua 1:8:

"Joshua 1:8 says by sticking to the criteria, 'You' will make your way prosperous and 'You' will have good success. It doesn't say God will do it for us. It's down to us. We determine our future."

                                                                                                Copyright 2002 Hazel Howard

We make ourselves prosperous and successful, not God. He has written the Word for us, He's not going to read it to us as well. It's down to each one of us to do that by reading our Instruction Manual - The Bible. As we do, we will gain wisdom and understanding and God will speak to us about our day and what He has planned for us.

This is not a request - it was not just a command to Joshua; it is God's direction to us too. We make ourselves prosperous and successful by reading about Our Father, Jesus and of course, the Holy Spirit. As His people, we need this Trinity of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit - three separate persons as one God, in our lives each day.

And He wants us prosperous and successful in all things.

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

*If you would like to contact me, then please send me an email😄

grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

                                                                                               

                                                                                                       

Shine your Light on me Lord

"I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness."                                                                                     John 12:36    NKJV

The Greek word for darkness is Scotia, which means darkness, gloom, evil, sin, obscurity, night, ignorance and moral depravity. There is an absence of light in this word. Where light equals happiness, Scotia equals unhappiness, so therefore, one can see that darkness is not a nice position to be in.

We all know what it is like in the winter when there is a power cut. Lights go out and panic begins as there is a frantic search to find some candles. We then sit around in the darkness staring at the shadows on the wall as we wait for the electricity to be turned back on.

Darkness can be described as a place of hopelessness; a place or situation where we cannot see what is happening. When this happens, we often remark that we are in the dark about what is happening. It can be a state of uncertainty, which for some people, can lead to suspicion or fear about what is happening in their lives. What they don't know can cause fear which then tortures them with all kinds of imaginations or false accusations about something or other. If we are not careful, darkness sticks like a gooey mess and it spreads all over our life. We need the light to fix it. Think, what do moths do when they see a light? Thats right, they are drawn to it and that is what we need to do, draw near to God and He will draw near to us. James 4:8. 

We often say that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Well, Jesus is that light but the thing to remember is that He is in the tunnel with us. That is the difference. What may appear hopeless or fearful at this time is only temporary. Do you hear me? As you trust Him to help you, He will be only too pleased to help and offer His assistance. This is what today's text promises. Your world may be difficult at this moment and it may seem that you are stumbling around in the dark. But take courage, it's almost like Jesus has a torch. He will come along and shine it into the darkness and reveal the ground ahead. All you have to do believe His promise above and call on Him. When you do, He will be there.

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

*If you would like to contact me, then please send me an email😄

grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

In it to win it

"And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased."                          Matthew 14:32   NKJV

Notice that while the disciples were in the boat, it was mayhem, with a gale force wind and crashing waves threatening their lives. However, Jesus came along walking on this water and at first, thinking it was a ghost, Peter shouted out to Him, 'Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.' And He did and Peter got out of the boat and walked towards Him. However, this was short-lived, because the mighty waves crashing about him, took Peter's focus and he began to sink and would have drowned unless Jesus had saved him. While the others were still cowering in the boat, the wind and the waves ceased and all was calm. What happened to change this? Jesus and Peter had climbed into the boat. 

There used to be a game show on TV featuring a well-loved celebrity. It was called 'In it to win it', the idea being that you had to purchase a Lottery ticket before you had the chance to win the jackpot. The example of Peter provides us with a similar principle. Peter had to be in the boat before he could be sure that he was safe - in Jesus' arms.

When we're foolish enough to go out in our own strength, to a ministerial situation, we have to be willing to pay the price. Peter had said, 'Lord, if it is You, command me to get out of the boat and come'. Peter had the faith to do this but not the faith to sustain it. Both the wind and the waves distracted him and his faith diminished. There's a lesson here, Jesus may call us to do something but, He expects us to be prepared for the flak, such as problems, jealousy, lack of funds and complaints etc.etc. If we are going to get out of the boat by faith, we need to keep ourselves in that place of faith. If we don't, we may also sink.

Jesus told Peter to come, not to look at what was all around him. He wanted Peter to remain focused on Him and that is all. There are many things that distract us on a daily basis. We may be having a quiet time reading our bible when the telephone rings and we answer it. Whether it's good or bad news, we have lost our focus. The devil loves to distract us when he can. If he can get us to take our focus off Jesus and to what's happening around us, he is happy. It takes discipline to prevent things coming between us and God in our special moments with Him. 

That day, with Jesus in the boat, it was a safe place to be. Yes, there comes a time when we need to get out. However, we need to ensure that our faith is sharp, our walk with Jesus strong and that we take Him with us, wherever we go.

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

*If you would like to contact me, then please send me an email😄

grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Get your heart and mouth in agreement

"For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks."               Matthew 12:34   NKJV

Does your heart trust what comes out of your mouth? is your heart and your mouth in agreement with each other? When God says something, it can be relied on. It is rock solid, faithful and spoken with the authority that changes situations. Therefore:

'So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; it will not return to Me void (useless, without result), without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.'  Isaiah 55:11 Amplified Study Bible.

In other words it achieves the purpose it was sent. When it speaks - it happens. Don't forget that when God spoke the words, 'Let there be light, and there was light'. The world was formless and still, dark and empty. But when those words were spoken by God, light came and the world began to take form in a powerful way.

Words are powerful, they bring death or life, faith or fear and blessing or cursing. Proverbs 18:21. So what you believe in your heart, the mouth confesses. So if you speak negativity and bad stuff - negativity and bad stuff will happen. But if you speak positive words via God's Word, believing, then positive and God-filled things will begin to happen. Really it's the Law of Confession.

Derek Prince said, 'When the heart is filled it overflows through the mouth, and that overflow tells us the real condition of the heart.'

So if your heart is spiritually aligned with the things of God, then Godly words will be spoken through the mouth. If the heart is not spiritually aligned with God, then we will utter ungodly words through the mouth. Therefore, you must believe in your heart what you say with your mouth in order to have victory. The heart and mouth must be in agreement for the words to carry any authority or power. If not, there will be no agreement and little victory or blessing.

It makes sense to speak the way God ordained us to speak. This brings us victory. It may be time to have a little spiritual heart surgery!

 Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

*If you would like to contact me, then please send me an email😄

grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Keep your feet on the ground

"Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rather rejoice because your names are written in Heaven."                                                                    Luke 10:20   NKJV

The more we get it seems, the more that we want. It's a very common thing in our world. Some people have lovely, expensive homes filled with every conceivable contraption possible and yet, they long to get more and more because a spirit of greed propels them forward. It seems to be the norm in the Western world. In churches (when we are allowed to go because of Lockdown restrictions) we can often hear the phrase, 'give us more Lord, much, much more'. The more we get, the more we want.

In the natural world, this could be classed as greed, however, not so much in the supernatural. Why is this? Because, the more we get of Jesus, the more we want. He is irresistible. But there must be a warning here! It is not for our glory but for His.

We read, ,'Lord, even the demons are subject to us'. Luke 10:17. Jesus answers this with, 'Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in Heaven.' In a way, Jesus was stating that they should never become puffed up. However, He was also saying more. He wanted them to receive the knowledge that, the greatest cause for our rejoicing should be our salvation and the salvation of others. He had sent the seventy out to let people know about Him. It's interesting to note, that He never mentioned to them about casting out demons. Healing and salvation was the most important part of their mission.

It's easy to have the feeling that we want God to give us more of Jesus; to pour the Holy Spirit into us at such a rate that we feel on fire with Him. Their is nothing wrong with this at all. We must though, keep our feet on the ground, we must avoid becoming puffed up with pride because Jesus has used us for a particular task - such as preaching, giving an in-depth bible study, or reading the bible through from cover to cover in 3 months. All this is good stuff, but let us avoid the glory of it all and ensure that the glory goes to Jesus and that uppermost in our day, we try to steer someone to Jesus. Remember, without us, they may never get to know that salvation is available. They may never get to know that, Jesus is not some mystical star in the sky; a baby to celebrate in Christmas Nativity plays or Easter is about Jesus, not Easter eggs. They need to know about Jesus, and you and I have the capability to let them know.

Why not allow our prayers to ask, 'give us more Lord; more of the desire to go out and tell people about Jesus and salvation. He will give you loads of that.

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

*If you would like to contact me, then please send me an email😄

grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Let Him breathe life into your situation

"God who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did."                                                                                                        Romans 4:17   NKJV

It is so easy to become repetitive when we are preaching or creating a study. However, we must remember that God's Word is a Living Word and can meet all situations. We may think we have exhausted a subject but the Holy Spirit has different ideas, so here goes.

God first told Abraham that Sarah would have his child some 25 years earlier - a quarter century. That is how long they waited before God brought it into being. That is some waiting. This is not unusual, I knew a lady who had waited around 25 or so for her husband to make a commitment to Jesus. Like Abraham, she never gave up and her faith was rewarded in a service one morning, when her husband ran to the front of the church and threw himself on the floor and gave his life to Jesus. Waiting is difficult but it brings many blessings.

You see, we can pray for hours, weeks, even years and still have no answer to our prayer and then, suddenly, God turns up in power and that prayer request is met. We should never give up praying or become tired and despondent because things aren't happening. God's in charge, so give it time. Let me explain what happened to that lady's husband that Sunday morning. He had been dead inside and wouldn't allow any light or life to penetrate this darkness that was holding him in bondage. But then God breathed on him and POW... he was saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. This was what Jesus did when He commissioned His Apostles in John 20:21-22: 'So Jesus said to them again, 'Peace to you! As the Father has sent me, I also send you.' And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit.' And this is what happened that day to this gentleman; God breathed new life into him and he was never the same again.

Have you been waiting for ages for God to answer your prayers. Have you become tired of waiting and considered that it will never happen. If Abraham had felt this way, Issac would never have been born. If that lady had given up, her husband would not have been in Heaven today - he died a few years later. Don't ever consider giving up. Ask God if you are praying properly for what you want. There may be a little tweaking that needs to take place. Is sin blocking your prayer; again, ask God, He will show you. Chances are, you have asked right but you are going to have to wait until the time is right for God, to call your prayer into life.

Until then, keep on trusting Him, praising Him and never consider wavering in your faith.

Copyriight 2020 Grahame Howard

grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

*If you would like to contact me, then please send me an email😄