Imbalance

"(7) You ran so well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? (8) This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. (9) A little leaven, leavens the whole lump."

                                                                                              Galatians 5:7-9    NKJV

You were doing well; studying your bible, going to church and generally flowing in the Holy Spirit. Suddenly, you have hit a block. What has happened? Well it could be a number of things:

*  You could have been enticed away by something or someone new in your life. This can happen when you become staid in your life's walk, lacking excitement. Suddenly, something takes your interest and your life becomes imbalanced.

*  You could be tired because you have over-stretched yourself, leaving no time for recreation and your walk with Jesus. Again, there is an imbalance.

*  You could be listening, reading or watching things that bring a division between your spirit and the Holy Spirit. Thus, a further imbalance.

You may remember the Equilateral triangle - a geometrical term describing a triangle with equal lengths. In Christian terms, it was often used in Christian Counselling, where God was placed at the top of the triangle, with husband and wife at each of the other points. The idea being, it could be seen how each partner works towards God - one rising pretty well white the other lagged behind. Discussion could then take place.

This triangle can easily be used to check how an individual is coping. Again, God is placed at the top, the person at one point and whatever may compete, at the other. Different things can cause an imbalance between our walk with God so a fresh interest, tiredness or becoming involved with somethings that are not doing you so much good, may need a slight re-tune.

Remembering the triangle and checking it from time to time, can be a way that we can monitor any imbalance; such as distraction, hindrance our general walk with God. Don't forget that everything we do in God is rubber-stamped with love, because He is love as Gloria Copeland mentions:

"The minute love is disrupted, your faith stops working too, because faith works by love"

                                                      Copyright Gloria Copeland - Believer's Voice of Victory

It may be useful to draw a triangle out so that you can analyse just where you are with God each day.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

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

grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

  

'I can do this'

"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness'. Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 

                                                                                                              2 Corinthians 12:9    NKJV

Reuben Morgan wrote and sang:

'Let the weak say I am strong, Let the poor I am rich.

Let the blind say I can see, it's what the Lord has done for me.

Hosanna, Hosanna, to the Lamb who was slain

Hosanna, Hosanna Jesus died and rose again'

                                                                  Copyright Rueben Morgan Hillsongs Music.

There is not a thing that we need to be anxious about when you come to think about it. Jesus has paved the way for every conceivable thing that we will need; every situation that we will be in and for every danger that may come up against us. This is why Paul was able to write these words in 2 Corinthians, 'My grace is sufficient for you.' Paul knew what it was like to suffer and he knew the cost of following Jesus but when Jesus spoke these words to him, he was able to make the declaration that he would rather boast about his infirmities so that the power and the peace of God rested upon him.

Can you say that this morning? Some of you are going through quite a difficult time at the moment and may be at your wits end. I can hear the phrase, 'When is this all going to end, I don't know how much more I can take'? Money problems, employment issues, sickness, marital pressure and add to this Lockdown; it really is a hard time and there doesn't appear to be a way though at the moment. But this is not the time to give up. It is not the time to stop praying, reading your bible or allowing things to drag you down. There is hope and you need to grasp hold of that nugget. Don't be tempted to say things such as, 'Yes, hopefully, things will get better.'  

That statement is so negative and very close to a wish. Put the phrase into a biblical fashion  and say, 'Hope-fully; I will hope-fully in the Lord. I will trust in Him even if things get worse. My hope is fully in Him. This is turning the negative 'hopefully', into a powerful word. You are declaring that you will hope-fully in the Lord, that He will deliver you.

2 Corinthians 12:10 says, 'Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities; in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.' The Message version states, 'The weaker I get, the stronger I become.' The secret is taking your eyes off what is around you and what is happening and looking to Jesus. He is the one who can change this. I'll go a step further, He is the one who will rescue you and turn things around. But you must turn and ask Him to help. He has angels all around you and they are just waiting to be set free to deliver His word. You have the power to set them free by calling on Jesus.

'Lord, I pray a blessing on my brothers and my sisters who are reading this today. Whatever is happening in their lives, I ask You to comfort and bless them and give them the knowledge to know, without doubt, that Your grace is sufficient for all of us.  Amen.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

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

grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

FURTHER UPDATE

The Daily Life with Jesus Blog, is now up and running again and today's copy, Three Aspects of Temptation as now been re-published.

Sorry for this and I hope it hasn't caused any disruption to your day.

Every Blessing

Grahame

 

 

Three Aspects of Temptation

"So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food; that it was pleasant to the eyes and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate." 

                                                                                                                Genesis 3:6    NKJV  

Disaster struck that day in the garden. The devil convinced Eve that it was ok to eat the forbidden fruit. One can just hear his words, 'It's ok, you won't die, God didn't mean that. And anyway, who will know?' I am sure we have all heard the latter part of this statement, 'Who will know?' Bottom line? God will; if you become involved in something you know is wrong, sooner or later, it will be revealed. You will be caught out!

That day, God's Word was fulfilled. Adam died; but not physically as one would think, but spiritually. He no longer had that special relationship with God. He had let sin into the world and therefore, the whole human race would suffer because of it.

Man fell by choice. There was no one to blame except man. Not even the devil could be blamed. There was a choice to be made and Eve made this choice and subsequently Adam. We all like to blame others for wrong decisions and mess ups. However, we have choices and they may be good or bad choices that we make. What we choose determines our outcome. The choices we make today will determine - to a degree - what will happen tomorrow.  This is why Proverbs 3:5-6 says, '(5) 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.'

We really have nothing to complain about when we make a bad choice. We've all done it. However, it is accepting this and learning from our mistakes. We can easily be distracted and hoodwinked into wrong decisions. The devil is only too pleased to fool us. There are three aspects of temptation he may use:

IT WAS GOOD FOR FOOD

Eve looked at the tree and saw that it was good for food. Actually, she would have been familiar with this tree because her and Adam tended it but were never tempted by the fruit at all. But this day, she fell for a smooth talker. Be careful.

IT WAS PLEASANT TO THE EYE

Whatever we can't have can have the habit of letting us feel that we can. 'It'll be ok, no one's going to find out.' God knows and if that doesn't worry you, it should.

DESIRABLE TO MAKE ONE WISE

Many people want to be a 'Somebody'; a film star, pop star or famous author to name a few things. However, it is not possible for us all. We have our limitations and we need to accept them.

That day in the garden, the devil impregnated Eve with a carnal appetite and visual enticement. She fell for it. Make sure that you don't.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

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

grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

 BLOG UPDATE

It would appear that something has gone wrong with today's issue of my blog - Three Aspects of Temptation. Some of you may been able to read the blog today 28 January, but since then it has ceased to display. I can't re-load it again, as my copy was wiped too.

I am so sorry that this has happened but promise that normal service will be resumed tomorrow morning. I will publish Three Aspects of Love at a later date, possibly February.

Once again, many apologies. These things happen but we still praise Jesus!

God Bless

Grahame

PS. If anyone was able to open today's blog, is it possible to make a copy and send it to me. It would save having to re-type and reset a new one.

Thank you.        grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk 

The Transfiguration - Jesus in His Glorified State

"as He was transfigured before them, His face shone like the sun and His clothes became as white as the light."  v2                                                                   Matthew 17:1-13    NKJV

Transfiguration may denote spiritual transformation. However here, it indicates a visible transformation affirming the essential glory of Jesus the Messiah.

Jesus took Peter, John and James up the mountain - geographically more than likely Mount Hermon so that He could show them in His gloried state. As He did, His face shone like the sun and His clothes became as white as the light. The three disciples were witnessing this incredible transformation. This really clarifies His time in Gethsemane, where the arresting officers met with Jesus, drew back and fell over. (John 18:6). They were seeing Jesus in His visible state, not as a man but as the Son of God, the King of kings. 

The appearance of Moses and Elijah signifies that the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah) were there to discuss Jesus' impending death and support Him in His redemptive mission.

Peter - the one who was always the first to defend Jesus and offer his advice, once again let his words come out of his mouth without considering them said, 'Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish' let us make three tabernacles, one for You, one for Moses and one for Elijah' v4. Peter may have been suggesting a desire to prolong this visit. In a way, he had taken charge of things and quite selfishly he was guilty of making Jesus an equal with Moses and Elijah by suggesting three tents for them. This brought a rebuke from the Father, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him.' v5. The disciples on hearing this, fell to the ground in fear, but Jesus touched them and told them to get back up and not be afraid. When they did, Jesus was on His own.

Then in v9, we see Jesus telling the disciples to suspend talking about what happened until after the Resurrection. The others would understand much better then about all they had witnessed. To tell them now would lead to them being overwhelmed and bewildered.

Conclusion

(1)  Jesus revealed to them His glorified state. An amazing privilege to the three He probably trusted the most.

(2)  Moses, was a representative of the Old Covenant and a promise of salvation which was soon to be fulfilled in the death of Jesus.

(3)  Elijah, was the appointed restorer of all things and essential in the discussion of Jesus' death.

(4)  Be slow to speak and think things through fully before speaking out. Don't try to organise Jesus in your plans. He's a far better organiser than we can ever be and knows what He is doing.

(5)  When someone tells you something in confidence, keep it that way. Don't go telling others in the guise of praying for them. In the same way, if God shares something to you about someone, honour this by keeping it secret unless He tells you otherwise.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

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

grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Be ready - demons will attack!

"But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out, because of the heat, and fastened on his hand." 

                                                                                                             Acts 28:3    NKJV

Paul having survived being shipwrecked, found himself on the island of Malta. They were drenched because of being in the sea and because it was raining too. Islanders had laid a fire for them and so Paul began gathering some firewood. 

Paul gathered the sticks and was immediately bitten by a viper as he laid them on the fire. This snake had probably been hiding or sleeping within the undergrowth and Paul hadn't noticed it. This is characteristic of a snake, they are very crafty and wriggle into situations and because of their small size and colouring, it can be difficult to notice them before it is too late. This snake, alarmed by the heat of the fire, fastened itself on to Paul's hand and wouldn't let go. However, Paul shook it off and threw it back into the fire. He wasn't harmed at all.

Let us look at this more closely. Wherever God is, the devil and his demons are present to try and counteract everything He is doing. Think for a moment, if this viper had succeeded in killing Paul, it may have been a totally different story. But Paul was filled with the power of God and living this way, he let nothing get in his way. That is food for thought for a start.

The snake could be described as a serpent and, as we assume in Genesis 3, that the serpent was the devil, then we can see that a demon was out to put a stop to Paul's work. Be aware, that wherever God is working 'big time', the heat is on and demons (snakes), will come out and attempt to attack. Note that they can't remain in the heat, this is impossible, because this is where God is. Therefore, they crawl around in the darkness ready to strike and bite whenever they can. Notice also, that they can only crawl so a foot can easily be placed on their neck. More food for thought.

Keep your eyes open and be alert. If things are going well in your Christian walk, you are a candidate for attack. This is not said to make anyone panic but to emphasise the necessity of being ready and alert. The attack can come from anywhere. When things are becoming heated in a Godly manner, make sure that you tread carefully and be at full strength in God. This way, when it comes, like Paul, you can shake it off.

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