The burden will be taken away. Part 6

"You are still worldly, (controlled by ordinary impulses, the sinful capacity). For as long as there is jealousy and strife and discord among you, are you not unspiritual and are you not walking like ordinary men, (unchanged by faith?)  

                                                                                1 Corinthian 3:3  Amplified Study Bible

Today we look at a very common area to us all - JEALOUSY. 

Jealousy can be described as resentment against a person enjoying success or advantage. The common symptoms of jealousy are:

ANGER towards a person or situation that is interfering with something you care about.

RESENTMENT of a friend or partner when they can't spend time with you for some reason.

DIFFICULTY feeling happy for a co-worker when they receive something you wanted.

We only have to look at Joseph in the book of Genesis to get the idea. He was favoured by Jacob, his father, and therefore, received all of his love and attention. His brothers began to resent this and it led to their jealousy towards him so much, that they plotted to kill him. They eventually sold him into slavery. Genesis ch 37 - 50.

The New Living Translation quotes our text as:

For you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn't that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren't you living like people of the world.'  1 Corinthians 3:3.

The word 'Worldly', in the biblical sense, is used for immature Christians that lack control in this area. They are on the milk of the word. No one should expect this condition to last though. Here, Paul was surprised that the Corinthians had not yet grown into spiritual maturity and become able to distinguish between good and evil. Their behaviour displayed envy, strife and was divisive.

If we are not careful, we can all become envious towards someone who always seems to receive accolades while we are forgotten. However, we need to guard our hearts and, at the first sign of jealousy, we should nip it in the bud before it becomes dangerous. We need to bring, 'every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.'  2 Corinthians 10:5.

Are you prone to jealousy? Many are but we need to accept that it is spiritually immature to do so and we need to rectify it before it gets out of hand. Commit yourself to read and study 2 Corinthians 10:1-6. It will enrich you, helping you to combat any wrong thinking in the future. You will feel better for doing so.

'Lord Jesus, I come before you this morning and ask you to search within my soul for any sign of jealousy. With Your help, I give it notice to quit - to leave my body in the Name of Jesus and to fill that space with Your Grace. I choose to live for You Lord.

In Jesus' Name. Amen

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

The burden will be taken away. Part 5

"while we do not look at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

                                                                                                    2 Corinthians 4:18     NKJV

Today in our series of Burdens and Yokes, we look at the area of our HEALTH. Some people suffer bad health and others, good health. It is similar to why some healthy people go out of the house, have an accident and die, whereas, many unhealthy people live long lives, but suffer bad health. There is an impasse in our thinking here and all we can say, is that life goes that way. It is unexplainable.

In our life as a Christian, we really shouldn't have bad health, because the Word of God tells us that we are healed by the stripes of Jesus, Isaiah 53:5/1 Peter 2:24. According to our text today, in a spiritual sense, what we see as illness is temporary; the world looks upon this as possibly permanent. But being temporary, the Word of God is saying that it is subject to change. It is receiving your healing by faith.

Dr Bill Winston comments:

'Maybe my natural eyes see a sickness. This is what the natural world is telling me. But I am to look at the promise in the Bible which says, 'by His stripes ye were healed.' 1 Peter 2:24. That is the eternal truth that will overcome the temporal situation I am dealing with. My total health and healing may not be seen in the natural , but I see it in the Spirit - and the Spirit realm overrides the natural realm.'

                                                         Copyright 2000 Bill Winston The Law of Confession

This is what faith is, looking at something that to the world isn't, but we believe that it is. Jesus tells us that if we believe in Him, we will have a place in Heaven when we die. 'For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.' (John 3:16). That is the only assurance that we have, but as Christians, we believe that it is true. God said it, so we believe it. Therefore, it makes sense to believe also, that if God's Word tells us that we were healed by His stripes, then we are; we just have to believe and receive it.

Many people struggle with this concept. When we stand on God's Word in this area, we may not see the healing with our natural eyes; there may appear to be no difference. However, don't forget that what we are looking at is temporary - subject to change. So at the right time, the full manifestation of God's Word will come into fruition and the healing will come.

You may need healing at this moment. You may have struggled with bad health for some time. All I can tell you, is what the Word tells us and I believe it, God heals today and what's more, He is interested in healing you at this very moment. Oral Roberts once said, 'Believe and receive - doubt and go without.' What will you do?

'Lord Jesus, I believe in Your healing power and I come before You this day. I have suffered with................................... but your Word tells me that I am healed. Therefore, I believe and receive this healing in Jesus' name and confess with my mouth that, by the stripes of Jesus, I am healed.

Amen and Amen.

Now go believing and refuse to consider doubt, no matter what.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

 

The burden will be taken away. Part 4

"Love never fails"                                                                    I Corinthians 13:8       NKJV

In our series on Yokes and Burdens as addressed in Isaiah 10:27, we come to the fourth area which is FAILURE.

This is an area where many people have hang-ups. It may have started in the schools years, where peer-pressure and bullies used their intimidation to be-little people. This may have carried on within the home and family, where the art of failure was learnt and adopted. Things may have been said such as, 'He (she) will never make it or do any good.' It may have been, 'He's one of life's losers.' If this happened to you, you may have become so used to hearing it, that you believed the lie. I say, lie,' because that is what it is. Jesus would never say that about you, would he?

As time went on, believing this lie, you may have become so used to this that you began to personalise it by saying things such as, 'I can't do that.' This is not only a lie from the devil but it is in total contrast to what God says about you. Philippians 4:13 says, 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.' By saying anything differently, you are totally disagreeing with God. He says you can, not you may be able to do it if you work hard; no, He says you can do it. So don't you think it is time that you came into agreement with Him? We can achieve anything that God directs us to do, nothing is impossible for us. And He is most definitely saying to you, that you are not a failure, you can do this, you can achieve what He has put before you.

This is why it says in Romans 8:37, 'Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.' Did you get that. You are more than a conqueror. One who is a conqueror, overcomes by gaining control. You are not a conqueror, but a, 'more than a conqueror'. Therefore, you can overcome much, much more and this rubber stamps that you are not a failure. You belong to God. God is love and Love never fail. He will never fail you. You are in Him and He is in you, so it speaks for it self that you are not a failure.

From time to time, things may wrong, but whereas the world may put something down as a failure, you should be saying, 'this is just another chance to get it right.' Just begin to believe what Jesus says about you. The past has gone and for many, it did them no good. There's a future out there for you - yes you, I'm talking to you. God is saying, 'no matter what you heard people saying about you, you believe what I say about you. You are My child and I love you. You are a priceless jewel in My Kingdom.'

Now that is something to shout, praise and shout some more about. From today, let Jesus take the burden of failure; that yoke that was breaking you down and allow Him to build you back up.

'Lord Jesus, I receive Your Word, the Word that says that I am not a failure but that I am more than a conqueror. I receive it now, by faith and I praise and thank You, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

                                  

The burden will be taken away. Part 3

"The LORD will not reject His people; He will not abandon His special possession." 

                                                                                                       Psalm 94:14    NLT

Today we look at our third area which contains a burden and a yoke, one in which many people suffer from throughout this world - REJECTION

The yoke of rejection is a very heavy burden to carry around. It may have been formulated while very young. Favouritism from one parent to a sibling is a common cause. We only have to look at the account of Jacob in Genesis, where he favoured Joseph over his brothers and the problems that it caused.

Rejection may happen when someone refuses to accept a person or listen to them or even casts them aside without another thought. Others may be the centre of attention while the other one has the feeling that they're sitting on the subs bench waiting for a call that never comes.

Someone once said that, 'Rejection occurs when a person or group excludes an individual and refuses to acknowledge or accept them' There is a great deal of truth in this statement. Many people in the world today have suffered rejection in their life and it has led to many emotional problems within them. A spirit of rejection brings fear, phobias, anxiety and self pity to someone, along with a need to blame or become angry with someone because they are easily offended.

A person who suffers from rejection has a strong need for love and acceptance, in fact a strong desire to be noticed. They may go much further in helping another person than another person would. There is a need to please another person, not so much for the thanks but for the attention they will receive. 

They have also been unwanted for so long that they find it difficult to receive any deep love that someone may show them. This is because they have a fear that this person may reject them too. In the past they may have bought presents for someone only to have it rejected or they have later found that it had been unopened.

If this is you, please understand and accept that, people, even parents, may have hurt you but Jesus never will. As today's text reads, "The LORD will not reject His people; He will not abandon His special possession." And it is true. However, you have to accept that what has happened to you is in the past. That can't be changed, it has happened. However, the future can be different. But you have to work at this too. You can ask God to heal the rejection, and He will, but it is up to you to forgive and forget it. Otherwise it will bury you. 

Are you ready to give this to Jesus? Are you willing to forgive what has happened and learn to forget it all and look to the future? If you are, say this:

'Lord Jesus, I have suffered rejection for the biggest part of my life. It's a deep-rooted thing that keeps cropping up when I don't want it to. I find it hard to trust anyone because I believe that they will hurt me too. Please help me.

I give all the pain of this rejection - this yoke and burden - to You Lord and ask that You will take it off my shoulders. I agree to do my part and forgive and forget the past. I know it will need some working at, but I know that You will help me with that.

Thank you for being My friend Jesus. Amen'

Now go and begin a new life of freedom in Jesus.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

The burden will be taken away. Part 2

"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."                                                                                         Ephesians 4:31    NKJV

In yesterday's reading, we looked at the burden and the yoke being removed from us, because of the anointing oil. We saw how a yoke can be described as a contraption that fits over the shoulders of a person and equal weights are put either side to keep balance. I felt that this was too important to pass over it quickly as there are many key areas that can be described as a burden and a yoke. Therefore, for the next few days, I felt it would be helpful to discuss areas on a daily basis. Imagine if you will, the wooden yoke over a person's shoulder with two buckets either side. Inside these containers are a burden in one and the reason for it in the other. Today's burden and yoke is BITTERNESS.

This yoke of bitterness may be upon your neck and try as you may, you just can't get rid of it. You've prayed about it - giving it to God, but it is still there. Why do you think that is? It's because, even though you have cast it over to God, you are choosing to hang on to it. You're so used to it now that it's part of your make up.

A root of bitterness grows when things happen that are not surrendered to Jesus. If you are still hanging on to this bitterness, then it will be obvious. A bitter person might shout out their inner hurt and anger by saying and doing things that hurt the feelings of other people. This may be done by demonstrating ruthless verbal and emotional words about that person and what they have done to them. There may be resentment and an acrimonious feeling towards the person that has hurt them. Perpetual animosity and fault-finding will also be there. 

You may well have been hurt by someone and everything you say they have done to you may be true. You may have discussed this with the person, all to no avail. But holding on to this - the pain, heartache, frustration and even anger, is serving no purpose except that you are carrying around a great weight - burden and a yoke; and God doesn't want you this way.

Be honest, is bitterness in your bucket? Are you carrying this around everyday? When we do this, whenever we see or hear about this person, we go into the area of anger. Our defence mechanisms shoot into place and we are on guard, ready to blow up.

It is time to empty this burden out of the bucket by letting Jesus take this burden away - totally. But be careful, don't give it to Him and then still hold on to it. That is fruitless. Give it to Him

'Lord Jesus, too long have I hung on to this bitterness in my heart. Like cancer it is spreading and ruining my walk with You. I surrender it to You and make the decision, not to take it back again. Instead, may the vacant place in my heart, be filled with Your peace.

In Jesus' Name, Amen

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

The burden will be taken away

 "It shall come to pass in that day, that his burden will be taken away from your shoulder' and his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil."                                                                                                    Isaiah 10:27     NKJV

One of the descriptions of a yoke is, a frame designed to be carried across a person's shoulders with equal loads suspended from each end. As you can imagine, even though the weight is distributed equally, after a long time of doing this, the pressure across the shoulders and lower back would be awful and many collapsed in the process.

The Israelites were suffering ongoing oppression from the Assyrians at the time, but God promised that this would not be for much longer, deliverance was coming. And the same can be said for each one of us too.

Just lately, you may be going through one of those times when there doesn't seem to be a way out; there doesn't seem to be much of a future in what you're doing. Day after day, things are very much the same - the same old humdrum of work, lack of funds and an endless struggle. To add to this, you may be worried about a sickness that has just been diagnosed within yourself or a loved one. You may have prayed about this but, all to no avail.

Don't give up there is a way forward and even though you can't see it, God will come and make a way, a way that will lead you through this time, to freedom. God says that the burden will be taken away from your shoulders and the yoke from your neck. Not only that, but the yoke will be destroyed. Why, because you have read your bible through in a year? No, that's a great accomplishment but it doesn't fit this bill. Is it because you tithed a fat cheque to someone this month? No, it is great to tithe, we should do this. But it doesn't fit the bill of why all of a sudden a burden will be removed and a yoke taken away from your shoulders. The reason for this relief is because of the anointing oil.

Anointed in Hebrew means, mashach, and priests, prophets and worshippers, were anointed with oil, a consecration designed to anoint and set aside someone for the work of Almighty God. The most important derivative of mashach is mashlyach, which means Messiah or Anointed One. As Jesus was the promised Messiah, Messiah was translated into Greek as Christos, thus His title Jesus Christ. From this, we can see clearly, how Jesus is the Anointed One and His Anointing.

Each day, as we go to His throne of grace in prayer, he anoints us afresh. Psalm 92:10 clearly shows us this, 'But my horn You have exalted like a wild ox, I have been anointed with fresh oil.' We therefore, need to allow Him to renew this anointing each day. This is how the burden will be taken from our shoulders and the yoke from our neck. With Jesus, we have a clear road ahead. We may not be able to see it, but Jesus can and all we need to do is trust him. But we do need to approach Him every day. We need Him, He has the 'Get out of jail card' to all of our problems. So approach His throne and receive His anointing today and then, each day. You'll never regret it.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Transformed into a deeper relationship

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." 

                                                                                                Romans 12:2     NKJV

Let us break this verse down a little and get into the mechanics of it. There are three key words that Paul discusses here, the first being:

CONFORMED

Being conformed, in the Biblical sense here, is being conformed to worldly lusts, or to the world's system of things instead of to the things of God. People who conform to the world's standard of behaviour, mask who they are in Christ. It is rather like being compromised. Some leading Christians sadly, compromise their faith and people's lives are terribly disrupted. We can get an idea of the importance of this warning by just taking the first three letter of the word, 'Conformed - Con.' People who conform to the world's standard of behaviour are conned and con other people too.

The next key word is:

TRANSFORMED

This means to be transformed from the inside out. At the transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-2 & Mark 9:2) Jesus' brightness was His inner person shining through, which was visible on the outside. His brightness is expected to shine through us, His children. Our whole life is changed from the inside out, and our mind reacts accordingly. No longer do we wish to speak the way we may have before our conversion and criticism and judgemental comments of people, are not a part of our lives any longer. 

And finally:

RENEWED

This is something that happens to us as we meditate and study the Word of God on a regular basis. We learn to focus on God's values not on our own or of the world. In a way, we are separated from the world - set apart - and we live for Jesus and Him only. This doesn't mean that we are not part of the world. This would be impossible for at this time, we live on this planet. However, we do not let it squeeze us into its mould. We see things differently because we think the way God does. We have changed our focus and submitted to God - wholeheartedly. We are no longer our own, we are God's. 

We belong to Jesus and therefore, people will notice this fact. They may not be able to recognise what the difference is, but the fragrance of Jesus, that we carry around, will allow them to come into the presence of God, giving them the opportunity to be the same.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE