Hard-Heartedness

"So the heart of Pharaoh was hard; neither would he let the children of Israel go, as the Lord had spoken by Moses."                                                    Exodus 9:35      NKJV

To the Hebrew, the heart was the centre of one's existence, including emotions, wisdom and skill. A person acts and speaks from the heart, so we should guard it carefully. (Matthew 15:18-19. So the heart of Pharaoh was hard, he wouldn't let the children of Israel go as the Lord had spoken through Moses.

Hard-Heartedness, is a symbolic expression for rebellion or a stubborn and unyielding spirit. David Guzik comments:

'Hardening the heart against God is sin; failing to repent when God graciously answers our plea, is to ignore His rich mercy. To ignore His rich mercy, is to sin yet more.'

                                                                                         Copyright 2018 David Guzik

Hardness of heart has its root in many areas. One of these is when a person has been hurt so deeply that they find it difficult to accept it - even to make sense of it. They may have trusted someone deeply and then, had the wind knocked out of their sails by being trodden all over by this particular person. Yes this hurts, but the hard-hearted one is the one who is suffering, not the person who supposedly caused it. Bitterness can begin to settle within the heart and it can cause arguments within families; bad feeling towards church members or whoever else.

One particular cause was addressed by Jesus. He taught about the parable of the Sower and said in Mark 4:16-17:

'These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness.; 17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulations or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.'

Basically, what Jesus was saying is that they have no depth. They have not placed the Word of God deep enough within their heart. Therefore, when trouble, designed to hurt and maim comes their way, instead of handling the situation God's way, they internalise it and become bitter and hard-hearted.

This may be where you are at this time. You may be like a bear with a sore head over things that have happened to you. This doesn't mean that you can lose your salvation - not at all. God is not like that. However, He does want it sorting out and the best way to do it, is to talk to Him and let Him do a little Spiritual surgery on you.

Just think, the only one who is hurting through this, is yourself and the people who are close to you. The one that hurt you, doesn't know about it, unless you have told them. For peace of mind and for your own self-preservation, don't you owe it to yourself to give it to God and be set free? You'll feel a lot better.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

 

God's Mercies

"This I recall to my mind, therefore, I have hope."         Lamentations 3:21-23    NKJV

Jeremiah was prone to suffer from depression and here he finds a way out. The prophet has suffered severe anguish  and he couldn't see a way through all the darkness he was undergoing. This is quite a common symptom that one can suffer when they are depressed. There doesn't appear to be a way of moving forward and everywhere is painted in darkness. They need something to bring them hope. 

This happened to Jeremiah. He turned around and made the decision to change the way he was thinking. He began to think hope  instead of despair. He said, 'This I recall to my mind, therefore, I have hope.'. He then went on to say:

'Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.'

It is useful to think back to the times that God has rescued us; that time when we were in total despair, and He came, wrapped His arm around us, or even carried us and set us down on firm ground once again. I have a feeling that some people need to hear this today. You may have blown it yesterday, or recently, but the Lord's compassions fail not because He is faithful.

Note the word 'Mercies'. This is that Hebrew word again hesed. God's hesed remains and thank goodness that it does. It can be translated as, 'Covenant love or Steadfast love', and it demonstrates His compassion, truth, faithfulness and goodness to us, His children, who He loves dearly.

You may have been feeling low just lately through one thing or another. You may have thrown a wobbly yesterday, one in which today, you feel ashamed or guilty. You may feel that God will never forgive you now; you are a condemned person. Forget that, because that is the devil. He is the great accuser of the Saints. He loves nothing better than to tell God all about what we have messed up. God's answer is, that is My child who I love dearly. They may make great mistakes but My faithfulness is greater and they are covered by the Blood of My Son, Jesus.

So Child of God, speak wholesome things to yourself and stand up tall and straight. You have Kingdom business to take care of.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Made in God's Image

"Then God said, 'Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness' - So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."                                                                      Genesis 1:26-27    NKJV

We don't fully realise that we are made in the image of God. What does God look like? Look in the mirror, we look the same Because Jesus - Our Saviour dwells within us. We are one with Him.

Let us look a little deeper into the meaning of 'image':

An image is an exact likeness or representation of some object or person. Human beings were created to perfectly reflect God's image. Jesus is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). Man expresses God's image when he is in right relation with His creator and faithfully tends God's creation (Genesis 1:26-28). 

Therefore, we can see quite clearly that we were made in His image. God lives in us, Jesus lives in us and the Holy Spirit lives in us. We're all one together. Then, why do we do the things that we do; why do we let Him down so easily at times. One could say that it's because, we're not perfect and that is true. However, we come pretty close because the trinity is within us. No member of the trinity would do the things that we do. The 'we' I mention, includes myself too. We profess to follow Jesus and then say something bad about someone. Would Jesus do that? No He wouldn't. We can be involved in gossip - it may be true, but it is still gossip and it paints a bad image of someone. We may let our tongue run away from us, not choosing our words wisely; we may sit in judgement over someone. Does Jesus do that? No He doesn't- He uses love.

My Wife, Hazel, wrote an excellent prophetic word here the day before yesterday, 19th March entitled 'Be Ready'. This made me look at the scripture she used quite closely and I felt it would be appropriate to include it into this commentary. In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 we see Paul's excellent piece on Striving for a Crown. 'We are to run in such a way that we obtain the prize'. V24. This means that we must stick to the rules, we cannot cheat the system or we will be found out. Paul says in v27, ' I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.'

Athletes who break the rules become disqualified, they need to practice self-control. In the same manner, believers must practice self-control, see-denial and total discipline each and every day. Otherwise, we disqualify ourselves from everything that we stand for. We may profess to be a believer, but if our lives say differently, people will see this and they won't listen to us. We need to get it right, there is a lost world on our doorsteps; they don't know Jesus and we do. The thing is, are they noticing that we are different? Do we draw them towards Jesus by the way that we live our lives? Are we running the race to obtain that crown? 

We are made in God's image. Do people see this in us? If they don't, we need to correct this, time is running out for people. Jesus is coming sooner than we can imagine.

 Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

A Great Symphony

"Again, I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in My name, I am there in the midst of them."                         Matthew 18:19-20     NKJV  

The power of agreement is amazing and provides the results that both God and ourselves want. Pastor Keith Moore from Faith Life Church in Branson, Missouri, made a God empowered comment back in 2005. He said: 

'When you want what God wants, for the same reason He wants it, you become unstoppable'

                                                            

Read it over and over again until it begins to settle in your spirit. It is a statement of total agreement with God and when we can get into this place, there is nothing that can't be done in the Kingdom of God. 

In Greek, the word 'agreement,' is sumphoneo which is made up of two syllables SUM, which means 'together' and PHONEO, which means 'to sound i.e. to sound together, be in accord and be in harmony.' The word symphony comes from sumphoneo. Metaphorically speaking, the word means to agree together in prayer that is concordant. David Guzik comments on this by saying, 'They compliment each other like a great orchestra - a metaphor taken from a number of musical instruments, set to the same key and playing the same tune - a symphony.'

So, getting back to our main text for today, we recognise how powerful and essential being in agreement is. When this happens, Jesus is right in the midst of us and things begin to happen in amazing ways. Take for example Acts 2. The disciples and apostles were together in one accord. They were in agreement to Jesus' command. He had told them to wait for the promise of the Father. Therefore, as it was a dangerous place to be, following Jesus' death and resurrection, they had assembled in an upper room. This was true fellowship.

The word fellowship is koinonia in the Greek and this means sharing and partnering with each other and sharing communion. In common this was an intimate bond of fellowship with the rest of the Christian society, which demonstrated the full meaning of koinonia, which is cementing the believers to the Lord Jesus and to each other. Total agreement. When this happens, you get what happened next - God's power manifested.There was a mighty rushing wind and the power of the Holy Spirit, hit the place with so much force that they all began to speak in another tongue and through the chaos of all of this, over three thousand people were saved.

There we have it, this is why God wants us to live our lives in total agreement with Him and other Christian folk. This is what God wants and when we want it as well, for the same reason He wants us to have it, we will then become unstoppable. 

Is this what you want? Of course it us so get into agreement with God right now!

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

                                                                  

BE READY by Hazel Howard

6"and swore [an oath] by [the name of] Him who lives forever and ever, WHO CREATED HEAVEN AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE EARTH AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE SEA AND THE THINGS IN IT, that there will be delay no longer. 7 but when it is time for the trumpet call of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God [that is, His hidden purpose plan] is finished, as He announced the gospel to His servants the prophets."                    

                                                                   Revelation 10:6-7    Amplified Study Bible

For many months now, I have been held by the Holy Spirit in the book of Revelation, particularly in Chapter 10 where the Holy Spirit has delayed me for quite a while. I have recently been guided into a New Assignment - praying for the Land and Sea in the County and Region where I live.

This morning as I was praying over the maps of the Lands, I received a word which I believe I need to share, it began with my praise:

'I praise You O Lord that Your voice is hovering over the waters. (Psalm 29:3), and over the Land (Psalm 50:1) and that Your presence is here, O Lord,' and then I heard in my spirit:

"The time between Now and hearing The Trumpet Call, get yourselves ready so that you are not disqualified. 

Can you be disqualified? 

Yes, read what Paul says below:

'Do you not know that in a race all the runners run [their very best to win], but only one receives the prize? Run [your race] in such a way that you may seize the prize and make it yours. 

25 Now every athlete who [goes into training and ] competes in the games is disciplined and exercises self-control in all things. they do it to win a crown that withers, but we [do it to receive] an imperishable [crown that cannot wither]. 

26 Therefore, I do not run without a definite goal; I do not flail around like one beating the air [just shadow boxing]. 

27 But [like a boxer] I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so after I have preached [the gospel] to others, I myself will not somehow be disqualified [as unfit for service].'

                                                                                              1 Corinthians 9:24-27

And WHEN you hear that Trumpet Call - OBEY! 

Do whatever He tells you to do. 

Deal with whatever He tells you to deal with.  

BE READY!

In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Copyriight 2021 Hazel Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

All Scriptures are from the Amplified Study Bible 

Jesus our Security

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"                                                 Psalm 27:1     NKJV

Whenever King David was fearful or in the middle of trouble, the first thing he did was pray - 'But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.' 1 Samual 29:6. He may have killed bears and lions in the past while looking after his father's flock; he may also have slain Goliath, that very large awesome giant, but he knew that he could never make it through any day without his Heavenly Father. And this is exactly what we should do as well. We can never make it on our own.

When we put God in the centre of our troubles, He lifts our heads and our hearts. This is because He is our refuge  and our fortress. There's no need to be afraid of anything. He is our security and our protection. You may remember when you were young, that to go out in dark nights was the ultimate in scariness. I lived in quite a rural place with hardly any street lamps if there were any, they hardly lit anything up. They were more like candles. It was scary to walk about. There were noises of foxes, cows and of course, the eerie call of an owl. Yes it was scary to venture out. However, when we look at our text, God is our light. At the creation, He called out, 'Let there be light,' Genesis 1. He still creates light today, His name is Jesus. He says, 'I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.' John 8:12.  He lights up the way for us through all of the trouble that may come our way. Therefore, we have nothing to fear or be tormented about.

He is also our salvation. Now this is an interesting word. In the Greek, it means soteria and means, deliverance, preservation, soundness, prosperity, happiness, rescue and general well-being. This salvation is a present possession with a fuller realisation for the future. Jesus not only delivers us, He preserves us too. His desire is to ensure that we are happy and prosperous in all areas, not only finance but our well-being. However, soteria also offers us salvation in its fullest extent - eternal life. When we ask Jesus to be our Lord and Saviour, we qualify for all of these benefits, the greatest being, we will live forever with Jesus in heaven.

Jesus is our security. He offers us Himself and will escort us wherever we go. He will also escort us through death. He will be right beside us. Psalm 23:4. Jesus Christ offers the best insurance policy that could ever be obtained and, what's more, it is free with no hidden agendas.

What more could you ask for?

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Doubt asks questions - Faith makes declarations

"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

Our title for this study today, was from a word delivered by Pastor Keith Moore of Faith Life Church in Branson, Missouri, and highlights all we want to cover this morning. God doesn't respond to your need, He responds to your faith. This is why Jesus says, 'he will have whatever he says.'

Jesus says here, that whoever says to this mountain (this means an obstacle that is standing in the way of walking successfully in the Holy Spirit), be removed and doesn't doubt (that's the big one), but believes that what he has asked for will be done, he or she will have it.

Let's look at this more closely, say for example we asked for healing. God's Word has already said that we are healed by the stripes of Jesus; therefore, we believe it and receive it into our hearts. We don't  keep 

praying and asking God for it. Why keep asking God for what He has already given you? No, instead of keep asking, we thank Him for our healing and keep on praising Him until we receive the full manifestation of it. When we ask for healing, we are initially in the natural realm. As we wait on God for the healing to manifest, we are in the supernatural realm with our spiritual eyes focused on Him.

It's the same for anything that we ask God for. We may need a job or a new house; family to be saved or any other personal need. Therefore, we ask Him, believe Him and receive from Him. In other words, we begin to see what we have asked for in our spirits. Now, as we know, some prayers are answered instantly. Someone, somewhere can be prayed for and 'POW', they are made well. We see this time and time again in scripture. Others may not be. There may be a time-lapse before the answer comes. Of course, there may be something that God wants us to clear up and put right in our life before He acts. He may wants us to forgive someone; receive forgiveness ourselves or generally put something right. This is not always the case. Just because a person has to wait for the answer to come, doesn't mean that something is wrong. It's just the way it is. At times, some people do not appear to be healed - at all. We don't know the answer to this; it is one thing we'll have to ask Jesus about when we get to Heaven. However, this should never stop us from receiving in faith for healing, salvation for someone or whatever else. We need to keep thanking and waiting.

The big thing we need to deal with is doubt. It will always kick in with reasonable excuses why we should give up on the idea for healing, or receiving some other blessing. If we listen long enough to the doubt, it can convince us; don't forget, Satan has had some practice in the art of doubt. Resist doubt at once, take it captive and refuse to be steered off the right course. Then make your faith declaration. This way, you can be assured of your prayers being answered.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE