Saturday 10 April 2021

The Accuser

O LORD my God, in You I put my trust; Save me from all those who persecute me; and deliver me."                                                                                       Psalm 7:1     NKJV 



One of David's major enemies was, Cush a Benjamite, who he suspected of causing him trouble with King Saul by feeding Saul with lies and false accusations about him. We all have those types of people around us; they spread rumours, gossiping behind our backs and ripping apart our reputations. Put it this way, if Jesus had them, you can bet that you will too. 

At times, it is easy to believe that God is allowing them to get away with it. But He doesn't do this; at some stage, unless they change their ways, they will fall. Haman was building a scaffold to hang the Jews, but it was turned against him and he, and his ten sons, were hanged on their own scaffold. Esther 7:10; 9:13. God will avenge if we allow Him to. Romans 12:19.

What should we do while this is all happening to us? We should rejoice and be exceedingly glad Matthew 5:12. Now this is hard to do, especially when someone has spread lies about you. However, if you try and address it, chances are that you will end up with egg on your face. When we take things into our own hands, it has a habit of turning that way. But realise one thing; GOD KNOWS! He knows what you have been through or are dealing with at this moment. The temptation to react and retaliate is extremely strong, but act like Jesus did to His accusers; He said nothing. That is more powerful than you could ever imagine; because, you are putting God in the driving seat, you are trusting in Him. And He will never let you down.




Friday 9 April 2021

Don't have a 'Grave clothes', mentality

"Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen" 
                                                                                                            Luke 24:5-6     NKJV



These two verses are so full of power that they cannot just be glanced over quickly. They need devouring and digesting. God has specific plans for you. He hasn't just picked your name out of a hat. He has been nurturing and training you for a long time. It's not been an easy task because, there are rough edges that require fine honing. However, He is getting you ready; He is preparing you for the course. He wants your attention - your focus. He doesn't want the lack of concentration that you may have been giving Him lately. He means business; He's always meant business. He shrugged off the grave clothes when He rose to life and I believe, He is calling all of us to do the same. Get rid of the 'Grave clothes' mentality and start living.

Today, God has plans for you. The time on this earth is getting shorter for everyone and we can either walk around with a 'Grave clothes' mentality or a 'I'm alive' one. The first one will hold you back in all you do; whereas the second one will propel you towards your goal.

As I mentioned, time for us on this earth is getting shorter. Jesus will be returning as soon as the Father directs Him. Now, that could be today, we never know. All the main reason to be ready. Shrug the 'Grave clothes' mentality off. He has a plan and you figure in it. 

The impact Jesus made on this world when He rose again was phenomenal. He's going to make a greater impact when He returns, that's for sure. Make sure you're ready!

Thursday 8 April 2021

Are you worth your salt?

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavour, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men."
                                                                                                          Matthew 5:13    NKJV 

In ancient times, salt was classed as a commodity. The Roman Empire paid its soldiers in salt. Storage vaults for this salt were called by the Latin name, salarium, from which we get the name salary. Hence, who does a poor job, 'isn't worth his salt'.

In the bible, salt was recognised as preservation or a stimulation of thirst and permanence. Jesus therefore, told His disciples to be like salt to the decaying world. He encouraged them to be the kind of salt that creates a thirst and draws people to Himself. 

Jesus used the analogy that if salt loses its saltiness, then it is of no use but to be thrown away. If it does not satisfy the taste of people then it can be of no use to anyone. Salt seasons food, likewise, the disciples were sent out to season the souls of mankind. 'O taste and see that the Lord is good.' Psalm 34:8. Thus, the lost are drawn to the Lord and preserved for eternal life.

What is your saltiness like? Do you season the need of people you meet? Do you add a preservative to their lives and satisfy their thirst? Is your thirst for good, waning? Why not come to the Supermarket of  Heaven and receive a free load of fresh salt - a commodity of love, strength and power. Then, when you are seasoned yourself, go and do the same for others.

Wednesday 7 April 2021

He is Risen Luke 24:6


                      
He Arose: -
because the devil had been defeated
His blood shed been completed
on the Cross of Calvary

There is no more work needed
or words that go unheeded
after the words that He
spoke, 'It is finished', on the
Cross of Calvary

His words if we believe them
and the story that goes with
them are written in the Bible
for all of us to read and
and will bring us to Salvation
unto a life Eternal
All, because of His blood shed
on the Cross of Calvary.

He gave us His great power and
Name of Authority that at the
Name of Jesus, ALL will bow
the knee, that we too can overcome 
him, (the devil) by the
Authority of the precious Name 
of Jesus and His blood shed for
you and me on the Cross of Calvary.

                                               Copyright 2021 Hazel Howard

Tuesday 6 April 2021

When will I get this right?

"I want to do what is right, but I can't. I want to do what is good, but I don't. I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway."         Romans 7:18-19    New Living Translation

What a struggle the Christian life can be at times. We know what we should do but end up doing what we shouldn't. It's an ongoing battle between our human nature and our Spiritual one, and one that will follow us all of our Christian lives.

Charles R Swindoll says:

'Every Christian I know can identify with Paul's honest admission. You and I may have a new master, but sin is still there within us, still crouching near the door, ready to pounce. The battle is so relentless, so ruthless, it sometimes gets depressing - which may have been the very reason Paul finally let it all out: "Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death". Romans 7:24.
                                             Flying Closer to the Flame Copyright 1993 Charles R Swindoll

You are not unique when it comes to committing sin. We all fall to it. The thing is, to not be taken over by it in our thoughts by wanting to give up. We belong to Jesus and we will never surrender!  
We have a Saviour in Jesus, who died on the cross for each one of us, who took our sins and placed them under the blood. Yes, we will have those times, but we will always have Jesus, who, as we confess our sin (1 John 1:9) will always forgive us.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

Monday 5 April 2021

Transformed

"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

Ask yourself this question, 'Do I allow the Holy Spirit to transform my life?' Many times we limit the fire that He wants to put into our lives. Paul called it quenching the Spirit, 1 Thessalonians 5:19. To quench, carries the idea putting out the flame of the Holy Spirit. This is poured out to purify and enlighten us. We often quench the Spirit by refusing to allow Him to move us in a way that He wants to. This may be speaking in tongues, prophesy or generally getting lost in worship.  
We may look at others who are being moved by the Spirit and feel, embarrassed by it all and say to ourselves, 'I will never do that.' Once we do that, we are restraining the Spirit, in all He wants to give us.

William James once said, 'We can alter our lives by altering our attitudes', and that about sums it up - our attitudes. When the Holy Spirit is in operation in a service, we can shy away from what is happening but, by doing this, we are robbing ourselves. The early disciples did quite a few things before Jesus was crucified, but nothing life-changing. But when the Spirit of God fell on them all at Pentecost, fire came down and power was displayed in them and they would never be the same again. At least 3000 were saved by Peter's sermon that day and lives changed in an instant. That was the power of God; and that is the power that He wishes to place in your life too.

When we are transformed by the Spirit of God, we are changed instantly, but the full manifestation can take a lifetime to complete, Philippians 1:6. It is a gradual transformation because you are being changed from the inside out. The Holy Spirit is gentle with us and changes us little by little. He will never embarrass us, we do that ourselves. Walking in the Spirit includes the transformation of our minds - our thought-life. Often, what we think, can ruin the moment even though we may not speak it out. Therefore, we need the Spirit to allow us to make a few adjustments.

You can tell when the Holy Spirit 'comes upon you', especially if you have a word to give out in church. The longer you leave it, your chest begins to pound until you can contain it no longer and have to speak the word out. He is forever with us; as we ask Him to show us the way in any given situation, He is there to direct. If we make a wrong move, we can feel we have erred in our hearts but, He gives us the opportunity to rectify this.

You need the Holy Spirit!. You don't have to speak in tongues or roll across the floor, but, when the Spirit is upon you, you will feel good for doing this. But it is a choice. Speaking in tongues is important because the devil has not a clue what we are saying. Also the Holy Spirit puts into words, what we find difficult to say. It edifies us; it empowers us.

If you don't speak in tongues or prefer to quench the Spirit, you will not be disqualified from Heaven. But you will dip out on all the excitement that God wants you to flow in. 

If you want to be filled with the Holy Spirit - baptised - please say this prayer with me:

Holy Spirit 
Please send Your power upon me and fill me with your fire, the fire that will transform my life from this day forth. Give me the ability to speak in tongues and be changed from the inside out. In Jesus' Name. Amen









                                                                                                         
 

Sunday 4 April 2021

He's no longer in the grave

 "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen."     
                                                                                                           Luke 24:5-6    NKJV

Phil Driscoll, the Christian Musician, wrote a song entitled 'He's Alive Again', the chorus line went like this:

He's alive again, the stone's been rolled away
He's alive again, He's no longer where He lay
He's alive again, I can hear the angels say,
Let all the world rejoice, He's alive!

And it is true, He is not in the grave any longer, He has risen - Praise God. Death could not hold Him. He broke the chains of death and rose again and He has given the devil the biggest headache that he has ever had. He thought that he had finished Jesus off finally, but Jesus is too powerful, the grave couldn't hold Him and today, Christians the world over are rejoicing, because their King - Jesus, is alive and well.

Jesus is not just a figure in the history books, He is alive. The respected Christian writer, Andrew Murray wrote in his book, Jesus Himself:

'A dead Christ, I must do everything for, a living Christ does everything for me. This is the difference between a dead Christ, who the women went to anoint, and a living Christ, 
                                                                                    Copyright Andrew Murray

Jesus is not only a model for life, He is a living presence to help us live. Some people's Christianity may have lacked an essential something because they may have been looking for Him among the dead, but He is alive!

And because of this, each one of us need to recognise Jesus is alive; He is with us wherever we are; in whatever we do, whatever plans we have and through all the many problems that may come our way. He has an 'alive' answer to whatever situation we may come up against. If we need healing, it is an 'alive' answer He gives us. He healed us by His stripes on the cross, sickness was finished then. We just have to claim it. For every need we have, He has an 'alive' answer. 

Therefore, because you serve an 'alive Christ', He wants you to be an 'alive Christian', one who walks the walk with Jesus Christ and never looks back to what they used to be. Don't seek the living among the dead, seek Jesus.











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