Earthquakes, open doors and broken chains

"But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them."                                                  Acts 16:25    NKJV 

Paul and Silas were in prison; their crime being Paul had cast an unclean spirit out of a slave girl. She had been a financial asset to some in the city because the spirit had enabled her to tell fortunes for which she charged a fee. This was now gone and the men reported them to the authorities, who in turn put them in jail, after beating them severely with rods. This was quite strange because their act too, was unlawful because Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.

They were placed in stocks, something that would have been most unpleasant because the stocks were made out of logs, which were spilt and then drilled making a hole just big enough to accommodate their feet. This would have been tight on their ankles and in such a position, that sleep, would have been very difficult.

But complain they did not, instead they sang hymns and prayed loudly. It's hard to envision this and we need to imagine how we would have reacted if we were placed in this position. Would we pray and sing hymns or would we throw pity parties? Not so for Paul and Silas, they worshipped God and the other prisoners watched and listened to them. They probably would have wondered how and why these men were singing and obviously happy even though their backs were bleeding badly. They would have felt this unnatural.

All of a sudden God turned up in the form of an earthquake. He didn't send an angel this time as He had when Peter had been imprisoned earlier. The earthquake shook the very foundations of the prison and doors were opened and chains fell off the prisoners. It was so severe that the jailor woke up and fearing that the prisoners had escaped, went to commit suicide. As he was responsible for the prisoners, he would have received a nasty execution. Therefore, he preferred to take care of this himself. However, Paul shouted that they were there and eventually the jailer and his family were saved.

The things that we need to notice are the way Paul and Silas handled their situation. They didn't flap or moan; they praised God. Because of this, the prisoners listened to them and this must have had an effect on some of them. And then of course, the way God can turn up in any situation when we give Him the first place, such as praise and prayer. So:

Don't flap or moan, praise and pray instead

Be aware of the impact you can make on others who listen and see your behaviour

Remember, God will turn up if you give Him the first place.

For your diary Monday 14th June, A Study of Joseph begins for a few days

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

You're on the way back!

"However, the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaven."   

                                                                                                          Judges 16:22    NKJV 

God has not forgotten you. Your time is coming. People may have passed you over but God, never will. You are too important to Him for that.

Take a look at Samson. Yes, he made some mistakes; no one is perfect. He entered into a relationship with Delilah, who after finding out the secret of his strength, had his hair shaved and revealed this to the Philistines who came and took him, gouging out his eyes. After this, he was a has-been, a yesterday's man. Yet, God can do a lot with a yesterday's man who repents. God knew Samson's heart and would have heard his inward groaning. Thus, his hair began to grow back, giving him back his strength.

Sometimes, we have to reach rock bottom before we realise that we can't do this alone. God doesn't intervene until we call on Him for help. When we do, He is there. 'For whoever calls on the name of the Lord, shall be saved.'  (Romans 10:13). 

You may be going through a difficult time at the moment. It can seem that you are on your own and that no one wants to help. But take courage, Jesus is right there with you and waiting for you to ask Him for His help. Don't be proud by thinking you don't really need anyone's help, you've come this far and you've managed. You haven't, the way you feel now proves that. Be willing to receive His help. It may come directly from God or from someone He has sent to meet your need. Whatever, accept it, you can go no further until you do.

You may have been a someone - a great leader, boss, rich and successful. Something may have happened and you lost it all. Your health may have suffered and you are very ill. Or you may be down on your luck where nothing you do, seems right. But Jesus can help you with all of this; all you have to do is ask Him.

Why not call out to Him now - He is waiting:

'Lord, I come to You. Things are pretty bad in my life at this time but, I'm placing my eyes on You. Please help me Jesus.' I ask in Jesus' name. Amen

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

 

What would Jesus do?

"And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him"                             Colossians 3:17     NKJV

'What would Jesus do?' This phrase still make us think. For one thing, it is reassuring to feel that we are handling a situation the way that Jesus would. It makes us feel good. Alternatively, it helps us to check our attitudes and guides us in the right way, when we don't want to do what Jesus would do. People may become shocked at this statement but, let's be real here, sometimes we just don't want to be nice to someone we don't particularly like. They may have hurt us in some way and all we want to do is press the 'destroy button. We are only human.

But when we signed up to follow Jesus, we made a commitment. We may have agreed to do anything He wants us to do and, go anywhere he asks. However, when it comes down to it, we wriggle and try to do anything, but that!

There's a saying in the army, 'If you can't stand a joke, you shouldn't have joined up,' and it's true. You were willing at the beginning but when it comes down to it, you would probably sooner climb Mount Everest than be nice to someone who has wronged you. 

But we can't ignore God's Word. Paul writes, 'whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.' What part of that can't we understand? Whatever we do and whatever we say. Whatever means whatever. It means everything and anything, no matter what. Therefore, if we belong to Jesus, He would expect us to put this into action.

It's all about rising above the problemThe most important part of any day for us, is to be a living example of Jesus. Let us not forget that, we hurt Him and let Him down and yet, He still shows us His everlasting love. This is the example we need to follow and we'll achieve it by 'Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.'

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Peter on: Making sure your reactions are sharpened

"For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil."   

                                                                                                     1 Peter 3:14-17    NKJV 

Many times in our Christian lives, we will come up against people who are not believers and want to demonstrate this by attacking us with words or occasionally in a physical way. Now the reason may be some deep-rooted feeling that happened in their earlier life, something that caused great pain. It may also be because they don't like you or God and resent your presence. The real reason may well be that they have a great fear that they too, may give their lives to Jesus, challenging their street credibility. Whatever it is, they give you some real grief. So how do we handle that kind of behaviour or when we are falsely accused. Well, there is a written formula here, containing six ways to act:

Receive the Blessing.  Consider yourself blessed that you have been recognised as a follower of Jesus Christ and that, the devil is not pleased so he has reverted to sending this attack upon you. This shows you that he is worried just by your presence. He knows that you have the ability to change this situation and bring the person into the kingdom. Rejoice.

Do not be afraid.  There is no need to fear because Jesus is right there with you. Just act the way He would and rise above their threats and accusations. You're the Child of the King, so act like it.

Worship the Lord.  It may not be appropriate to start worshipping God in front of your accusers but, inwardly, you can be praising God for what He is going to do to help you through the situation. It is vital that you listen to and be guided by the Holy Spirit. He has the answers and the ability to change your situation. Trust me, I have been in so many scrapes over the years and I have never been let down when I have inwardly called upon the Lord for help.

Be ready.  Always be ready to give an account of what you believe. There will always be a chance to do this and when it comes, you need to take it. As you do this, you are making a stand; you are holding up the banner of Jesus Christ and declaring that nothing is going to stop you, whatever comes your way.

Maintain a good conscience.  Be careful of what you say and do. Just one mistake and the person can point the finger and then we can be riddled with guilt, which is never helpful because the enemy will always use it against you. Maintaining a good conscience, can help direct the person who is offending you, to Jesus. They are often amazed at how a Christian can still maintain their faith under such difficult times and this can be frustrating for them, because it diffuses their accusations.

Be of good conduct. This follows on from point five; our conduct should be above reproach. Now when we are in the thick of things and people are accusing you falsely, others are threatening you or generally bad-mouthing you, it can be very difficult to avoid doing the same. Do not retaliate in such a away. Maintain your testimony of Jesus; uphold His ways and keep your cool for Jesus.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Peter on: Husbands and Wives

"Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands" and "Husbands, likewise dwell with them with understanding, giving honour to the wife -"      1Peter 3:1 & 3:7    NKJV

What a minefield this can be to discuss, a complete can of worms. However, it needn't be. God is a fair God with no partiality, but He does wish for the husband to be the head. This does not mean that He should rule with a rod of iron, if he does, he will get nowhere and will just add to the statistics of divorce proceedings.

Peter told wives to be submissive to their husbands, and used a comparison of the previous section - submission to masters. This is where it tends to go wrong; wives are not to be treated as doormats. Husbands are to be kind and gentle with their wives and, should honour her as their very best friend. They should listen to her and spend time with her, in other words, cherish  her, making her feel extremely important. I once heard a preacher say, 'the weaker vessel is not a derogatory term, but means that the wife is a precious item that just might break if not treated properly.'

The husband and wife are heirs together, a partnership with Jesus in the centre. This partnership will go nowhere if they are at loggerheads. Their prayers will be hindered and it will be constant war within the marriage. Therefore, God is calling husbands to love, cherish and treat their wives with kindness, respect and love, and the wife to do likewise. 

When you do this, Jesus has free access to bless this marriage beyond your wildest dreams. 

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Peter on: We once were not, but now we are!

"But you are a chosen generation, a holy priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people that you may proclaim the praise of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light, 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy."             1 Peter 2:9-10    NKJV                                                                                                  

What an amazing statement! We are no longer ordinary, we are extra-ordinary, not natural but supernatural! And this is all because of Jesus, who brought us out of our old lives, giving us new ones with an amazing potential. He has changed our lives and given us hope.

Jesus called us out of the darkness we used to walk in and, gave us His endless mercy - hesed, which translates to kindness, mercy, lovingkindness, unfailing love, tenderness and faithfulness. This mercy is available to all who want it, and we have the charge to let them know about it. 

We are chosen and a Royal Priesthood (Revelation 1:6) and a holy nation. The part that I love, is that we are His own special people. God looks upon us as special. We all long for love and attention; we all long to be special to somebody and, here it is in black and white, we are special to God. 

As I thought about this, God gave me the thought that, we once were not, but now we are. Say that over and over for a minute or two and allow the Holy Spirit to flood you with the awareness that, without God, you once were not, but now you are. You belong to the Lord - the people of God. The God of mercy has shown us His mercy and aren't you pleased that He has done. You were once far from the truth. You were on a downward spiral to disaster with only hell to look forward to in eternity. Now, you are a special person, chosen man or woman of the Most High God.

Thank you Lord, that we once were not, but now we are

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Peter on: Spirituall growth

"as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby."

                                                                                                    1 Peter 2:1-3    NKJV

When a garden is planted, there is a need for planning; the ground has to be prepared. It needs digging, weeding, feeding and generally tending well, in order for a good harvest to follow. Likewise, a Christian, whether new or saved a long time, needs planting and weeding. In other words, nurturing and being taught to avoid the temptations and distractions of the world. It doesn't just happen, there's a lot of work that the believer has to put into action in order to stay on the right road to holiness.

Things such as malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and all evil speaking, must no longer be a part of their lives. This can take a long time to overcome; for some a lifetime. It's all a learning process, it doesn't happen overnight and then everything is hunky dory from thereon. The term 'lay aside', v1 is a picture of taking off a coat and hanging it up. It is not needed for a time. A perfect example was Bartimaeus, (Mark 10:50) who cast his garment aside when Jesus called him to come to Him. Some say that he didn't need it because it was a begging cloak - something that distinguished him as this. Others say, it would be full of alms. Whatever, he decided that he didn't need it and laid it aside; and we need to do the same with all the things in our lives that are not wholesome.

Peter tells us to desire the pure milk of the Word. All believers need to learn and keep on learning, there is always something new that Jesus is teaching us. This learning process needs cultivating. A babe doesn't go to Burger King for its meal, it needs milk. Likewise, we don't have a large meal on a Sunday and skip meals for the rest of the week. The baby needs to be breast or bottle fed until it can move on to solids. We are the same. It's no good going to bible college or planning a preaching ministry on day one of salvation. It takes time to be nurtured first. Also, a believer cannot manage on one meal of the Bible on a Sunday at church and then not read or study the Word until the following Sunday. It needs to be an everyday process.

Do you get the idea? We need spiritual food not junk food. Reading the bible once a week and then filling our minds with things of the world for the rest of the week, is akin to eating spiritual and junk food. This needs rectifying if we are wanting to move on with Jesus.

It's hard work living the Christian life. It takes effort on our part. However, the dividends are amazing and well worth it.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE