And then 'Suddenly'

"And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind."   

                                                                                                                  Acts 2:2    NKJV 

The 'Suddenly's' figure in most people's lives from time to time. Everything can appear peaceful, when 'suddenly' something happens. Do you know what I mean? I remember one of these 'Suddenly's' a few years ago. I was walking along the seashore with my dog during Storm Brian, when 'Suddenly' the dog broke free and tried to run into the water. Well, it couldn't really be described as water but a raging torrent with very high waves. I rushed to pick him up and 'Suddenly,' the biggest wave I've ever encountered swept over me and dragged me out to sea. By the time I realised what was happening, I was in deep water about forty feet from the shore, The tide took me back to shore and before I could get out, it dragged me back out again. This went on for a few minutes and I didn't think I was going to get out. 'Suddenly,' there was a woman there, from nowhere and she took my hand and pulled me out.

That was a scary 'Suddenly' I can tell you. Thankfully, not all 'Suddenly's' are like that. The Apostles were sitting in the upper room when 'Suddenly' there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind.' The power of God came upon them with tongues of fire and their lives were changed forever. In fact, that day, more than 3000 souls were saved. That is a great 'Suddenly'.

Like we've seen, 'Suddenly's' can come when we are least expecting them. We can be broke one minute and rich the next, all in the blink of an eye. You may be at work, at home or minding your own business, when all of a 'Sudden,' God turns up. It can be exciting but also scary too. 

We can encounter both positive or negative 'Suddenly's'. Some may have an accident or be taken very ill quite quickly. We never know what's around the corner. Therefore, we need to make the best of what we have got. Life can change quite 'Suddenly'.

The great thing though, as Christians, we know that God has our back. He is watching our every move and, as we involve Him daily in our lives, He will guide and protect us. He is our Shepherd (Psalm 23).

Today, determine that you are going to live every moment walking in the power of God. Everywhere you go, everything you say, allow Jesus access to each moment. Then, when the 'Suddenly's' turn up, you will be more in control of what happens.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

What is your giant?

"There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight and so we were in their sight."    Numbers 13:33     NKJV

There will always be differences in opinions, wherever you go. People will not always agree with you because they may have a different perspective of the situation. This was the case here; Joshua and Caleb were saying that, no matter, they were well able to overcome the situation. The others that had been in the spy team, was giving the people a bad report bringing fear and doubt upon them. 

Joshua and Caleb, were coming from the perspective which Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians 4:18,  'While we do not look at the things which 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.' In other words, they were saying that they were looking through the eyes of faith - the kind of faith that says, nothing is too difficult for the Lord. This is the type of faith that gets things done.

People bring bad reports into our lives whenever we mention that we feel God is leading us to do a particular thing. They may be saying it from concern, but it can still stop us from achieving what God wants us to achieve. Faith-people don't believe bad reports, they only believe good reports. There may be giants ahead but, with God on your side, they are going to have to move.

What is your giant? Do you have one and do you allow it to limit you? Some people will always try to squash your faith. 'You need more experience, you're too young' And when you're old, 'You're too old for something like that, you need someone younger, with more energy'. You can never win, so why try. There are quite a few faith robbers around, they suffer from defeatist mentality, read you bible and you'll find quite a few.

Giants will come our way - a new job; a house move or starting your own business. You can easily be talked out of taking the step. It's a confusing time. Therefore, many people back out and later, live to regret their decision. Others go forward and they too, may regret it if it is a bad decision, but then others, are blessed in their efforts. It really is a difficult time and one where you need some wisdom. 

Proverbs 3:5-6 says: '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,' 

This is where we should look first - God. The proof that we are not trusting God, even when we say we do, is when we turn to other sources first.

Who do you turn to first?

He cares for you more than you realise

"And the LORD said, 'I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows."    

                                                                                                             Exodus 3:7     NKJV 

God's concern for His people is paramount to His thinking. His heart broke because of the plight that He saw His people suffering in Egypt, and He decided to do something about it. His heart was breaking because he cared so much. And, He feels the same way about you too. Did you realise that?

He sees all and hears all. He knows about the bullies, those taskmasters who make your life a misery. He is aware of these unfair dealings that happen to you and wants to deal with them. The thing is, you need to call out to Him 'For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved,'  Romans 10:13. Did you get that? Whoever; you are 'whoever', and God is waiting for you to call out to Him for help. When you do, He will be there.

Moses was just a shepherd. He had his memories of who he had been in Pharaoh's house. He could remember the status he had. But now, memories was all he had. Do you feel this way? Do you remember the past with fondness and wish those days would return. They won't, so stop trying to remember them. They are over; God has turned the page and He has something more wonderful for you. You are today's man or woman!

God chose Moses to go to Egypt and speak with the new Pharaoh and ask him to release the Israelites. Moses response was, 'Who am I? In other words he was saying 'What can I do? I'm nothing special. I can't even speak properly, I get all confused, I would look stupid trying to speak to Pharaoh. And, don't forget Lord, I had to flee Egypt because I killed that man. No, I can't do that'. How would you have felt in Moses' position?

You may say, 'I'm nothing special.' Is that so? Then why did Jesus go to the cross to save you; to save you from that awful situation of eternal death? Why did He rescue you from that major problem you had recently - that possible eviction from your home; that continuous unemployment, that life-threatening sickness? Why was that? If you are not special, why does He even bother with you? 

Think that through and realise that you are so precious to Jesus; you are loved; He cares for you and wants to use you in His service. You see, He chooses who he chooses. If He has chosen you for a task, then you are the one who can do it. Instead of asking, 'Who am I? think 'Who do I belong to? You belong to the King of kings and he loves you, He cares about you. And now He is saying, 'Come on, let's get this job done.'

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

You're standing on Holy ground

"Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground."  

                                                                                                          Exodus 3:1-5   NKJV 

The back of Sinai or Horeb, was known as the back of the desert. It was a deserted and derelict place; dry, hot, dusty and boring terrain. Nothing else. It was by no accident that Moses led his flock of sheep around there. 'He had spent forty years in Egypt thinking he was a somebody; forty years in the wilderness learning he was a nobody and was now, going to spend another forty years seeing what God can do with a nobody' (Dwight L Moody). It was a divine appointment. He was not 'Yesterday's Man', and neither are you.

He saw a bush burning. Now this was not unusual to see this in such a dry and hot place, but this was different. It kept on burning without going out. It also spoke to Him, calling his name. It is quite interesting that, Moses answered it and said, 'Here I am.' It makes one feel that he knew about God and, this was possibly right, after-all, his father in law was a priest. 

Now, this is called a Theophany - an appearance of God or a god, to a human being; a divine manifestation. Now, here was Moses in a lonely, hot desert with a bush speaking to him. It was not exactly an everyday event.  But, Moses recognised that it was God and spoke with Him. How does God speak to you? If He can speak through a bush, then He can speak via a TV program or sermon, music, a book, a sudden unexplainable circumstance or the bible. It is not usually in an audible voice but something that you feel inwardly and, you know without doubt, that it is God.

Note how God told Moses that the place where he was standing was holy ground v5. Wherever God is, it's holy ground and, as He lives in you, He is all around, so it is holy ground and we need to respect it as such.

God had a plan for Moses and He has one for you too. If you don't know it already, He will show you as you remain on holy ground

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Reigning in your heart

"But you have an anointing from the Holy One and you know all things."     

                                                                                                           1 John 2:20     NKJV 

Everywhere you look at times, it appears dismal. This is how you may be feeling at this moment. You may not be flowing in the Holy Spirit, in fact, you may be feeling you are miles away from Him. That is not true. He is right there with you. You may have had a meltdown and messed everything up; and you may have had a meltdown to beat all meltdowns. But Jesus knows all about meltdowns; He deals with a lot of them and as a person calms down and repents, He forgives,  (1 John 1:9).

It may be raining outside but, He is reigning inside (1 John 2:20). Yes, if you have made a commitment to Jesus, He is reigning in your heart and what's more, you have an anointing from the Holy One and, deep down you know this. You know He'll forgive you and you know he'll never leave you (Hebrews 13:5).

However, the devil will try to confuse you here, 'God will never forgive you now. You've gone too far this time.' That is not true, He is reigning in your heart. The devil knows this and he hates you for it. He will try every trick in the book to get you to give up. he'll make you feel awful and heavy with sin - condemnation. But, 'There is therefore now, no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus' (Romans 8:1). 'Yes but, I'm not in Christ Jesus if I act like I do.' Yes you are, and by the way to say anything different is a lie from the devil.

Alice Cooper, the Rock Star famous for School's Out and his zany ways, became a Christian a while ago. He recently told the press that he found it easier to come off drugs and booze than to be a Christian. And it can be true. To be a Christian, takes all that we have. It is a daily sacrifice to Jesus. This is why we need to walk closely with Him. However, we are not perfect yet but, we are getting close.

Until then, don't quit - get up and do another round. Be encouraged, it may be raining outside but Jesus is reigning in your heart.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Press the Button

"For we walk by faith, not by sight."                                        2 Corinthians 5:7     NKJV 

There are several things we must do in order to receive. For example, when it's dark we put the light on so that we can see properly. We open the door to walk out or walk into our home. We put on clothes to be dressed and take them off to shower. This means that the shower must be turned on. Do you get the idea? It's basic stuff, we just take it for granted that this is all going to work. Therefore, it must be the same to act in faith.

We are called to walk by faith not, by what we see in the natural. This means, if God says we are healed, then we need to receive and accept this and live healed, (1 Peter 2:24). Furthermore, if God says He will supply our needs, (Matthew 6:33 & Philippians 4:19), then again, we must receive them. That is faith.

When we press the button on all of these things, we need to receive them; not just the everyday things like, lights and showers, but the things we can't see but, God is telling us that they are there, (2 Corinthians 4:18). We must press the button to receive and it will come, (Mark 11:24). The bible is faith-filled. We can't just read and accept the things we want to and ignore the rest. We need to accept and study the whole package.

In Mark 5, the woman who had the issue of blood and had lived this way for twelve years, said, 'If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.' v28. Jairus who had a sick daughter, said to Jesus, 'Come and lay Your hands on her that she may be healed, and she will live' v23. Blind Bartimaeus replied to Jesus, when He asked, 'What do you want Me to do for you?' He replied, 'Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.' Jesus said to him, 'Go your way; your faith as made you well.'

These are facts, and they can't be explained away that, it was back in bible times, 'It's different now.' No it isn't, 'Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.' (Hebrews 13:8). It is still the same today. Jesus Christ still heals and He still provides our needs. He never changes. However, there is a condition and that is, we must believe and receive, (Mark 11:24). Oral Roberts used to say, 'Believe and receive, doubt and do without.' Smith Wigglesworth said, 'If God said it, I believe it and that settles it.'

Just press that button and find out and then live this way from now on.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Pay attention

 My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings."     

                                                                                                     Proverbs 4:20-23    NKJV

God's Word, continues to give us wisdom and the more we read it, we will have a choice to take hold of this wisdom for our own lives. Here, the word says, 'Pay attention.' How many times did we hear that when we were at school? Many, many times if you are anything like me. I have this habit of drifting off into my own kind of world, and I have to work hard to keep the focus.I am sure that I'm not the only one.

We need to listen and be willing to learn. As much as we think we do, we do not, know it all. There is always something new to learn with God. As we focus on the Word of God, we are given wisdom to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to Him; and one of these ways, is our health. We only have one heart and we need to take care of it. In fact, we need to guard it and protect it. Stress and heartache is a killer and we need to guard the heart from all of this.

Wisdom is the best medicine as it, safeguards us from life-threatening evils, if we are not careful our hearts can become contaminated. Jesus says in Mark 7:21: 'For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,' What's in the heart comes out of the mouth. David Jeremiah comments on this, 

'Until Christ is on the throne of a person's life, he or she cannot have the kind of heart that will produce the right kinds of speech; one that is constantly readied and receptive towards God.'

                                                                                   Copyright The Jeremiah Study Bible.

If we want health to all our flesh, we need to start taking care of ourselves. Overwork, lack of sleep and being overweight are strong contenders to bad health. But, so is having ungodly thoughts, speaking foul stuff about people in gossip and criticism. It all has to go if we want to be healthy in our mind, will and emotions.

So therefore, is it time to pay attention and get fit?

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE