Jesus draws crowds. Part two

"Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. 4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying." v3-4                                                                                Mark 2:1-12    NKJV

The people heard that Jesus was running a house group in His home and packed the place out. Because of the fact that, Jesus draws crowds, there was no more room left in the place. This did not prevent four men taking a different route into the house. They had arrived carrying a disabled man on his bed. On finding that there was no room, they went up the steps at the side of the house and began ripping up the roof. In those days, each house had stairs at the side of the flat roofed house - ideal for sunbathing or ripping up roofs.

Now, this type of behaviour would put most people off running a house group. No one would want the roof of their house ripping off, but Jesus didn't mind. The men dug through the mud and thatch of the roof and then lowered the disabled man and bed, down to Jesus.

They meant business. Nothing was going to stop them getting to Jesus and this impressed Him. Do we invite people to church to hear a famous preacher or to introduce them to Jesus? There is probably a bit of both in our intentions. The four men knew what the disabled man needed and knew that Jesus could meet this need. Jesus noticed this faith and determination and honoured them. Who is there for you when you are feeling low, depressed or ill? Are you there for others when they feel like this? This is love in action.

Notice that the scribes had not spoken out loud v7-8. However, Jesus perceived in His spirit what they were thinking. We need to be careful here. People don't know what we are thinking but, Jesus does. The mind will often judge, criticise and accuse people. We don't have to voice it. We need to take those thoughts captive 2 Corinthians 10:4-6. Often, we can't stop what comes into our minds but, we don't have to dwell on them.

The outcome to this house group event, was lame legs came to Jesus on a bed and healthy legs walked back home. Jesus draws crowds. He also answers our prayers and responds to our faith. The four men and possibly the disabled one, knew that Jesus could heal him. They demonstrated their faith and Jesus honoured them.Do you believe He can heal you?

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehowardHi.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Jesus draws crowds. Part one

"Immediately, many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door, And He preached the word to them." v2    Mark 2:1-12     NKJV 

Jesus drew crowds wherever He went. Here, He was at home and the house was so crowded that people couldn't even get in the door. What is it that drew the crowds to Him? Well, quite simply, they had a need. Some needed healing, some encouragement, many needed loving attention and comfort. But there were others there that had a need - the scribes with their Pharisaical hearts. They had a need. They needed to know about this guy who claimed to be the Son of God. They needed to know who it was who had the audacity to heal someone on the Sabbath, and what was He doing healing people in the first place? Only God could do this. They thought it was unnatural to act in such a way. They were right, because it was supernatural what they had witnessed.

Jesus drew crowds, do you? Do people gather around you because you have something different, because they have a need? If you have made a commitment to Jesus, He is right there with you. People notice this, but perhaps you don't. When people want to spend time with you, you may shrug them off because of embarrassment or because of busy-ness. But, because Jesus lives within you, they feel the need to speak with you. In a way, because of Jesus, we are like magnets; people are drawn to us. You may be in the supermarket or on a bus and all of sudden, someone may start speaking with you and before you know it, they have unloaded a lot of their problems. Don't be surprised if this happens. Jesus draws crowds.

Of course, because of the fact that Jesus lives in you, you may draw bad crowds. We've probably all come up against the person who, no matter what is said about Jesus, they will argue with you. 'What about the starving people in the world, what about cancer and abuse?' You will always have this wherever you go. The fact of the matter is, we have no answers to this so, it is futile trying to defend Jesus, he doesn't need or want it. They probably will not believe you even if you came up with the best answer possible. So stay away from that.

Then of course, there are the persecutions. People may pick us up if we make a stand about a particular thing that conflicts with our faith. They may make a big protest about us. But, if we mention the fact they we are being persecuted for our faith, it goes unanswered or better still, ignored. There is a lot of injustice int this world. But, Jesus draws crowds.

However, our job is to allow the crowds to be drawn to  Jesus. In a way, we don't have to do anything to make this happen, except to be available to Jesus. When we are in this position, the Holy Spirit will guide and direct us, He will also draw people to us. Don't ignore them because of embarrassment or because you are busy. Allow God to use you. After all, Jesus draws crowds.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehowardHi.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Bring Me your 'not enough'

"And they said to Him, 'We have here only five loaves and two fish.' 18 He said, 'Bring them here to me.'"                                                               Matthew 14:17-18     NKJV 

Do you ever have something important to do but think, 'I have nothing to give?' It can happen to all of us. Life can be full on at times and the stress and the strain can begin to take its toll. These are the times when we need to go to Jesus because, 'without Me, you can do nothing' John 15:5.

This was how the disciples were feeling that day when Jesus, told them to feed the people. There were in total, with men, women and children, roughly about 20000 mouths to feed. All they had was five loaves of bread and two fish. Now if the fish had been whales, it might have been different. However, it wasn't. They were just your run of the mill fish and the five ordinary loaves. Can you imagine how they felt at such a request, 'You've got to be joking, Jesus.' But, no joke, He was serious.

Notice that Jesus told them to bring the food to Him. That was the the formula of that day and remains the same today. Take what you have to Jesus. The second thing Jesus did was to bless it. Without His blessing, things don't really go well. So we take whatever to Him and ask Him to bless it. 

It is like Jesus is saying, 'Bring Me your 'not enough' and I will make it, 'more than enough'. He always acts with abundance John 10:10. 'Not enough', can become, 'more than enough,' when we place it in Jesus' hands and believe He can do whatever we ask, and more.

 Do you get the idea? You may feel like you have nothing to give but, deep inside there is always something you can find and take it to Him. He is the God of more than enough. He offers superabundance, excessive overflowing and extraordinary life. If you are feeling like you have nothing today, change your thinking. In Jesus, you have all you need.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehowardHi.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

More on words

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

                                                                                                Proverbs 4:20     NKJV 

Most people go through life thinking God never speaks to them. Actually, He is speaking all the time to each of us. He shows us the way, warns us about different things and gently encourages us. However, our minds are usually so full of insignificant things that we miss a lot of what He is saying.

We ask God about something and then we give Him the answer, or we hear a part of it, believe we have heard Him right and then, set off on a journey that He didn't send us on in the first place. Our minds are constantly full of clutter and we are easily distracted or begin to daydream about something or other. When I was at Uni, the lecturer would be waffling on about something and my brain would be far away because I had drifted off into my own little world. All I saw was his lips moving. Then when I had returned to earth, I would be trying to whisper to the person next to me about what I had missed.

We are all like it and it can be a part of us. Sometimes it is nice to drift off into our own private world. However, not at the cost of missing what God wants to tell us. At times, if we could disect our brain to examine what the content was, we would probably see about 75% of what we don't need and 25% of what we do. We can be in church listening to a sermon and yet flying on a plane to our holiday destination instead of listening properly. Have you ever drifted off and the teacher, preacher or lecturer asks you what you think about what he has just said? (I have). Surely, I'm not the only one. What about that book you are reading, you can read the words and not take in any of it because you are focused on something else. Some of us try to read, watch the TV and hold a conversation at the same time. It doesn't work; we need to discipline ourselves.

Steve Furtick comments: 'Ask yourself, what guidance was God trying to give you today that you didn't hear because it was buried by negative noise?'  (Chase the Chatterbox - Steve Furtick)

I believe that God is challenging us all to begin to listen to Him properly. To do this, we need to rid our mind of all of the clutter and turn the TV off, don't answer your mobile and refuse all other distractions. It may mean shutting yourself away for an hour; going for a walk or driving to a scenic place where you can begin to focus on Him. This type of stuff pays dividends, it is discipline. Just look at the contenders in the Olympics recently, they needed to be totally focused and away from distractions. So do you.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehowardHi.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Which inner word do you listen to?

"and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus"                                              Philippians 4:7      NKJV 

There are so many thoughts that come into our minds each day, that it is hard to process them all. They come when we least expect them but, where do they come from? We have a very complex brain that is working non-stop throughout our lives. It is what gives us ideas and the ability to be creative. It is what gets us through life. However, what about the inner words that just drop into our minds?

Pastor Steve Furtick, in his exciting book Crash the Chatterbox, says, 'It is in the mind that the transmission of God's plans for our lives either succeed or fail.' In other words, what we listen to and, accept, will determine how well we do. We can be going about our day when suddenly words come into our minds, such as: 'You're useless, you will not succeed in what you have planned. You know that you can't do it.' So we don't have to be a rocket scientist to realise where those words are coming from - the pit. Satan does not have the capacity to pay us compliments. He is so full of, pumped up hate and selfish glory that he cannot pay compliments to anyone, except of course, himself.

So why do we fall for them? We consider applying for a job but straightaway, we may hear. 'It's a waste of time, you'll never get it; and even if you do, you won't last long.' People can also say negative things to us such as, 'It's no good going to Uni; it'll be too much for you and I don't think you can do it'. Then of course, there is the gossip type of words that filter through your mind, 'That man does not like you, he's out to hurt you, watch him.' Now that kind of word, can be a warning from the Holy Spirit but, it may not be. Once again, Satan may be pulling your strings to make you suspicious about someone who may well be innocent. You need discernment.

Isaiah 26:3 says, 'You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You.' Note the words, 'stayed on'. This means that as we fasten our attention, totally and every day on Jesus, He will help us by giving us Shalom - perfect peace. This is the type of peace that Paul mentions in our text today. It surpasses all understanding and guards our hearts and minds. Surpasses means, 'to do more than, to be superior or to be greater than.' This is the type of peace Jesus offers us. It will 'guard' our hearts and minds. In other words, this peace takes care of us and watches over us and helps us to know the way to go. It helps us to be calm in the midst of chaos.

We will always have words come into our minds. Often they are the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit, directing us what to do, where to go and how to do a certain thing. But, we will always have other words come into our minds. Now these may be full of things you need or want to do, like a project or going on holiday. They may also be your own frustration, allowing yourself to become uptight over such a small thing. However, they may well be negative, full of condemnation or accusation.You will know where that one is from.

Learn to know the difference. It can be a minefield but if you stay close to Jesus, He will stay close to you; giving you that peace that surpasses all understanding.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehowardHi.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Faith or Fear

"Jesus said to them, 'Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith and confidence [in Me]?" v40                                                        Mark 4:35-41    Amplified Study Bible

After a busy ministry day, Jesus suggested they go over the other side of the Sea of Galilee. As can often happen in this region, a storm broke out and the waves became very troublesome. They feared they would sink and were dismayed to see that Jesus was asleep in the stern. After challenging Jesus, practically saying that He didn't care that they were in peril, Jesus stood up and stilled the water and peace was restored. 

Now, the disciples had been with Jesus for some time, witnessing many miracles. One would have thought they felt secure with Him. This resulted in Jesus rebuking them because of their lack of faith and trust in Him to take care of them. Jesus had been very much at peace as He gently snoozed on a cushion. He was very content and this was the way he had been teaching His disciples to be, as well. They appeared to grasp hold of this concept and then, at the first sign of fear, panicked.

Let us be honest, we can all be this way. We confess our trust in Him and tell who we may about His faithfulness and then, when a storm comes our way, we can be a bundle of nerves. 'How are we going to pay this bill', we say when an unexpected envelope drops on our mat. 'I've not allowed for this, we'll be skint.' And then, what about when the doctor rings and says he wants to see us to discuss an abnormality? Panic sets in and we begin to believe the worst. 

Have we forgotten that, when we gave our hearts to Jesus, He told us not to worry, 'But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness {His way of doing and being right - the attitude and character of God}, and all these things will be given to you also.' Matthew 6:33 Amplified.  Jesus expects us to put Him in the driving seat of our life. This means being people of faith, not fear, which is the total opposite. 

When a crisis comes along, the first thing we should do, is call on Jesus. That is how He wants it to be. I remember Pastor Ray McCauley preaching that the church in South Africa had received a huge bill. On looking at the amount of the bill, he said to Jesus, 'Jesus, we can't pay this, it is your problem, not mine. I'm going home' And he did and God honoured him and the debt was paid.

You may feel this is quite rude and alien to how you would speak to Jesus. However, this worked for Pastor Ray and he believed that God wants us to be this way with Him. It is called, exercising our faith, not fear.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehowardHi.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Lies and deceit.

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."     John 10:10     NKJV 

Following Daniel's night with the lions, he had no injury whatsoever. God had protected him as he did, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, while they were in the hot furnace (Daniel 3). It could well have been a scary night but, if it was, Daniel showed no sign of it. 

Think about this episode for a moment. How would you have handled this? Christians in many parts of the world suffer terrible persecutions, even losing their lives because of their faith. Yet, they do not give in.

Temptation to compromise can be strong when we find ourselves in difficult circumstances. People may try to persuade us to take an easier route, 'You can always repent afterwards, God will forgive you.' He probably would, but would we forgive ourselves? Jesus took the route to the cross. He took no easier route but, went the whole way suffering the pain and the humiliation for us. Shouldn't we do the same? It's hard to say you would when you're not in the situation, but it may be different if you are. I believe at times such as this, Jesus gives us the strength to be able to cope with it all, no matter what.

When we are going through difficult situations and we are ready to throw the towel in and compromise our faith, we can almost hear the devil whispering, 'Go on, do it, no one will know.' Don't ever fall for that lie, because he will tell tales about you, after all, he's a liar. He's also a thief too (John 10:10), he will steal all that you have got if you let him, in fact, he will destroy you.

You see, the devil has nothing to look forward to. He has blown it and will suffer the consequences when Jesus returns. Therefore, he wants to take as many people with him as possible. However, take another look at the experiences of Daniel and his young friends. They knew they were in for a bad time and it would lead to their death. However, their trust was in God and they would not turn from that.

You may be going through a rough time at present. You may be at risk of losing your job because of your faith. Then again, you may be suffering terrible persecutions because people know you trust Jesus. Stand firm and keep standing (Ephesians 6). Call on Jesus and He will stand with you. Don't let the devil steal your faith. Take authority in Jesus' Name. Like Daniel and his friends, they will discover that they cannot take you on and win, because Jesus gives you the victory.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehowardHi.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE