It's time to get some rest

"Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one."                            Ephesians 6:16     NKJV 

Tony Evans in his excellent bible commentary, writes: 'Faith is like activating a divine fire extinguisher'.    The Tony Evans Bible Commentary.

Think about that for a moment. Fire extinguishers put out fires in small areas. They prevent the fire from spreading further. Putting this into a biblical context is to quench the danger of a fiery arrow from Satan, preventing it from going any further. The contamination of his lies and accusations are quenched immediately.

However, to be able to do this and 'stand' v13, we have to be strong in our commitment to Jesus. The evil one knows when the time is right to attack and fires arrows at us. He plots and schemes, using all the things he needs to hurts us. This can include family and friends. He will use them to hurt us.

This is why God's armour is very important v10-18. We must ensure that we put this on before we start our day. This is done during our prayer time, every day. It helps to fill our hearts and our minds with the word.

Watch the tiredness. The devil knows the right time for an attack. An army plant guards in their area to keep watch and guard the situation. They are prepared for this task. It is an essential role. Likewise, we also need to be able to guard our most treasured possession - ourselves, so that we can function correctly. Working long hours, burning the midnight oil and generally not taking adequate care of ourselves is a recipe for disaster. We need to be on the ball and alert 1Peter 5:8: 'Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking who he may devour.' 

Be honest with yourself, are you doing too much? Are you tired and worn out because of attacks you are receiving from the evil one. Stand up, you have the power to prevent this. You have to do it as well. You have to resist him 1 Peter 5:9. To be able to do this, you need to be alert, fit and watchful. Just the fact that you are feeling as you do, demonstrates how much you need to take some time out and rest: 'And He said to them,"Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while"'.  Mark 6:31. If Jesus said it, you need it.

Recharge your batteries, even your mobile only runs for a short time before requiring more energy. You're the same. You know it makes sense.

 

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Growth is coming

"Then He said to them, 'To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? 31 It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; 32 but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.'"                                        Mark 4:30-32    NKJV 

Jesus was saying that, the kingdom of God may be small at the start but, it will grow and will continue this way. It may be small at this time but it will have an outstanding growth, something that is still going on today. He likened it to a mustard seed. Now, this is very small and yet, once planted it will eventually grow into a very large treelike, shrub, perhaps between 10 - 12 feet high, with sturdy branches. On this, all types of birds will nest. This shows how sturdy the mustard tree would be because, some large birds have large nests and they are heavy.

Let's look at this from your standpoint. We all start off small. Whether it is a business, a marriage or a career, most of us have to start at the bottom until we have gained more experience. As a pastor in a church, starting off was quite difficult as there were only about twelve people in the congregation. It took a little time but, the church began to grow until eventually, we had a reasonable attendance of regular people. However, I would often get asked, 'Where are the people, pastor, the church is not very big,' My answer was always the same, 'That's right, but Jesus is here and that's all that matters.'

People tend to measure things by the size and not the quality. At that time, I would have sooner had twenty or so, spirit-filled, born again, going for it Christians than just pew fillers. Small can be good because it gives God the opportunity to be able to move and deal with things that need this. Zechariah 4:10 says, 'For who has despised the day of small things.' Your situation at this time may be small. It may be a business, a university or college space, a marriage or starting off in a new job. It may be small at this time. It may be hard work but, anything that is worth it, takes a little effort and time to develop. At this time for you, small is good.

You may run a home group with hardly anyone in it or you may attend a church that appears to have died. Don't give up, don't despise the day of small things. Acorns finally turn into great oak trees; flowers and vegetables are planted but can't be harvested straightaway. It takes time for growth, but it is worth it.

Jesus wants you to trust Him and walk with Him because, He thinks that you are so special. 

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehowardHi.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

What you sow determines what you harvest

"Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. 25 For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."     

                                                                                                     Mark 4:24-25     NKJV

This teaching has been misinterpreted over the years with people saying that the Lord gives to us and takes away. There is a slight truth in this but, they make this sound as if God is a harsh God and will punish us unless we get in line with Him. Not so; God is a good God and will do all He can to bless and prosperous us. It's true that some people have more material goods than others do. Perhaps they have made better choices, inherited from rich family, are involved in crooked deals or are just successful because they were in the right place at the right time. This has always been and until Jesus' return, will remain.

However here, Jesus is talking about people applying His words to their lives. When they do, they are given even more spiritual truth, making their lives richer. Those who do nothing with His words, lose what little spiritual understanding they already possess. In other words, people who turn from God's truth may find that truth taken away from them.

David Guzik writes, 'When we hear the word, we become accountable so we must take care how we hear. People should be careful to put themselves under good teachers, who teach the whole counsel of God.'              Copyright David Guzik Enduring Word

Jesus appeals for spiritual perception. Those who receive the truth will have their capacity for understanding enlarged and their knowledge increased. Those who disbelieve or are indifferent  will lose whatever ability for understanding they had, and therefore, will continue in ignorance.

When we receive God's word with gladness, more will be given. We'll be given more love and peace. We'll receive more understanding and that wonderful feeling of living our lives 24/7 with Jesus. God wants to give each one of us more and more. Now this could be finance. The more we bless people with our finances, the more God will pour back to us. It is called tithing. We cannot out give God, because the finance that we have, came from Him in the first place. Many people tithe, many people don't. It is a personal thing with God. But we cannot get away from the fact that the more we give - money, love or just ourselves, to the less fortunate, the more God will pour out His blessing back to us.

The bottom line though is, the more we give to God, His word and His teaching, the more we will receive back from Him. If you want to be in a place of blessing, get into God's word whenever you can.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehowardHi.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Change

"Behold, I will do a new thing. now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."     Isaiah 43:19     NKJV 

Just the mere mention of the word, 'Change', can stir up anxiety in some people. People feel threatened by this because we are settled and feel secure, why change things? Change brings loss; a loss of your surroundings, your job, house, where you live, your family etc. etc. Many things change very quickly. You may be working for a company and are happy and love the job and the people. All of a sudden, the company changes hands and the change begins. Your job may change, your area of work, your workmates, you may even be made redundant because of the change. All of this adds to the feeling of loss and it is hard to negotiate.

However, there is a need for change at times. There is a change when you are born again. Your old life has to go and you begin to walk in a new area of life. It's exciting and challenging but takes a little getting used to. The loss comes from giving up your old way of life and walking with Jesus. If there was no change here e.g being born again, then, there would be no relationship with Jesus and, at the end of your life, no heaven. Things need to change.

When you decided to walk with Jesus, God began doing a new thing in your life and, it's not over yet Philippians 1:6. When God began His work in you, you knew, without doubt, that you were different, the change had begun. Now He is making a way forward for you to serve Him in whatever capacity He leads you in. It may be preaching, pastoring or it may be in the music world. However, it may be in the environment where you were initially. There is no change to your workplace but, there is a new person in the job - you!

Note the sentence, 'I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.' It may be a dry old route that God leads you along. You may have to wait ages before you discover what He has in mind for you. You may be sitting on the 'sub's bench' for an age before He opens a door. It may feel a little dry, but keep going because God, is preparing you for the task He has in mind. As soon as you are ready, that door will open and before you know it, you will be on your way.

You my be struggling with change at the moment. Things have taken a turn in your life and you are beginning to count the loss of it all. Don't be negative, be optimistic. You may not fully realise what is happening at this time but, God does and if you allow Him, He will be very much in control of the situation. Just trust Him, praise Him and obey Him. Your time is coming - soon.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehowardHi.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Practice what you preach!

"So practice and observe everything they tell you, but do not do as they do; for they preach [things], but do not practice them."      Matthew 23:3     Amplified Study Bible 

In Jesus' time, most synagogues had a stone seat at the front of the building where men of authority would preach and teach the Law. This was known as Moses' seat. Jesus, listening to the Pharisees teaching, later spoke with His disciples about the Pharisees explaining, that much of their teaching was sound but, they were hypocritical. He discussed the points in which their hypocrisy neutralised the validity of their instruction.

The Pharisees were good at telling people what to do but, not good at carrying out these instructions themselves. This is why He addressed their hypocrisy. Instead of helping to relieve the burden of others, the Pharisees weighed them down with burdens, putting great trips upon them.

Let us think about this for a moment, Can we be like this? Do we live up to what we preach - what we talk about, and then, have a meltdown when things begin to go wrong for us? Basically, are we in control of our situations, or do we forget about what we have read in the bible when something goes against our thinking? It can be anything; one moment we can be flowing in the Holy Spirit and then, crash, something takes our focus and we have a meltdown, say a few unkind words to someone and generally do not live up to what we are preaching.

We are all the same. Some are better at handling things than others but, we all trip up and lose our peace when we take our eyes off Jesus. It is mostly to do with our thought life. Something happens, possibly in a second and it completely takes over. Our thoughts process something and if we are not careful, words come out of our mouths that we didn't intend saying. It could be said that we need to check our hearts Matthew 15:16-20, and this is true. However, our hearts can be full of Jesus one moment and then cursing a situation or someone, the next. We need to get the balance right.

Thankfully, we have a great mentor in Jesus. He will forgive us when we let ourselves down. However, He wishes for us to get the balance right and practice what we preach, otherwise people see hypocrisy in action and it negates our testimony.

If this has spoken to you, believe me, you are not alone. We are all able to act in such a way but it is now, time to deal with this problem. Join me in this prayer:

'Lord Jesus, please help me to get my life right with You. I let myself down so much and therefore, You too. Please help me to be able to cleanse my heart so that, only You, Lord, are on display, not hypocrisy. Lord I ask in Your name. Amen.'

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehowardHi.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

How do you react?

"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 

Note the words, 'Whatever you do'. This doesn't mean what you do at church or when you're feeling happy about something. No, it means, 'Whatever you do,' period.

Firstly, Paul mentions whatever you do in:

Word

 This will include what you say to others, or generally to yourself. It's what comes out of your mouth that He is discussing. How you speak to others; how you answer them and, how you respond to criticism? When you are under pressure, the kids are screaming, the car won't start and you are late for work. How do you speak? Do you honour Jesus or, do you let rip with a few choice words that seem to fit the occasion. How do you answer that person who always seems to catch you when you are dashing off somewhere or have a thousands things to do on you agenda. Do you answer with the grace of God or, are you abrupt with them. 

What about criticism. There are two types of criticism, firstly there is the type that rips a person apart, picking out all of the things you should have done or did wrong. This can be hard to handle. Secondly, there is constructive criticism. This type encourages and build a person up and shows how perhaps, something could have been presented better. This type is positive and should never be received as someone getting at you.

Deed

This one includes what you do at work, at play, the chores you have to carry out and requests from people. Things can come against our plans at times and when your diary is full and set in concrete, it can really cause you panic if you get anything extra. We should always be flexible. We have to prioritise - what is important and what can be moved to a later date, type of thing. This is an area where many people feel great pressure.

Then there are the times when you have done all you can to please someone and it is never satisfactory. You become unfairly treated and it is hard not to give that person a piece of your mind. But, think, how would Jesus handle it.

What about when you receive a parking ticket. This is never easy. Sometimes, we genuinely forget the time and go over the period only to receive a ticket. How do you handle this? I remember getting a ticket a few years ago. I had purchased a ticket but it must have blown off the dash when I got out of the car. I had the dog with me at the time and, he ate it, There was just a little piece left. I ran after the warden with the small piece of ticket and tried to explain. However, he wouldn't believe me. Would you? Anyway, I gave him a piece of my mind - both barrels. When I returned to the car God said to me, 'Do you feel better? Now go and apologise to the man.' I tried to argue with God but that was no use. Therefore, I chased after him, explained that I was a Christian and should never have spoken to him in this manner. I then asked him to forgive me. He looked at me as if I was loopy, grunted, 'Ok' and then walked off. He may have thought I was insane, but I felt so much better.

We should always do all things in the name of Jesus, giving thanks to God. We need to know that God approves of our action - words and deeds. We really must do all things with His reputation in mind and, our testimony to whoever is listening or watching us.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehowardHi.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

 

Set your mind on Jesus

"Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth."     Colossians 3:2      NKJV 

Focus on your friend Jesus and on heaven, which is reward. Our mind is working all the time, constantly processing information. What we think about, affects us more than we realise.  Charles F Stanley writes, 'Who you are today is the result of what you have been thinking all these past years.'  The Charles F Stanley Life Principles Bible. 

When we allow our thoughts to run riot, our thinking becomes distorted. We start to play mind games within our head and it is not unusual to have a psychological conversation with someone who has offended us, even when they are nowhere near us. Have you never done this? The conversation can become so heated as we let rip with all of the pent up frustrations that we carry in our hearts.We let them have it with both barrels. This may feel quite satisfying at the time but, that person is not there with us. They know nothing about it at all and after you have said all you needed to say, the problem is still there.

We need to control our thoughts and take them captive. Capture these thoughts and as we have mentioned many times, make them obedient to Christ, 2 Corinthians 10:4-6. Forbid them to lead you astray; the root of them are from the evil one and contain lies and intimidations. The devil wants to torment you with these things. Don't let Him. 

We need to focus our thoughts on the things that honour the Lord. It's His goal to change us into the likeness of Jesus. This transformation begins in our minds:

'I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 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 12:1-2    NKJV

Jesus has given us all we need to be able to conquer our mind and make it obedient to Christ. He doesn't want you focusing on such rubbish, He wants each one of us to be transformed into warriors for Him.

Copyriight 2021 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehowardHi.blogspot.com 

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE