Saturday, 16 October 2021

The narrow road can be difficult but, well worth it

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad and easy to travel is the path that leads the way to destruction and eternal loss, and there are many who enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow and difficult to travel is the path that leads the way to [everlasting] life and there are few who find it."    
                                                          Matthew 7:13-14     The Amplified Study Bible

We always have choices to make in life and we have to live by these choices. Many choose to enter the wide gate where the road is wide and straight and, it looks by far, the easiest choice. Sadly, this is a bad choice. It may look easy and pleasurable but we read, it leads to disaster and loss in the end. Without Jesus, we are lost. The narrow gate, in contrast, leads to life but it comes with a cost because the road is full of potholes and obstacles that can cause great problems.

The majority of people choose the easy route - the wide gate. They may go to church once a week because this is what they have always done. However, there has been no encounter with Jesus in their hearts. In fact, some don't bother with Jesus and still feel He is a baby in the manger, not God. When they speak with a spirit-filled Christian, they feel that the other is 'religious' or even strange, especially when they speak in tongues. They are not willing to accept the way to eternal life through Jesus. They may even find it all offensive.

But the narrow gate is the one to enter but it takes all that we have to stay on it. Jesus never said it would be easy, but will pay dividends in the end - eternal life. This is one of the reasons why we suffer persecution and hatred. Our faith can embarrass people or even challenge them. Many when challenged, refuse to accept it and may become argumentative when we discuss Jesus. This may come from people in the street, at work or even in our own family. But we need to stick with it. A concert pianist didn't just happen, this person studied and practised for many years, giving up much of the outside world to become who they are today. A top athlete is the same. They use discipline to get their body into shape for hours on end. But when they pick up that gold medal, the feeling is awesome and it was well worth the struggle.

You may be struggling because you chose to follow Jesus. So did the early disciples and so do many pastors, evangelists and missionaries today. However, they have one thing in common. They have commitment and this is what it takes to walk along this narrow road.

It may not be easy for you but one day, when you are face to face with Jesus in heaven, you will realise that it was all worth it. Keep on going!
Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard
 



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Friday, 15 October 2021

Do you need to forgive somebody?

"For if you forgive others their trespasses [their reckless and wilful sins], your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others [nurturing your hurt and anger with the result that it interferes with your relationship with God], then your Father will not forgive your trespasses."         
                                                     Matthew 6:14-15    The Amplified Study Bible  

When reading The Lord's Prayer in the Amplified, it reads, 'And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors, [letting go of both the wrong and the resentment]  Matthew 6:12. When we pray The Lord's Prayer, as directed by Jesus, we need to realise that He takes this very seriously indeed. In this part of the prayer, we are actually asking God to forgive us our sin and confessing that we will forgive people who have sinned against us. This means forgiving and forgetting!

When other people have hurt and offended us, it is so easy to hang onto this hurt, nurture it and allow our anger and frustration to interfere with our relationship with Jesus. We quite simply are saying, 'Lord, please forgive me as I have forgiven so and so etc. But if we have not forgiven them, God knows and He will not forgive us either. We cannot pray this prayer if we are not willing to forgive and forget what someone else has done to us. It is not possible. Therefore, Jesus gave us verses 14 & 15 above and quite clearly establishes His position on this matter.

When we fail to forgive someone, it can become like a root of bitterness that will begin to build up until, we are riddled with the thought of it all. Every time we see or think about the person, we may avoid them or make it apparent that we do not wish to speak with them. We may also have mental conversations with them when we are alone. How can we fellowship with someone when we feel this way? Furthermore, how can we love them as Jesus clearly tells us to do in John 15:9-17? 

Don't become trapped into saying this prayer if you are holding a grudge against someone. If you can approach them and openly forgive them, do so. However, this is not always possible, especially if the person lives away, or if they believe that they are not guilty of offending you. At times like this, speak to God and tell Him that you forgive them and choose to forget about the matter. Then leave them to Him. Then get on and enjoy your relationship with Jesus.
Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard
 


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Thursday, 14 October 2021

When you have done all you can, keep standing

"Therefore, put on the complete armour of God, so that you will be able to [successfully] resist and stand your ground in the evil day [of danger] and having done everything [that the crisis demands] to stand firm [in your place, fully prepared, immovable, victorious].     
                                                                   Ephesians 6:13.  The Amplified Study Bible

Everyday problems are rooted in the schemes of Satan. He will do all he can to prevent us from going deeper into God and, what's more, he is totally against us putting on God's armour. Why? because he knows how powerful it is, and this is why he tries to convince us that we don't really need it. Verse 13 tells us to stand, in other words to stay in the area where victory has been achieved under the cover of God's armour. Did you get that?

We are at war and the enemy are not human but, principalities, powers, rulers of darkness of the age and spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Note that last bit - in the heavenly places. Satan will use people to cause us problems, even though they are from the church. It is not the person that gives us the trouble though, but the force that is behind them. We nearly always get this wrong and instead of using the armour to drive the spirit away, we focus on the person and the problem remains.

Our minds can be like the old teleprinter from the 60's/70's. This was an electromechanical device that was used for sending and receiving messages in typed form, rather like we receive emails today. However, the teleprinter was quite a noisy contraption and quite slow too. Whereas an email is quick and silent, the teleprinter messages, when there were several in a room, could make it hard to think because of the noise. Our minds can be this way at times. We can have stuff going through our minds that appear to demand instant attention, or are detrimental or worrying. This can cause stress and anxiety and the slow wearing down of our energy. Add this to the fact that people are giving us a bad time; our minds are playing games with us, such as feeding us fear and also everything appears to be going wrong and we are on the road to burn out. 

Quite frankly, it is an attack. The enemy knows our weaknesses and will sneak in the back door to cause us problems. Be aware of this; pray and utilise the armour. Then when you have done all you can to stand, keep on standing. If you feel you can't stand, then remember what Jesus said in 2 Corinthians 12:9 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' So there you have it.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard

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Wednesday, 13 October 2021

Don't be hoodwinked

"Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."     
                                                                                                          James 4:7-8    NKJV 

If we allow him to, the devil will hoodwink us; he will mislead us causing us to take the wrong road or decision. The definition of hoodwink is to deceive or trick. This seems very apt when considering the devil's tactics. Hoodwink is also another form of being blindfolded. To blindfold someone, is to hinder them from seeing. This gives us an insight into the behaviour of Satan.

When Jesus was in the desert, Satan approached Him saying twice, 'If You are the Son of God.' Matthew 4:3 & 6. Then in verse 9, he had the audacity to say, 'All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.' Now, Jesus would have been tired, hungry and thirsty as He struggled in His humanity but, He was still very much alert. Peter says in 1 Peter 5:8-9 'Be sober, be vigilant ; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith.' It is imperative that we remain alert and ready for any attack that may come against us. This is not a game, it is war.

Let us back up to Genesis 3. There we find the serpent (Satan) saying to Eve, 'Has God indeed said, "You shall not eat of every tree in the garden?" v1 Then again in v 4-5, 'You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'  He is a liar, a hoodwinker and deceiver. Be very careful what you read, listen to and watch. 

The serpent was then silent because God entered the scene. Take note of this, Satan remains silent when God is around, confirming that as we draw near to God, He draws near to us (James 4:7-8). By doing this, we establish that we have resisted the devil and he has to flee from our presence. 

We should never drop our guard because, as we've read, the devil walks about like a roaring lion. He's not a lion, he only tries to give that impression however, he can still do us some damage if we are not prepared. Check out what you read; what anyone tells you, especially if someone says to you, 'God has given me a word for you.' Check it out and weigh it up, don't just accept it straightaway. Just be polite and tell the person that you will pray about it.

This may all appear to be cloak and dagger stuff but, we are soldiers on active service in God's army. Therefore ensure that your weapon is in working order - your bible, and that you have enough ammunition - the knowledge of God's Word inside you. Don't be hoodwinked. 

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard













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Tuesday, 12 October 2021

The Mary & Martha Syndrome

"But Martha was distracted with much serving."  v 40          Luke 10:38-42    NKJV


The sisters, Mary and Martha were very close friends of Jesus and here, Jesus has been invited by Martha to come for dinner. As Jesus settled into their house, Martha got on with the chores of the kitchen; Mary sat at Jesus' feet listening to Him speaking.

Mary was committed to Jesus so much that whenever she was in His presence, she wanted to know more. She therefore sat at His feet. This displayed that she was a learner in submission to the teacher. After a time, Martha became frustrated that Mary was doing this while she did all of the work. She therefore went and spoke quite harshly to Jesus about His not caring that she was doing all the work while He spoke with Mary. Note, she was so frustrated that she did not speak to Mary about this but to Jesus.

Martha had become so focused on what she was doing for Jesus. It mattered to her very much that things were all in place. When our service to Jesus affects our relationship with other believers and with God Himself, there is a problem and it is time to reassess.
Take for instance If Jesus was in front of you. Would your first thought be to make sure that everything was perfect in the house and you were dressed properly, or would you stop and spend time with Him straightaway. Mary had made her choice and, it was the right one. Martha could have done the same and then later, said to Mary, 'Come on, let's both get the dinner made.'

We can be so concerned in ministering for Jesus, going to this meeting and then another, reading every Christian book that we can find, that we miss the main item - Jesus Himself. He is the reason we are here. We chose to follow Him and so, we must allow Him the first place in our lives. Other things are secondary, they are not as important as meeting with Jesus. Mary got it right; Martha was distracted. Her heart was in the right place, Jesus knew that. But she had become so involved in doing things for Jesus that she had neglected to receive from Him.

Now this is food for thought. How many times do we do the same?
Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard




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Monday, 11 October 2021

Do not cast away your confidence

"Therefore, do not cast away your confidence which has great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance."                                                            Hebrews 10:35-36    NKJV 

The Christian life is never easy. At times we receive flak from all directions as we try to do what God wants. Often, we fail miserably and this can deflate our confidence. However, do not give up; you'll make it, just keep going because you are doing ok, despite what anyone else may say, especially the devil.
He is a joy and confidence stealer and will tell you that you have really made a mess of things now. You'll never be forgiven for what you've done. You've lost your salvation and will go to hell. Trust me, these are lies because that is all he knows to speak about. He's the father of lies Jesus said John 8:44.
Can we lose our salvation? Yes and no. Hebrews 6 discusses this controversial  subject and over the years this has caused people much uncertainty. The text appears to say that we can but on a closer study of this, it is referring to the person who renounces Jesus, who totally denies Him and walks away refusing to have any further dealing with Him. They have a gifting but refuse to use it to His glory. In other words, they are referred to as Apostates. Don't confuse this with the backslider - the person who has fallen away for a time deciding to go their own way. Luke 15 is a good example of this Luke 15:11-32. Further to this, don't forget that Peter denied Jesus in His time of need. He flatly refused to admit that he had anything to do with Jesus and walked away John 18:15-27. But then we see the loving side of Jesus as He restores Peter in John 21. Therefore, can we lose our salvation? Yes we can, but only if we become an Apostate totally renouncing the one who saved our soul.
Hebrews 10:26ff, tells us in a similar way that we should not carry on sinning if we belong to Jesus. Our fruit should be a testimony of who we follow - Jesus. But,1 John 1:8-9 tells us we do have sin within us and if we confess this, Jesus will forgive us.

Therefore, unless you've renounced Jesus permanently, then you are ok so don't let the devil cause you any aggro over this. He is out to steal your confidence - to undermine you. Don't let him. You are the son or daughter of the King of kings. You are precious and loved by the creator of this world and one day He will give you the biggest hug that you have ever had. Be confident in this.
Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard
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Sunday, 10 October 2021

Power shortage

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
                                                                                                         2 Timothy 1:7    NKJV 

These past few weeks, the country has been undergoing petrol shortages and this has caused panic buying. This type of behaviour is born out of fear. No petrol - no power - not being able to travel anywhere. 
In addition to this, the media has been frightening people with reports of very high energy rises. Power shortages are forecast to force the prices to go sky-high, possibly adding around £400 extra per year. This has obviously caused more fear where people are worried that they will not be able to pay these fees. So if they can't pay, they will have no power. Many people are considering not having any heating at all which again, adds to the fear level where lives could be at risk through hypothermia. All of this causes many of us great concern.

However, as Spirit-filled, Born again Christians we have the Word of God. Take today's text for instance: 'For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." There are key words in this text: 
Fear - We have not been given a spirit of fear (False evidence appearing real -  copyright Bob Gass) He does not want His people to be moved by fear. All the way through the New Testament we hear Jesus asking, 'Why did you fear?' When we fall into fear we succumb to panic and torment and we live in an anxious state of mind.
Power - It is not the power of the world that we need. This is inferior when we compare it with the power that God has for us. The world may be short of power but, Jesus isn't and when we need it, the Holy Spirit will provide it. People may sneer at this but we believe in the Word of God.
Love - Do you really think that God would let us down when we need Him the most. Never! He loves us too much for that to happen. He wants us to trust in His love because He will not let us down.
Sound mind - When we allow our minds to get into fear and panic, we are not thinking straight. There is no need for this because, He has given us a sound mind. We always believe and think the best; we should never doubt.

The world may continue to try to cause panic because of such things, but, take note of what God says, He has not given us a spirit of fear. Own that and live by it each day. 

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard

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