"I've had enough, get me out of here, Lord"

"And he prayed that he might die and said, 'It is enough! Now Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.' V4                                                1 Kings 19:1-18     NKJV 

Elijah had just had a major victory over 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. But often, after such exciting feats, we can often suffer bouts of fear, doubt and depression. The adrenaline has worn off and we are left alone with our thoughts. This is what happened to Elijah. The threats of death from Jezebel totally terrified him and he ran and ran, getting as far away from her as possible. The thing is, as far away as he could be, he couldn't leave his fear behind. It was still rampant.

Elijah was a great man but human just like us. He was subject to fear and depression but instead of facing it, he chose to run away, went into his own little shell and isolated himself. Does this remind you of someone? Fear had overtaken his faith and he went into the world of self-pity, asking God to end his life v4. He didn't mean this however, it was just the way he felt at the time. We too, can often say similar things when we are going through a bad time. Thank goodness, God doesn't act on this!

The Lord had Elijah rest, exercise and eat sensibly which is one of the best cures for times such as these. After a good old grumble to God about things, and he had rested, God told him that it was time to return to work v15. Even though he had been in such a bad shape, he was still God's man and he had work to do. 

And so do you! You may have been going through a difficult time lately. You may have fell to rock bottom; but wherever you are at this moment, God is there too. At the time of this crisis in Elijah's life, he took his eyes off the Lord and put them on to Jezebel and this is where the fear came in. Whatever you are going through at this moment, God is greater; and what's more, He wants to show you how great He is if you will only allow Him to. You have done nothing wrong, life events have just worn you out, that is all. It happens. Focus on God, do what He says and then, get back into the race for that prize. You can do this

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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Things can change just like that

"Come, see a man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?"v29     

                                                                                                             John 4:1-38   NKJV 

Jesus was on His way to Galilee and while His disciples went shopping for food, He went through Samaria. For many Jews, this was a 'no go' area. The Jews hated the Samaritans because of their cultural, racial and gender issues. However, as we will see, Jesus was willing to engage with them, despite the differences.

 

Jesus came to Sychar, a city of Samaria and sat down at a well. He was weary from the journey and the noon day sun was beating down on Him. A woman from the city came to draw water from the well where Jesus was sitting by. He asked her for a drink and despite their differences, Jesus struck up a conversation with her and eventually, revealing who He was, 'I am He,' challenged her because of the life she led, 'you have had five husbands, and the one who you now have, is not your husband' V18.

After more conversation this all blew her away, and leaving the water pot, she ran back to the city shouting, 'Come, see a man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?' Jesus didn't criticise or judge this woman, He engaged with her, showing her that, despite their differences, He was still willing to drink water from her cup - something a devout Jew would never do. He didn't give up His own cultural, racial and gender identity in doing so but showed her a willingness to speak with her which opened the door to reach her spiritually. We should never ignore or reject the humanity of different people, as we seek to share with them the Gospel. Jesus gently and politely, challenged her, and because of this, her testimony was so effective that crowds of locals turned out and came to Jesus.

Notice a couple of things, firstly this woman had had no bible college training, she had just spent time speaking and listening to Jesus and this had a great effect on her. Secondly, Jesus made three distinct changes this day. (1)  His disciples were amazed at Jesus' behaviour and learnt the lesson of accepting other people's differences, without judgement. (2) This woman's life would never be the same again. She was completely changed. (3) Also the people of Sychar were introduced to Jesus and despite cultural, racial and gender issues, were able to accept Jesus and each other.

Jesus' beliefs were not changed, He was secure in His Father's Word; but He was willing to get alongside other people, leading them to believe without ever having to compromise His own faith. This is something that we all need to work at. Things can then change, just like that.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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Increase or Decrease (4)

"He must increase, but I must decrease"                                   John 3:26-31    NKJV 

With the popularity that John had, he could so easily have agreed with the people, that he was the Messiah, they would have believed him. However, he would have nothing to do with that. He knew his place and was happy and content with that. We should be the same; we should never attempt to be who we are not. We tend to copy and model ourselves on the people that we admire. Doing this, we end up not knowing who we are; and we live the lie. Like John, we should be content with who we are and with what we have.

If God wants to promote us, He will do. When we try to promote ourselves, we tend to become people-pleasers instead of God-pleasers. But notice John's words in verse 27: 'A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.' There is absolutely no chance that we can promote ourselves. If God wants this, he will do it Himself. The most important thing for us to do, is to be like Jesus by modelling ourselves on Him and no one else. In other words, 'He must increase, but I must decrease.'

We often hear the term, 'Give me more, Lord, give me more,' This is people's way of asking God to pour more of the Holy Spirit into them. This, in itself, is not a bad thing, we all need to be topped up each day. However, we should always seek the giver, not the gift. Many get this the wrong way around and bombard God with this request. It is far better to: 'Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you' Matthew 6:33. Seek the giver first - Jesus and He will ensure you receive what He wishes to give you.

You know, we can read the bible from cover to cover and not completely understand it until we receive revelation from heaven. Many people have tried to make sense of scriptures, such as Revelation. This is not an easy book to understand and we need the Holy Spirit to give us the necessary insight into what it is saying to us. The Holy Spirit gives us the revelation and tells us the truth and what is to come (John 16:13). He is the authority to seek; He is the one who will help us decrease whilst we ensure that Jesus increases. We need to be Spirit-led. 

Today, make the decision to allow Jesus to increase in every area of your life; by doing this, you will then be able to decrease.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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Increase or Decrease (3)

"He must increase, but I must decrease"                                John 3:25-31     NKJV 

When John the Baptist mentioned that he needed to decrease and allow Jesus to increase in his life, he was saying that he must step into the shadows, allowing Jesus to take the glory for all He does and will do and just be His servant. We all need to do this, however nothing comes easy; as soon as you try, obstacles begin to stand in your way. One of these is Disputes, which can cause three side issues - Division, Destruction and Devastation. Let's look at these:

DISPUTES  You will notice from verse 25, that a dispute arose between the Jews and John's disciples. Disputes carry a certain amount of venom and bad feeling and if not squashed immediately can lead to serious consequences within a fellowship and your relationship with God. Whether it is within a church fellowship or your own walk with God, disputes can overtake us all, so we need to be on guard. Disputes lead us to take sides and before you know it, one of the side-issues surface - Division.

(1) Division Disputes when not dealt with quickly will always cause a division. Whether we have bad feeling about what someone has said or done or it is about the interpretation of certain scripture, this is not helpful. How can Jesus increase in such an atmosphere if we have allowed ourselves to criticise, judge or berate a brother of sister? Sadly, division is a prime weapon for the enemy and many churches become split over it,

(2) Destruction Disputes can affect our walk with Jesus in many ways. When someone gossips, it can be received as the absolute truth and from there, we can allow ourselves to become involved in this behaviour. When we become like this, we tend to leave Jesus out of the equation. We begin saying things that may not be true - believing the lie that has been spread by the devil. We can also read a comment from a Christian writer, or hear a comment from a preacher, misinterpret it and tell the world to avoid the book or preacher. This destroys ministries and Jesus does not increase in your life.

(3) Devastation The results of disputes, as you can see from above, can have a bad effect on us. The results to a fellowship or to your own personal walk with Jesus, can be devastating. Think about it, does this behaviour demonstrate love? Does it promote Jesus? Does it build you up? The answer to these three questions is a big 'No'. All it does is promote people to use unedifying words, take very unwise action and cause argument and unrest to the people around and most definitely to your testimony.

If Jesus is to increase in your life, you must decrease. Jesus will never increase in your life as long as disputes are around, and, you will never decrease the way you should, if you are involved. To decrease means that you are elevating Jesus. One can hardly be seen to elevate Him with such behaviour as this.

Do not allow anything to rob you of promoting Jesus in your life. He is too special for that! Allow Him to increase, while you decrease.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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Increase or Decrease (2)

"He must increase, but I must decrease"                                   John 3:26-31    NKJV 

There is no need for competition in the kingdom of God. We're not running a business. If John the Baptist had been competitive and running a massive building complex, he may have felt different about what the people were telling him, 'Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified - behold, He is baptising and all are coming to Him.' v26. However, it didn't worry John. He was secure in his relationship with Jesus. In fact, he said,'A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, "I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before Him" 29 He who has the bride is the Bridegroom; but the friend of the Bridegroom, who stands and hears Him, rejoices greatly because of the Bridegroom's voice, Therefore, this joy of mine is fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.' 

The size of a church can be a concern to some pastors and congregations. If the church has a lot of members then it must be blessed; however, if there is only a small congregation, concern may be shown by some and the thought conceived that, someone may be doing the job wrong. The thing is, if Jesus is there, this is all that matters, He is the one that must increase, not the church size. Let the people get this right and the church and the believer's life will grow vastly.

We as the bride, belong to Jesus, the Bridegroom. We belong to Him, not Him to us. He is in charge. Gratitude must be high in our lives because we belong to Him and because He chose us. Things may seem important to us but may not be to God; then of course it may be the other way round. We may not see or agree with what Jesus is doing, but we belong to Him and He must increase, He must have the lead, He knows the way.

Notice verse 29, 'He who has the bride is the Bridegroom; but the friend of the Bridegroom, who stands and hears Him, rejoices greatly because of the Bridegroom's voice.' This comes down to our relationship with Jesus. We can either be an obedient believer, doing all we can for Jesus the Bridegroom, but never really getting too close; or we can be a friend of the Bridegroom, something Jesus has called us (John 15:14-16) and share in His walk. He has given us permission to have this close, and wonderful relationship with Him. The choice is ours.

One thing though, we must never forget that we are to decrease and Jesus must increase in our lives. He requires the first place, the first choice, the first of everything. When He becomes this, He increases us, not we ourselves. There is a big difference.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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Increase or Decrease

"He must increase, but I must decrease"                                        John 3:20    NKJV 

How many times do we search for praise whenever we have done something important, especially if we have preached, led the worship or hosted a bible study? What about when we have given a big cheque to the church or Christian Outreach, or stood at the front of the church and given a Word of prophecy? It seems to be an inbuilt part of us to seek a pat on the back. We may even go looking for it, gently referring to what we have done, to see if anyone mentions our efforts. If we get the praise, we gloat over it. If we don't, then we sulk. This is the way we can be at times.

However, 'Love does not parade itself, it is not puffed up' 1 Corinthians 13:4. We must never allow ourselves to become puffed up. Jesus knows you are good at what you do, this is why He chose you. This is all you need, don't ever try to get a pat on the back. Jesus must increase and we, must decrease. If we allow ourselves, we can become easily offended. Jealousy can be the big thing in churches. We can feel that we are left on the sidelines, especially when someone else appears to take our place. Let's get it in perspective, we do not have a place unless Jesus creates that place for us. Jealousy is not in order. We have a role to play, yes, but so do other people. We should never be in competition with anyone; if we are, we have got it wrong. Jesus must increase and we must decrease. We need to give Jesus His rightful place within our lives. We should not seek attention or try to do better than someone else. Satan tried to do that and look what happened to him. Be careful.

John the Baptist had it right. He refused to be put in Jesus' place and he also refused to take part in any gossip. The people tried telling him that Jesus was baptising people instead of sending them to him. He was not offended because he knew his place, he was secure in that fact and would not be persuaded differently. 

Our life with Jesus is all about serving Him. Each day should be intended to bring glory to His name. I once heard a Romanian pastor speaking in a church. One thing he said has remained with me for many years. He was talking about his prayer life, especially prior to going to bed at night. Each night, he said, I say to Jesus, 'Lord, have I pleased You today?' That is a wonderful prayer, short and to the point and one in which Jesus will answer. Can I encourage you to make this your final prayer of the day? It is a revealing prayer, one in which Jesus has the right to say, 'No, you haven't pleased Me.' But it is a prayer that we will be able to assess how we are standing with the King, each day.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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Are you Saved or Condemned?

"Whoever believes and has decided to trust in Him [as personal Saviour and Lord] is not judged [for this one, there is no judgement, no rejection, no condemnation]; but the one who does not believe [and has decided to reject Him as personal Saviour and Lord] is judged already [that one has been convicted and sentenced], because he has not believed and trusted in the name of the [One and] only begotten Son of God [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, the One who alone can save him].      

                                                                                 John 3:18   The Amplified Study Bible  

These are very strong words indeed and, should not be skimmed over. John 3:16-18, very clearly tells the reader the facts - if a person believes in Jesus Christ and accepts Him as Lord and Saviour, they are saved from all judgement and totally forgiven. However, those who do not believe, are condemned already - here on earth. The Moody Bible Commentary comments on this:

'Anyone who believes in Jesus is not judged or condemned in the future judgement. Anyone who does not believe, has been judged already, here and now. The future judgement confirms but does not determine one's eternal destiny.' David Guzik comments on FF Bruce, in his introduction to The Gospel of John: 

“No explicit mention is made here of those who have never had the opportunity of believing in Christ, those on whom the light in its fullness has never shone. But John’s words probably unfold the principle of their judgment too. As the eternal Word came to men and women before becoming incarnate in Christ, so it is with the light of God. If men and women are judged by their response to the light, they are judged by their response to such light as is available to them.”                                                               (FF Bruce 1983)

In my opinion, I would say that this passage of scripture refers to the one's who constantly refuse to believe or accept Jesus as Lord. One cannot believe that God would allow people who have not heard about Jesus, to be condemned, judged and spend eternity in hell. He is too loving for that.

It does though, leave a big question mark on the future of those who have heard about Jesus and refuse to accept Him as Lord. A person must accept Jesus as Lord if they want to spend eternity with Him, because without Him, they will carry the full judgement of their sin. This must be done in their life time. Once a person has died is too late. If they die in their sin, there is only one place that they will end up and that is hell. The bible's teaching not mine.

God has given us every chance that we need to believe in Him and have our sins forgiven. Once our lives are over, there are no second chances. We need to repent now or it will be too late. Do not take the chance with where you will spend eternity. The choice is yours. If you wish to become a Christian, here is a prayer for you to pray:

'Lord Jesus, I recognise that I need You as my Lord and Saviour. Please forgive my sins and fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I ask You into my life now. Amen

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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