Determination, Conviction, Confession and Restoration

"Daughter, be of good cheer, your faith has made you well. Go in peace"  

                                                                                                          Luke 8:43-48    NKJV 

A desperate woman with an appalling medical condition went up behind Jesus and touched the hem of His cloak. This woman had suffered an issue of blood for twelve years; had sought the help of physicians who did her no good at all, but still took their large fees. She was bankrupt, desperate and weak because of the illness. She was also, ceremonially unclean which affected her ability to worship at the temple or to have contact with people. Her physical condition led to financial, spiritual and social problems. In people's eyes, she was a reject. In Jesus' eyes, she was magnificent.

However, there was a characteristic within her that stood out, she had determination. She was determined to see Jesus and touch His cloak. She knew in her heart that if she did this, she would be healed. This was her faith and nothing would prevent her from doing what she had determined to do. 

In the midst of the crowds, she came up behind Jesus and touched the hem of His cloak. Immediately, Jesus knew that someone had touched Him. 'Who touched me'? Jesus knew she had wanted to do this but, He wanted her to admit to this. Reluctantly, after Jesus' enquiry, she decided that she must own up. There were three things that happened within her. She came under:

CONVICTION She came trembling to Jesus and fell at His feet pouring out her heart. Then:

CONFESSION She declared to Him in the presence of all the people, the reason she had done this. She took the risk that the people could force her away because of her being 'unclean', but after twelve years of suffering, she was past caring. She told Jesus how she had been instantly healed and, although scared of the situation she was now in, how elated she felt that her faith in Him had proven right. She then received:

RESTORATION The woman was made well and Jesus actually told her, that it was her faith that had done it. She had done what Jesus wanted her to do - bore witness to God and glorified Him. He then told her to go in peace - perfect peace, Shalom, Shalom.

Perhaps you are in a similar situation to the woman. Notice Jesus' compassion. He has it for you as well. Follow this woman's lead; she had a determination, no matter what, that Jesus could heal her and she went for it. As she did this, Jesus used her to come under conviction and then, confess to the people, that she trusted Jesus and that she had been healed. She was then restored. If this is for you, go ahead and seek your healing, right now!

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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Watch that you don't have a great fall! (2)

 "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does God require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"    

                                                                                      Micah 6:8    NKJV Spirit Filled Bible

As we saw yesterday, there are some that think they are ok with God and have nothing to fear. They believe and that's all that matters. This is not the case however. Take a look at James 2:19:

'You believe that there is a God. You do well. Even the demons believe - and tremble.'

Intellectual assent to a creed is not saving faith. One has to ask Jesus into their heart, submitting their whole life to Him. This as we know is salvation. It is the only way to Heaven. People may say, 'Yes, but I live a good life; I never hurt anyone'. 'I give to charity and I go to church every Sunday'. The thing is, it is not enough. It is all or nothing. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, 'For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.'

God offers grace to the person who will accept Him as their Lord and Saviour. Grace is God's unmerited favour and undeserved blessing. It is His mercy offered to us - His people, who go to Him to be saved. Mercy means God's unfailing love, His kindness and tenderness, in fact, as we have discussed before, Hesed. Hesed is a Hebrew word, sometimes referred to as Chesed, a silent 'C'. It means God's faithfulness towards us. The full meaning can be found in the Strongs Concordance 2617.

We need to adopt the phrase, 'I do not earn God's favour and grace, Jesus earned this for me by dying on the cross, in my place. He paid the price for my sin' When we accept this, and ask Jesus into our lives, we will be saved and have no fear of falling. He holds us steady as a rock.

Our text today, is almost a blue print of three commands that the ancient rabbis found after careful study: (1) To do (Act) justly, (2) To love mercy and (3) To walk humbly with your God. This can all be explained as:

(1) REMAIN HONEST IN ALL YOU DO

(2) CHERISH COMPASSIONATE FAITHFULNESS

(3) COMMIT YOURSELF TO LIVE IN SUBMISSION TO GOD

If we can honour these commands, we are certain of living safe with Jesus and of sharing eternal life with Him, one day when we are promoted to be with Him, as He has promised. 

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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Watch that you don't have a great fall!

"Therefore let the one who thinks he stands firm [immune to temptation, being overconfident and self-righteous], take care that he does not fall [into sin and condemnation]."                                    1 Corinthians 10:12     Amplified Study Bible

Yesterday, we fleetingly looked at this verse together with v13, dealing with temptation. Today, let us take a closer look at verse 12 and the consequences it holds for the person who believes that they are able to conquer sin - alone.

We've probably all met the person who repeatedly says, 'I have never sinned'. An unbelievable statement, but some really believe this. I remember someone who was adamant about this, even to the point of defending her belief in an angry manner. She has died now and I often wonder how she got on when she came face to face with Jesus. It is a dangerous thing to deny that sin has never dwelt within you. 1 John 1:10 clearly tells us, 'If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.' Romans 3:23 states, 'for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.' It is a dangerous statement to suggest that we have never sinned.

There are other people who believe that they are standing firm in their belief in Jesus and, this is ok. However, if they become too overconfident about this, they may feel that sin could never overtake them and again, this is an unwise place to be in. We are all subject to sin and temptation can take over us at any time. This is why Peter says, 'Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.' 1 Peter 5:8. Why would Peter have said this if we didn't have to worry about sin attacking us? 

Peter goes on in verse 9 to say, 'Resist him, steadfast in the faith'. Steadfast means firmly loyal, constant and immovable. Hence, 'Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord'. 1 Corinthians 15:58.

The devil is very sneaky, he has the ability to creep into any situation and cause havoc. He has characteristics rather like a snake and has a deadly tongue, lies in wait ready to attack, crawls into situations and then strikes and bites. Just be very careful. He is not your friend and he will trip you up if you give him half a chance. 

As long as we keep our eyes on the King of kings - Jesus Christ, we will have the victory and He will take us by the hand and ensure that we take the safer path. To go without Him, is very unwise.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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There's a way out; keep digging!

"No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."    

                                                                                               1 Corinthians 10:13    NKJV 

From time to time in our walk with Jesus, the road becomes very difficult indeed, with temptation and spiritual attack coming from all directions. This is common to all Christians because God will test us to assess how we are doing and whether we are ready to move to the next level He has planned for us. These times come when we are least expecting them. God tests us and the devil attacks us, the difference being, God will help us to overcome the trials He puts our way, the devil won't. He will keep on with the attack until we are tempted to surrender. Never consider that.

It can seem that we are at the bottom of a mine and as soon as we try to climb out, something happens and we slide back down again. Do you know what I mean? You feel trapped with no way out. However, there is a way out, we just have to begin digging to find it. 

The Moody Bible Commentary, discussing this verse, puts it like this:

'Note that the escape is not the complete removal of the test, but is the ability to endure it.'

God wants us to have endurance so that we can remain steadfast no matter what is thrown at us. We will have 'wilderness experiences' where we feel dry and the temptation to do wrong is so strong. We will fall to this as well and then feel terribly guilty because of it. We will also suffer spiritual attack, sometimes so strong that we feel like giving up. However, Jesus will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear and when we are, will provide the way of escape.

We will have days when we feel like throwing the towel in and shout, 'I can't do this, the road is too difficult.' You may have felt this way every now and again, probably even now. When this happens, start digging. You are in a mine so pick up your spiritual spade and dig away by prayer and more prayer. In fact, if you can, sing praises. Remember Paul and Silas in the stocks? They did this and they had a major release. So will you. Praise opens doors and it stops the devil in his tracks. Never underestimate prayer and praise. It's a digging tool.

Jesus wants us to begin to stand on our own but, is always around when we need Him. But remember, 'let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall' 1 Corinthians 10:12. Don't become too over-confident that you leave Jesus out all together. Keep praying, praising and digging placing Jesus as your guide.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

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'It's their fault, not mine'

"Then the man said, 'The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate'. 13 And the Lord God said to the woman, 'What is this you have done?' The woman said, 'The serpent deceived me and I ate."               Genesis 3:12-13   NKJV

The blame game has been going since the creation and it continues today. People just do not want to admit to their faults and blame others instead. Just check the text out today. Adam had the audacity to pass the blame onto God and then Eve, 'The woman whom You gave to be with me'. Wow, that is dangerous, we should never blame God for things that we do wrong, He is no fool and knows the truth. It was Adam's responsibility, not God's and not Eve's either. He was there when Eve was tempted and should have spoken up and stopped her; but he failed to do this. Eve was just the same. She also had heard what God had told them both about eating of the garden fruit. She knew that this particular tree should not have the fruit taken from it. However, she did and also failed. But both of them failed to take responsibility for their actions and both used the blame game.

Charles F Stanley comments on blame, 'Sin impels us to blame others for our disobedience and folly, but God holds us personally accountable for what we do.' Let's be honest, we know when we have done something wrong, we just know. When we lie about this - because that is what it is - God hears and prods us to admit to the truth. This is why we often feel guilty; the Holy Spirit is telling us to admit that we were in the wrong, not someone else.

Marriages fail, with one partner leaving and blaming the other for the breakdown. The partner who leaves may become involved with someone else and uses the blame game as an excuse for their adultery, 'He/she didn't do this or that and it was all her/his fault. I just had to get away'. In a Christian marriage, vows have been taken before God and we really do not have the option to just walk away. God has joined us together and we should remain so. We can't just blame each other; we are both as bad as the other and we have to find the solution to remain together. We can't just end a relationship just like that. If a partner is violent, then this is another story and the other partner needs to be safe. However, many partners just take off because they've had enough and want a more exciting time. Let me just say, if you allow God to take total control of your marriage, He will put the excitement back into your relationship.

Beware of the blame game. We should always take responsibility for our actions. One day we will stand before Jesus. We will have no chance of blaming others then, for wrongs that we have done. Everything is recorded down and the truth will be revealed. It is time to realise these things. 

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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C.A.S.T

"Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart."v4    

                                                                                                         Psalm 37:3-5   NKJV

Keith Moore, Pastor of Branson Church in Texas says, 'When you want what God wants, for the same reason He wants it, you become unstoppable.' And it is true; God only wants the best for His children and when you get in position, He opens the gates  of blessing to shower you with His love. Now this doesn't mean asking God if you can win the Lottery. If He allowed that, you would be trusting in your wealth instead of in Him. You don't need this. It may sound nice and it may help you be secure financially; but it is not the way of God. He is far richer than the Lottery people anyway.

As our quotation from Keith Moore says, you can expect God to work when your thoughts and desires line up with His. He actually desires to bless you more than you could ever imagine. Have a read of Ephesians 3:20: 

'Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.' Note the 'power that work in us'. It's by having a close relationship with Him and by delighting in Him, that opens the way for Him to bless you. As you delight in all He is and all He does and approach the Throne of Grace with confidence, He is able to pour His grace and love into you.

Therefore, there is a need to commit each moment to Him, even when the chips are down; even in the scariest of moments and when all seems lost. These are the times when you learn that He is faithful and can be relied on to help, assist and lead the way through each and every storm. Jesus brings security. The word security means:

(1) Freedom from doubt, anxiety or fear which gives us  CONFIDENCE

(2) Jesus is our security guard, which at times gives us  ASSURANCE

(3) Freedom from risk or danger, which gives us             SAFETY

(4) Jesus is the only one that we can rely on and            TRUST

This all gives you the acronym of C.A.S.T, which shows you that you need to CAST everything over to Him and delight in Him for every moment of every day, knowing that you have a Saviour who is 100% for you. He is sold out to you; be the same to Him and you will never regret it!

 

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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Why do I think this way?

"Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."   

                                                                                                      Philippians 4:8     NLT

In other words, think about good things. Why allow your mind to be contaminated by bad thoughts? To think bad stuff is is a recipe for torment and fear. Read The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis and you will read how the devil uses his demons to wind us up and cause us heartache and aggravation by placing bad thoughts in your mind. Don't allow this. 

Your thoughts have a positive or a negative angle. A bad thought causes worry, anxiety and fear. It seems that from nowhere they appear in your mind and begin their task of causing you anxiety. The thoughts can be so convincing, that you begin to believe them, and this is where the problem begins. You believe the lie.

Are you open to the fact that your enemy, is attacking you by sending these bad thoughts? Think about them for a moment. Would God send you thoughts that pierce your heart, cause you fear and worry and lead to total suspicion and heartache? The answer is a firm no. Therefore, this is the time where you need to say, 'that's enough', I refuse to believe this thought. I am going to take it captive and make it submissive to God, 'We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ' 2 Corinthians 10:5 NLT.

You can tell the difference in a thought from God to a thought from the devil. The thing is, the enemy can blind you to this fact and uses such convincing tactics, that it is difficult to decipher the origin. Stick to the facts - God will not send you anything that causes you fear and anxiety. That's the bottom line.

A negative thought, when born within you, can create havoc in your life, marriage, home and family. If you're going through a bad time in these areas at the moment, check your thoughts and your reactions. Negative thoughts have the power to floor you. Just think for a moment when you see a doctor for test results, straightaway you can examine the doctor's face and believe that it is a bad result. What about when you're driving along and find a police car at the back of you. Straightaway, you can fear the worst, that you were speeding or there is something wrong with the car. Then of course, there is the dentist's. Just a visit there can bring anxious thoughts to your mind such as, 'This is going to be expensive and it will hurt.'

It is time to practice having positive thoughts. Look at the list above in our text, It is possible to train your mind to think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Well straightaway, that is Jesus. If you think about Him, it is difficult to think about bad thoughts as well. The New King James Version, directs us to 'meditate on these things'. When a thought comes into your head, analyse it. Is it from God or the enemy? Think it through carefully and don't be tempted to act quickly. Take your time. The real answer is, would Jesus send you a bad thought? Of course He wouldn't. Therefore, get tuned into Him and train your mind. It really is the best way.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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