Your riches

"How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God."   

                                                                                                     Mark 10:23-31    NKJV 

Rich people are not barred from the kingdom of God. It is ok to be rich. The rich can be useful for God's work by financing certain projects or blessing someone who desperately needs help. The problem comes when the rich person puts their bank balance before God, by trusting in their wealth first. Tony Evans puts it this way:

'The problem is not wealth itself; the problem is a wealthy person who trusts in his wealth'.

                                                                              The Tony Evans Bible Commentary

Jesus can test people with their wealth; take for instance His conversation with the rich young ruler Mark 10:17-22. The ruler had asked Jesus how he may inherit eternal life. Jesus' reply wiped him away, 'One thing you lack, go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up your cross and follow Me.' v21. Here, the rich young ruler became sad and reluctant to do this, for his riches were his most prized possession. 

Being rich will not buy you happiness or peace. It will not buy you genuine friendship or good health; and it most definitely will not buy you salvation. Many rich people have died, quite young, leaving their riches behind for someone else to enjoy. Financial comforts are not transferable to heaven. The richest person in this world is the one who is committed to Jesus, the one who has given their life to living for Him, and that is you! What you have is transferable to heaven - your love for Jesus. If God has blessed you financially, that is brilliant, enjoy it but, make it submissive to Jesus. He is your most important possession, not what you have in the bank.

There is nothing quite like something you have been wanting for such a long time, turning up, unexpectedly. This is a blessing because it comes from your Father in heaven, Jesus told us that as we seek first His kingdom, that all the we need will be added to us as well Matthew 6:33. Don't lose sight of this gem; you may not have a lot but what you do have is priceless

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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Salt

"For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. 50 Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavour, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."                         Mark 9:49-50    NKJV

Salt had a great value in bible times. It would be used for medicinal purposes, such as sores and wounds, where it's saltiness would purify the wound, albeit in a very painful way. It was and still is today, used for seasoning our food. In most of the TV cooking programs, you will almost always hear the presenter saying that the food needs more seasoning. Salt used in this manner is a personal choice; for some, the use of salt gives the dish the taste they require; for others, it is a revolting choice. At the end of the day, it comes down to a person's preference. Salt can also be used as a preservative. I have been around many old farmhouses where the typical farmer's wives have joints of meat hanging from the ceilings after being salted. It may sound strange to many people but, to country people, it is a way of life.

It is said that many Roman soldier's salary was salt. For their efforts, salt was their payment and the saying, 'He was or was not, worth his salt', originates from this practice. 

Believers are called to be like salt in promoting peace among fellow believers v50. This demonstrates the preserving power of God. 

The term 'Seasoned with fire,' originates from the Jewish Law where every sacrifice had to be seasoned with salt before it was offered to God on the altar Leviticus 2:13. This was known as the Salt of the Covenant Numbers 18:19. We too, are tested with fire to ensure that we are acceptable to God 1Peter 1:6-9. This is hard to endure as we go through these times but, it is a purification process that shows our genuineness and dedication to God. It gives us our saltiness.

Just like in cooking, the use of salt is a skill - too much and the meal tastes awful, too little and it may also not meet the grade for some people. Getting the balance right is essential. I speak here as an example to people who like to have salt in their diet. If you, the reader, do not use salt, then forgive me, please.

As salt brings a good seasoning quality to food, then a believer, using the saltiness of God's Word, brings value to a fellow believer. A person who has lost their saltiness is unable to bring seasoning to the people. A person with saltiness is able and brings the peace of God.

Where do you stand with this?

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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Who associates with sinners? Jesus does.

"How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?"v16   

                                                                                                          Mark 2:13-17    NKJV 

Discrimination was rife in Jesus' days, as it is today. Some say it has gone over the top. However, when a person is less thought of because of the colour of their skin; who they are or where they live, then it is wrong. The Pharisees were renowned for their pompous attitudes and deeds, and today, it is no different.

Matthew or Levi, was a tax collector; not a very popular person in their day because they were thought to over charge a person and keep the money for themselves. In the Pharisee's eyes, they were unclean because they worked for the Gentiles. and their whole business acumen was suspicious. Jesus' reputation was not helped because He spent time with them, eating, drinking and in their eyes, socialising. Actually though, Jesus' intention was to speak to them about the kingdom of God and that was all.

The religious leaders had misunderstood Jesus' mission and, so have many churches today. We see homeless people begging in the street and it can be so easy to give them a wide berth, thinking, 'If I gave them some money, they would only go and drink it away'. That may be so, but ask yourself, 'Do I have the the right to judge these people?' We don't know where they have come from in life or what has led them to be out on the streets. Yes, they may come from unsavoury backgrounds and have unwholesome intentions, but then again, they may not have. Some are genuine. I worked with ex-prisoners and people with addictions for some time when I was pastoring a church and I learned that they can come up with the most convincing of stories about what had happened to them in the past. Some were war hero's, ex veterans down on their luck. The thing is, I was not there to judge them, just to be discerning, show them the love of Jesus and try to help them in whatever way we could. We ended up opening part of the church as a day centre where we clothed and fed as many as we could. Many ripped us off that's true, but they were ripping Jesus off, not us. That was the difference. As long as we continued to show them love and meet as many needs as we could, we had done our job. We did have many successes.

The thing is, Jesus said, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance' v17. And this is the bottom line. People who need Jesus may not be dressed in nice suits and frocks but may be smelly and dirty. However, to Jesus, they are precious and lost.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

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It is your turn

"Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.'                                          Mark 1:14-15    NKJV  

John was no more on the streets, his mission was near its end, he was in prison. He had fulfilled his mission and now, it was the time for Jesus to take over. This is the way it is, a person's ministry starts and then ceases when their mission is complete. From thereon, it is time for new blood to take over. It has always been this way; there was John the Baptist, then Jesus. Peter, John, James, Paul and the others then followed, the difference being here, Jesus was within them, guiding and blessing. Eventually, it is our turn. God always has a plan and will have until He comes to claim us.

Let us concentrate on ourselves You may be a believer or you may not. If you are a spirit-filled believer, God may be calling you to do great things for Him, like the others did. It may be full-on, such as a preacher, pastor or evangelist in a full time position. It may not be; your calling may be to tell your family, friends and work mates about Jesus, Why is this? Because it is your turn. You have the opportunity to serve God each and every day, just by being Jesus to the people you meet. If you are not a believer, you have the opportunity now - it is your turn. Don't take this opportunity lightly. The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is near. Do not miss out; we have to spend eternity somewhere and surely you would prefer to spend it in heaven, the alternative is total separation from God and from all who belong to Him - eternally. 

Eternity is a long time, in fact timeless. Jesus told us here that we should repent and believe in Him. You believe it when you hear on the TV that a new series is coming soon, why then, don't you believe when Jesus says, 'I am coming soon - believe'. 

Today is your turn, you have two opportunities:

(1) If you are a believer, it is your turn to serve Jesus anyway He wishes. Will you say yes?

(2) If you are not a believer, it is your turn to accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. Will you?

To accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, having your sins forgiven, say this prayer:

Lord Jesus, I want to accept You as my Lord and Saviour right now. Please forgive my sins and come and live in my heart - forever. Please fill me with You Holy Spirit. I give You my life. In Jesus' name. Amen.

If you said this prayer, your time is fulfilled, you belong to Jesus. Serve Him, walk with Him and love Him. He will never let you down. That's a promise.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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In the Wilderness

"Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. 13 And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him"                                                                            Mark 1:12-13.  NKJV

The wilderness can be described as a dry, desolate and uncultivated region where little vegetation grows. It is burning hot during the day, especially around noontime, and freezing at night. In Jesus' day, it was roamed by wild animals such as, bears, leopards, jackals, dangerous snakes and spiders. Not a nice place to be on your own.

However, let us first get this right, Jesus was not alone; the Holy Spirit had compelled or driven Him there by a strong wind. He also had angels there to minister to Him continually. Israel had been in the wilderness for forty years, Jesus was there for forty days but, I am convinced that Jesus had the worse deal. He was isolated from civilisation, among the wild beasts and tempted by Satan. The word forty, is used in scripture as a considerable time and it was also considered as a testing time. In comparison, the Israelites repeatedly disobeyed and rebelled against God during their forty years. Jesus' forty days were victorious, demonstrating the power of God over the devil, when led by the Holy Spirit.

How difficult the must have been for Jesus; let us not forget, He was in His humanity. Just the fact that angels ministered to Him gives us the answer. It would have been very hard going, this is the reason for the angels, who would have given Him sustenance and encouragement.

There are times in our Christian walk that we, have wilderness experiences, where we feel so dry and weak. It can seem like everything is being piled upon us and, no one seems to care or take notice. You may be feeling this way at the moment. Be encouraged, this can happen to us all, you have done nothing wrong. There may be things akin to wild beasts around you, threatening to attack. They may be in the form of temptation, or bills that need to be paid but very little in the bank to pay them with. You may have family issues where words have been spoken that have hurt; you may have been ignored by your family or left out of something that you used to belong to. The pain or the humiliation may be so great at this time that you feel like you can't take anymore. But you can, for the same reason that Jesus overcome His wilderness experience. He was not alone, neither are you. You also have your own personal angels around you Psalm 91:11-13. You have the Holy Spirit to guide you and help; and you have your friend Jesus who knows what it feels like to be in your position.

Call on Him now, He will be so happy to help you Psalm 91:14-16.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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Determination, Conviction, Confession and Restoration. (2)

"Do not be afraid; only believe" v36                               Mark 5:21-24 & 35-43   NKJV

We saw yesterday how the woman with the issue of blood, handled her situation. Today, let's check out how Jairus did. Jairus' twelve year old daughter was very ill, in fact, close to death. He went to Jesus with a determination, fell at His feet and begged Him to come and lay hands on her that she may be healed and live. He confessed all of his heart to Jesus and Jesus could see the determination and faith within him. So He followed Jairus to his home.

On the way, Jesus was distracted by a woman who had been ill for twelve years. There was total havoc around Jesus as the woman was healed. Jesus spent a long time with her, talking to her about her faith and generally showing her His compassion. Jairus just stood there, waiting. What was he thinking at the time? Did he come under conviction because of his feelings towards this woman for distracting Jesus? To add to his tension, a crowd came from his home and informed him that his daughter had died; there was no need to bother Jesus any longer. Jairus' emotions must have been all over the place at this time; wouldn't yours have been in the same position? He had asked Jesus to come but, this woman had delayed Him, now it was too late. Conviction was just around the corner.Jesus heard this negative statement and said to Jairus 'Do not be afraid; only believe' v36. Jesus gave this broken man a Word of Life. Jairus said nothing and continued to his house with Jesus following; and this twelve year old little girl, was restored.

Note the reception that they received at Jairus' house. It was pandemonium, with people wailing and weeping aloud. This was sent to rob Jairus of his faith, but his determination remained; his trust in Jesus was still within his heart. Notice also, that Jesus would not allow the doubters to enter the room where she lay. There's some lessons to be learned here:

(1) Remain determined and keep your confession alive.

(2) Do not become affected by distraction  - Jesus knows what He is doing!

(3) Do not be tempted to have a bad attitude to people who may interrupt your time with Jesus.

(4) Hang on to your faith

(5) Do not allow doubters to rob you of your faith

You can trust Jesus with everything!

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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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.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle 

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