New beginnings (1)

"Create in me a clean heart, O God"                                       Psalm 51:10    NKJV 

Today is a new day of a new year and this can mean, a new start or a new beginning for a lot of people. As you know, every year lot's of people make New Year Resolutions only to break them within hours. As a Christian, you can do the same. You want to be Christ like as you know that you should be. However, saying it and living up to it are two different things. It is easy to state that you will live for God from this day on, but it is so difficult to carry this out and many fail.

Following David's adultery with Bathsheba and subsequent act of having her husband killed, he had to deal with Nathan the Prophet who laid all of this before him. David was so ashamed of his behaviour and went through a process of mourning and repenting. This Psalm really showed his heart and how he felt about the situation.

Firstly, he asked God to create in him a clean heart. Notice this, David didn't just decide that from now on he would pull his socks up and get his life back together. He knew this would be impossible for him to do, alone. Therefore, he asked God to help him, 'Create in me'. Changes such as this require the help of the Holy Spirit and, David knew this. He therefore asked God to create in him the cleanest of hearts so that he could begin again. 

Confession leads to forgiveness and one of the results is a clean heart. When you ask Him, God allows the Holy Spirit to wash you clean; in fact, to clean you up and make you presentable to Him. He takes what is wrong in your life and makes it right. Now this is impossible from your perspective. You can have good intentions but, unless you allow the Holy Spirit to work in you, it will never happen. 

Maybe, you have been struggling in this area. You may have let God down big time and you may have told Him a hundred times that you are sorry. Relax, He has forgiven you, He did this the first time you asked. However, for you to be constant in your walk with Him, you need Him to do some creative work within you and, He may start with your heart. Don't forget, the heart stores good and bad things and whatever the state of it is, causes you to speak it out (Matthew 12:35). This is why you need the Holy Spirit to create in you a clean heart.

Tomorrow, we will explore this Psalm further.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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Are there changes to be made?

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."     Hebrews 13:8    NKJV 

The Amplified Bible puts it this way, Jesus is: 'Eternally changeless - always the same.' Jesus is the only one that does not need to change. He is forever the same, always there, always loving  and ever faithful. We are not the same, we need help. If we want to grow, we need to change.

No-one likes change, it threatens our comfort zone. When a new boss is on the agenda, we think, 'Oh no, what is going to happen, I was just enjoying my job.' However, having staff that enjoy their job is not conducive to a healthy production. Employers need to be on the ball because the competition is so great, therefore there needs to be change in order to survive.

Change brings loss and this loss can be quite costly. Death and divorce are the highest contenders for pain due to loss and change; but there are others, such as moving house where there are loss of friends and family, school mates. The list is endless. However, We have to avoid being set in our ways, we may feel it is safer this way, after all, there is little risk in doing this. But look at the potential that you are depriving yourself and others from. You have a gift like no one else and, God wants you to use it. Change is healthy - scary yes, but it is needed because it is essential to our lives and existence. Change though, can be very difficult and also painful but, as I have already said, if you want to grow, changes must be made. 

It is New Year's Eve and people throughout the world make resolutions which they intend to carry out. About 90% of these forget about them within 24 hours, the 10% may be successful in carrying them out. However, the percentage is very low. Instead of New Year's resolutions, why not try praying, firstly that God will show you the changes that you need to make and, secondly give you the ability to carry them out. When we are serous with God, He will be the same with us. He is committed to us and wants us to succeed in all we do. You know there are some changes that you need to make - you know, don't you? Therefore, get a pen and a note book and write down the changes that you feel you need to make. Then pray about them and allow God to speak to you about them,. There may be more and, then again, there may be less than you have listed.

Once you have done this, pray about these changes each day and make notes in your book with regards to your success or failure. What has worked for you and what hasn't? If you stick to this, pretty soon you will be on the way to getting things right.

Happy New Year

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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Don't disqualify yourself - believe!

"while we do not look at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."    

                                                                                            2 Corinthians 4:18   NKJV

Faith tells us to look at things that are not seen, this is what faith is all about. If it is raining outside, we don't pray that it will rain, it already is doing. However, if we are having a drought, that is the time to pray for rain and, believe that we have received it before it happens Mark 11:22-24.

2 Corinthians 5:7 says, 'For we walk by faith, not by sight.' This is basically telling you the same. Faith is receiving something before it comes to you. Jesus did it all the time and His word shows you to do the same. However, it is so easy to disqualify yourself. Take a look at 1 Corinthians 9:26-27, 'Therefore I run thus, not with uncertainty. Thus I fight, not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.' 

You have to watch the doubt. It will squash your faith every time. Mark 11:23 says, 'For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, be removed and be cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.' There it is in a nutshell, Jesus' words not to doubt. When you do this, you can say goodbye to what you have asked for - believing - in prayer.

Be careful though, just because you have the faith and ask believing, with no doubt in your heart, this does not mean that you will have what you ask for straightaway. Jesus didn't say that. He said that you will have whatever you ask for but there was no promise of when this would take place. And, this is where people begin to doubt. Initially, you can be all fired up believing in prayer. However, after a little while of waiting, it is like the devil whispers in your ear, 'it will never come, give up.' If you have shared what you have asked for with someone, their faith may not be as strong as yours, and so, they can easily say, 'I think you may have this wrong, you know.' Again, doubt enters in. Remember Jesus' words to Jairus, 'Do not be afraid, only believe'  Matthew 5:36.

You are called to walk by faith but, you have to exercise patience and stand firm throughout the ordeal of waiting. The word to Habakkuk was, Though it tarries, wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry.' 2:3.

If you believe that God is answering your prayer of faith, don't give up and disqualify yourself. Keep believing. It will come.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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The Importance of Joy

 "The thief does no come except to steal, and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."    John 10:10   NKJV

How does your joy get stolen? The devil is no fool; he knows what he is doing; he knows how to disarm you and will use this to disable every plan that he can. He knows that if you keep your joy, you will be strong and equipped for battle (Nehemiah 8:10), therefore he has to steal it away before you gain the victory.

Think about this. How many times do you determine to be victorious and joyful, only to fall at the first hurdle. You cannot just click your fingers to become joyful; it would be great if there was a button that you could press to discharge this joy. James writes, 'Count it all joy when you fall into various trials' James 1:2. Therefore, this shows us that you have to assume this joy, it is not necessarily there in the first place. It is how you view the things that come against you.  Tony Evans writes:

'What you focus on governs how you feel. The reason why many of us stay grieved for so long, is because we stay focused on what is wrong. Rather than finding our chief joy in the Lord, we turn on the TV to escape. We enter into illegitimate relationships to escape. We get involved with drugs or alcohol to escape. If your focus is properly situated on the Lord however, He will give you His joy; and His joy will give you strength.'

                                                                                    The Tony Evans' Bible commentary

Joy contains an intense, ecstatic happiness. It makes you feel wonderful; you cannot fail to praise God when you feel this way. You take great pleasure in praising Him, therefore, you are filled with the strength to achieve your goals. The joy of the Lord, is the joy that springs up in your heart because of your relationship with God. It is a God-given gladness found only when you're walking in unity with Him. Remember, when your goal is to know more about the Lord, the by-product is joy.

What James tells you in James Chapter one, is not easy to accomplish; but if you can manage it, it gives you the ability to cope and get through each problem that you face. When you think about it, it is another opportunity to praise God. Whatever is happening to you at this moment, remember, He is still on the throne. Jesus' joy shone through as recorded in Hebrews 12:2. The joy that was set before Him, made Him endure the cross, despising the shame and He did it all for you. You may say, 'Yes, but He was God'. That is true, but He was in His humanity at the time. He still hurt and He still bled and he still died. The same Spirit who was with Him, is the same Spirit that is in you. Being joyful is not easy to accomplish all the time but, if it provides you with God's strength, it is well worth reaching out for it.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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You are His special treasure

"You are the children of the Lord your God; you shall not cut yourselves nor shave the front of your head for the dead. 2 For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth."                                       Deuteronomy 14:1-2    NKJV 

God did not approve of the Israelite's behaviour of cutting themselves and shaving the front of their head in an act of mourning for the dead. This was embedded in pagan and Canaanite ritualistic behaviour. God told the people that they were a holy people, chosen by God who classed them as a special treasure.

Have you ever stopped to consider that God, sees you as His chosen, special treasure. It may sound unbelievable but, it is true. This is the way that He sees each of us. You belong to a holy nation. Therefore, you should be living up to this. You are not a copy of another person, so stop trying to be. God knows you as yourself not someone else. Don't imitate rituals, don't become involved in them at all. The only thing on your mind and in your life, should be Jesus.

Let your life so demonstrate this - you are different, you don't follow the crowd, you follow Jesus Christ. Some may mould themselves on pop stars or a Hollywood movie star and then, they become disappointed when they realise that it was only a pipe dream. You don't come from Hollywood, you come from Heaven - a child of the Living God. You are different.

Because you are special, you need to take care of yourself. This means eating the right food and keeping your body in trim. Diet and exercise all lead to a healthy lifestyle. If your waistline has suddenly expanded and you are finding it difficult to fit into your clothes, this is a good indication that you need to check this. You are special; you are set apart and sanctified. You know who God is and, in return, He knows who you are too. The bottom line is, God wants you fit and healthy. Ensure that you eat the right food, not for religious reasons or to be like someone else. Be fit and healthy because this is what God wants for you, His special person.

Now this doesn't mean that you have to join a gym, buy all the lycra you can find and punch your body into shape. Not at all, although, if you feel that is ok for you, then go ahead. For the average person, God wants you fit and healthy. The wrong type of food can give our bodies lots of problems including, diabetes and heart problems just to mention two. Be honest, you know that you need to keep a check on yourself health wise. Therefore, with the New Year almost upon us, why not get your special body into shape. 

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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Have a forward focus

"Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."                 Philippians 3:12-14    NKJV 

This past year or so have been real testers. What with lockdowns and all the frustration and panic that this has caused people, it has been a difficult time for us all. However, you should always have a positive attitude; there is a New Year ahead of. Obviously, you don't know what the outcome of this will be but, you have the opportunity for new ideas, fresh hopes. Let's face it, if you give up hope, there is very little left.

Yes, you may have messed up a little bit throughout this past year but, don't give up; you are not perfect and you are trying your best to get your walk with Jesus right. You are one of the people who should never look back. You are forward person. When you are tempted to look back, you see all of the hurt, disappointments and failures. They are the past, the future is ahead. Move on, you can't change the past but you can be instrumental in framing the future. Looking back is like looking into a rear view mirror; stop this and look towards the bigger view - through the windscreen. Anyway, think for a moment, when you look into the rear view mirror, you are leaving things behind and that is the way to accept this. So move forward.

There are things that you would have done differently but perhaps there is nothing you can do to change this now. Forget these things, discard the failures, hurts and disappointments. Why focus on them? It is the past, they are gone, you are probably the only one that will really keep them alive. Don't! The future is ahead, focus on that. Have a forward focus.

Think about that phrase for a moment, 'Have a forward focus'. When you have this, you look ahead, your hope is ahead, that's how plans are formulated. A Forward Focuser, doesn't allow distractions to hold them back. They count the cost yes, but they go by faith and there is always an element of risk with this. Really, this is where the excitement begins to form. When you involve Jesus in your forward focusing, He will place great ideas in your mind, ideas that can turn into success stories. So, have a forward focuser mindset - be known as a Forward Focuser!

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

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You raise me up

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."     

                                                                                                   Isaiah 41:10     NKJV 

There is a most beautiful song released around 2003, entitled 'You Raise Me'. It was made famous by an American Christian named Josh Groban. Westlife also covered it but I actually preferred the Aled Jones version.  The song goes like this: 

'When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary, When troubles come and my heart burdened be,

Then I am still and wait here in the silence, until You come and sit awhile with me.

There is no life, no life without its hunger, each restless heart beats so imperfectly,

But when You come and I am filled with wonder, sometimes I think I glimpse eternity

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains, You raise me up to walk on stormy seas,

I am strong when I am on Your shoulders , You raise me up to more than I can be"

                                                                                    R Lovland and B Graham

These words say it all and interlink with scripture perfectly. There is no need to be afraid or fear anything because, we can be assured of Jesus' help wherever we are. Isaiah 46:4 Amplified version compliments the words of this song very well:

'Even to your old age, I am He, and even to your advanced old age I will carry you

I have made you and I will carry you; be assured I will carry you and I will save you'

No matter what you may fear or how you may be concerned of how you will manage in old age, Jesus has got this covered. He will be there and will carry you. If you fall, He will raise you up. Today you may be weary, troubled or burdened but, wait, He is coming to help, you only have to ask Him and he will help. What a wonderful friend we have in Jesus. He never lets us down.

And whatever is on your mind today, He is there for you and will carry you if need be. Don't worry!

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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