The Weakest Link

"Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, 'The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?' 3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and was standing before the Angel. 4 Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him saying, 'Take away the filthy garments from him.' And to him He said, 'See, I have removed your iniquities from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes."   Zechariah 3:1-4 NKJV

Zechariah saw Joshua, clothed in filthy garments, standing before the Lord, with Satan standing beside him full of accusation. Most of which Satan says are lies, but at times he is correct, especially when he accuses us before God. He has an accusatory spirit and loves to get us into trouble. In one way, we can also say that he is a 'tell tale'. 

The scene that day in heaven, would have been rather like a court scene, with Joshua as the defendant, God the judge, Satan the prosecutor and Jesus as the defence barrister. Satan is our accuser when we are charged with sin; Jesus, our advocate, represents us before the throne of God at such times. God, the judge, knows how Satan works, He has had much experience of His crafty, accusatory and twisted ways and, like here, He rebukes Him following the pleas from our defence lawyer, Jesus. Thank goodness for this.

Satan will have us believe that we are weaklings, in fact he will try and place the derogatory label of The Weakest Link, upon us and point the finger putting a strain on the whole of our testimony. But let us remember that it is ok to be weak, because when we are, then we are strong, because we have Jesus on our side.

In 2 Corinthians 12, we see how Paul had the most amazing experience of being in heaven and viewing the wonders that were there. Not long afterwards though, he is being buffeted by a thorn in his side which he pleaded to have taken from him, but was unsuccessful. At this time he knew what it felt to be weak and also realised that God can allow certain burdens to come upon us to prevent us becoming too proud because of the many blessings we receive. But, Jesus spoke to Paul and said, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' v9. Paul came to the conclusion that when he felt weakness, he was really strong v10.

Never allow yourself to feel the negative implications that you are The Weakest Link. You are not, it is a lie and derogatory arrow that Satan fires at you. When you feel weakness however, and you will, praise God because, when you are weak, through Jesus, you are strong. Did I hear an Amen?

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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Worry and Burdens

"Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you"    Psalm 55:22    NKJV 

The burdens and worries of life drag people down. Did you know that worrying robs us of our effectiveness, and the thing is statistics show that about 85% of things that people worry about, never happen. Mark Twain made a famous quotation, 'I have spent most of my time worrying about things that have never happened'. What about you, do you fit this category?

Jesus told us, 'Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own thing. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble'  Matthew 6:34. Jesus does not want us laying awake most of the night worrying about something, whether it has happened, might happen or will definitely happen either tomorrow or soon after. If there is anything we can do about it, then fine, get up and do it. However, often there is nothing and we are worrying for worrying sake.

Instead, Jesus wants us to hand over our worries to Him, He is more qualified than we are to handle things. In fact, many of the worries can be classed as burdens and as we can see from our text today, the scriptures tells us to, 'Cast your burden on the Lord, and he shall sustain you.'. Now let's look at this more closely; we are to 'cast' the burden on the Lord. Cast means to throw it or release hold of something. As we do, He shall 'sustain' us. Sustain means to keep you going, maintain and nourish, supply and provide for.  When we do cast our burden on Him, He gives us the wherewithal to be able to cope. In one way it is like we are placing the burdens upon His shoulders and waiting for Him to come up with some good answers to our problems. In one way, this is good, but He does want us to handle the things ourselves, He just gives us the tools to be able to do this. 

Kidner writes, 'The promise is not that God will carry it, but that He will sustain you. We still have to go through it all.'  Copyright Derek Kidner. In addition, Campbell writes, 'The experience of suffering was not taken away from the servant of God, but he was sustained and so made strong enough to resist its pressure and through it, to make his service more perfect. This is how God sustains us in the bearing of burdens.'  Copyright G. Campbell Morgan

God allows burdens at times to see how we will cope and how we will handle each given situation. He is there to help and will do, however, rather than taking the burden completely away from us as if it never happened, He sustains us and gives us the assistance and help that we need. We should always cast our burdens on Him. It is the difference between carrying an empty bag of crisps or a bag of cement. Which would you rather carry? I know my answer.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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Jesus the Good Shepherd

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep."  

                                                                                                       John 10:11    NKJV

In v8, Jesus primarily referred to the religious leaders of the day. They were not true shepherds and didn't have the approval of God on their ministry. Jesus is the door; many counterfeits have come but not one of them has the staying power or quality that Jesus has. They are just very good at imitating and misleading people. It was the same here; Jesus was saying that the sheep will not go near or accept anyone except the true shepherd. 

Jesus said in v10, 'The thief does not 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.' He offers life in abundance, in fact, superabundance and more than enough. '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'  Ephesians 3:20. He gives us more than we could ever imagine as long as we remain in Him and Him in us.

Jesus gave His life for the sheep and He is our true shepherd. The hirelings or hired workers, only do the job for their wage; when they see a wolf attacking the flock, they run off to save themselves and leave the sheep to the mercy of this savage animal. Not so the Good Shepherd - Jesus. True shepherds give their life for the sheep and are with them constantly.

Jesus knows His sheep through and through. He knows all about you - everything. He knows what you think, what you do in secret, He knows the behind closed doors syndrome of your life and the words you use; and He still adores you because you are His, He cares for you and will never let you go. Even if you wander off - and sheep are prone to wander - He will come looking for you. His love and concern is truly amazing. 

Where could you go to find a more genuine love that Jesus offers you? He took your life out of the dirt, washed you clean and put clean clothes on you. He then declared that you are His - eternally. One day you will see the Good Shepherd face to face; what a privilege that will be!

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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Jesus the True Shepherd

"But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep"    John 10:1-5    NKJV

In the minds of the Jewish leaders, a shepherd was any kind of leader, spiritual or political; people looked on the king and the prophets as shepherds. They should have been Israel's spiritual shepherds but, they were spiritually blind. This is why Jesus highlighted the difference between shepherds and thieves.

Thieves and robbers did not enter through the door of the sheep pen; they would climb over the wall and enter the fold through deception. If they did manage to get in, the sheep would never follow them for sheep, whose eyesight is not good, would only follow the voice of their own shepherd. False shepherds can never lead the sheep, so they must steal them away. When Jesus came to the nation of Israel, He came by the appointed way as the scriptures promised.

Every true shepherd must be called and sent by God. If he truly speaks God's Word the sheep will follow - they will know His voice and will not be afraid. The true shepherd will love and care for his sheep. This is probably why a lot of churches don't thrive and only have a small following. It may be that the pastor is either in the wrong place or, he has not been called by God in the first place. They are known by their fruit and the people will only follow who feeds, nutures and encourages them by God's Word.

Satan and his followers have no concern for the well-being of the sheep, they enter the sheep pen for their own gain. The true shepherd offers safety, security and loving care, this is why the sheep follow him or her. When you are next in a field where sheep are present, try and approach them and you will see that they run away. Why is this? It's because you are a stranger to them and they do not recognise you at all. They will not follow you no matter where you try to lead them. They are familiar with their own personal shepherd, they have a personal relationship with them and this is akin to your own personal relationship with Jesus. 

Jesus is our personal shepherd, He loves, cares and guides us. He knows the way and He will lead us accordingly. Don't be tempted to veer off the right path. Things may not always go how you would like them to go but, if Jesus is leading, you are on the right way because, He is the way, the truth and the life. No matter what, your personal shepherd has laid down His life for you.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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Put that on my account

"17 If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me. 18 But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account."   Philemon 17-18    NKJV 

Onesimus was one of Philemon's many slaves. Philemon was a Christian and a very close friend of the Apostle Paul. It appears, that one day Onesimus robbed Philemon and ran off to Rome where he hoped to disappear in the Metropolis. God works in amazing ways though, He met Paul and was converted there and then.

The Law permitted slave owners to execute rebellious slaves. Philemon was angry enough to do so, but he was also very disappointed that Onesimus should do such a thing. The thing is, Philemon was a Christian and it would be a great slur on his testimony. But, if he let Onesimus off, then the other slaves would expect such a thing as well. It was a total impasse.

Paul felt that Onesimus needed to face up to what he had done and go and put it right with his master. Paul was also helping Philemon to grow in love and forgiveness. They both needed ministry. To forgive and receive Onesimus back would have been difficult for Philemon. Put yourself in his place, what would you do?

The facts are not too clear but it seems that Onesimus had left his master as a slave, but he returned as a brother. One thing we do know is that Paul had said to Philemon, that he would pick up the tab for what was owed. He told him to, 'Put that on my account'. Does this remind you of someone? Yes, Jesus; He paid the price of our sin - our debt was placed on His account and we were declared not guilty.

Probably you may be like Philemon because you have been wronged. Then again, you may be like Onesimus because you have failed and made a dreadful mistake. The bottom line is, what are you going to do about it? If you have been wronged, will you point the finger and refuse to forgive, making the person pay for their wrongdoing? Or if you have wronged someone are you just going to sit there and get on with your life, or if possible, will you go and put things right, asking for forgiveness? The choice is very much yours, there's a blessing coming you way if you choose the right one.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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Me and my shadow

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."                                                               Psalm 91:1    NKJV 

A shadow can be described as a constant companion. Everywhere you go, especially in bright sunshine, your shadow is with you - constantly. When you consider that this scripture is describing abiding under the shadow of the Almighty, it brings on a whole new meaning. Really, God is with you when you abide with Him.

When you make God your refuge and fortress (v2), He can be trusted to offer you security and safety. Picture young birds in the nest. They have many predators after them, so the youngsters take refuge under the wings of their parents. They know they are safe from danger there. Similarly, observe parents holding the hands of their young child as they walk to school or elsewhere. The child feels this security and safety, without even thinking about it; there is a feeling that nothing can harm them. This, if you will allow it, is how it is with Our Father. He protects us and keeps us safe.

God places a shield of protection around you and, this is His truth. During our lifetime, we have all felt the terror of the night; those dark wintery nights with sounds coming from different places. It can make the hairs on the neck stick up as we walk alone. Even the arrows that fly by day, and the devil will fire them at us (Ephesians 6), can maim us if they catch us. They are sent to destroy and to cause devastation in a person's life. Then of course, there is pestilence which can be described as a plague. Covid falls into this category. Many have been terrified that they or their family will get it. It has been a fearful time for us all. There is also destruction, something that comes along and harms people. Terrorism can be named along with this and the stabbings that seem to be on the increase all over the world, not forgetting the fears of war in some places.  A lot of these can be blamed on the devil but not all of them. It can be just life.

Threats and spiritual attacks will come against us but, regardless of the dangers around us, those who experience the covering that God provides, who abide under His shadow, will be cared for and will ultimately see the punishment of the wicked (Psalm 91:7-8).

Therefore, get under God's protection now and be watchful of the traps that are all around us. He promises:

'Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways'.    Psalm 91:9-11.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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Do a taste test

"I sought the Lord and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." v4   

                                                                                                      Psalm 34:4-8    NKJV

David was experiencing many troubles at this time and knew in his heart that, the only way he could go was to God. He decided that he would bless the Lord at all times; praise would be forever on his lips. God responds to this; He responded to David and He will respond to you as well.

Note what David said in verse 4 above, 'I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears.' The Lord heard David's praises and cries for help and He delivered him from them all; not just a few but all of them. God is a God of abundance; He gives His all as we give ours. David was saved from all of his fears and troubles that were around him 

You know, we can either walk around with a gloomy, unsatisfied and unbelieving face, or we can walk around in faith with our faces aglow. The choice is ours. No one can force us to have the faith to believe that God saves, satisfies and delivers, it is our own personal choice. What is yours?

Verse 8 is a faith verse. We are encouraged to taste and see that the Lord is good. It doesn't say, have a sip of Him. The verse tells us to go the whole way and taste. If we sip a glass of wine, it is difficult to get the whole bouquet of the drink. Wine tasters sniff and swill the wine around their mouths to get the full taste. In the same manner, we need to taste fully how good the Lord is. 

He doesn't encamp around us because He has nothing better to do. He sets up camp around us because He loves us and wants to protect us. Once we have asked for this, woe betide anyone who tries to harm us. His presence places a hedge around us that no one can penetrate. If we don't ask for this or if sin is present in our lives, then the hedge is broken and we are open for attack. So be careful and wise.

You will have fears and troubles from time to time but where do you go with them? Don't think that prayer is not going to help in a certain situation. It will. And don't think that God will not hear you, He will. So when you need His help - pray. At other times, pray and praise Him (v1) and realise that this is the best way of tasting how good He is. So do the taste test

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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