Learning to say, 'NO'

"The woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.           Genesis 3:6    CSB

This particular time, the devil was having a hey day; he had completely hooked Eve and he was now reeling her in to make things worse. This is what the devil does. He plays on our weak spots; he knows what works and what doesn't, in fact he has a dossier about us, containing many of the things he has gathered throughout your life time. This makes him able to pick out certain things that he knows you will struggle with.

Here, we know that he had avoided speaking to Adam, even though he was there, the serpent concentrated on Eve because he knew that her experience with God, was weak. He had already given her taste buds a tweak, now he encouraged her to look at the tree with its fruit exposed and ready for picking. If we focus on the wrong things for long enough they can begin to look 'delightful' and this adds to the unsatisfied desire within us. This is not always sexual lust, it can be the lust for power - to be a somebody having great wisdom and strength. It can lead to dictatorship and yearning to want more. It is a want, want, want yearning, never being satisfied with what you have, there is always a longing to have what someone else has. 

The devil encourages this type of behaviour by presenting the picture before you, rather like here with Eve. The more she looked, the more she wanted and she may have said, 'I'll just try it once, that won't hurt.' The devil may have replied, 'You never know until you try,' and then, he had her in his clutches. 

As we have seen, Adam never lifted a finger to stop this; he went ahead with it all and even ate some of the fruit himself. A while later when they heard the LORD God walking though the garden and calling their name, they hid from Him. Why did they do that? What does this tell you?  It tells you that they were feeling guilt; this was why they hid away; they knew they were in the wrong. It is the same with us. When we have committed sin, in fact premeditated it, the majority of us feel the guilt of it all, especially if a pastor or close Christian friends share fellowship with us. I have read that some counsellors have admitted that some of the things people have told them about, they have done also and it has brought a feeling of hypocrisy upon them. 

We are all the same, we are all prone to a sinful nature and we need to be in charge of this by being in control. We know when something is forbidden and we know when we are feeling temptation towards such things. That is the time to say, 'NO', rather like Joseph when he walked away from Potiphar's adulterous wife (Genesis 39). He took control and so should we.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                 

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The devil in disguise

"Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the LORD God had made."                                              Genesis 3:1   Christian Standard Bible (CSB) 

Be very careful, the devil is very cunning and he will trap you, lie to you and convince you that, what is wrong, is actually right. 'It's ok, you'll be ok,' type of thing. God intended that the husband should be the head of the house; it was an ordained rule. It is still the same today. The husband should be the head of the Christian marriage, he is responsible to God for it. However, a word to husbands, this doesn't mean that you should rule with a rod of iron having your wife standing by the bed each morning for a kit inspection. You can try this if you want to but, I guarantee that you may have to pack your bags and leave pretty quickly. Being the head of the marriage is not like this. The husband should love his wife as Christ loved the church and treat her as if she is a precious vessel that could so easily break if treated in a wrong way.

The serpent however, wanted to twist God's direction and therefore avoided Adam and spoke directly to Eve. As he so often does, he misquoted God's words. God had said, 'You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat it, you will certainly die'  Genesis 2:16-17. The serpent said to Eve, 'Did God really say that you couldn't eat from any tree in the garden or you will die?' v1-4 Eve replied that they could eat of any tree in the garden except, the tree in the middle. They were not even allowed to touch it.

A word to the wise; know your scripture. God had not said this, whether God had told her directly  or Adam had relayed this to her later, she had not listened properly. This is so dangerous; scripture must never be altered, misquoted or made to fit the situation. Stick to what God says. This led the serpent to tell Eve that she wouldn't die. In other words, he was intimating that God was holding out on her or she had heard it wrong and that sin doesn't really carry any consequences.

At this stage, Adam should have put a stop to it and said, 'Serpent, get out of my garden.' He had the right to do this, God had placed him in charge but instead he remained quiet and ate the forbidden fruit and death and sin entered the world. One question that comes to mind is, why didn't he shout for God to help. He was in the garden because He often walked around it v8. But he didn't take authority and he didn't shout for God's help. He failed in his role. It's easy to blame Adam. A lot of people have said it was Eve's fault but the bottom line is, Adam should have taken responsibility of the situation. He was to blame.

Husband and wife, take your place, work as a team but husband, remember that God holds you responsible for spiritual care. 

Heed scripture properly, listen, study and apply it

Be careful of the the devil, he is a trickster

Take authority straightaway

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                 

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Your security

"for You have been a refuge for me, a strong tower in the face of the enemy."  

                                                                                                       Psalm 61:3   CSB 

There are times in life when some people need a Place of Safety to go to. This may be a refuge or a hospital where treatment and counsel may be offered. It may also be someone's house, a place where people know they can go if they need help and support. We could call this, an open door. Jesus' door is always open and He would like us to offer the same. Could you allow people to come to your home for help, support, a listening ear or just to be with someone they feel safe with, for a time? Jesus always had a crowd around Him wherever He was; in fact, at one time, the roof had to be taken apart for someone to be lowered down because it was impossible to walk in by the door. Alternatively, you may also need a place to go to for some prayer and counsel and a door may be open to you so that you can visit.

In this Psalm, David felt exhausted and alone. He made a plea to God for help because he needed strengthening, he was totally drained. Do you feel this way? We all become like this at certain times of our life and, it is such a blessing to have a refuge - a strong tower to run to so that we can have our batteries re-charged. Jesus is always a refuge to us; He is that strong tower in the face of our enemies and possibly at the time of writing this Psalm, David may have wanted to spend the rest of his days in this place of safety - this tent of love, for the rest of his life.

When needed, God is like a mother hen (v4) and carefully and lovingly shelters us under His wings. David actually mentions this in Psalm 91:4 where he writes: 'He will cover you with His feathers; you will take refuge under His wings. His faithfulness will be a protective shield.' Though David was without strength, God was a rock above him. David recognised his own limitations and we need to do the same. We can't be everything to everybody without something snapping eventually. We are only flesh and blood and we need rest and recuperation because we are in a battle. We need to take care of ourselves.

Could you create a Place of Safety to someone, somewhere people can find a listening ear and feel special about themselves? Why not open up your home to provide this. However, it may be that you need to go to a Place of Safety for your own reasons. You may need prayer, you may need to vent your feelings and you may need to feel the love of God enveloping you.

Only you know the answer to this. Why not ask God about it!

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                 

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Deception

"I am saying this so that no one will deceive you with arguments that sound reasonable."    

                                                                                        Colossians 2:4    CSB 

If we are not careful, we can so easily be led astray and persuaded by words that sound so reasonable. This is the hallmark of a false teacher. They make things seem so genuine and before we know it, we have been hooked.

Deceit is the ability to be able to manipulate and mislead a person in the way of falsehood. Things can appear very genuine and feasible and can have the ability to lead us down the path of spiritual death. Let us take a look at James 1:14-16:

'But each one is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire. 15 Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death. Don't be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.'

These verses have been used quite often to describe an adulterous spirit, and there is truth in this. However, deception and desire are more widespread. It can affect every area where one is drawn away and tempted. It can be the desire to steal money, the 'no one will find out if I alter the account books a little.' Yes they will and you will pay the price. 'No one will mind if I take a few hours off work today, after all, I work hard.' Somebody will and they will be only too pleased to report you. Tony Evans says, 'Desire leads to deception, which then leads to disobedience and then to death.' Think about this line with our two examples above. Your desire for money or to bum a few hours off work leads you into deception. You actually believe that you will not get found out. The devil has deceived you into disobeying the trust that was placed in you when you first took your job. When you are found out - and you will be - you will probably be fired and this leads to death of this job and on the money side of things, possibly a conviction. This leads to spiritual death of your testimony.

The devil will deceive you with reasonable arguments of why it will be ok to steal that money or take some time off work. Remember the way he deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden, 'You will not die' (Genesis 3:4). He is the master of deception, he is a liar and he will lead you into spiritual death and physical too if he can. Be careful.

Clip your desires into shape and allow God to change these. Watch the deception, its around every corner and you never know when it will strike. It may find you at your lowest and desire can be difficult to handle when you are like this. The way to handle desire and deception is to shout to God. If Adam and Eve had done this that day in the garden, things would have been different. Learn by this and call on Him in such times.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                 

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Live in Peace

"And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule in your hearts. And be thankful."                                       Colossians 3:15  CSB 

The world may search for peace and contentment in drugs, sex, alcohol, cigarettes, sport, music and many relationships. These give a temporary boost. The problem is, the world's peace only lasts as long as the thing that it comes in. These effects wear off - the buzz ends and so does the peace. You are then left where you started. The worries and fears are still there. 

God can help. Isaiah 26:3 says, 'You will keep the mind that is dependent on You in perfect peace, for it is trusting in You." Tony Evan comments: 'You cannot expect to have peace around you if you do not have peace within you'. God has a wealth of peace that He longs to bestow on each of us but, we need to reach out and take hold of it. Jesus said, 'Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don't let your heart be troubled or fearful.'   John 14:27. This verse couldn't be any clearer. Jesus left us His peace. It is available and it is permanent. We just have to reach out for it and draw on what God has deposited for us.

We need to walk in this truth and hang on to it and it starts with not allowing fear or worry to permeate your soul - mind, will and emotions. When your mind agrees with God's mind you will experience victory. Paul wrote: 

'Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.'    Philippians 4:6-7   CSB

He will supply all you need if you ask Him (Philippians 4:19. In fact, He will be true to His word and give you His abundant peace and this will keep you afloat through those times when your energy is sapped and you don't know what to do next. 

How do I get this peace, you may ask? It's already here, Jesus gave it to the world. Read John 14:27 again and digest it. Just pray this verse asking God to give you this peace. It is there for the asking. You need this peace. The world needs this peace, we may be approaching the End Times. This is not the time to be in turmoil. We need to keep a level head, grab hold of the peace that is available and then pray that it will spread throughout our world.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                 

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God uses the nobody's in life (2)

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."    

                                                        Romans 8:37   Christian Standard Bible (CSB) 

Let us continue our discussion about Ananias who bravely confronted Saul and brought him to know Jesus. Although unknown, he became famous; although concerned and frightened, he walked in obedience to God's word. It must have felt like walking into the Lion's den to Ananias. Saul was a religious bounty hunter; he was seeking out Christians who were making a mockery of his strict, religious upbringing. For Ananias to walk into this situation seemed like sudden death. However, he went.

Ananias would probably have felt very insecure coming up against this powerful, religious figure. He was an unknown, Saul was a fearsome somebody. Saul could have said to him, 'Who are you, you have had no bible college training and you're speaking to me about scripture?' This happens in Christian circles as you may well know. Some people and churches too, can make a person feel so inadequate because of their lack of qualifications. This is probably the way Ananias would have felt this particular day - fearful and unqualified. Don't allow this to happen to you. Remember, God can act like a skilled chess player and can place you where He wants you to be and, when He does, and you realise this and accept it, you will be a force to be reckoned with. Don't write yourself off.

Moses was a little like this when God instructed him to go to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt. 'Who am I,' he asked God. God's reply was, 'I will certainly be with you.' Moses' greatest need - and ours too - was not self-confidence, he needed God-confidence.Look at our text for today. God didn't say, 'No matter what happens, I will be with you', although this would have been the truth. What He said was, 'in all these things'. This means, 'In the Lion's den', or like Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego in the very hot oven, 'In that work situation', "In that failing marriage', ' In that lack of finance situation and in that scary, dangerous situation,' YOU ARE MORE THAN A CONQUEROR'. There was William the Conqueror but, you are William (or whatever your name is) the more than a conqueror. He is with you! 

Sometimes God rescues us from things. Sometimes He rescues us out of things. And sometimes He changes us in things. Let Him choose because he knows best. If you allow Him, He will give you the wherewithal to perform whatever He wants you to do, because He is in this with you and you are more than a conqueror.

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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God uses the nobody's in life

"Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. 12 And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight."                                                                       Acts 9:11-12   NKJV

Ananias was an unknown believer in Damascus. He went about his ordinary life in a very ordinary way but, God was about to change his ordinary existence and turn him into someone extraordinary, a man who is still talked about today when the salvation of Saul is discussed.

God spoke to Ananias in a vision and called him to go to the house of Judas in Straight Street and lay hands on Saul of Tarsus. Ananias was understandably concerned as he knew of Saul's reputation for having people killed, persecuted and thrown into prisons because of their faith in Jesus Christ. However, he was a faithful man and after receiving assurance from the Lord, he obeyed God and went to Judas' house.

On arrival, he went into the house and explained to Saul that Jesus, who had spoken to him on the Damascus Road, had sent him to pray for him. He then laid his hands on Saul, prayed for his healing and baptism in the Holy Spirit. At once, Saul's eyes were opened and he received the filling of the Holy Spirit. 

Many unknown believers have influenced many well-known people of God. It is not fame that God seeks for them but, faithfulness in serving Him. God is like a very skilled chess player and places people in strategic positions to fulfil His work. You may well have been one of these chess pieces - what a privilege! When God says 'Go', we must go. Just think, it's possible that we may not have heard about Paul if Ananias had refused to go, and also, Ananias would not have received the blessing from Jesus.

God can change things in a very dynamic way; there was a bright light - Jesus' voice and this persecuting, strict Sanhedrin member was knocked off his high horse by Jesus and ministered to by an unknown obedient believer. Many evangelists have a great harvest and are well known; but no one knew of Ananias but God did and made him instrumental in setting Saul on the road for an amazing preaching ministry and book writing career.

Never underestimate God. You may feel that no one knows you, never uses your ministry and you'll never accomplish much. But this thinking means you are leaving God out of the equation. Be obedient, be open, be ready and be humble; God likes this attitude and you may be the next one that God uses. You don't think so? I bet Ananias didn't think so either, but God turned up big time. YOU ARE IMPORTANT!

Copyright 2021 Grahame Howard.                                 

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If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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