Build yourself up - workout with Jesus

"But you beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life."                                                    Jude 20-21    NKJV

There is a lot that we need to be weary about in our Christian walk. Jude speaks of apostates and false teachers. Apostates may have had a fleeting commitment to Jesus but, they have soon fallen away refusing to be involved with Him any longer. They tend to be rebellious people. There is a big difference here with the backslider, who may have fell away because of something that has happened in their life but still believe and do return to Jesus. The apostate can become like poison to the church.

Then there are the false teachers. Jude describes these perfectly in verse 4, 'For certain men have crept in unnoticed.' This is the hallmark of the false teacher; they turn up and begin to mislead people teaching their own version of scripture and, because of their persuasiveness, can lead people astray and also split a church. Notice the words, 'crept in unnoticed'. They just turn up therefore, a believer needs to be weary and alert in all they do (1 Peter 5:8).

We build ourselves up in our faith by being aware of such things and we can only do this by spending time with God. We need to grow and then grow some more, Check out a bodybuilder; to get to the level where their muscles are bulging, they have to work out and watch their diet. Thus, their appearance responds to their commitment. If they stop, their body becomes flabby. Don't be a flabby Christian. Keep building yourself up.

Then we need to pray and we never pray alone; the Holy Spirit prays with us. Sometimes it helps to just pray in the Spirit - praying in tongues - the prayer language that you were given if you have been baptised in the Holy Spirit. It's powerful and much needed. Sometimes we don't know how to pray about something; praying in tongues therefore, meets this need.

Jude then tells us to, 'keep yourselves in the love of God.' How do we do this? Praying God's Word back to Him is a start, making the prayer personal to your needs. Jesus is your friend, the greatest friend you will ever have. Speak to Him, listen to Him and do this on a daily basis while you're doing your regular workout.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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You have a calling

"Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James. To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father and preserved in Jesus Christ. 2 Mercy, peace and love be multiplied to you."                                                                    Jude 1-2  CSB 

It's easy to understand that pastors, evangelists and other significant leaders are the people called by God. The truth is, if you are a Christian, you have been called as well. God has no favourites and all are equal in His sight and have a particular gifting which is a treasure to Him.

Jude was a brother of James and also half brother to Jesus. Initially, he was rather skeptical about the deity of Jesus but, as time went on, he was able to write that he was a bondservant of Jesus Christ. He made no mention of being related to Jesus, humbly preferring to give the glory to Jesus and honouring  his brother James. However, Jude was special in God's eyes and he wrote this piece of work or essay that is power-packed with advice and warning about church behaviour and false teachers.

If we are a believer, we are sanctified. This means we are set apart for sacred use and made or declared to be holy and devoted to a deity - Jesus Himself. Note also that Jude tells us we are preserved in Jesus Christ. The word 'preserved' means that we are carefully watched and protected. We are secure in Jesus, preserved for glory and in our daily walk with Jesus, kept from stumbling.

Because we are set apart and preserved, we are the recipients of God's choicest blessings: mercy, peace and love. Jude asks that this be multiplied to us, so we need to receive this. God in His mercy doesn't give us what we deserve. Instead, He gave our punishment to His own Son on the cross. We need to remember this - always.

Just think for a moment, God loves us enough to preserve us in His faithful love (Hesed). He offers us all mercy, peace and love - the complete bundle. He holds nothing back and neither should we. We have a calling and we need to ensure that we fulfil this calling to the letter. This is why we are carefully watched and protected. To Jesus, we are special!

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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How God wants your marriage

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her."   Ephesians 5:25    CSB

 Christian marriage is of the utmost importance to God. It is a covenant for life between husband and wife, with God right in the centre of it. The husband is to be the head of the marriage - in some circles a contentious subject. The thing is, each of the partners are equal in the sight of God because, both have been made in the image of God. However, the wife is to submit to the authority of her husband in everything, (Don't shoot the messenger here - read Ephesians 5:24). The husband is called to reflect God and His character and love his wife, not in a dictatorial manner, but with the love of Jesus. The wife in return is called to respect her husband.

As both partners move towards God, they also move more closer to each other. There are though, marital strongholds that we need to be aware of and avoid. Marriage is not easy at times; it takes a lot of patience, hard work and a dose of the old give and take to make it work. 

Occasionally, things can breakdown and partners can be at loggerheads. The devil loves this and looks for ways to promote it more. When married couples wake in the morning and feel miserable, or return from work or wherever and feel the same, there is a marital stronghold taking place. 

Prayer is neglected, harsh words are spoken and the atmosphere is heavy with lethargy and bitterness. A wedge has been driven between the couple and we know who is responsible for this. But, let's be honest, many is the time when it is the partner's fault also. The truth being, they should never have allowed their marriage to fall this low.

Divorce is not the answer, neither is separation. It takes both couples to admit their wrongs and allow grace to penetrate their relationship. Grace is the mainstay of a Christian marriage, we should live by it - God's unmerited gift of divine favour. We all need grace, God gave it to us massively when we didn't deserve it. Why not give some grace to your wife or husband today and then, determine that this is the way forward from now on.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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Sexual Immorality has the power to destroy

"But each person 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."                                                             James 1:14-15   CSB 

Many leading churches today are suffering the pain and humiliation of leaders, who have been caught in adulterous and sexually immoral situations. The media have highlighted it recently and are having a hey day with it all. You see, mostly the media are not all that interested in the Christian world, until there is a form of scandal; they then perform a scoop and the whole church and its work have to suffer the consequences.

David was no different; when he should have been at war with his army, he was at home sunbathing on his roof. From there, he looked down and noticed a young lady - Bathsheba, who raised his temperature. He became so interested in her that he invited her round. Adultery took place, she became pregnant and David had her husband bumped off when they went back to their place of battle. He then married her. He may have been king but he couldn't hide this from God, Adam tried this in the garden remember and that failed. David had to pay the sinful consequences of his sinful behaviour 2 Samuel 11.

Read the short book of Jude and you will see how sexual immorality and false teaching was rife and a threat to the church and, it still is all over the world today. It is not only the sexually immoral person who suffers, but so does the whole church and its work. Mud sticks and the devil loves to plaster it all over the place. Remember, he is a master hood-winker. Look how he had Eve dwell on the forbidden fruit. She looked until she couldn't resist it any longer. This is how it can be for us too. We can be tempted to look at sex-filled films and plays. We can also be tempted to view pornography on the internet - 'Just one look won't hurt', yes it will; it sows a seed within you and from thereon it can be like iron filings to a magnet, it draws a person in deeper.

Adultery is no different. We need to be careful who we are alone with; even if nothing happens rumours and gossip can spread and appear like the truth. Proverbs 6:25 says, 'Don't lust in your heart for her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyelashes.' This is the same for both gender; man and woman, without being paranoid about things, need to practice common sense.

We need to be careful and alert; the devil wants to bring disaster and he will certainly succeed if, you are not in control of yourself.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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Come to the Throne of Grace

 "Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need."    Hebrews 4:16    CSB

Note the word, 'approach', you have to approach the throne of grace before you receive help from Jesus. In other words, you need to pray and call on Him. When you do, He is there for you.

Prayer is like a passport, it leads you into spiritual encounters with God, it is your way of communicating with Him, directly. You may be tempted to give up at times but as you acknowledge His invitation to come to the throne, He is there with His mercy and grace to help.

Someone once said, 'Mercy is not getting what you deserve; grace is getting what you don't deserve.' So don't stay away, approach His throne and get what you need. This is how it works. Imagine the average day and the thoughts that go through your mind:

'I don't fancy going to work today, the boss is being terrible to me; I can't take much more'

      - APPROACH THE THRONE OF GRACE

'My wife/husband is impossible, we may as well break up, it's a living nightmare'

      - APPROACH THE THRONE OF GRACE

'I don't know how much more I can take, the kids are being awful, it's all getting me down'

      - APPROACH THE THRONE OF GRACE

'I will never be able to finish these exams, I wish I'd have never started'

      - APPROACH THE THRONE OF GRACE

'I don't know what we're going to do, we will never be able to pay our bills'

      - APPROACH THE THRONE OF GRACE

For every negative and painful thought that comes into your mind and out of your mouth, you need to approach the throne of grace. God's Word says that as you do this, you will find the help you need. How clearer can that be? 'Oh God doesn't mean me,' you may say. Oh yes He does but you need to go to Him, not the other way around. You have to make the approach.

At this moment, some may be saying, 'I'm not doing that, I'm not praying, I'll look stupid'. Wouldn't it be better to pray and look stupid  than, go without the help you need and still look stupid? God's Word says, 'Approach', so do it!

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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Where's your trust?

"But I trust in You LORD; I say, 'You are my God.' 15 'The course of my life is in Your power, rescue me from the power of my enemies and from my persecutors."   

                                                                                           Psalm 31:14-15    CSB

Here, David is pleading with God for his protection from the many enemies around him. He knew he could rely on God for this but, he was only human and many times, like us, he was open to doubt this fact. Tony Evans comments here: 'When you have been wounded by life, take these divinely inspired prayers and make them you own'. This is good advice for us all.

Let us not forget that God has the power to rescue us or change whatever circumstance we may find ourselves in. David knew every aspect of his life was in God's hands - how about you, do you feel the same? David also anticipated deliverance. This is one of the keys to Kingdom living - expectation. As we serve God, we should always believe that God is with us, for us and going to work on our behalf. We do this by faith. As we spend more time with Him, we get to know Him better and this is where the trust is developed. Living for God, trusting God and knowing deep down in our spirit that He is totally for us.

Did you know that God has a store packed with His goodness for those who fear Him? Psalm 31:19 reads: 'How great is Your goodness that You have stored up for those who fear You.' His store is piled high with His goodness and it is ready to be dispensed to all who take Him seriously and look to Him in expectation.

As we take refuge in Him, He hides us in the protection of His presence and conceals us in a shelter far away from human schemes and quarrelsome tongues. v20. We may love that special person in our lives and trust them fully; however, we should never trust them more than we trust God. Jeremiah 17:5-6 reads 'Cursed is the person who trusts in mankind, he makes human flesh his strength and his heart turns from the Lord. He will be like a juniper in the Arabah, he cannot see when good comes.' 

These two verses reveal the stark contrast between two ways of life - either to trust in humanity and be cursed, or to trust in the Lord and be blessed. It is far better and sensible to trust God with all you have so that it will go well for you.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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The Subject of Prayer

"Pray at all times in the Spirit, with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints."      Ephesians 6:18    CSB 

This statement made by the Apostle Paul, forms part of the six weapons of armour which we need to wear daily, and Paul felt it was the greatest weapon of all. In prayer we are communicating with God and doing warfare against the devil and his demonic forces. Paul also felt that prayer should be carried out at all times. Common sense tells us that this request would not be possible literally. He meant that throughout the day, we should remain in connection with God, keeping Him on our minds wherever possible. Then when a crisis came along, we should be ready to reach out to God with our prayers.

For some people prayer can be boring; this is why Paul told us to stay alert and persevere. Many people have a prayer ministry and can see what is happening in the Heavenlies - the invisible realm. For others, this can seem that they are professional pray-ers and unless they focus, there can be a tendency to drift away. We should all endeavour to pray in the Spirit at all times.

William Barclay in his Commentary to the book of Ephesians, regarding prayer writes:

It should be constant

Our tendency is to only pray in times of great crisis in our lives, but it is from daily prayer that we will find daily strength.

It must be intense

Limp prayer never got anyone, anywhere; prayer demands the concentration of every faculty upon God.

It must be unselfish

Our prayers can focus more on ourselves than on others. We must learn to pray as much for others, and with others, as for ourselves.

The last bullet point by William Barclay is aimed at the temptation to focus on the 'Me, Me, Me Syndrome. We can tend to have a selfish attitude, and never recognise it, when we are going about our daily life. This can be obvious when we pray. We must learn to make God the key point and the main topic of our prayer and exalt others not ourselves. Remember, God gives grace to the humble James 4:6.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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