If you're willing, so is He - A glimpse at Gideon

"The LORD is with you, valiant warrior." v12  of            Judges 6:12-32     CSB

The Israelites were a vacillating people; one minute walking with God, the next far away. They appeared to have very little consistency. This is a dangerous way to live because if we are not built on a firm foundation, storms come along and devastate.

God had saved Israel from Egypt, but this was a covenant relationship. Not so with these guys; time and time again they called on Him to save them, which He did. Their walk with Him however, was only temporary and they soon returned to their old ways. Now they were in the hands of the Midianites and God had Gideon in line for promotion.

Gideon felt the call of God from the Angel of the LORD (v12) but needed to challenge it. He said, 'Please my LORD, if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened? v13. He also asked the LORD, where are all the wonders we have heard about over the years. Gideon felt abandoned. He could only see his own circumstances and not the bigger picture.

Next came the shock, 'Go in the strength you have and deliver Israel from the grasp of Midian. I am sending you' v14. 'What, how can I do this? (my paraphrase). This was very much like we have heard before. Firstly there was Moses and his reply to God's call, 'Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?' (Exodus 3:11). And then Isaiah was faced with his call, 'Woe is me, for I am ruined, Because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips' (Isaiah 6:5). Then of course there was Jeremiah who said it as it was, 'Oh no LORD! Look, I don't know how to speak since I am only a youth' (Jeremiah 1:6). I even felt the same when God called me to preach my first sermon. AAARGH!

God continued to speak to a shocked Gideon, 'But I will be with you. You will strike Midian down as if it were one man' v16. 

The key to accomplishing great acts for God is to stay in relationship with Him. You can't do it alone, don't even try. God told Gideon to tear down his father's altar to Baal and build one which would be honouring to Him and then sacrifice his father's two choice bulls on it v25-32. He did this, albeit in a state of fear at getting caught out. Therefore, he took ten men with him and did this all at night so that he wouldn't be seen.

The principle here is, don't expect God to help if your heart and own life is not willing to give things up, getting your life right with God. God wants to use you; what is standing in the way? What do you need to give up? The choice is very much yours, but if you do this, God will use you and bless you for making the right choice.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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Beware of the Spiritual Decay

"In those days there was no king in Israel, everyone did whatever seemed right to him."     

                                                                                                 Judges 17:6   NKJV

Having a life without God is rather like, being on a ship with no captain. Pretty soon things are going to go wrong and the ship will sink. There was no king in Israel at this time and therefore, no divine model to follow. Everyone did whatever they wanted to do, despite being right or wrong. There didn't appear to be any rules, boundaries or values. It was an 'anything goes', situation.

This always causes problems because everyone thinks they are right and know the best way to go. Arguments and fights can then break out, together with a great state of sin in the place. It is the hallmark of a people who have forgotten God.

I read some posts recently on a media platform and the subject was about Jesus Christ, 'Was He real or a fake?' The comments from people were unbelievable; some were denying Jesus ever existed, others were blaspheming Him. I couldn't resist commenting and wrote, 'Whether you believe in Jesus or not, or whether He is just a fairy tale as you say, the fact is, one day you will meet Him whether you like it or not and 'everyone will have to bow the knee and confess Him as Lord.' This kind of ended the post.

There are many things going on in our world today that, points to the fact that time is short - we are living in the End Times and, we need to prepare for this. Just think about the standards that have dropped in the world just of late. Many have forgotten God or refuse to get to know about Him. Instead, they live life the way they want to whether it is wrong in God's eyes or not. The world is in Spiritual Decay.

You may not be able to change what is happening in the world but, you can change or improve what happens in your own life, family or home. Ungodly standards need to go and there is a need to get rid of anything that will disarm you in your spiritual walk. You can help make a spiritual change around your home and immediate area - your neighbours. Refuse worldly values and uphold Godly ones. Ensure that you are not drawn into this world of decay. Jesus, I believe, is just around the corner. God is priming Him for His return. We need to be ready. 

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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I will be found by you

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you," says the LORD, "thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."    Jeremiah 29:11    NKJV 

The Israelites were in exile in Babylon; God had allowed Nebuchadnezzar to carry them into captivity because of their sin. Jeremiah, the appointed spokesperson for God, wrote a letter to them offering encouragement and advice about how they should behave. Jeremiah wrote that God was thinking about them; He had plans for their future. His desire was to bring them peace and a hope for the time to come. 

God's promise was to bless them in the midst of pagan culture and whatever else they encountered. There was though, a price to pay, they must be fully committed to Him on a 24/7 basis, not just when they felt like it . He told them:

'Then you will call upon Me and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you' says the LORD, 'and I will bring you back from your captivity.'   Jeremiah 29:12-14

We would all do well to take note of this scripture. We have just been through Easter and seen how much Jesus loves us and how much He demonstrated this by His death on the cross. He gave His all, surely we can do the same for Him. He has wonderful plans for us and longs to give us a bright and wonderful life. There is a need though, to be fully focused on Him, not just once a week at church or the odd prayer during the week. Our commitment to Him must be daily - a full time relationship.

When we are determined to live our lives fully for Jesus, as we seek Him He promises that we will find Him - 'I will be found by you,' and when this happens He will help us to be liberated from all of the things that have held us in captivity for so long - addictions, loneliness, sickness and fear, to mention a few.

We will only be free as we seek Him with all of our hearts. Seek Him wholeheartedly and have your life transformed for the better.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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He will hold you together

"He existed before anything else, and He holds all creation together."   

                                                                                     Colossians 1:17   NLT 

Jesus was there at the beginning. He was there when the Spirit of God hovered over the waters and all around was in total darkness. He was there when creation took place. The New Living Translation puts it this way:

'Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, 16 for through Him, God created everything in the heavenly realms and on the earth. He made all things we can see and all things we can't see - such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through Him and for Him. 17 He existed before anything else, and He holds all creation together'  

                                                                                     Colossians 1:15-17

Note the words, 'He holds all creation together', this includes you. If He can hold the planets in place, you can be confident that He can hold you together too. Things may have been difficult just lately - things going wrong, disappointments and ever-rising costs causing money shortages.  

It may feel like things are falling apart but, if Jesus holds things together, He can certainly help here. Your health may have been causing you concern and there doesn't appear to be a remedy. Don't forget, He holds your health together too. Because on the cross, 'By His wounds you are healed' 1 Peter 2:24. Receive your healing by faith, this is one of the reasons He died on the cross for us. 'Yes,' you may say, 'but not everyone is healed, are they? That is true, but it should never stop us from receiving our healing. Many can testify to being healed, myself included.

You may feel that everything around you is falling apart - things keep going wrong and it is getting tedious. Stop right there! If you have asked Jesus into your life, He is right there beside you, He can hold things together for you, including yourself. Try to avoid the 'victim mentality' and replace it with a, 'Jesus mentality'. This is far better. If you are in Jesus, you are not a victim, you are an overcomer, you have the victory.

Begin to see yourself this way. Allow Jesus to hold you together and begin to live in victory!

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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Death couldn't hold Him

"'They said to her, 'Woman, why are you crying?' 'Because they've taken away my Lord,' she told them, 'and I don't know where they've put Him."  

                                                                 John 20:23    Christian Standard Bible 

Mary Magdalene had gone to the tomb very early on the Sunday and, she was distressed to find the stone rolled away and Jesus' body missing. Two angels, who were in the tomb, asked her why she was crying. One can almost feel her love and pain as she replied, 'they've taken away my Lord and, I don't know where they've put Him.'

Mary thought that grave robbers were responsible, there had been quite a bit of this just lately and, the authorities had made it a capital offence if caught. It didn't make sense though; the grave clothes were folded neat and tidy, surely there would have been quite a mess if they had taken His body away. There were two other possibilities though; many of His disciples were uncertain and confused about the idea of Jesus being resurrected as he had told them. Could some of them have stolen His body to save His reputation from more humiliation? The elders had bribed the soldiers with a big fee to say this (Matthew 28:11-15). The only other reason could have been, that He had risen to life. All of this would have been going through her mind this day.

Mary, like some of the others, was not a great believer in the resurrection but, that was about to change. As she looked around the area, she saw a man who she thought may be the gardener. Her eyes were so full of tears that she couldn't see Him properly. He also asked her why she was crying and who she was looking for. She told Him and as she walked away in further distress, He called to her, 'Mary'. She knew His voice immediately and turning shouted, 'Rabboni'. To calm her, He told her to go and inform the others that she had seen Him, which she did - joyfully.

Mary was overjoyed and, so should we be. Jesus Christ is no longer in the grave. He overcame death - Satan couldn't hold Him and He blasted out of the realm of the dead and He is with us today - alive!

Think, if the grave couldn't hold Him, then your situation is not difficult for Him either. You may be ill - He can fix it. You be be lonely - He can fix that too. You may be grieving - He can heal the sadness and give you joy once again. You may be short of money - He holds the wealth of the world - He is rich and very generous. You may feel you have the problems of the world on your shoulders - He can lift that off you, right now. Nothing is too difficult for Him. He's alive; He has risen and He is ready and willing to bless you more than you have ever been blessed before. Are you ready for that? Then hold on tight, it's coming, HE'S ALIVE!

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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Just an ordinary Saturday?

"by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the divine long-suffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared in which a few, that is, eight souls were saved through the water,"    

                                                                                  1 Peter 3:19-20  NKJV

Jesus died on the Friday and rose again on the Sunday. What did He do on the Saturday? Our text above, gives us the answer; He preached to the spirits in hell. He was made alive by the Holy Spirit to go and preach there. Whether He preached to the demonic spirits, lost souls or fallen angels, is unclear. However, it was not by way of evangelism but probably a declaration of God's power and victory over sin and death. 

He had completed His mission and no doubt His declaration would have included the fact about this triumph and a reminder that, 'at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth'  Philippians 2:10 NKJV. This would include the fact that judgement and final condemnation was imminent. He had the victory!

Warren W Wiersbe comments:

'The word translated 'preached' simply means 'to announce as a herald, to proclaim.' It is not the word that means to 'preach the Gospel.' that Peter used in 1:12 and 4:6. Our Lord yielded His spirit to the Father, died and at some time between death and resurrection, visited the realm of the dead where He delivered a message to spirit-beings (probably fallen angels see Jude 6) who were somehow related to the period before the flood. The declaration was probably one of victory over Satan and his forces.'  The Wiersbe Study Bible

Jesus had been victorious; He had defeated sin and death and through this, had opened the way to the Father for all who accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Your sin and mine is now under the blood of Jesus. Because of this, all who believe in Him win also, and have a place in heaven. Our insurance premiums are fully paid and we have been declared 'Not Guilty'. All our past sin has been taken care of never to be mentioned by Jesus again. We are liberated Romans 8:1-2. 

Somebody needs to shout 'Amen' here!

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He never misses a chance to show us His love

"Pilate, therefore wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them. 21 But they shouted saying, 'Crucify Him, crucify Him."                            Luke 23:20-21    CSB 

It is now Good Friday and Jesus has had to suffer heavy questioning from the Sanhedrin, Pilate and Herod. He has had no sleep and has had to face trumped up charges against Him together with a somewhat unfair trial. Finally a bewildered and procrastinating Pilate, hands Jesus over to be beaten and crucified.

Soldiers mocked Him, slapped and spat at Him, pulled out His beard and then flogged Him with the most barbaric form possible - a leather whip interlaced with sharp stones and broken pottery. Each lash ripped His back to shreds. They wound a crown of thorns and forced it on to His head. The thorns were possibly about two inches long, so one could imagine the pain that He suffered. They then paraded Him around to humiliate Him in front of the crown, many hungry for His blood and the excitement of the kill. He was then placed on a wooden cross and had long nails hammered into His hands and feet and He was finally hoisted up between two criminals who had also been crucified.

One of the crucified men at the side of Jesus started verbally abusing Him, challenging Him to come down off the cross and save Himself and the two of them. He carried on blaspheming Jesus Luke 23:39. The other criminal rebuked Him saying that Jesus was innocent and shouldn't have been here, whereas they were both guilty. He turned his head to Jesus and said, 'Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom'. Jesus' reply was breathtaking, 'Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise' V43 NKJV.

This is the kind of love Jesus demonstrates. None of us, just like the criminal, deserve His love and forgiveness, but when we call to Him with repentance we receive it. Just think for a moment, none of the pain and suffering that Jesus had suffered these past couple of days could prevent Him from demonstrating love in action. His body was broken, people were laughing and insulting Him, others waiting for Him to perform a miracle and come off the cross, and He was in agony and yet, a criminal who deserved to be on the cross called to Him and, Jesus' ears were opened and He gave the man Paradise. Amazing.

His grace is enormous; His kindness eternal. He knows what it is to suffer and, He knows what it feels like to be let down and disappointed. You may have been let down recently, your world may be shattered but, hey, this is the reason that Jesus hung on the cross and died for YOU! He can take all of those let downs and disappointments; all of the pain and humiliation, in fact, He wants to change your life right now. Why not allow Him to:

'Lord Jesus, please come into my life and help me. Please take away the hurt and the pain and be my friend. I am sorry for all the bad things that I have done in my life. Please forgive me Lord and fill me with Your Spirit and be my friend. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

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