Record of Wrongs

"Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant 5 is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs."   

                                                                                   1 Corinthians 13:4-5  CSB 

Love keeps no record of wrongs. In other words, it doesn't go around pointing the finger at other people's faults. It doesn't criticise or judge people.

Charles Spurgeon said:

'It never proclaims the errors of others. It refuses to see faults unless, it may kindly help in their removal. It stands in the presence of a fault with a finger on its lips. It does not attempt to make a catalogue of provocations,'

Let's be honest here, we have all done this. Some of us have a library of wrongs about some people. We gossip about others whether we know if there is any truth in what we say or not. But if it is true what we say, we shouldn't be saying it anyway. It's almost like we are waiting for someone to be caught out in a sin and punished or look bad in other people's eyes. Some people even have an attitude towards God for allowing them to go through hurtful situations.

Ask yourself, where is the love in all of this? Sometimes we can read scripture, shout Amen to it and then, go out and do the opposite. Thank goodness God doesn't operate in this way. He doesn't keep a record of our wrongs once we have repented. He wipes them away (Colossians 2:13-15). Therefore, shouldn't we do the same? What right have we to criticise, gossip and keep a record of people's wrongdoing?

It appears to me that we should be so grateful to Jesus for forgiving our wrongdoings and ask forgiveness if we have been involved in thinking bad about others. If we don't, we will have to give an account to Him one day for all the criticism and record keeping we have done.

Now that doesn't bear thinking about. So, if this has convicted you, ask Jesus to forgive you right now and, avoid making the same mistakes in the future.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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A Repair Job

"And they shall rebuild the old ruins, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the ruined cities, the desolation of many generations."   Isaiah 61:4    NKJV 

Many Christians today feel left by the wayside. What they had hoped and prayed for has not happened and they're beginning to feel like it never will. If you firmly believe that God has spoken to you about your future - then don't give up on it! Abraham could have given up when God told him that Sarah would have a child. They were both very old and it was ridiculous to think this could happen. However, Abraham didn't waver at the promise through unbelief. He was fully convinced that what God had promised, He would fulfil Romans 4:17-22.

Stay in faith, even though you may be treated unfairly at work, home or in the church. Perhaps you didn't get that promotion; well that may be because God has something better in mind for you. You may be in a difficult relationship and your face may not fit in some quarters. Don't give up!

Consider that maybe, God wants to do a repair job on you, after all, He is a master builder. He can take the old and turn it into new, but you have to be willing because, He will not force you. It is worth considering that you may be trying to make it happen yourself. You can't do this, anymore than a 100 year old Abraham, couldn't make a 90 year old Sarah pregnant. You can't do it but, God can.

Write down what God actually told you. Don't add things, just write fact. It is doubtful that God gave you a time-frame when this promise would be birthed. So, pray what He actually told you and tell Him that you are prepared to wait - in faith. Waiting is difficult but, waiting in faith is harder because all of the doubts, and if you've told anyone, all of their negative comments, will try to convince you that you have it wrong. 

Abraham was fully convinced even though he would have been subject to be laughed at. But what about Noah building a boat on dry land, far from the sea? People thought he was crazy but boy, were they in for a shock Genesis 6 & 7.

Just place yourself before Jesus and allow Him to do a repair job - hurts from the past, present and doubts about the future. Allow Him to raise you up with encouragement, then He might feel that you're ready.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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Don't Run on Empty

"be filled with the Spirit"                                Ephesians 5:18b    NKJV 

It is impossible to run on empty for long. Sooner or later, your going to run out of energy. Take a car for instance, if it gets low on fuel or the charge runs out, the car will soon stop because it no longer has the substance to carry on. Take this analogy and personalise it. Are you running very close to empty? Have you been doing so much that you have neglected to 'fill up' on the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well: 'Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.' John 4:13-14

In this analogy, Jesus told the woman, that whoever drank this water would thirst again, but He could offer 'Living Water'. The water He was referring to was the Holy Spirit. Whoever is without Him, will need to rely on their own energy to get through each day. But with the Holy Spirit, they would be like a fountain of fresh, living water gushing out, leading to life in abundance. 

Are you baptised in the Holy Spirit? Look at the difference this makes in Acts 2. The Holy Spirit came upon Peter and the others, with power. In fact, it was like a fire which spread to the whole of the crowd in Jerusalem. Peter, who had cowardly denied Jesus just a few weeks earlier, now stood and preached a sermon where at least 3000 souls came to Jesus. The place was in pandemonium, with people speaking in other languages and wondering what was happening. This is the difference the Holy Spirit makes in a person's life - dynamite power!

If you've never had this happen to you, here's your opportunity:

Dear Lord, please baptise me in Your Holy Spirit, enabling me to speak in tongues and have the fire of God within me, so that I never run on empty again. In Jesus' name. Amen'

Speaking in tongues will come with practice; the main thing is, you will now be power-packed and have the ability to change lives. You'll make mistakes, of course you will, because you're not perfect - yet. However, if you stay close to Jesus, people will notice this fact.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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Open yourself to Jesus

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test my thoughts. 24 Point out anything You find in me that makes You sad, and lead me along the path of everlasting life."  

                                                                                Psalm 139:23-24   Living Bible 

It is necessary, regularly, to allow God to carry out an assessment of yourself and feed it back to you. He knows everything about you. You may feel that you know everything about yourself, but you're wrong. There are things within you that may be hidden away, things from the past or the present. Some, you may know about, others you don't. But God knows it all and wants you to get things right and ready for a blessing.

King David was sold out for God, he lived for Him. Yes, he made some bad mistakes but, he opened himself up to his Father and allowed Him to point out anything that made Him sad or caused Him offence. David then put it right.

Notice how he asked God to test his thoughts and anxieties. As we saw from yesterday's reading, our thoughts, if not controlled, can lead us astray. This is an excellent way to get to know about yourself - ask God and allow Him to tell you. However, if you ask Him to carry out an assessment on you, as these scriptures infer, you must be willing to act on what God says, otherwise nothing will change. If you want change in your life, then you must be prepared to pay the price.

God will help you, that is a certainty. Check out David's prayer in Psalm 25:4-5 NKJV:

'Show me Your ways O LORD; teach me Your paths. 5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day'

Notice two points here; firstly, David knew if he opened himself up to God, he could rely on Him to help. Secondly, David knew that things didn't always happen at once; sometimes there was a waiting period.

So if you are prepared for this assessment, so is Jesus. He will show you what needs to change and, will help you achieve it. However, be prepared, it may take some time, so be patient.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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Be in control of your thoughts

".. bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."  

                                                                               2 Corinthians 10:3-6  NKJV

It is imperative that we are in control of our thoughts. The devil wars against us and, this area is one of his main lines of attack. If he can get you thinking about the wrong type of things, he's happy.

In this day of incredible technology, temptation is unlimited. Porn is readily available 24/7 and the temptation can be so great that some, may find they are unable to avoid it because it has become an addiction. On most media platforms, we receive invitations to join sex groups. The offer of sexual activity is available if a person wants this.

Gambling sites tempt a person to become rich in a moment. They may offer teasing free go's so that the temptation to continue becomes greater. Many people fall into this trap ending up with large debts that they are unable to pay. Our children may be subjected to suicide sites, as highlighted in the news recently. What can be more evil that tempting a young person to end their lives?

Once a seed is sown into our thought life, it can be very difficult to avoid it. It can nag away until the temptation becomes so great, that sin is activated. Adultery is a big temptation. There appears to be a low level of values in our society today with feelings such as, 'It's ok, let's have some fun'. But the devil is a liar and the fun can soon turn into heartache, once found out.

Extreme discipline needs to be a part of our lives. This is why the Apostle Paul gave us this scripture. Read the four verses above and you'll see his remedy into dealing with our thoughts. We know when a bad thought enters our mind - we know it is temptation. Therefore, this is the time to put an end to it by calling upon Jesus and giving Him the thoughts so that He can help. This is taking the thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

This is serious business and one in which we need to be on guard. The devil is sly and crafty and, if you're not careful, he can trick you into falling for it. Don't even give him the chance!

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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Receive the Peace of God

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."  

                                                                                Philippians 4:6-7    NKJV 

The Greek translation for anxiety describes, being pulled in different directions. Our hope pulls us one way and fear, the other. A person is literally pulled apart when anxiety takes up residence. This is why we feel like our life is falling apart. The Old English root for worry, means to strangle. When we worry or become anxious, it can feel like we are being strangled by the negative affects it causes, such as, headaches, neck pains, ulcers, back pains or even worse. It also affects our thinking, digestion, sleep pattern and co-ordination. When worry and anxiety attack, we need to cast this over to God; not just the big things but the little things too, before they too, become big things.

The action we should take is prayer and supplication. Supplication means to pray humbly and earnestly about the things that are troubling you. But don't forget to thank God in advance and afterwards for His help. Before, by faith knowing we can trust him to deliver and, afterwards for doing this. We should never take Him for granted. As we do this, He gives us His peace - more greater than any peace you could ever find. This helps to guard our hearts and minds.

The heart and the mind can be problematic in situations such as this. We become hurt very easily and can allow this hurt to take over our thinking. We can become angry, depressed or totally deflated. Mind games can begin telling us all sorts of lies and before too long, everything becomes worse.

If you need the peace of God right now, pray these two verses out aloud, personalising them and allow the Holy Spirit to begin His healing work within you. Jesus doesn't want you unhappy and scared; He wants you happy and victorious, even while you are going through the troubles. Remember, He was with Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego in that very hot oven and they were all fine. He is with you and will carry you through this, unscathed.

Receive the peace of God.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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Outrageous Grace

"Moreover the law entered that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more."                                       Romans 5:20   NKJV

Through Adam's disobedience, sin abounded rendering everyone sinful. When the law was introduced by Moses, this sin became evident and was impossible to conquer. But, where this sin abounded, God's grace abounded much more. I like the New Living Translation of this verse:

'God's law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God's wonderful grace became more abundant.'

The more we see our own sinfulness, the more we see God's abounding grace forgiving us. It's outrageous! However, this doesn't give us licence to go out and deliberately sin because we know God will forgive us. What it does mean is that when we do fall and commit sin, as we confess this, God, through Jesus Christ, has provided us with a free pardon.

Proverbs 21:3 says: The LORD is more pleased when we do what is right and just, than when we offer Him sacrifices' (NLT). Therefore, God wants us to do the right thing - to live each day for Him rather than becoming involved in religious sacrifices. Do you realise that Jesus doesn't want you going to every meeting there is, rather than staying home and spending personal time with Him. Church meetings are very important, it is true but, not at the risk of leaving Jesus out because we feel we must go here, there and everywhere. That is religion.

There is so much that God wants to tell you. He wants to spend every moment with you. Yes, we have work commitments etc, but we can involve Him in these. Doing this helps us to focus on Him instead of allowing the things of the world to bring temptation and distraction. His love is outrageous and His grace is outrageous too. People may be hostile to you but show them outrageous grace; people may rip you off, but again show them grace. This may sound outrageous in itself, but God is outrageous to each one of us with His grace., so it is good to be outrageous.

There's too much fear, hostility and hate in our world today, but as much as it depends on you, show people this outrageous grace

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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