People will rise against you

"No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgement, you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me, says the LORD"              Isaiah 54:17   NKJV 

People will rise against you from time to time, especially if you are in any leadership role, Christian or Secular. It goes with the territory. Whether it is because of jealousy or envy, there is always someone who will stir up a storm over something or other. One only has to see politicians criticising their opposition, to get the idea. This can be quite hurtful to be on the receiving end of such gossip or criticism. The problem with gossip is that, by the time it has down its rounds, it is received as the truth. This can be quite concerning.

God's Word here, addresses such times, 'No weapon formed against you shall prosper and, every tongue which rises against you in judgement, you shall condemn.' There are two important words here that you need to be aware of:

WEAPON 

Just by the name itself, one can easily identify where this is from - your enemy, Satan. He manipulates people to make a stand against you and the darts begin to fire. Now darts hurt, and this is his intention. He wants to stop you from achieving your goal and, he will if you allow him to. God has provided you with armour to protect you from such times (Please read Ephesians 6:10-18). It is important to know that when these darts begin to attack, you have a defence - the Shield of Faith with which you can quench these fiery darts.

TONGUE

The tongue is full of deadly poison at such times, so when the devil encourages a person to speak out evil against you, you can use the Shield of Faith to deflect the darts. You do this by refuting or condemning what is being said. There is no need to take revenge or even defend yourself; you just condemn the words and God takes care of the rest. It is your heritage. You belong to Jesus and, if you allow Him, He will avenge on your behalf. You don't need to take any action yourself (Romans 12:17-21).

Remember, it is the devil who manipulates the person that is attacking you. Know your enemy and deal with him in the name of Jesus. Use the Sword of the Spirit - the Word of God. 'Resist the devil and he shall flee from you' James 4:7.

Above all, continue to stand in the Mighty presence of Jesus.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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Do you know where you are going?

"For the LORD knows the way of the the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish".                                                                               Psalm 1:6 NKJV 

God knows everything about us - what we're thinking, planning and putting into practice. He also knows where we are going - our destination. Do you?

If you were planning to go to London by train, you wouldn't get on a train going towards Lands End. This would be foolish and counter-productive. Yet people miss their destination through a variety of reasons. A man from the Somerset area back in the 80's, attended a Christian Crusade with friends and, when asked if He knew Jesus as his Lord, replied, 'No I don't, I have a lot of living to do firstly, then I'll think about it.' That very day he was knocked down and killed by a lorry, just outside of the church. Scary stuff; but he had a choice of destination and he chose the wrong way.

We cannot gamble with our salvation. God is not into gambling, He is into the truth and we should always be wise in choosing our way forward. Sometimes our choices can be wrong, rather like the man who was killed.

Do you know where you are going when you die? Have you chosen the direction you want to go? There is a choice, right up until the time you are ready to die. Some leave it until then as they believe it is a personal thing and it can be decided in those last few moments of life. That may be true because, we don't know what happens in this last few seconds. However, it's cutting it fine; what if there is no opportunity to decide? It is one mighty gamble, one in which, those who don't know Jesus need to ponder seriously.

Proverbs 3:5-6 encourages us to, 'Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.' Notice carefully the, 'lean not on your own understanding'. You only know so much, God knows everything. This is why when we ask Him; we know, 'He shall direct our paths'.

We can either spend eternity with Jesus and all we love and know are believers, or we can spend eternity without Jesus and all we know and love. This cannot be watered down. You need to be at your destination with Jesus, otherwise you will be in terrible torment in hell.

Do you know where you are going? The choice is yours and you can say this prayer, if you choose Jesus:

Lord Jesus, please come into my life and forgive my sin. I want to live for You from this day on. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name. Amen.

If you said this prayer, you know where you are going!

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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Nothing left to give?

"So the LORD said to him, 'What is that in your hand?' He said, 'A rod.'  3 And He said, 'Cast it down on the ground', so he cast it on the ground and it became a serpent and Moses fled.'                                                                  Exodus 4:2-3  NKJV

Many times in our lives we feel, tired, worn out, depressed and disillusioned. We have nothing left to give; we've given all we've got and there has been no change. Note the phrase I used, 'we've given all we've got.' That may well be true. When this happens, it's time to give it all to Jesus; He has far more power than we could ever realise.

When we are worn out and frustrated because we are getting nowhere, it is time to re-evaluate your motives and intentions. Is God in this? If He is, am I doing it right? If you feel that you are doing it right then it's time to wait on the Lord for some answers:

'But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.'

                                                                                                    Isaiah 40:31

If you realise that you have taken a wrong turn, then it is ok. We are all prone to making mistakes. Tell God you're sorry and try another way that He indicates. Alternatively, if you feel you are doing things right, then allow God to guide you. In Exodus 4, Moses was questioning God about what to say; what to do and demonstrating his insecurity. God said to him, 'What is that in your hand? Sometimes the most obvious things are missed when we are stressed out. What is the most regular thing a Christian will have in their hand? Answer, a bible of course. As long as you have the bible in your hand, you are holding a sword; and as long as there is breath in your body, you have the breath of God - The Holy Spirit. With these pieces of armour, you will always have something to give.

Waiting for God to work can be frustrating for the impatient. To the patient it is a time to build themselves up in God's Word and to allow Him to prepare them for what lies ahead. Therefore, when you feel that your have nothing left to give, sharpen your sword and exercise your strength in God's glory and favour. Then you will be ready when He says, 'Go'

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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Oak Tree People

He shall be like a tree, planted by the rivers of water, that bring forth its fruit in its season, whose leaves also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper" 

                                                                                                Psalm 1:3   NKJV 

You will have good days and bad days, these are common to everyone. We can call them seasons because we have to go through them until we reach our next season. Never forget, that blessed people are prone to negative experiences too. Leaves do wither from time to time but, for Christians, the negative things don't cause you to wither and die.

A tree planted by rivers of water is not easily swayed. There may be spells of dryness but, they are sound because they have a regular source of life from the river. We too as Christians, have regular access to this river of life because of Jesus. We may go through dry times where we are thirsty for life, encouragement and hope but, when this happens we need to reach out to our everyday source of life  - Jesus.

We are trees of righteousness (Isaiah 61:3). When we are firmly rooted in good ground and watered through our source of life, we become like oaks of righteousness that are sturdy and able to withstand the tests of time - the hardships and the seasonal troubles. We will endure the storms of life because, we are Oak Tree People!

We need to be observant; we will bear fruit but is that fruit good or bad? You will know that you are bearing good fruit when you are a blessing to others; this is the sign. When we begin to bear bad fruit, nothing really happens and people may avoid us. When we are firmly rooted in Jesus, whatever may come our way, we are able to endure. Yes, we may suffer but, we remain standing like the oak tree because, we have a continuous source from the river of life. You may have a rough time but, Oak Tree People remain standing; trials may come and they may maim us but, we bounce back and carry on standing.

Notice this, our leaves may wither as time goes by. However, this is excellent because when they wither and fall, they are replaced in the next season with fresh ones. Dead trees finish with dead leaves; trees of life continue to produce new, fresh one's ready to face the new season with fresh fruit. And if that's you, you are in Jesus and are an Oak Tree Person!

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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Avoid dead religion

"Therefore, Jesus also suffered outside the gate so that He might sanctify the people by His own blood 13 Let us then, go to Him outside the camp, bearing His disgrace v12-13          

                                                                                         Hebrews 13:10-13. NKJV

'The priests in the tabernacle served at an altar. Yet, we have a better altar - Jesus Christ, who nourishes us with grace (13:10). After the priests sacrificed the blood of the animals, the animal's bodies were burned outside the camp (13:11). Similarly, Jesus also suffered. But He did so outside the gate of Jerusalem (13:12). His blood was shed outside, not inside the tabernacle or temple. There is no refuge in the old covenant sacrificial system. Jesus isn't there. Thus, we also need to go outside (i.e. away from dead religious activity) with Him, identifying with Him and bearing His disgrace (13:13). Being a serious Christian will mean enduring ridicule and reproach at some level, even by the religious establishment. But take heart, you're in good company'

                                                                         Tony Evans Study Bible (2019), Holman Publishers

For our own benefit, we need to avoid dead religion. Jesus is not dead, He is very much alive and wants us to be too. In fact, He offers us life in abundance but, not just abundance but, super-abundance. 'I have come that they may have life and, that they may have it more abundantly' John 10:10. Note the word, 'More'. This is over the top abundance - 'My cup runs over' Psalm 23:5. His abundance is brimming over, hence, super-abundance; it is more than enough and, there is much more to come as we spend more and more time in His presence.

If you were to be in the presence of someone who has only had a 'religious experience' of God - not the earth-shattering encounter with Jesus; you would probably come against a brick wall because, they come from a legal perspective. If we spend too much time with such people, they may rob us of all the joy and truth that we have. Be careful! The Pharisees were a good example of this. They were 'faith dampeners', as you can see throughout the Gospels. Avoid these areas; they can be quite knowledgeable (Head knowledge), but it's obvious that Jesus doesn't figure in their lives.

So, get outside of that - where Jesus is and receive life in abundance. This is what makes an impact on people. People are desperate for this kind of love and joy and, you possess it. Therefore, be the bible to them, let them see Jesus in you.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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It is time to Pray

"If My people who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."                                         2 Chronicles 7:14  NKJV 

God is calling the nations to prayer. He is shaking Christians up all over the world, to take notice of His Word. It is vital that we respond, this is not a game. Christianity is a way of life, not a club. A prayer meeting is a war office where we do battle in the heavenlies. 

The world as we know it is crumbling and it has little to do with Global Warming/Climate Change. The cause is man's sin. We are living in a world of decay. Look around and check out what is happening in the media. Everyday, there is some type of disaster somewhere. 'Well, it's always been like that'. Well, something should have been done about it at the time.

Values have slipped to an all-time low. There is little respect or love. We have murders, stabbings, terrorism, rapes, and abuse covering all categories. Many schools are not allowed to speak about Jesus anymore, or say The Lord's Prayer. We're living in a time when future generations will not have heard about this prayer at all. There is greed, envy, covetousness, homosexuality, same-sex marriages and abortion. As a Christian, can't you guess who is behind all of this? That's right, it's the devil and he will continue to rule over this until we - God's people, who are called by His name, will humble ourselves and pray. If we're called by His name, let's live up to it. We need to seek His face - His presence and turn from our own wicked ways - and we have them, and pray. When we do, God will hear and heal.

We should be concerned about our world - Climate Change and the threat of terrible floods. But, let us remember we have a promise from God; He will never flood the earth again (Genesis 9:8-17). The greatest urgency is what is happening with mankind in our world? Some influential, Christian leaders want to bring the bible up to date, which would allow for same-sex marriage, gay rites and everything else that goes along with it. "For a time will come, when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers 14 and they will turn their ears away from the truth -' (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

The bible can't be re-written to fit in with the trends of today. God's Word is the truth and we need to ensure it stays that way. Jesus is coming soon; when, we don't know? But with the advanced world decay, we need to be getting ready and refusing to accept anything other than God's truth. Let us not compromise!

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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Willing to Change

"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church" v18 

                                                                               Read: Matthew 16:13-19 NKJV 

Peter could be described as outspoken, brash, arrogant, impulsive and loud. However, he was rock-solid in his love and dedication to Jesus. Jesus knew this and called him, the rock, and told him He would give him the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Now that is some calling.

But, at times Peter remained just the same outspoken person and even cut off the high priest's servant's ear with a sword when Jesus was arrested (John 18:10), and then went on to deny Jesus to save his own life, using course language, 'Then he began to curse and swear, "I do not know this man of whom you speak"' Mark 14:71.

No doubt when Jesus had spoken with Peter about his future role within His kingdom. he was encouraged and elated about this accolade. But his behaviour was short-lived, as we've seen. because he had a short-fuse. He wanted to change and be more like Jesus but, he found it difficult. No doubt, you can identify with this. You want to live for Jesus and you are willing to change but then, something comes along and delivers you back to your old self. You feel ashamed, guilty and like a person with no hope.

Romans 12:2 says, 'do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind - '. Notice that we aren't conforming or transforming our minds, someone else is. When God has all of us and when the world has none of us, God does the work of renewing our confused minds. He brings our thoughts into line with His own so that we think God's thoughts.

Therefore, if we are willing to change, we must live a God-centred life, sold out completely to Him. Once we determine to live for Jesus in this way, He meets us in the middle and begins the transforming work. We can't change ourselves but, we can be determined to change. When we are, God will help us achieve our goal. It took Peter a little while to achieve this and it came as Jesus reinstated him (John 21:15-19).

You will still make mistakes because you are not perfect, but you will have registered your choice and determination to change and Jesus will take you up on this.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle 

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