Peace

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."  

                                                                                   John 16:33   NKJV

Have you ever walked along a very busy street, say for example in the heart of London. The noise is tremendous. You practically can't hear yourself speak, let alone think. When we walk down a lonely country lane, the comparison is amazing. One can hear birds calling to each other and the sound of running water from a nearby stream. The air is much fresher too. It's a joy just to walk along a track looking at the wildlife. For myself, it is much easier to concentrate in a quiet environment; there is a peace that makes you feel refreshed; it is faraway from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Every day life can be like this. The pressures that we have forced upon us, can be colossal. Work places can be stressful with people working at a fast pace and too busy to stop for their lunch, so they work through this. Just a visit to a supermarket can be stressful with people rushing around getting their shopping as if the store is going to close in a few minutes. The people at the checkouts are no different, as they practically throw the shopping over the counter causing you to anxiously try to bag all of this up before the assistant finishes and is waiting for you to pay. Stress, stress and more stress.

We have to do something about all of this before it takes over our lives. We spend half of our lives battling with anxiety - road works, traffic lights, car parks, shopping queues and ever-rising costs. Life can be overbearing at times. So what is the answer? Well, Jesus gives us the answer above. In the Amplified, the text reads: 'I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world. [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding].

Note the highlights here, firstly Jesus mentions 'perfect peace'. This means 'Shalom, Shalom' ‘You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You'  (Isaiah 26:3). This perfect peace is Hebrew and implies: health, happiness and well-being. As one focuses on this peace, it helps give us the ability to be filled with joy and good cheer. Joy, we know is strength and this will help carry us threw whatever is thrown at us.

You need to realise that this tribulation is not only for the End Times, but is very present now. Daily we face problems, sorrows and obstacles. As long as we keep our mind stayed on Jesus, He will help us through whatever we may face.

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

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Keep the Unity

"Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace."                      Ephesians 4:3   NLT 

Max Lucardo writes:

'Grace makes three proclamations:

(1)  Only God can forgive my Godlessness

(2)  Only God can judge my neighbour

(3)  I must accept who God accepts - easier said than done.'

God's desire is to blend us into unity. We must walk together in harmony. Imagine trying to fly a plane where everyone is bickering about wanting to be the pilot, or the pilot is useless, or we're going the wrong way. That kind of disunity is a recipe for disaster and yet, it happens in the church, at home or wherever believers are together. Sometimes, it can seem that everyone is out to be better than the others. We say things about our brother or sister behind their back and it is not very edifying. People close by may not hear it but, the Holy Spirit does and straightaway, He knows that there is a lack of unity there.

There is a Greek word for 'Fellowship' which can be found in Acts 2:42. The Greek word is Koinonia, which means sharing, unity, close association, partnership, participation, a communion or a fellowship. In Koinonia the individual shares in common an intimate bond of fellowship with the rest of the believers. Koinonia cements the believers to the Lord Jesus and to each other.  No wonder the early church was so powerful and effective. When people are in unity with each other they are hard to stop. People think the best of each other and refuse to hear anything bad said about each other. Gossip is snapped in the bud before it even takes off. The result is, God blesses.

Have you ever been in a church setting where the preacher speaks with so much power and unity that at least 3000 souls are saved? This was what the Spirit-filled Peter was doing. Where his shadow fell, people who passed threw this were affected by the Spirit. It is said that the American minister Charles Finney, was on a train somewhere and as it passed through a station without stopping, all on the platform were slain in the Spirit and saved. I have read this in one of his biographies but, I no longer remember the name of the book, so have no documentation to back this up but, it us widely spoken about. Amazing.

The conclusion to all of this is, we must be united if we want God to work in power in our lives or within the church. Very little will happen without it. We cannot praise God one moment and speak bad things about someone the next. We need to get our act together and start living by the Word of God. We will then see great things happening.

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

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Jesus - the God of Second Chances

"Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, 'It is the Lord!' Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea."                 John 21:7   NKJV

Have you ever tried to imagine the state that Peter was in following Jesus' death on the cross. He had denied Jesus totally to save his own skin and had watched as Jesus was arrested. He saw Him crucified and the pain and humiliation of it all. And, no doubt he took the blame on himself. Probably he could have saved Jesus? Should he have been arrested with Him instead of hiding in the corner? He had let Jesus down terribly. He would have been devastated. Have you never felt this way?

Following the confusing news of Jesus' resurrection, Peter couldn't stand it and went out fishing and some of the others joined Him. While out in the boat, their heart was not in the job and they caught nothing. Someone on the nearby shoreline shouted and told them to cast the net on the other side of the boat, which they did and POW! There was a massive catch of fish - 153 large one's in total. John eyed the man on the beach firing up a BBQ and said, 'It's the Lord' and with that, Peter jumped out of the boat dragging the net with him as he raced to the shore. 

Jesus prepared the breakfast and later Jesus spoke with Peter (John 21-15-19). During this beautiful heart to heart together, Jesus restored Peter. Can you imagine the emotions that were around this conversation. Peter was given a second chance and he was determined that he wouldn't blow this. He became sold out for Jesus.

This piece of Scripture demonstrates the heart of Jesus. Peter was a broken man - a failure who continually beat himself up for the way he had deserted Jesus. However, Jesus knew His heart, saw his worth and commissioned him for great works.

Have you failed in your walk with Jesus? Do you think that forgiveness is not possible for you now. You're wrong. Jesus is your forever friend, the God of the second chance. All it takes is to approach Him, as Peter did. Peter never spoke to Him at first. Words stuck in his mouth. He just stood and waited and Jesus showed him grace and He will you as well. 

Just come back to Him right now. He will do the rest. Just stand before Him and be amazed:

'Lord Jesus, I know that I have failed You. I am so sorry Lord. I feel awful and just throw myself on Your grace and mercy. Please forgive my failure. I receive Your forgiveness now, thank you for the second chance. Amen

Now go and praise Him

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

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Don't get sidetracked

"Ponder the path of your feet, and let your ways be established."  

                                                                                Proverbs 4:26  NKJV 

Solomon is clearly stating that a person needs to be careful of becoming sidetracked. Confusion can enter our life when, perhaps, we haven't listened properly or understood what to do; or when too many people are telling us different things. We are to ponder the path of our feet. This means, we need to decide if what we are doing or where we are going is right for us. God will tell us, but we need to ask Him and then obey. 

Oppression, depression, fear and torment are strong contenders for entering our life when we are unsure of the road ahead. We need to beware of having our brains clogged with different ideas or advice and listen to Jesus. He knows the way. Brain overload is not healthy. When I was at Uni, all those years ago, when I didn't understand what an essay requirement was about, sometimes I would ask a couple of students what they thought. Their explanation was so different, that I decided to stop doing this and asked God instead. It is far better because, He knows the way and helps us to ponder our path.

God wants to do a repair job on each of us. We have all been wounded from time to time and the baggage we carry is heavy. This causes us a spirit of heaviness (Isaiah 61:3) and the answer to this, is to allow God to do some work on us and turn us into trees of righteousness - a planting of the LORD (Isaiah 61:3). God encourages us to take up a garment of praise against the spirit of heaviness, which includes oppression, depression, fear and torment. It is not part of our make up. If we are righteous, these negative areas cannot dwell within us any longer, they belong to the devil, not us. 

Therefore, when we ponder the path of our feet, we need to go straight to Jesus and allow Him to 'rebuild the old ruins, to raise up the former desolations and repair the ruined cities - the desolations of many generations'  (Isaiah 61:4). Who hasn't felt this way? We all have at some time. Probably this is where you are at this time. Take a step back and let God get a look in. He has far more power and experience that you will ever have. Let Him do the repair job. You wouldn't stand over a mechanic who is working on your car - surely. So, don't try to get in the way of Jesus. Be confident that He knows what He is doing. 

Listen - is that the sound of a heavenly cement mixer? Is there also a lorry, driven by an angel, with heavenly building blocks loaded on the back coming up your drive? If you can hear this, probably its time to ponder your path, accept that Jesus needs to do a repair job on you. Don't get sidetracked, let Him do it.

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

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According to the Power within

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."  Ephesians 3:20-21   NKJV 

Read these verses again. Who or what is the power that works in us? It's the Holy Spirit and, if we have asked Jesus into our hearts, the Spirit of God has taken up residence and will guide, direct and show us all we need to know. His power knows no end - as long as we walk with Him.

Paul says something very important here - 'According to the power that works in us.' With God, nothing is impossible, He can do more than we could ever imagine or think. This is amazing. There is nothing too hard for God. However, the emphasis is on the power that works in us. He is able to rescue from a fiery furnace (Dan 3:17). He is able to deliver from the mouth of lions (Dan 6:20-22). He is able to give sight to the blind; raise people from the dead. He can keep you from stumbling. He can do it all. He can do more than our wildest dreams could imagine, but His power must be within us; we must believe He can do this.

Take a look at Luke 8:48, a woman was healed when she touched the hem of His gown. Jesus said to her, 'Your faith has made you well.' Again a sinful woman was saved: Your faith has saved you,' Jesus said this again in Mark 5:34 and in Matthew 9:22. In fact, read through the gospels and you'll see similar phrases time and time again. 

So when we ask for healing, why is it that nothing appears to happen - we are not healed. Who says we're not healed? We walk by faith not by sight, don't we? (2 Cor 5:7). We call those things that don't exist as if they did, don't we? (Romans 4:17). When we have prayer for healing, we may not feel that we are healed, but this doesn't mean that we declare that nothing happened. It is a faith thing so, we call that healing into being until we are healed. We believe and receive - we don't give up. It is according to our faith - this power within us. We should never negate our healing by confessing that nothing has happened. If you do, nothing will happen and, this is probably why many people are not healed. They make it invalid before the healing has taken place. Some healings are instant, others are not, so be patient.

Try to get into the things of the Spirit. Walk in the Spirit. Pray in the Spirit and live in the Spirit. God's Word does not lie; if He says He can do it, then He can do it but, He needs to be able to say to you, 'Your faith has made you well.'

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

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What path are you on?

"Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you."   

                                                                                  Proverbs 4:25   NKJV 

I used to love watching Linford Christie as he used his several rituals to warm up in the blocks before a run. If it was a false start, then he would go all the through the rituals again. One thing that looked so strange was his eyes. He used to allow them to bulge out as he looked straight ahead at the winning tape, thus he used tunnel vision and only saw the winning line. One day, during an interview, I heard the broadcaster ask him about this. He explained that, when he has warmed up, he knows that the other runners are either side of him and, so that he doesn't get intimidated by them, he refuses to listen or look at them and chooses to look straight ahead to where he intends to be - first at the winning line.

When you think about this, the apostle Paul used similar directions:

(a)  'Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a away that you may obtain it.'  1 Corinthians 9:24

(b)  'I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus'

                                                                    Philippians 3:14

Our scripture today instructs us to 'look straight ahead' and have our eyelids 'look right before you.' When we are doing this, we can avoid all of the distractions of life. We 'lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.'   Hebrews 12:1-2.

This helps us to safeguard what we look at, where our feet take us and ensures that we keep our hearts under lock and key. Jesus promises to help us with these stumbling blocks. He protects our paths, directs our paths and perfects our paths. This may seem laborious and boring when bible teachers keep saying the same thing, on a regular basis. But think for a moment, if all of them are saying the same thing, surely this is the message that God wants to get over to each of us. We can delve deep into theological books, earning degrees and diplomas and, this is really good. However, if we can't grasp the basic issues of our Christian walk, something has gone wrong. Have we not begun to run before we can walk?

Paul wrote in the third chapter of Philippians 3:1 'Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.' We need to take on board all the teaching we can, basic or whatever, until we know it in our heart.

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

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Do you have a want or a need?

"And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; 3 who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. 4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said 'Look at us.' 5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them."                Acts 3:1-7    NKJV

It is very important to ask for what you need and not what you want. Some may pray to win the Lottery and have no more worry problems. However, it is doubtful that this prayer will be answered as it is a want and not a need. On the other hand, if they were to pray that they be healed from a particular ailment, this is asking for a need - a need to healed.

If we look closely at this scripture, you will see that the lame man was sitting at the Gate Beautiful asking for alms. He had to live that is true and the only way he could raise money was to beg. In verse 4, he fixed his eyes on Peter and John, expecting to receive some coins. It can be argued that this was a need; he had to eat. To a degree, this was true. Yet, he was missing the real reason he was sitting there begging. He was disabled, unable to walk and therefore, unable to get a decent job. But it was still a 'want'. His 'need' was to be healed so that he could function and earn a living. 

Ask yourself, 'What was better for him, to be given some cash or, to be healed? Of course, to be healed from this disability that had plagued him all of his life, would be  totally fulfilling and life-changing. He would be able to do everything that he had ever dreamt about. It couldn't have been easy seeing everyone doing their own thing and him having to be carried everywhere.

It is noticeable, that when a person has been ill for a very long time, that they become used to it and can't envisage things changing. I remember a lady who had a back complaint that caused her great pain. My wife and I offered to pray for her healing and she totally refused explaining that, if she was healed she would lose all of the financial benefits she received each week. This was a classic example of hanging on to sickness because change would cause difficulty.

This man was probably no different. It was all he knew and it was difficult to believe that his need - his health, was more important than his want. What about you? Have you got needs? Are you sure they are not wants? Don't get me wrong, Jesus is interested in both. His Word tells us: 'The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want.' However, we can't ask and expect everything we want. Otherwise we would all be living in great mansions and driving a Rolls Royce. We need to avoid greed and concentrate on need and when we do, God will ensure that we are blessed with what we want - His idea of what we want ( a blessing).

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

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If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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