Is your mobile phone so important?

"Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. 26Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. 27Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil".    Proverbs 4:25-27   NLT

Have you ever noticed how many people are glued to their mobile phone? I was in a hospital waiting room a few days ago, and out of, perhaps forty people there, at least thirty of them were on their phones. It's the same on a bus, a train, doctors surgery, dentist's, supermarket and even walking down the street. I've observed young mothers checking their phones as they take their children to school. Often, they are oblivious to what the child is doing. It's almost like an addiction.

Before mobile phones, I very rarely used a telephone box to make a call, in fact, unless it was urgent, it never entered my head. Now, people are speaking on their phones most of the day. For some people, it is part of the whole of their day and they even shop and cook while speaking on their phone. I'm not saying this is wrong but, could this be distracting them from what they should be doing? Even in church these days, bibles have been swapped  for reading the Word that has been downloaded on to their phone. Then if something comes through, they begin checking this out and are distracted.

Notice what Solomon wrote in v27 above: 'Don't get sidetracked.'  When you are locked into the habit of using your phone so frequently, you can easily miss what's around. When you are continually playing Solitaire so much (Sorry that's as far as my gaming knowledge goes), God may be wanting you to spend some time with Him. He may want to talk to you and, probably the best way to get hold of you is by texting you. My point here is, whilst you're spending so much time on your phone, He can't get through to you, because, as convenient as it may be to you, He doesn't use mobiles. If mobiles had been invented in Jesus' time, I can't picture Peter telling Jesus, 'Yes I'll do that in a minute Jesus, just let me finish this game.' His priorities were rigid and he could not be sidetracked from them at all, after Jesus had forgiven him.

There's nothing wrong with having a mobile, not at all. But, it is not the most important part of your life, God is; your family is and priorities must be made and stuck to. If you're married, once your commitment to your wife, husband, children and jobs at home are completed, then there is nothing wrong in messing around on your phone. If you have a job, you need to concentrate on this with the mobile taking second place. 

Don't let the mobile become an addiction or in first place. Put Jesus there! 

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

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It will be ok!

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death; I will fear no evil; for You are with me."                                               Psalm 23:4   NKJV

You will have times when there is fear all around you and, darkness will seem to appear from everywhere. Your mind may begin to play tricks with you putting things into your thoughts that, are not there. You may hear a voice saying, 'You will not survive this.' One minute all was well, the next you were sick. One minute your life was going well, suddenly it is out of sync, all very quickly. You can't think straight and nothing makes sense. What has happened here? You are either undergoing an attack from the evil one, or God is showing you something, a complete revelation.

Look at today's text; God is with you in this dark period. In fact, He is right there beside you. Firstly, you need to analyse just what has happened. If you are genuinely sick, you need to see a doctor. If it is money problems, it can be sorted out and efficiently if you seek the right help. If it is people-problems, then perhaps you need to try and talk it through with whoever it is. If God is speaking directly to you, you need to stop what you are doing and seek His heart. All these issues and others can be addressed quite favourably. Sadly, if you have a terminal illness and you don't receive healing for this, at least if you are a Christian you have eternal life and at the end of your life, you will pass through a door to be with God, instantly. Many people face death without this hope.

Here, in our text, David mentions the valley of the shadow of death. This piece of scripture does not necessarily refer to physical death every time. If a person is walking through the valley to their death, yes, Jesus will be there to escort you, hand in hand to heaven. However, look at the word 'Shadow.' A shadow is a reflection, a dark shape made on a surface when something stands between a light and the surface. You can't really touch or remove the shadow, every time you try, it will move in different ways. Therefore, it may be identified that the 'Shadow of death,' may not be referring to a physical death but a spiritual death or the death or end of a particular thing - such as a ministry that you are involved with at a certain place, or a job you are involved in or where you reside. This is a time when you need God to show you clearly, and He will because, He is right beside you.

The thing is, you need to know that, it will all be ok. God will never let you down. You can't lose with God. Paul says in Philippians 1:21: 'For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.' You can't lose, you know the way you're going whether now or later on. So, just realise that with Jesus all will be ok!

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

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How do you handle your finances?

"Owe nothing to anyone - except for your obligation to love one another."  

                                                         Romans 13:8   NLT 

Many people are not in control of their finances - someone else is. And that someone is probably credit cards, loan sharks or a friend. Of course, we have essentials such as mortgage or rent payments, together with the household bills - electricity, gas, food, car expenses and whatever else that most families need. But what about the things that we don't need, but want? There is a major difference here.

We all see things that we would like when we browse through online stores or go out shopping. Sometimes, the feeling of liking something can turn into a 'Must have' and if we don't have the finance to back up this payment, then this is where the trouble can begin. Let's just say that the majority of people have a credit card and treated right, this little plastic thing can be a convenient way to purchase something. There is nothing wrong with this if we are sensible. What I mean is, when the credit card bill comes through the post, we pay off the full amount and then, we are in the clear again with no added percentages. However, if we opt to pay the minimal figure, this is where the added percentage comes into play and then, if we purchase anything else on the card, the bill increases and so on. Pretty soon, the bill is so large that it is impossible to pay without a major struggle. If you become in debt, then you become a slave to the person you owe money to. They are in control, not you. 

God's Word tells us above, that we should owe nothing to anyone. Many people who use a credit card and pay it off each month, cannot be classed as in debt. It is just a convenient way to buy things. But the one who knows they have not got the funds but, still go ahead and buy stuff on their card are. It is irresponsible and really, as a Christian, it is being a bad steward of the money you receive. Above everything, we should always give God a tithe - we owe this to Him. If we give more, this is an offering and we can be blessed in return for giving this. But to fail to give to God and yet become in debt to someone is not being responsible and we need to get it right.

If you are in debt, then it is time to be honest and do something about it. Be honest with who you owe the finance to and perhaps they will be able to help you create a repayment plan. Don't ignore this hoping that something will turn up. It's not often that an angel knocks on your door and hands you a bag of cash. Therefore, be sensible. refuse to use your credit card until you are in the clear. There is a way through all of this and it starts with being honest with God and asking Him to help you. He will, but it's unlikely that He will pay your debt off for you. He wants you to learn the right way and, sometimes it can be a hard lesson to learn.

Speak to Him about this right now

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

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How is your hearing?

"So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ."

                                                                                 Romans 10:17   NLT

The thing is, do we listen properly? Do we actually take on board what someone is saying to us or, do we hear some of the conversation and paraphrase the rest? This is dangerous stuff because, we can so easily get things wrong. Eve got things totally wrong when the serpent was talking with her in Genesis 3. Obviously, Adam had explained to her the rules laid down by God in the garden but, she had not listened properly and told the serpent that they could not even touch the tree in the middle of the garden. This error led to the serpent tricking her and then all was lost.

It's imperative that we hear properly what is being said. One of the main problems is, we tend to speak too much and listen little. Mark Twain addressed this with his infamous quotation: 

'If we were meant to talk more than listen, we would have two mouths and one ear'

Just focus on that statement for a moment. If we are too busy talking, we have little chance of hearing properly what someone is saying to us. As I have said, this is dangerous stuff. It was dangerous for the whole world when Eve didn't listen properly and, it may be for someone who is trying to tell you something. Take for example, a person may be trying to tell you that they, or someone close to them is at risk. If you are not hearing them properly, you may start saying, 'Oh, this happened to someone I know and they had to ring the police etc. etc.' This may have been so but, the person doesn't want to hear this, they are making a serious disclosure to you and you are not listening properly.

How on earth are we going to hear God if we are so busy talking (Praying) and He can't get a word in at all. We need to pray, of course we do, but, some people can make it a marathon and monopolise the whole prayer time. Ironically, the prayers they have been praying may have been answered but they hadn't heard God at all. 

When it is obvious that someone wants to talk to you, give them dignity. Listen to them, possibly with the third ear, which means 'what are they trying to tell me here?' Don't interrupt or speak until you have to and then only to feed back like, 'So what you are saying is -' The person will then know that you are trying to fit into their shoes by your empathy.

You don't have to be a counsellor to listen to someone with dignity, but you do need to talk less. So make it a habit that you are willing to listen properly. This way, you're more likely to miss nothing

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

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The Power of the Tongue

"No one can tame the tongue it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in God's likeness. 10 Blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sister these things should not be this way.     James 3:8-10   Christian Standard Bible 

The tongue is not bad if used properly and when we are praising and worshipping God and sharing testimonies with other people, we are using the good side of the tongue. However, there is a bad side as well and this is the side that we need to control.

Tont Evans writes:'

James isn't writing to the world. He's exhorting Christians, reminding them that their mouths are polluted. After singing hallelujahs, some families start tearing each other down before they've even departed the church parking lot. If criticising, gossiping and swearing come out of your mouth, the content of your heart needs to be addressed'.   Copyright The Tony Evans Study Bible footnotes to James 3:9-12 

There is a choice to be made, we will either use the tongue to speak good things or, use it to tear people down. As a Christian, the choice has been made for us and we need to take this on board. Take a look at the book of Proverbs Chapter 18:19-20:

'From the fruit of a person's mouth his stomach is satisfied; he is filled with the product of his lips. 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.' Therefore, what comes out of our mouth shows us, and other people, the state of our hearts (Matthew 12:33-37). 

James says that no one can tame the tongue and from one point of view, this is very true. However, when we are completely submitted to God, He will give us the ability to overcome the evil side and speak His truth. However, again, it comes down to choice. We have to make that choice and surrender to Jesus. Just think for a moment, do you really want to go around with a polluted mouth? Do you really want a reputation of being outspoken and hypocritical? Of course you don't. So now is the time to do something about it. Come to Jesus right now:

'Lord Jesus, I have been using the wrong side of my tongue and speaking evil words to some people so, consequently, my heart must need an overhaul. I ask You to forgive me and begin a cleansing work within me. I surrender to You right now. In Jesus' Name. Amen' 

Now go about your Daily Life with Jesus, confidently. 

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

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What happens when I die?

 "For You will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave. 11 You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of Your presence and the pleasures of living with You forever."        Psalm 16:10-11   NLT

What happens to us when we die has given many Christians great concern and confusion. Some say when the believer dies they go straight to be with Jesus in heaven. Others say that we remain in the grave until Jesus returns and the judgement begins. Even others have suggested that we go to a holding place until Jesus has returned and He commences the judgement. 

I once had a conversation about this with a great friend - a prison chaplain. We came to the conclusion that when we die, time ceases for us. Life goes on for others because they have not yet died and this is why relatives need to grieve. But for us who have died, time has stopped and we go to heaven to be with Jesus. And it is possible, because time has stopped, that everyone one else has died and we are all there in heaven. Bear with me on this. For the believer in Jesus who dies, they go straight to heaven and receive their reward. Others who have not yet died yet, but believe also, will join them when it is their time. 

If you check out David's words above, he says: 'You will not leave my soul among the dead or allow Your holy one to rot in the grave,' Why would he have said this to God if he didn't also believe that he would go straight to heaven? David was fully persuaded that he had a place in heaven and when the time came for his death, he would go there at once, in the blink of an eye. 

When we die, it is rather like going through a door and stepping into our new life in heaven. There is nothing to fear also. We have our insurance policy intact by having Jesus as our Lord so, we have our 'get into heaven card' with us and that means we don’t have to pass go or anything else, all we do is walk through the door. This is why Jesus paid the price for us. He suffered and He carried our sin and He has made this all possible just for us. So don't worry about it at all.

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

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Don't give up, go back the way you came

"Go back the same way you came, and travel to the wilderness of Damascus"  

                                                                               1 Kings 19:15   NLT 

Elijah had upset Jezebel - big time. He had become a thorn in her side predicting gloom and doom and now, he had caused the death of her prophets, so she was unable to know the future. She was livid and Elijah was afraid and fled for his life ending up alone in the wilderness. Look at his words to the LORD: 'I have had enough LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died' (1 Kings 19:4). Elijah had been victorious in his ministry on Mount Carmel and predicting rain after the drought he had caused, and yet, here he was scared. What had happened? 

It is possible that Elijah was tired, hungry and reaching emotional burnout. He may also have felt that Ahab and Jezebel would have bowed their knees to God and when they didn't, he felt a failure. Therefore, in a depressed and frightened state, he had ran for his life and was now alone and probably feeling sorry for himself too. This led him to want to give up. However, God didn't grant his request but sent an angel to give him food and drink. Then after he had rested, God told Elijah he was in the wrong place, 'What are you doing here?' v10. He then told him to go back to where he had been, there was work to be done.

Many times after great victories in ministry, discouragement can slip in and you can feel totally washed out. Even though you may have followed God's directions, there may still have been a part of your own power in this victory and it can be so draining. Don't forget their is a devil who is totally against you and, will fill your mind with all that you should have done and didn't and therefore, will make you feel a failure: 'Give up, you did it all wrong and you're of no use to God now." No, that is not the case, just because Elijah became discouraged and wished death on himself, didn't mean that God wouldn't use him again. Not at all; God told him to go back to where he had been. He would still use Elijah and, He will do you, as well.

You may have been feeling depressed and and had the feeling that God doesn't need you any longer. That is from the pit so, get rid of that thinking. God has given you a rest and time to be built up again and is getting ready to send you out again whether it's local or far away. There is no retirement in the Kingdom of God and you may have been on the subs bench for a little while but, ask yourself, is God telling you to go back the way you came. This could mean re-establishing yourself in the ministry that He initially gave you. Pray about it.

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

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