When He says it - do it!

"His mother said to the servants, 'Whatever He says to you, do it!"    John 2:5   NKJV 

Jesus was at a wedding in Cana when suddenly, His mother tells Him that they have run out of wine. Now, this could be disastrous for the host of the wedding and could bring great condemnation from the guests, not to mention embarrassing the groom and his wife. After a little deliberation with His mother, Jesus calls the servants over and tells them to drag the water pots over and fill them with water. These pots held between 20 and 30 gallon. We know the rest, the water is miraculously turned into wine.

Now let's look at this a little closer. There are three words or phrases that Mary spoke to the servants. Firstly:

WHATEVER   We need to take notice of this. We need to be sure that we hear Jesus properly, not some cryptic, paraphrased comment. It is vitally important that we do this. When we are in a conversation with someone, if we do not listen properly to what is said to us, we may hear what we want to hear, not the truth. And then when we feed this back to others, it may be expanded a little more. When Jesus speaks to us, we need to do what He says. It may sound crazy to us, but may be a life-saver to others. One young chap I met was ready to come out of prison. He told me that God had been speaking to him and said that he would be a Christian for 6 days a week but on the other day, he would reserve this to go out, get drunk and 'Kick some people's heads in'. It's true. I told him that it didn't work like that. It is all or nothing.

HE SAYS TO YOU   Jesus will speak to you if you listen. If you set aside time just for Him, He will honour this and will tell you things that He wants you to do or change. He will open doors for you that previously had been closed. And He will put words in your mouth when you are stuck for words. (Check out Moses' example in Exodus).

DO IT   This is the hard bit. When Jesus asks you to do something, do it. It may sound zany - just think, filling stone jars with water must have sounded crazy to the servants but, because Mary had told them, 'Whatever He says to do, do it' they received the miracle of the new wine. Jesus knows best.

You may be struggling, at the moment, with something that Jesus is asking you to do. Check it out, there is no need to rush. Ask Jesus for confirmation and He will give you this. Once He has, then go on and do it. It may sound mad, but as you obey Him, the madness will turn into an exciting adventure that you never thought was possible.

The moral of this story, 'Whatever He says to you, do it'

If you are not born again and want to be, here I’ll below is a prayer of salvation:

'Lord Jesus, I have sinned and I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today.

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

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

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Whatever you do, do it for Jesus

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly."   Colossians 3:16-17   NKJV 

Yesterday, we looked at walking in the peace of God. Today, let's carry on looking at v16-17, walking in the Word of Jesus. Note here in verse 17, Paul tells us to allow the Word of God to dwell in us richly. This means allowing the message about Jesus to fill our lives in richness so that we are able to teach and counsel each other as the need arises.The early Christians had access to the Old Testament and freely used it. But, they had no New Testament, no teaching books or such. Therefore, they had to memorise it and pass it on to fellow Christians. Some put this to music and they learned the Word this way, hence teaching in Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Contented people can easily thank and worship God in song because they are so grateful for all He does for them. Alternatively, discontented people are alway ungrateful and easily find fault in themselves and in others and what others have in comparison to themselves.

A good exercise is to think back on all that God has done in your life since you came to know Him. Think about what He has given you, how He healed you and when you were down on the floor in a bad state, how He picked you up and gave you hope. Write this list down, asking God to remind you of some of the things you have forgotten. Look at this list and thank Him for all that He has done for you and then praise Him for this in a recognised worship song or a song from the Holy Spirit probably in tongues. See how it releases you.

Once you have done this, keep the list and do it as regularly as you feel the need. All that we say and do should be associated with the name of Jesus Christ. Let others, especially non Christians, see this in you. They may laugh and persecute you but, that's ok, you know where you are going, they don't. And you can tell them this. The message is either black or white, there is no in-between. If you do get to talk about this, be gentle, remember a harsh word stirs up anger Proverbs 15:1. It isn't just what we say, it is in what we do as well. We need to be mindful that the devil is around, especially within unbelievers. You want them saved, then show them Jesus when the time arises, don't become involved in unwholesome talk; choose your words wisely, what you do wisely and where you go carefully. Whatever you do, do it for Jesus. 

If you are not born again and want to be, here I’ll below is a prayer of salvation:

'Lord Jesus, I have sinned and I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today.

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

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

Check it out

 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B084G9S4FD/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2

 

 

Walk in Peace

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful."    Colossians 3:15   NKJV 

Notice the word 'Let' in this verse. Paul was encouraging all the Christians in Colosse to live and walk in peace, and the way to do this is, to allow or let this be a part of you. It is our choice whether we walk in peace or in agitation, jealousy, anger or whatever else. It takes a decision from ourselves to walk in peace. This little word 'Let' is a strong one, rather like, 'This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.' Psalm 118:24. Here , David used two other strong words, 'We Will'. They have the same type of determination. So therefore, we need to decide what we are going to do; either let God's peace dwell in us or not.

We need to remember that Jesus called us to peace. 'Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you'. John 14:27. And then Paul wrote: 'and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.' Phil 4:7  NKJV.

Just think, we have been chosen by God, set apart for Him and loved and forgiven. None of us deserved this but, because of His grace, we received it anyway. If we've accepted Jesus as our Lord, we really must obey His Word. We belong to Team Jesus, specially selected to go out and live as He wants us to. 

I coined the phrase 'Team Jesus.' Any athlete who wants to be successful must train to be the best. This is why, they eat well, sleep well and train well. They are part of the team and none of them wants to let the other one down. If there is one slacker, they will have problems. If we put this into the Christian mould, we too, need to do the same. We need to read our bibles, remembering key verses in case we need them. We need to pray and we need - most of all - to spend time with our trainer, Jesus Christ. When we do this, we have the honour of being part of Team Jesus - trained and ready for whatever may come our way. And it starts with allowing peace to rule within our hearts; to permeate every part of our heart, mind and spirit.

Don't be embarrassed to call yourself part of Team Jesus. You are a special person and Jesus is putting all His hope and faith in you. 

If you are not born again and want to be, here below is a prayer of salvation:

'Lord Jesus, I have sinned and I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today.

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

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

Check it out

 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B084G9S4FD/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2

 

 

Holy Communion - The Lord's Supper

"But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner, eats and drinks judgement to himself, not discerning the Lord's body."   1 Corinthians 11:28-29   NKJV 

Taking Communion in church or in someone's home, is a special, yet sacred occasion. Jesus actually commanded that we, as believers, do this as often as we can. We eat the bread as the broken body of Jesus, remembering His sacrifice for us on the cross. Again, we drink the wine, as His blood that was shed on the cross. It is a serious thing and one that should not be taken lightly. We need to examine ourselves before we participate in Communion. In other words, we need to confess our sin beforehand and empty ourselves of any unwholesome thoughts. To fail to do this, can bring judgement upon ourselves because we have taken part in this meal in an unworthy manner.

Warren W Wiersbe comments: "The Corinthians neglected to examine themselves, but they were experts at examining everybody else. When the church gathers together, we must be careful not to become 'religious detectives' who watch others while failing to acknowledge our own sins. If we eat and drink in an unworthy manner, we eat and drink judgement to ourselves, and that is nothing to take lightly."

                                                             The Wiersbe Study Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers

This is so important. At times, we all look around a church and wonder why 'him' or 'her' are in the church, especially taking communion. 'If the church knew what I've been told about them, they wouldn't be in here.' Just stop right there; if you are thinking this way, perhaps you shouldn't be in the church. Neither of us have the right to judge anyone else; and as for what you may have heard about someone, this is gossip and you should have nothing to do with this - at all.

There are times when a person should not take Communion. Again, Warren W Wiersbe comments: "No one ought to come to Communion who is not a true believer. Nor should a true believer come to Communion if his heart is not right with God or fellow Christians.This is why many churches have a time of spiritual preparation before they observe the Lord's Supper, lest any of the participants bring chastening on themselves."

I remember when I was a young Christian and I refused to take Communion because someone had wronged me within the church. I had a big problem against him. An elder kept trying to get me to take it and wouldn't listen to the way I felt. However, I stood my ground and didn't participate in this. I sorted this problem out later on. We have to be careful about taking Communion when we have a problem with another person. It only brings judgement on ourselves.

If you are not born again, here below is a prayer of salvation:

'Lord Jesus, I have sinned and I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today.

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

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

Check it out

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Are you filled with the Holy Spirit?

"When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord, in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting."  Acts 2:1-2   NKJV

Notice two things here, (1) Of 'One Accord', (2) ‘They were in one place.’ This is important to us flowing in the Holy Spirit. 

To be in 'One Accord' is to be together. This is the hallmark of fellowship (in the Greek this means Koinonia where each believer is cemented to each other and to the Lord Jesus). This type of fellowship changes lives and situations. Being baptised in the Holy Spirit is the same, one is joined or cemented together with the Holy Spirit. In other words, you are one. When the Holy Spirit speaks, you recognise this and are guided the right way. You abide in Him and He in you and if you stay this way, He will guide you. He will show you how to approach situations and will put the right words in your mouth when, you don't know what to say.

To be in 'One Place' means a togetherness and when believers are like this, they are a force to be reckoned with. This is how you are when the Holy Spirit dwells within you. When you were born again, you received forgiveness, Jesus came into your heart and you

received the Holy Spirit but not the fullness of His power. This comes when a person is baptised in the Spirit, not baptised in water, as some people think. Being baptised in water is the symbolic exercise of belonging to Jesus by dying to self and being raised into a new life in Jesus. Being baptised in the Spirit is being filled with the Holy Spirit's power so that, you can operate in this power. 

When you are baptised in the Holy Spirit, you will speak and perform things that God wants - a power the devil will hate. However, if you don't keep this relationship steady, you will lose hold of it. Put it like this, a car needs a service on a regular basis, if it doesn't have one, pretty soon it is going to stop working. Do you get the idea? Therefore, keep your relationship with the Holy Spirit razor sharp and you will see wonders ahead. With the Holy Spirit, you will have access to the gifts and fruit of the Spirit and the ability to speak in tongues, a heavenly language that the devil does not understand.

Be prepared though, if you leave out one chink in the hedge of protection around you and leave one piece of God's Armour off, watch out because the devil is going to have a heyday with a full-scale attack. Be careful here.

If you want the baptism of the Spirit, ask God to give you this. There is no set formula. Just ensure that you have no unconfessed sin, and by faith, receive this gift, the evidence being, you will probably speak in a very strange tongue. Don't be afraid of this - encourage it and then, allow the Holy Spirit to slowly fill you with His other gifts.

If you want to be baptised in the Holy Spirit, pray this prayer:

'Heavenly Father, I come to You in Jesus' name. Today, I ask You to fill me with Your Holy Spirit, to baptise me in His fire, and to clothe me in His Power. Amen'.

If you are not born again, here below is a prayer of salvation:

'Lord Jesus, I have sinned and I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today.

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                 

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com          

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

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

Check it out

 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B084G9S4FD/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2