Jesus said I give you peace, not stress

"Ask Me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come."

                                                                         Jeremiah 33:3   NLT 

There is absolutely no reason why we should allow stress to take over our minds and bodies. Jesus is just a call away. In fact, many Christians can remember from Sunday school that this verse was taught as God's telephone number. Obviously, this was not true but, it was a brilliant way of remembering it. God is there night and day ready to hear from us and He will attend to what is troubling us. He may not make it go away but He will offer a Word in Season that will help find a way through the problem.

The above verse is rather like what we read in Romans 10:13, 'For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.' Now initially, this verse was written to the Jews who were waiting for the Messiah (Isaiah 58:9). They only had to recognise Jesus as the Messiah and call on Him, then He would come to them with blessing after blessing they would be saved. However, it is also for us. He is there to answer our call and, make a way through the mess.

As we saw yesterday, God will meet our needs, but not necessarily the way we expect. He may answer our wants but, our needs are uppermost to Him. So, He is the place to start when we have  things that we can't handle, the sort of things that trouble and cause a pressure all around. Many times we can feel pushed into a corner with problems that are of great weight to our minds, and try as we may, there doesn't seem to be a way through, we have come up against a mountain.

Is this the way you feel today? Jesus, really is the only answer at times of incredible stress. You may be having sleepless nights and this can make you ill by the overwhelming worry. Thankfully, God can make a way where there doesn't seem to be one. But, you have to be willing to trust Him and do what He tells you to do allowing your faith to help you through. If you say, I have no faith at the moment, you need to get some and quickly. Scripture says, 'Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.' (Romans 10:17). You hear God's word by reading the bible, praying, listening to praise music. You may say that you don't feel like doing that at the moment, but you need to, and quickly because He is your only hope. Receive His peace, right now!

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

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Don't just sit there, get up

"But Peter said, 'I don't have silver or gold, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!."   Acts 3:6   CSB 

In the days of the early church, beggars used to position themselves outside the temple, alongside the Beautiful Gate, waiting for people to enter the temple. Their logic was, those going to the hour of prayer would be in a holy mood so, perhaps they would be generous to them. You can see this in many cities throughout Britain today; people of the road nearly always seek out a church for the same reasons and this is why food halls and night and day shelters are in place - to provide a need.

As Peter and John approached this man, he started calling out to them for money. Peter got straight to the point. He stared into his face and told him, 'I don't have silver or gold, but what I do have, I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk.' And this is what the beggar did, as Peter helped him to his feet, he was healed and went walking, leaping and praising God and went into the temple with them. The man had asked for what he wanted - money, but he received what he needed - healing; and this is the way Jesus works with us.

When God meets your needs, He may not give you what you asked for, but what He provides will always be greater than what you want. In a way, the man's expectations were too small. Here he was sitting outside the temple of God begging from people. He needed an atmosphere of expectancy and this is what Peter and John gave him. They were walking in the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit knew his need and gave it to him. From now on, he would have the ability to work and provide for himself. The man had been waiting around outside the temple, waiting for someone to meet his wants. When we do this, it rarely comes, we have to get up and approach the giver - Jesus Christ, this is where we have our needs met. 

Perhaps you are in a 'Sticky' position at the moment. Funds are tight, mortgages need paying and the prices of most things are shooting sky high, not to mention gas and electric. Let me encourage you, don't sit around waiting for an angel to come along with a bag of cash. It could happen but, it is highly unlikely. So, don't  just sit there, get up and do something about it. The first place to start is with Jesus Christ of Nazareth and then, follow His instructions. He knows the way out of all of this.

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

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Speak a good word to those who are weary

"Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad"         

                                                                    Proverbs 12:25   NKJV 

Most places that we go these days, people are suffering anxiety. This may be caused in many ways, but the result is the same, a heavy heart. People are carrying a great weight around, worrying about various things, some of which they can do nothing about. This causes depression; that great hole of darkness that people find so hard to escape from.

This is why, the writer of Hebrews writes, 'let us 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'  12:1-2.

Note that these verses talk about a 'race'. This means that we live a competitive life as we battle with sin and the heaps of problems that come our way because of it. But, we are not competing against any other Christian - we are all the same and each one of us has the same struggles as we make our way to the finishing post. We are though, in a competition with Satan. He doesn't want us to get there so, he throws all he can at us to attempt to prevent us. This can cause weariness and at the first sign of this, we need to speak with Jesus. He told His disciples to make sure that they had rest and it's the same for us. In His humanity, if Jesus had to sleep and rest, then so do we. However, when the mind is buzzing with worry after worry, it is not easy.

It can be so helpful when someone comes to us and tells us, ''I'm praying for you and I'm only a 'phone call away'. It may not have an immediate impact on you but, it has been registered in your mind and you realise that, you have at least one friend. I say this because when a person is depressed, it's easy to feel the whole world is against us. In the same way, if you meet with someone who is having a difficult time, why not try to get alongside of them and offer encouragement. A word in season can help pick this person up and help them get back to the race. I watched an athletic event recently where a competitor saw someone on the floor and he picked them up and raced to the line carrying him. This is what Jesus would do and what todays blog is all about.

We never know what may have happened to a person who is depressed, anxious and in despair. It could be anything - money problems, bad health, broken relationship or just some kind of emotional pain. As someone who has suffered depression and PTSD for some time, it is not easy to overcome, and with added problems can lead to a nervous breakdown. I know and the loneliness, emotional pain and helplessness is very debilitating. There comes a time when calling on Jesus is such a great help; but, until the time that the person is ready for this, just an encouraging word, prayer and love can help lead the way.

Don't walk on by a weary person, one day it could be you.

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

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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  

Check it out

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

 

 

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