Keep your eyes open

"My son, do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path."  

                                    Proverbs 1:10-19 NKJV 

We are easily influenced by other people, whether they are Christians or not. Some unbelievers make good friends but never want to have the faith that you have. That's ok, somewhere along the line of your friendship, there may be the ideal time when they desperately need Jesus. But until then, just let them see Jesus in you and don't bombard them with tracts and bible verses every five minutes.

There is a time when we have to be careful though. The closer we become with these friends, the more we can become like them - in habits and traits. Therefore, if they entice you to go along with them to somewhere that you know, God would frown on, use your wisdom on this one. Some places are well avoided by Christians because of the behaviour that it cultivates - let's face it, if someone who is a drug user invites you to go with them to a drug party, this should be avoided at all costs. The Holy Spirit will guide you in this, but do be open to His advice, if you go ahead you may pay the price.

It is the same with our children and young people. They get to a certain age when they begin to experiment with all types of behaviour. What with the internet and explicit sex videos, extreme violence and suicide pacts, we have to be on guard and in tune with them. This is never easy because teenagers know it all, don't they? With a child under 16, a parent or guardian has a lawful obligation to keep their child safe and well. Over that age, until they are 18, they are still a parent's responsibility if they're still living at home so, we have to keep our wits about us. As I mentioned earlier, we are all subject to being led astray, especially young people. Therefore we must try and guide them in the right ways ahead and on moral values that they should be living up to. 

As you've noticed in the media, there are not many days when someone has not died or been terribly injured from knife attacks. Tony Evans quotes 1 Cor 15:33 CSB, 'Do not be deceived, bad company corrupts good morals.' He then says,'When you associate'  with people of impure character, they're going to rub off on you' 

Heed the warning, do you know who your children hang out with? Without badgering them, it is possible to find this out. Keep praying for them and their safety. If they're having a sleepover, be sure to clarify this with the other family. And don't forget your own behaviour. If you want your children to be honourable, make sure they see it in you.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

'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 2024 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

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

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The beginning of knowledge

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction."                     Proverbs 1:7  NKJV

Studying the book of Proverbs is intended to make us wise - disciplined, understanding, just, shrewd and discerning (verses 2 - 6). We don't need a PhD to be able to live wisely. No amount of secular study will do this. This wisdom comes from God, and He is generous enough to give it to us. Wisdom gives us the ability to apply the knowledge we have. We have many hidden talents, probably some that haven't surfaced yet. However as we continue to walk in His wisdom, they will soon be apparent and then, as we seek God with them, he will give His blessing and turn them into success. Probably, you have an inkling of what they are and you are itching to get started. Wait for the right time; God's timing is always perfect, ours is open to debate.

We read in verse 7 that, 'The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.' The fear mentioned here is not the frightened version but holding Him in reverence and taking Him seriously. Proverbs teachs that the knowledge of God opens the door to wisdom. It can also open the door to disaster when a person has no desire to accept what God is teaching. These are the ones that, despite being told the gospel over and over, they reject it and go on their own pathway. Mostly, these people have no real values and ridicule Christians as 'do gooders' and far worse. They're not rejecting us, they are rejecting Almighty God and this, is never recommended. They just fail to realise that one day, they will stand before God for judgement and if they have still led a life of rejecting God, they will pay an awful penalty.

In all you do, seek knowledge and wisdom; delete any form of foolishness and the people who promote that there is no God. Read God's Word and understand what you're reading. Take notes and discover what God is talking to you about. Avoid though, head knowledge and encourage heart knowledge. Head knowledge, put simply, is having knowledge of everything that happened in the bible and the ability to quote verses all the time. Having this knowledge is good, but only if it is reaching inside of you so that, you have heart knowledge. There is a big difference. Head knowledge gives you a good understanding about scripture. Heart knowledge leads that good understanding into putting this understanding into practice thus, living life each and every day with Jesus.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

'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 2024 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

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

Who do you turn to first?

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."   Proverbs 3:5-6   NKJV

Who do you turn to first? Who is your first port of call when you need help? Two questions which are very similar and just as important. Turning to other sources first is usually a normal thing to do but, not always the right thing to do. When you speak to someone about your way forward about any particular thing, if you haven't got peace with the answer you have received, don't do it! It may be a good answer or piece of advice but, it may not be for you.

James 1:5 says, 'If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." However, the next verse is important, 'But let him ask in faith, with no doubting for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind" v6. There is little use in asking God for direction and then doubting Him. There is no faith in that; it shows that you don't even trust God..

The first few words of Proverbs 3:5 tells us to, Trust in the LORD with all your heart. Did you get that? If you don't trust God then you can be in deep trouble. How do you know that the answer is from God? Because, you will feel a great sense of peace and relief that could only have come from Him. Be careful though because, as time goes on and you're about to put things into operation, you may feel a sense of doubt. This is from the enemy. If you have already had confirmation from God, then that's it, do it. Do it afraid if necessary. This is faith and God doesn't change His mind.

The Hebrew word for 'Trust' means chasah and means, trust, hope and to make something a refuge rather like a young bird that shelters' under its mum's wings for safety. And this is the sort of trust that our text for today is highlighting. Total trust.

So, who are you going to turn to when you need some answers about what to do? May it be God that you choose because He can make a difference and He wants to in your life. Don't get me wrong, there were a few times in my young Christian life when I asked direction from loads of people, God, parents, pastor's even the milkman you name it and, because of this, there were times that I suffered regret. But I learned quickly. Please do the same, your friend Jesus will never let you down.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

'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 2024 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

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

Friendship

"A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."           Proverbs 18:24   NKJV

It is good to have friends but, one needs to be wise, having too many close friends can be  unhelpful. If one of your friends is very close, another close friend could become jealous of your relationship with the other. This can cause friction and may have to be addressed. Also, if there comes a time when you have some problems, you may be tempted to turn to one and seek their counsel. From thereon, you may also speak with each of the others, becoming totally confused about what you should do. This can happen when you want one of your friends to tell you want you want to hear. Try and avoid this. You'll know who your true friend is by the way they treat you, the one who is not afraid to put you right on something without it harming the friendship.

There are also the 'hangers on.' if you become popular in a certain thing, you may find that some people will attach themselves to you because they want to be with the 'in crowd' especially if you become wealthy. Solomon writes in Pro 19:4, 'Wealth makes many friends, but the poor is separated from his friend.' This is a true statement, the wealthy or successful you are, you may find people want to be around you. But if you fall, you may be totally avoided. We can see this within the political world where the more you support a politician, the more you feel wanted. If you stop this support, they are nowhere to be found.

Many have made the mistake of taking the latter part of verse 24, misinterpreting as Jesus being the close friend, the one who sticks closer than a brother. To a degree, this is partly true; Jesus will stick with you, befriending you, supporting you and showing you His love and care. However, Solomon was writing here about that special friend; the one you know is genuine and will love and support you and stand with you through all adversity. This is the friend we all need. Yes, Jesus is like this but it is helpful to have that special one who will stick with you through thick or thin. The one who will be brave enough to tell you that you are wrong but will not desert you. These people are hard to find and you must be prepared to be the same with them as they are with you. This is true friendship and one which is special.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

'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 2024 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

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

A new identity

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."                                 Galatians 2:20 NKJV 

All of us have an identity which we mould ourselves on. It may be a parent, sibling or significant other such as a sports star, film or pop star. From quite an early age, we begin to almost be that person; posters on the bedroom walls, similar hairstyles and even though there may be no visible likeness of our hero, deep down we believe there is. This is ok and part of growing up and playing around with our identity. Our identity is the most important things about us.

When we become a Christian, things need to change. We must die to any identity that we have that is independent of Christ. Everything else must become secondary. Anything that does not identify with Jesus must go, we must die to it. Therefore we must die to self, be dead to reaction, dead to racist comments, unwholesome words, judgemental words and criticism and the like. There are possibly many others things that have to go; and that is anything that tries to take the place of Jesus, we must die to. Obviously, this is a sacrifice and, very difficult to do, it doesn't just happen, we must work hard to rid ourselves from these obstacles. Look at it this way it may be an everyday action to rid ourselves from certain things. Things that we have had within us all our life are stubborn and don't want to leave our lives but, they must. We must have a spiritual clear out of all things that trip is up.

Does this sound like we have to give up enjoying our life? Not at all. We have a new resident living within us - Jesus Christ and, we have elected to identify with Him, to be like Him. Therefore, we must be dead to the former evil things. Think of it this way, dead people don't react. If we are dead in Christ, living for Him totally, then we won't react to things the way the world would. We have a new identity, we were made in heaven. Yes, of course we will get it wrong from time to time - Peter did on a few occasions, but he rose to be a mighty man of God because he died to self and was risen with Jesus. 

And, if you have asked Jesus into your life, then you, also, have a new identity; you are a work in progress, just like Peter was. You can do this because you have joined the group - Team Jesus.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

'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 2024 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

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

You can't change what God has made

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever."  Hebrews 13:8  CSB 

Today's word should probably carry a health warning because of the content. However, I am only writing what is in God's Word and what He has given me. Here we go.

You can't change what God has made, so stop fighting it. God was so precise when He selected things for His creation (Gen 1). He was adamant about the detail, the colours, the animals and the way man and woman were. He was precise and did not make any mistakes - at all. 

Sadly, some people over the years have tried to re-write the bible because they feel that it is out of date. So what they're saying really, is that God is out of date, He is old fashioned.  This is not true. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. What part of 'forever' don't they understand. God did not make any mistakes, people did when they rejected Jesus Christ as Lord and many still do today. And, it is these that are trying to change things.

To re-write something is, to update it. So some people want to update the bible so that they can fit it into their lifestyle. This makes me aware of what Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 4:3-4: 'For the 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; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.' Did you get that? 

Many places throughout this world are turning to same-sex marriages but, the God who never changes said: 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh' Ephesians 5:31. God made man and woman to meet, fall in love and then reproduce. He said nothing about same-sex marriages. Man said this and this is why they want the bible to be re-written. Sadly, many clergy accept this but where they differ from what God said is beyond me. It's almost like they're saying the bible is not modern enough so we'll update it and have same-sex marriage included. In a way, this is no different to when Jesus had been crucified and His body was no longer in the tomb. The authorities wanted it spreading around that His body had been stolen by His followers. They didn't want a resurrection. 

I could go on in this vein but, I hope that I have made God's point. There was no same-sex marriage in the bible and there shouldn't be any now. Society is gradually going into moral decay. Values are being turned upside down each day and, it will only get worse. How does God feel about all of this? He must be devastated, especially about society intending to change His Word to meet their own requirements. His word is sacred and people can't change what God has made unless, they want to meet an angry God. God made a set of rules and we should live by them. If certain people don't want to do this, that is their choice. But they should go away and get on with it and leave God's people to enjoy what God has given them. But woe betide Judgement Day!

If you would like to comment on this, either add a post on Facebook or email me on

grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

'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 2024 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

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

Change

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven." 

                                   Ecclesiastes 3:1ff  CSB 

If there is one word that can put some people in fear, it is 'change'. Many, many people do not like changes. Why is this? Well, many have become comfortable in their lifestyle. They have built for themselves a comfort zone and mostly, they feel very secure in this. When the threat of change comes along, it brings panic and fear and it is all they can focus on.

Change brings a loss and vice-versa. At a very early stage in our lives we undergo change. There is nursery or play schools to attend. This is probably the child's first time without a parent and it can be frightening initially. As time goes on, there are more changes, primary school, secondary school and for some, college or even university. All these changes bring a loss. Loss of what you knew and liked and having to start afresh somewhere else finding new friends with the loss of old ones. A family may move home yet again causing  another loss which the change of circumstances cause.

It can be an onward battle for some where others, may enjoy the excitement of change. In adulthood, there are further changes: possibly marriage, having children, new jobs,

moving home again, loss of a loved one, divorce or separation, redundancy, retirement and many more changes to negotiate. Loss brings change and change brings loss, there's no real way around it, it is called life.

Change can cause total chaos to some family members. One minute you had friends, now that you've moved those friends are no longer close to you. This can be a problem to many people, especially teenagers if there was a first love element in progress. All of this may cause depression - what we had we no longer have. It hurts and there appears no end to the pain. 

All of the above and much more, may have affected you in the past and you may be still pining for that village, that person and those friends. The thing is, in an ever-changing life, change has to happen, it is called progress. Without it life may turn into a boring humdrum and this is no good to anyone. Try to pinpoint the good points of change, there are some, you just have to find them. It calls for a change of attitude by giving the changes a chance. One thing is sure, change comes to all of us and sometimes we have little say about it. For example, if someone is in a tied job situation, if that job no longer exists for you, then a house move and new job must be sought. Again, if redundancy happens and you can't afford the mortgage payments any longer, eventually you may have to move. There is change everywhere we look.

Let us not forget our health; one minute you may have an accident and be left disabled. Or you may be fit and healthy, the next moment diagnosed with something nasty. Changes can be just around the corner for us all. Therefore, why not make the most of what you have at this time and be grateful to God for all that He has given us and will continue to do so. 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

'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 2024 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

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