The temptation of Jesus Part 2

"If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."  

                                       Matthew 4:3  NKJV

One can almost hear the taunting and arrogance in how Satan speaks to Jesus. He was actually questioning the provision of God to take care of Jesus while He was undergoing this time in the desert. The desert can be an incredibly hot place during the daytime and practically freezing in the nights. Jesus would have been hot one moment, cold the next and suffering tremendous hunger pains. We don't know everything that was said that day but, we can imagine that the devil was taunting Jesus with such things as, 'I thought God loved You; you're kidding yourself. He doesn't care at all, otherwise He would have fed you, at least.'

To fast is to give up your comforts, such as eating, to fulfil something more important at the time. This is a special time with God, one in which prayer and fellowship is shared with Him. The effort of doing this, shows God that we are determined.

Just look how callous the devil can be with us, 'If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.' Sometimes, some larger stones can look very much like a small loaf, especially when you are in the state that Jesus was. It shows us how difficult it had been for Jesus in His humanity by what verse 11 tells us 'Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.' Note the plural.

Just look at Jesus' reply 'It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.' v4. 

Note how evil the devil can be. He knew Jesus was suffering severe hunger pain and took advantage of His condition by taunting Him in this weak condition. This is what he does to you and I. He is constantly watching us to see if we will give him a way in through the hedge of protection that we should have around us (Ps 91). And if he can find away in, he'll come and tempt us with all sorts of things that he knows we need or crave for. He will make it so easy to take part in things that we know are wrong but at the time, seem quite pleasurable. Be very careful and do what Jesus did. He challenged Satan with God's Word. This is our weapon that the devil does not like. v4 

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

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The temptation of Jesus. Part 1

 "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil."     

                                          Matthew 4:1  NKJV

Have you just noticed what happened here? It was God's idea that Jesus should go out into the desert to be tempted by Satan. Check it out 'Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.' Now this seems very strange; going back a verse, God is saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I'm well pleased'  3:17.  Now He is sending His beloved Son into a danger area. But it had to be done, the first Adam was tested in the garden and gave in to Satan. This second Adam - Jesus, went into the wilderness to defeat Satan so that He can escort us back to the garden. Have you ever thought about that? God spent all His time creating a beautiful, peaceful garden and He was very pleased with this. Adam messed up and was evicted along with Eve. This place is still empty and, no doubt, still beautiful and peaceful. One day, we may be there and see it for ourselves. Nothing is wasted with God. With this happening, it would be the way God intended it to be in the first place. Do you feel that we will go there at some stage? It is food for thought. Wow, something just jumped in my spirit.

God was demonstrating the superiority of Jesus. God also does this with us when we are tempted. He wants us to show our superiority over the devil. Remember 1 John 4:4 'Because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.' We tend to forget that when we are in dire situations. Jesus lives within us. He is in you whatever situation you are facing at this time. It may seem impossible but, not with Jesus, He can overcome any problem you may face. Never worry.

God sent Jesus into the wilderness in offensive mode, not defensive; and He wants this for you to. You have no need to defend yourself, you have Jesus with you and you are wearing God's armour. This means that you are on the offensive. You are going into battle with victory in mind.  You need to remember this when you feel snookered by problems. You feel that there is no way out but, there is and His name is Jesus.  Cast your cares on Him and move forward 1 Peter 5:7.

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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Directions through the Word

'My son, give attention to my words"    Proverbs 4:20-27   NKJV 

Imagine that you are sitting in on a university lesson for one session and you are preparing to write an essay on a certain subject. It is not as easy as you would think. Firstly, you would have to:

GIVE ATTENTION   In other words you would have to pay attention to what the tutor is teaching and take accurate notes. This would mean that you would have to concentrate in order to be able to write about the why's and where for's. 

LISTEN   There would be a need to listen carefully in order that what you writing is correct. You would need to reference who had said what you have written and why. In addition to this, you would need to give a critical analysis about your text, giving at least another person who disagrees with this theory you have written and again, why. This could include yourself - how would this make a difference in your life or not at all. This is only for starters, there would be much more criteria in order to make a good argument that comes to a great conclusion. 

I hope you can see, just how important the art of listening is. In our text above, Solomon gives some great reasons why paying attention to detail is so important. It is a skill that we should all learn and it needs to be ongoing. God's word is active - alive, and each time we look at it, something different comes out of it. He tells us to keep our heart with all diligence v23. in other words guard it, because it is life to us. It is also a vital reference point for the issues of life. Out of our heart come good or bad things so, we need to keep it in good shape and, once again, this is where God's word comes into operation. Our heart can easily be poisoned if we are not careful. Wrong words from wrong sources can contaminate this reference point filling it with data that can spill out bad fruit.

Our walk with God is very dependent on what we put into this reference point, therefore, we should always give it care and attention. It dictates what we think and speak, what we look at and how we process this in our minds. It also determines where our feet take us. We are in charge of it not the other way around.

CONCLUSION   There is a need to spend time with the one who is teaching us - Jesus and to do this, our time must be His. We need to read His word; we need to make accurate notes of what He says and we need to put it into action. It is a learning process that will take us all of our lives. So we better get started now.

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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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

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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

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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