A Butterfly Child

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away and see, the new has come."  2 Corinthians 5:17   CSB 

A butterfly starts life as an ugly, wrinkly, slimy caterpillar. Some may like them, some may not. However, as nature progresses, the caterpillar creates a cocoon like effect and gradually evolves into a butterfly. At this stage, the butterfly is still in the cocoon and needs to break out. As it does so, its wings become stronger because of this process, and this gives the butterfly the power to fly. If it didn't try to break out or, if a person slit the cocoon in half to reveal the butterfly, it would not be able to fly. It needs the strength of breaking out to give power to its wings.

In the similar way, God has given us strength and brought us out of our cocoon or shell and daily gives us the strength to begin life has a new creation. If you like, we are like a 'Butterfly Child' as we go flitting from here to there. We are beautiful in God's eyes because, He is beautiful and, as we become more like Jesus, we become breathtakingly attractive to a lost soul. What they see in us, when we live in such a way, is an image of Jesus and some begin to want this themselves.

A butterfly flits from bush to plant and very rarely remains in one position for too long. Now, this is like being an evangelist; they go from town to town, church to church, never staying in the one place. If you are called to be an evangelist then, this will be life for you. However, if you are called initially to be a pew-filler then this is your bag at this time. You need to be trained before you go out to do great things. One can't run before they walk. There is a process for all of us to work through. When you are ready, God will show you what He has in store for you. But you won't discover this by flitting from one church to the other trying to find better things. You need maturity and stability initially.

When we see a butterfly in all its glory, most of us are captivated by it, especially if you are a keen photographer or artist, and as I mentioned earlier, a lot of people are drawn to it. When you live as a spiritual butterfly it is very similar. People just want to know you and, even though they may not know why. It just happens. Sadly others may despise you.

If you look at yourself as a caterpillar - wrinkly, ugly and of no use to anyone, you need to change this and the best way is to stay close to Jesus. Allow Him to build you up; to encourage you and ignite your self-worth. I tell you now, if you feel this way, you are believing the lies of the devil. You may not believe it but, you are a butterfly in the making. You just need to believe this, accept it and decide that you are going to begin to live in such a way.

You are a beautiful butterfly created and, Jesus wants to bring you out into the world full of strength. 

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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Don't allow anger to take hold of you

"Be angry and do not sin. Don't let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and don't give the devil an opportunity."  Ephesians 4:26-27  CSB

'A man said, "My wife and I promised that we would never go to bed angry. We haven't slept together in seven years."  Dr Tony Evans

You may laugh at this but there is an element of truth here; we should never go to bed angry. Many married couples do. They have an argument and stop talking to each other; they get into bed still not talking. After a short while, one of them may have calmed down and place their toe on the spouse's foot. No response. They may prod their spouse gently in the back, again, no response. One is ready to apologise, the other isn't, and so they eventually go to sleep still not talking. The next day, they wake up - still not talking and, if they don't sort this out, it will carry on through the day. 

What is happening here? If this has happened to you and your spouse, you have given the devil an opportunity to pull you apart v27. Satan will grab hold of anything that will bring disunity to people. He prowls around ready for action (1 Peter 5:7) and as soon as he has the opportunity, he strikes. 

I often say, 'If you allow the devil into the back seat of your car, pretty soon he is going to want to drive' (KCM). As I've said, he will take every opportunity. You may say, 'I didn't give him any opportunity.' Oh yes you did, as soon as you took your anger to bed and ended the day without speaking to each other, the devil got out of the back seat and started to drive. The truth of the matter is, you shouldn't have allowed to let the devil get into the back seat in the first place; you shouldn't have given him permission to come and ransack your marriage. Learn the lesson.

Becoming angry is something that we are all capable of doing. The things around us can cause frustration and, if you have a short fuse, you may fall into the trap. Recognise it for what it is. We all know the warning signs; we may find some people intolerable and they have the ability to wind us up. Let them be; God loves them even if you don't. Count to ten instead. Remember, once you become angry, unless you are careful, you can become out of control. Foul words can be spoken - words that carry a poison dart. Once they are fired you can't take them back and the damage is done. Just be daddy cool and be in control of yourself. It makes sense. 

Have a great day!

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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Addiction

"You are truly My disciples if you keep obeying My teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."   John 6:31-32. NLT

The spiritual forces that sway our life are rooted in either truth or deceit. Truth leads to freedom where deceit leads to bondage and death. Denial to the fact that we have an addiction problem, keeps us in slavery to this addiction and it is difficult to see that there is any other hope of life. Belief in Jesus can help us to break free from this captivity and give us the freedom to kick out the lie that is keeping us chained.

Many Christians are prisoners of spiritual warfare. The enemy chains them to this addiction and convinces them that there is no escape. There is, and His name is Jesus. The devil has convinced people to own the label 'Addict.' This may be to drugs, sex, pornography, alcohol dependency, gambling, food or whatever else. They feel trapped with no way out. But, God can make a way where there seems to be no way!

Jesus is the truth that sets people free (John 8:36). Jesus gives the person who is in captivity, the ability to break loose from their addiction. Take a look at our text today; Jesus said, 'if you keep obeying My teachings'.  We  need to believe and accept this word. It couldn't be any plainer than this, could it? However, it is not easy to put this into practice. Anyone who has ever tried to stop smoking knows how difficult this is. Many stop for a week or two, but the craving gets too much for them and they think, 'I'll just have one cigarette - that's all.' It doesn't work like that. it is all or nothing. If one keeps going back to the addiction they are still hooked.

I've worked with people who have a drug dependency and many of them have yearned to be free but failed miserably. Only one act can free a person and that is a commitment to Jesus. If a person KEEPS obeying His teachings, they will be set free. It is the truth because, Jesus never lies, it's the devil who does that. He will convince a person that there is no hope that they can ever be free. This is forever. No, no, no. Only Jesus' Word are forever. The devil is temporary and his days are limited. Because of this, he wants to take as many people with him as he can. Don't be one of them

You can be free from the torment of addiction. We probably all have certain things that we know we shouldn't do, but we still do so. Is this an addiction? If you can't live without it, yes it is. Your addiction may be small in comparison but, it is still holding you in captivity. Therefore, pray for those who are - in their minds - hopelessly trapped and while you're doing this, bring your addiction to Jesus as well - repent and receive His forgiveness and be set free. Don't be subjected to chains any longer!

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 Sunflower Technique

"Therefore, we were buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life."                           Romans 6:4  CSB 

Sunflowers are enormous flowers that can grow to around 10 foot high and always bring a smile to whoever glances at them. The reason for their name is because they follow the sun. As the sun rises in the east, the Sunflower will turn its great head and point it to the east. When the sun sets in the west, the Sunflower will turn in this direction as well. As the Sunflower produces many seeds, these movements scatter their seed in their search for the sun. Thus they are very productive as they grow.

Think about this for a moment. We came to Jesus and many of us were baptised  in His name. This means as we went under the water, we died to self and was buried. As we rose out of the water, we were raised to a new life in Jesus. So, like the Sunflower follows the S-u-n, we as believers, follow the S-o-n. And as we do this, we in turn scatter seed wherever we go. We throw off new seed which results in new life.

Not that there is a lot of sunshine around at the moment, but when we arise to a new morning, we need to train our thoughts to be on Jesus, even if it is a quick, 'Morning Lord'. He appreciates every effort that we make to involve Him in our everyday lives. You may not feel like doing it, rather like you may not feel like praising on occasions. However, as you do, something happens within us, Jesus becomes elated and this, is translated over to you. You may not even notice it but, it is there.

I don't know about you but, I'm not a good 'pray-er.' I'm more of a talker and are often in conversation with Jesus as I'm walking around. I've often been caught out as I turn a corner and I am talking to someone that the other person can't see. It's not so bad these days with mobile phones and headphones. I was so lost in conversation with Him one day that I didn't realise our dog had run after another dog. I shouted him, well actually I didn't, I shouted at the top of my voice, 'JESUS.' Yes, there were a lot of people around at the time and yes, they did look at me rather strangely. I just smiled and moved on. I wanted to tell them that Jesus was the dog's name but, I thought better of it.

Whatever is your style of worship, prayer or general living with Jesus, try and make use of His wonderful presence. He has a great sense of humour and I know that He would have laughed when I called our dog, 'Jesus.' If you have never witnessed His sense of humour, then dig deeper in your relationship with Him. Look at the S-o-n everyday; follow Him, talk to Him and have a good time with Him. Believe me, He can be great fun and He can brighten up any morning!

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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You need the power!

"I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me."  Philippians 4:13  CSB

You need the power to be able to succeed. Imagine using your mobile for an urgent call and all of a sudden you hear some pips and the power goes. Your battery is dead. The mobile has lost its ability to function at the level it was designed for. Why? Because it has stayed away from its power source for too long. You have forgotten to charge it up.

This is an illustration of what can happen when we stay away from Jesus. We lose our power. Jesus said: 'you can do nothing without Me.'  John 15:5. Jesus Christ is our source, the only One we need to be able to walk in power and vitality. We can't stay away from Him, not reading the bible and expect to be flowing in His anointing. It doesn't work like that.

Believers often wonder why they are flat. It is because they are trying to run on empty. If we don't stay close to the power source then we go nowhere. Imagine trying to drive a car when the petrol gauge is on empty. Pretty soon, if you don't stop to refill the tank, you will stop, probably in the middle of nowhere. Then who is to blame, it's not God that's for sure. In the section below we read what it means to remain in Christ:

 (1) believing that He is the Son of God (2) Receiving Him as your Lord and Saviour (3) Doing what He says (4) Continuing to believe in the Good News (5) Staying close to Him like a branch attached to the vine.  The Life Application Bible, New Living Translation Version

What about you, are you remaining in the vine, or do you feel that you have been removed or pruned. If you have been cut out then obviously, this is the main reason why there appears to be no fruit in your life or, that you can't feel the joy of Jesus around you. Don't worry, put this right today by repenting for leaving Jesus behind in your day to day activities and only thinking about Him on a Sunday. We've all done this. Ask Jesus to forgive you and you will be joined back to Him.

If you have been cut back, or pruned, this is good because you will begin to produce more fruit. However, don't expect this to happen immediately. There will be a time of waiting for the right season. When this has arrived, you will have the ability to sow and reap a harvest.

Just ensure that you are connected to the power source - Jesus. You cannot not do it alone. Your brain may say that you can but, you will soon see that the going is extremely difficult and you will burn yourself out with practically no results. It's far better to do it Jesus' way!

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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How Marvellous! how Wonderfull!

 "And His name will be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace"   Isaiah 9:6  NKJV

How fortunate we are to have such a friend as Jesus. He is there when we are sleeping and, He there when we are awake. He never leaves us. A few days ago we were talking about Worry and Anxiety - the pros and cons of it all. It is obvious that Jesus does not want us to worry - at all. The chorus line of this great hymn goes:

'How Marvellous! How Wonderful! And my song shall ever be; How Marvellous! 

How Wonderful! Is my Saviour's love for me.'  Copyright C.H. Gabriel

This chorus says it all. He is Marvellous and He is Wonderful, we could never dispute this fact. Think of those sleepless nights that you have had in the past because you have allowed fear to get you into its grip. Your tormented steps as you have taken through those busy days at work or play. At times you may have been climbing the walls because of the worry. This has not helped your anxiety level. Listen, Jesus does not want you like this. It does not portray a Man or Woman of God.

This is why, Jesus reinforced the command that we should not worry. When we disobey, we lose all sense of peace and we are unable to think straight. These are the times when wrong decisions are made; they are the times when we are prone to make mistakes. Verse 2 of this wonderful hymn goes like this: 

'For me it was in the garden

He prayed -"Not My will, but Thine";

He had no tears for His own griefs

But sweat drops of blood for mine'

We need to grasp hold of the fact that Jesus, just cannot get enough of each one of us. He adores us and gave up His life so that, we could be free. Do you really think He would allow bad things to happen to you if you fully trust in Him, by giving Him all of your worries? Why would He tell us not to worry about things? 

'Therefore do not worry saying 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For after all these things, the Gentiles seek. For your Heavenly Father knows that you need all the things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 'Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.'  Mt 6:31-34

So, begin to confess these scriptures, especially Isaiah 9:6. As you confess them in prayer on a regular basis, they will begin to settle into your spirit so that they are in your mind on a regular basis. He is Marvellous! He is Wonderful! And He is yours!

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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Living Sacrifices to God

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." 

                                                                        Romans 12:1-2. NKJV

Warren W Wiersbe says: 'If the world controls our thinking we are conformers; if God controls our thinking, we are transformers.' This is so true and runs in parallel with Romans 8:5-8 that we looked at a few days ago. We either walk by the flesh or by the Spirit and the choice is ours. We can become a copy of the world, with its customs and behaviour but, we will only become a cheap imitation. Jesus is no imitation, He is the real deal and wants you this way too.

What we need to do is, allow God to transform our minds so that it is in sync with the Holy Spirit. Obviously, we are then spiritually minded. We can try to do this ourselves but we will struggle from day one. This is why so many of us seem to be flying for God one minute and then, down in the dumps the next. It is the YoYo factor and this rarely gets us anywhere.

We need to surrender to God and this is not easy. As soon as you try, every part of your flesh will rebel in fury. Your flesh wants to carry on doing what it has always been used to; but, when you introduce new ways to get rid of this part of your life and become a new person, the devil goes on full alert. So be ready for this. He is very skilled in trying to persuade you that fleshly behaviour is all right, 'It'll be ok, who is going to know about it, anyway it is only a one-off.' Don't fall for this because, he knows that once you have tried it, you'll want to continue. This is how he catches people out.

Therefore, when we surrender to God, we need to say what Jesus said in the Garden of Gethsemane, 'O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.' This is the hallmark of total surrender, and it means, (wait for it) studying the Word, memorising it and making it a part of your inner self. It just comes naturally because you have surrendered everything to Jesus. You have become a transformer instead of a conformer. Actually, when you think about it, the first three letters of conformer in 'Con.' So, this says it all. The devil has 'conned' us into thinking that all is well. It isn't but, it will be when you surrender to Him. Are you ready to do this? Then, just tell Him what you need, He will answer this.

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