Jesus has a plan

"On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him.  37And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.  38But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”  Mark 4:35-38  NKJV

When problems come your way, do you fully trust God to rescue you or, do you fret and become totally fearful with little sign of Jesus' teaching in your life? Many of these occasions come upon us when we are least expecting them to. In quiet times with God, bible in hand, it can be much easier to make a stand and believe what you are reading. However, in reality, how do you measure up?

The disciples were in a boat heading to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, when all of a sudden a great windstorm arose, threatening them with certain death. Their reaction was total panic and they ran to Jesus who was sleeping in the stern, Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?' v38. This is where our listening skills need to be focused on Jesus. He had clearly said to them 'Let us cross over to the other side.' Now this was a powerful statement. Jesus was with them; He wanted to go to the other side of the lake and He was so at peace over this statement that, He decided to have a nap.

The disciples were right in running to Jesus; at least it showed that they knew where to go when the chips were down. The problem was, their panicking, with this leading to challenging Jesus about whether He cared or not. Of course, Jesus knew what their reaction to the storm would be, but He had a plan, firstly, they would make it to the other side and then He would be able to reinforce the fact that, He is always with them; that there is no need to worry. The plan Jesus had did not involve their destruction but a lesson in trusting Him more and more.

When you think about it, we often begin to worry about things that haven't happened or may not happen very soon, if at all. But Jesus isn't worried about it. He is able to just relax and even sleep a little and this, is how He wants you and I to live our lives.

Through Jesus, God has given us the ability to be able to trust Him in all things and - wait for it - He expects us to use this to overcome doubt, fear and anxiety. So, whenever problems or hardships come your way, don't run away from them with your head in your hands, make a commitment to trust God and get the victory. Stand up in Jesus' name!

What is on your mind at this time? Why are you having sleepless nights over these things? Don't you realise that Jesus has a plan for your life? He has a plan for whatever situation you may find yourself in. Just trust Him more than you have ever done before; His plan is far better than yours could ever be!

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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What sort of day are you having?

"Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." Lamentations3:22-23  NKJV 

Moods may vary and fluctuate from one person to the other, we are all different.

Check this out:

LOVELY DAY  (1) It's lovely weather today; a lovely holiday; I'm having a lovely day off; We've had a lovey trip out with a lovely meal with my lovely family.

LOVELY DAY  (2) I've had a lovely day with Jesus; a lovely walk just talking to Him and enjoying His creation. God has given me a lovely life - lovely marriage, children, home and family.

Comparison

HORRIBLE DAY  (1) The weather was atrocious, never stopped raining; more bills have come in but no extra cash to pay them, it's a horrible system we live in, the garden's overgrown because of the bad weather and, I'm in a horrible job with a horrible future, living in a horrible area with horrible shops. There's no point.

HORRIBLE DAY  (2) It's a horrible time at the moment, God has let me down - why does He do this? Never answers my prayers but He does other people. They're better off than me, I'm scrimping for money - horrible. Why does He let this happen?

You may see yourself in this, I call the latter part 'The *Victor Meldrew Factor.'  The first part of this discussion concentrates on gratefulness to God for all that He gives us. The second part considers the consequences of leaving God out of our life. Jeremiah, who is considered the author of this book, saw one ray of hope in all of the mayhem and sin that surrounded him, 'The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; God's mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning, new every morning; great is Your faithfulness O LORD, great is Your faithfulness.'  (Edith McNeill)

God's Word teaches us that when we feel unlovely, we remain beautiful to Him. We can do nothing to change any of this; this is why God is Love. This, if we allow it to, can give us the confidence to realise that, although things in our life may look horrible, in God's eyes, they are lovely and, if they are not, by seeking Him He will change this for us. We need to remember this. Jeremiah wrote in 3:21 This I recall to mind, therefore I have hope.'

Do you have faith in God? Do you believe that He is trustworthy, reliable and loving towards us. Or do you belong to the 'Victor Meldrew Factor' (Latter part), questioning whether God will be there for you or let you down -  again. The bible tells us that He will help us when we seek Him (Jeremiah 29:13). 

So there you have your answer, God is merciful to us and greets us with compassion every morning that we open our eyes. His faithfulness towards us, knows no end. He will never fail you as long as you seek Him with all of your heart.

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

* Victor Meldrew is a character from a long running English series 'One foot in the grave'. He is a grumpy, moaning old man that never sees any good in anything

 

 

 

 

 

You're not alone!

"Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

                                                                                Isaiah 41:10  NKJV

There are a lot of lonely people in our world and, many of them are Christians. Some of these are loners, they prefer their own company - for a time. But after a while, they too feel the pangs of loneliness.

Charles F Stanley wrote: 'At some point, each of us will face circumstances that cause anxiety. When we do, we must remember we are God's children. We have the power to overcome fear when we apply His Word to our lives - remembering that He is always with us and will never fail or forsake us.'  Life Principles Bible - Dr Charles F Stanley p1095

When we have a wife or husband, we can share fears and worries that crop up and encourage each other with what God says about it. It can be the same with good, reliable friends. But when we are alone we are left with just ourselves to think the circumstance through. This is where a good solid relationship with Jesus can be a life-saver. Look at what the scripture above tells us: "Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God.' God doesn't want us to be afraid or dismayed. All of that can lead to depression if we can find no way through it all. God firmly tells us that He is with us, He is our God.

One can feel lonely within a marriage or relationship. Loneliness can also reign within a crowded room, even a church. On a crowded street, we may see couples who are hand in hand doing their shopping, eating in restaurants or pubs. They all seem so happy. And when we witness this, loneliness can really take over. And yet, we can be so good in hiding the hurt from others - putting on a brave face. People may never know how we're feeling, unless we are brave enough to tell them. The thing is, have we the courage to speak to them about our loneliness? Will they become bored by our negativity? 'The last thing I need is to feel worse than I am already,'  you may think.

So, this may be the time when you look at God's Word - deeply. He never lies, you may know that already, and in scriptures like above He gives an offer to go to Him and pour out your loneliness. He is the one that really knows how you feel. He is the one that cares enough to listen, advise and offer the encouragement that you need. If you allow yourself to get really close to Jesus, you will never feel lonely again. He is your friend - the finest an most faithful friend you will ever find on our planet. He can help you through your loneliness, He can change things, bring new people into your life if you want this. 

Whatever is happening in your life at this time, He is your answer to it. He can show the way or even create a way that was not there before. He is definitely the one to speak to.

SO WHY NOT DO IT!

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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Getting the balance right

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’ ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’”

                                                                        Luke 10:38-41  NLT

A great example of the consequences of busyness is showcased here. Martha was a busy servant. She wanted everything right for Jesus. Therefore she busied herself in the kitchen duties. Mary just wanted to know Jesus better and so, spent important time with Him. This infuriated Martha, who wanted some help but Jesus told her the truth and sometimes the truth hurts.

If we are honest, most of the time we resemble Martha more than Mary. We rush around doing “what needs to be done,” while missing the glimpses of Jesus all around us. As difficult as it is, and as contrary to our culture as it is, we must intentionally make the effort to slow down and model Mary because, as Jesus Himself said, “Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

When you break it down, busyness can be interpreted as the sin of worry and busyness as a lack of trust. This painful truth doesn't mean we don't trust God at all. It means we are still being sanctified (a work in progress) and we are finding it difficult to get the balance right. We can be so busy, rather like Martha, and leave Jesus out of the equation. She didn't realise that she was doing it and, neither do we. We must find time in our busy schedule to spend time with Jesus.

At the other end of the spectrum is business in the church. Check this out: 'I have a sermon and a bible study to prepare. There is the worship to practice and new songs to learn and I have a meeting in the church tonight. I said that I would visit a few people as well, this week. Then, I want to see the pastor about the youth group. I've no time for my own personal bible study and I promised to take the kids out in the morning as well' Wow, if you have a day job as well, this is a tall order. You sound like the man who used to spin the plates, can you remember him? He would have all these plates spinning on upright rods, probably about 12 of them. At first, they were ok but after a short time, the plates began to crash. This is what could happen to you if you don't get the balance right.

What did Jesus say about this type of thing? “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29Take My yoke upon you. Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Is Jesus speaking to you here? Is the balance between your day job, marriage, family and your Christian life right? Does it need tweaking or perhaps a total overhaul. Burnout can be costly to your health. Being too busy for your family - wife/husband and children can be heading for disaster. Living with your life unbalanced can lead to health problems, stress, heart attack, you name it. 

Be wise and listen to Jesus about these things. If He is telling you to take some time out; lean on Him or find a more workable schedule, then you would be sensible to do it. Before it's too late. Just think, Jesus was probably more busier than any of us could ever be. The difference is, He knew how to prioritise things and don’t forget, He also needed to spend time with His Father. 

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

Do you act with faith?

"For we walk by faith not by sight"  2 Corinthians 5:7. NKJV

What is faith? In a nutshell, it is believing we have something when we can't see it. How does this work? Well, you believe in Jesus don't you? However, you can't see Him. In every day terms, you believe that when you trip the switch the light will come on. You can't see it until you do this. When you walk by faith in God, He honours you. You have to trust Him and you need patience, it doesn't all happen straightaway:'But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of this who diligently seek Him. (Heb (11:6). As we trust in Him, He delivers. Read this scripture:

'Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. 29He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. 30Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,
31But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint'  Isaiah 40:28-31  NKJV

The Lord gives strength to the faint and weary. This happens to us all. When did you last ask God to renew your strength? He will if you ask Him but, you must believe by faith, otherwise very little will happen. Only those who trust in the Lord are the recipients of this strengthening. God helps us to soar like eagles but we need faith to do so, when we do, He will swoop down and lift us out of bad situations. He will help us to run and not become weary. He will give us that little bit extra to make it through the challenges and the trials. He may not change the situation you are in but He will give you what you need to be able to overcome and stand firm through the situation. Look at Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego (Dan 3) God didn't take them out of the fiery furnace, but He did join them and helped them through this dangerous situation. Then there was Daniel, He was thrown into the lion's den. God didn't take him out of the situation (Dan 6). But He did send an angel to keep the lion's mouth's shut. He was safe. Both of these situations resulted successfully because these men of God had faith.

We all need to exercise faith. There is nothing scary about this at all. You will notice that, throughout Jesus' ministry, He lived and walked by faith. There were healings, blessings and lives changed because He did so. He wants to take you up a level. To do this, you need to walk by faith. Ask Him to help.

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

 

 

 

 

 

Brokeness

"Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."  James 4:7-8  NKJV 

If you want to see God's face and enjoy His many blessings, we must be broken first.

Picture if you will a wild stallion. It may look beautiful as you glance at it but, try to either get near it or ride it and you will not be its best friend. You see, it wants its independence. It doesn't want to be ridden or have to submit to anyone. As long as it is fed and given water to drink and a warm place to settle when bad weather comes, this is all it wants from a human.

However, a thoroughbred cowboy has the knowledge to handle such an animal. His intention is breaking this fine animal so that it can be ridden and earn its keep. So he will approach it even though it may kick and snort at him to back off. He may use a rope to throw round its neck so that he can pull it over to him and tie it to a sturdy fence while he attempts to calm it down. Eventually, the cowboy gets on its back and, even though it bucks and tries to throw him off, he perseveres and towards the end of this process, he is able to ride the horse until it is satisfied that it won't be hurt. What the cowboy is dealing with is, a stubborn and wild independence. The horse wants to keep this and will fight this yet, after a time it usually realises that it must submit and come under someone else's control.

Does this sound familiar? Many of us want God to bless us with good things but we don't want to be brought into submission. We want to keep our independence and we want to live our lives, our way. We don't want to be subject to rules and regulations; we'll go to church and blend in with others but, that's about it. I'm gong to say this and it may sound shocking to some Christians; God is not that bothered if we go to church or not. He is more interested that we submit to Him and draw near to Him so that He can draw near to us as well. The rest will follow.

The brokenness that God requires is, the brokenness that the stallion has to learn - total submission to its leader. Our leader is Jesus. He is loving and kind but, He will not bless double values. We either belong to and serve Jesus or we don't. We can't keep one foot in the world and one in the kingdom of God. Yes we live in the world but, we are not part of it. We belong to Jesus and we have a mission to serve Him until He calls us home.

Being stubborn is something God can change if, you allow Him to. This is where submission begins. Notice that you draw near to God and He will draw near to you. This is where the fine tuning can begin. It may take a long time though. Are you willing to submit? 

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

A Joy Explosion

"Count it all joy when you fall into various trials"  James 1:2  NKJV

When you are connected to the power source - Jesus, you can walk out in joy which is the strength you need to get through the situation. Under pressure, you get to meet the real you. Impossible? Not at all, if Jesus Christ is within you, nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37). 

Believers are to consider their trials with all (not some) joy. Trials are those unpredictable encounters that we fall into. The testing of our faith is designed to reveal the quality of our faith and, to produce stamina in order to overcome the situation. The way the situation or circumstance is handled is another opportunity to bring glory to God. And therefore, we can echo the words of Craig W Hagin who said: 'No matter what, I am still happy because God is on the throne and He has things in control. 

Note that James said, 'When you fall into various trials' not 'if'. Trials will come our way. God wants us joyful - full of His strength, so that we can approach them this way. So, He permits certain trials so that we may grow in maturity, thus being more like Jesus. However, we should never pretend to be happy when we face pain, but have, a positive outlook such as considering it all joy. Why? Because it is another opportunity to let people see Jesus in you.

Let us be honest here though, it is never easy to be this way. We don't rejoice and scream out in ecstasy because another trial has come our way. We would be rather odd to do so. But, we can program ourselves to take God's advice so that we can meet the trial face to face without moaning and groaning because yet again something else has gone wrong. We need (and I'm speaking to myself as well) to be on guard and alert that the devil is out there plotting an attack on us and God may allow this to test how we handle things. It is essential that He does this because: 'If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses?' Jeremiah 12:5. The idea is to pass the trial and get on the horse and ride with God.

So condition yourself to have a joy explosion whenever things come your way that are designed to wind you up, tear you down or floor you. Jump on that horse with God and ride the storm

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