Covetousness

"Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  Hebrews 13:5  NKJV

The 'I want' syndrome exists in many people - including Christians. There is a strong desire to want what another person has, it is a strong desire, almost like lust. Someone else buys a new car and the 'I want' person has to go buy something much better. It's the same with the house, furniture and the clothes that people wear. It can become quite competitive.

Just what is Covetousness? Let's check it out:

'It includes seeking personal recognition and wanting power over others. The need to be the centre of attention and craving for what other people have are uppermost and can include: House, wealth, wife/husband, car, job and success to describe some things. Ungratefulness for what God has given us and moaning and grumbling, never being satisfied.'

We need to be content; what God has given us in Jesus is far better. God becomes angry when we are ungrateful. Take for instance the Israelites. They received freedom when Moses went to get them yet: 'They soon forgot His works; thy did not wait for His counsel. 14 But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tested God in the desert. 15 And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.'  Psalm 106:13-15.

God let them have their own way but they had to face their own consequences. Not good.

We need to be content with the things that we have and God has provided. When we want what others have, we are showing God that we are ungrateful for what He has provided. Young children act in this way. They want what another child has got and will, sometimes try and take it away from the other child. We are children - children of God but, that doesn't mean that we should act as such. We are called to be mature and secure in our relationship with God, not going around sulking because someone is better off than we are. As I said, God is not pleased when we act in such a way. There is no room for striving to be better than other people in the kingdom of God. If we feel that there is any covetousness within us, we need to repent and ask God to remove this stubborn distraction from our Daily Life 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

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Freedom from Slavery

"Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."  John 8:36  NKJV 

Back in January 1863 in the USA, the Emancipation Proclamation was declared. This document said that all slaves were now free. However, in Texas someone kept it a secret for a further couple of years. They were still in bondage and people continued acting as slaves because, no one had told them that they were free. They continued this way until 19 June 1865, when some 2000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas and announced their freedom. This day was turned into a national holiday called Juneteenth, and it is still celebrated each year in the state of Texas. 

                                               Referenced from The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth - nmaahc.si.edu

Just imagine that, freedom had come to these people and yet someone made the decision to keep it a secret and so, they continued to suffer for a further two years. No wonder it is now a national holiday in Texas each year. 

Who does this remind you of? The answer is Satan, this is the type of ploy that he encourages throughout the world. He doesn't want people to know that Jesus Christ set them free from their slavery to sin and opportunity of eternal life. This is why evangelism is such a hard task to carry out. We've all tried to tell people, including our families, about Jesus but many times they have just not wished to know. 

On the cross Jesus Christ signed our Emancipation Proclamation. he declared us not guilty - free. However, Satan continues to keep it a secret from people realising this. He blinds their eyes and deafens their ears and if no one can break through this barrier, they die in their sin and lose eternity in heaven.

Probably you can remember before you were saved. Most of us never considered ourselves slaves but we may have become addicted to alcohol, sex, theft, adultery, drugs and whatever else was around at that time. None of us realised this was taking place. The last thing that we considered ourselves of being, was a slave. It never entered our minds. The devil had hidden the secret of our freedom from us and we were heading on a fast train to hell and destruction. Thankfully, Jesus rescued us and gave us the freedom that we were entitled to, because of His death on the cross. 

There was a special person who instigated our freedom. Jesus used this person to open our minds to Him. We may know this person or it may have come from a Gospel Outreach, a book or a circumstance that caused us to call on God. We'd heard of Him but never bothered with Him. But thank you Jesus that you were bothered about us. 

We are no longer slaves. We are free!. Yes we still have things we are struggling with but, we are a work in progress - under new management.

THANK YOU 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

* 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

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to overcome continuing trials

Blessed [happy, spiritually prosperous, favored by God] is the man who is steadfast under trial and perseveres when tempted; for when he has passed the test and been approved, he will receive the [victor's] crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.  James 1:12  Amplified Bible

Some of us may feel that life is one long chain of trials and tribulation. This could be ill health, if not, then unemployment with endless bills to try and pay. it may be a difficult relationship, or trouble at work. There may be additional, unexpected bills, such as taking the dog or cat to the vet and being given a bill that could buy a block of flats somewhere. It seems never ending.

I was reminded of this when I was driving into town today. There was a huge lorry in front of me going very slow. After what seemed an age, I managed to drive past it only to find that I was behind a bus going even slower than the lorry. Again, I managed to drive by when the opportunity arose, only to find that every traffic light I came to, was on red. as it changed to green, the next set of lights changed to red. Now there are a lot of traffic lights in the town where we live and, as I approached each one, they changed to red. When you are in a hurry, like I was, it can be just as frustrating as having a load of continual trials.

I suddenly realised that I need to change my attitude to such things, because refusal to become worked up about such things is pleasing to God. And when we live in such a way that whatever trial or irritating things come our way, He blesses us with the Crown of Life. What is that? Well James tells us that we will be blessed, happy, spiritually prosperous and favoured by God, if we remain steadfast under trial and persevere when tempted to  become agitated and upset by things that really do not matter.

The Crown of Life refers, not to life in the future but, to life here and now, enjoyed more abundantly with greater fullness (John 10:10b).

Let's check out Psalm 5:12: 'For You O LORD, will bless the righteous; with favour You will surround him as with a shield.' The Greek word used for favour here is ratson and this 

can be described as pleasure, desire, delight and favour. "The noun ratson comes from the verb ratsa, which means "to be pleased with" or "to be favourable towards something." The Hebrew word Hesed means kindness, loving-kindness and love. 

                                                                                 Referenced from the Spirit Filled Life Bible

So therefore, when we are walking in favour, pleasing our Father, He bestows on us the Crown of Life. So we pray: 'We receive the Crown of Life and we confess today that, we are walking and living in the favour that You so kindly have given us Lord. Amen.

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

 

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

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

Check it out

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

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

Check it out

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