What irritates you?

"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice".                                         Ephesians 4:31   NKJV

What is the one thing that irritates you most? There may be many but, what is the main irritability?

It could be people but, you would have to go and live on the Moon if you wanted to avoid them. It may be bad timekeeping or unreliability that stokes your fire. I can easily fit into the bad timekeeping slot. Being ex-services I have a built in clock that is never early or late but bang on time and, I can easily become agitated when people turn up 15 minutes late for an appointment or whatever. The thing that irritates you the most may be something else but, the thing is we all need to learn to master these things because, they are a root towards anger or bad feeling.

Paul mentions six contenders for irritation in our text above. Let's have a brief look:

Bitterness  This can be marked by resentment towards another person or a bitter feeling or animosity resulting from being mistreated or walked all over. Watch your heart here.

Wrath  This relates to forceful, often vindictive anger. There can be an element of divine vengeance or retribution towards anyone who has hurt one of God's people. Therefore, there can be a human wrath and a spiritual one. They are very different in application.

Anger  A strong feeling of displeasure or hostility. This can be when we are provoked or when things are going wrong and getting on top of us.

Clamour  A loud persistent outcry, as from a large crowd of people. A feeling of outrage, possibly from people protesting about some issue or other.

Evil Speaking  This could be bad language, course jokes, detrimental comments and everything that goes along with this type of thing

Malice  A desire to harm others or see them suffer, especially if they have caused you problems. It's a form of getting your own back. This is not recommended as God fights our battles Romans 12;19

Ask yourself, does any of the above bless the Holy Spirit. I don't think so; in fact v30 says 'And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.' Instead of this, we are to: 'Be kind to one another, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.' v32. What if Jesus hadn't forgiven us when we asked Him? We would be nowhere without Him, that's for sure.

So what can we do to stop being irritated by things. It won't work if you say. 'That's it, I will not fall to irritability from this moment.' You're on a hiding to nothing if you think that will work. However, if you tweak it, incorporating Jesus in the comment, you will be a winner. It won't happen at once; usually it takes practice and a few tests on the subject. But if you are adamant that you will beat this with Jesus' help, you can confidently say: 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.' Philippians 4:13. Note the words 'I can' and 'do all things' 'through Christ who strengthens me. This is where you find the ability to overcome things that you no longer need or want in your life. They may keep trying to return but, as you keep on keeping on, you will eventually overcome this area.

A final word on the matter of irritability has to be, What about the people that I irritate? Because we do, probably on a daily basis. We need to look within ourselves and ask Jesus if there are things within that need changing. Why not try saying the following prayer:

'Search me O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxieties; 24 and see if

there is any wicked way in me. And lead me in the way everlasting'  Psalm 139:23-24

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

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The Forgotten; The Passed Over and the Rejects

"So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”  

                                                                    Matthew 20:16   NKJV

'God has a peculiar passion for the forgotten. Have you noticed? See His hand on the festered skin of the leper. See the face of the prostitute cupped in His hands. Notice how He responds to the touch of the woman with the haemorrhage. See Him with His arm around little Zacchaeus.'   And the angels were silent. Max Lucardo P16

Max Lucardo hits the nail on the head with his comment above. Jesus' passion knows no end. Nowhere will you find anyone more loving and friendly than Jesus. He always gives us the best. Jesus had just finished telling His disciples a parable about workers in a vineyard. (Matt 20:1-16) The Landowner had been out very early in the morning and chosen labourers for his vineyard. He offered them the rate for a day's work - a denarius. He went out several times during the day and offered the same to whoever was there. On the last job search, with only an hour to go before the end of the day, he noticed more workers looking for work. When asked why they had no work, they replied that no-one had hired them. He offered them a job for the last hour. When it came to the pay out, the Landowner gave everyone the same rate. Those that had been there all day, protested about this. But the Landowner told them, he gave them what they had agreed to and as the vineyard was his, he could pay whatever rate he wanted to for the last of the workers.  When He had finished the parable, Jesus turned to His disciples and said "So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.” 

The main message of this parable is that all are received and rewarded by God based on His grace. He gives much to those He wishes to, based not on their worthiness but on His own generosity. Some of those who are last and least deserving of reward in the kingdom of heaven, may become first in receiving God's grace precisely because of their lack of apparent work or effort. Others who gave up much for Jesus and seemingly did great things for God may be last in terms of their reward. It is all for God to say.

Jesus showed compassion on the rejects of this working day; He saw their potential and their heart and, He will never allow people to be left waiting on the sidelines for very long. 

You may have been waiting for a long time for recognition - for someone to recognise the potential and qualities that you can offer. The workers that were not hired initially didn't walk away. Not at all, they waited and hoped and they were rewarded because Jesus recognises the heart and what people can bring to His work, if given the chance. Jesus wants to give you the chance - the opportunity but, you must wait for His timing. He's never too late. Even though there was only an hour of work left, the last of these workers were hired and received what everyone else had been given.

He is such a just and loving God. Don't give up hope or tire of waiting. He will come! 

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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Are you a Grumbler? Do you fit the Corrupt mode?

"Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers."  Ephesians 4:29. NKJV

Paul here is teaching on using the right type of words when dealing with people. It is so easy to respond to someone who is being critical towards you. This is why you and I have to be in control of what comes out of our mouths. Paul uses the word 'Corrupt' and, for a very good reason. The definition of this word can mean 'decayed, rotten, as in rotted meat or fruit.' I'm sure that we have all smelt things such as this and, it is not very pleasant. Take a walk round some Land Fill places and you'll realise what I mean. So this word is very aptly chosen by Paul. When we speak corrupt words to someone, they hear these words and are possibly offended and may retaliate. Also when we speak, we hear these words to and they are contaminating the Holy Spirit within us. He becomes hurt and offended. 

There are many ways where we use corrupt words. What about criticism and being judgemental; surely they fit this bill. And then, gossip must also be a contender. When we moan and groan about something or someone also fits into the box named Corrupt as does using filthy words and course jokes. We have to be so careful. We need to edify people with our words and this means ourselves too. Self-edification is helpful recognising when we are entering the moaning mode; when we are close to a good grumble about something or other; self-edification is also helpful in keeping our mouths closed. 

Remember, grumblers die in the desert. The Israelites were good at this. We only have to read in Exodus 16+18, especially 16:8. Here Moses told them: 'for the LORD hears your complaints which you make against Him. And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the LORD.' This is a scary realisation; when we grumble, moan and complain about things the pastor, elder, church, brother of sister has said or done, we are complaining about them. Be careful here, the entire adult population from 20 years and upward, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, were forbidden to enter Canaan and died in the desert (Her 3:16-19).

It is helpful to realise that when we are in the grumbling mode etc we are opening the door for the devil to come and hit us with all that he has. When we're grumbling, moaning or in a critical mood we've stepped away from God. There is no praise and worship coming from us; not even a sign of the Holy Spirit. We are just wrapped up in this corrupt mode, and we are going to go nowhere until we shake this off in the name of Jesus. 'I've tried that.' Well try harder. 'It's not easy, everything goes wrong for me. You don't know the half.'  Well, what I do know is that, throwing a pity party is going to get you nowhere. 'Well I've tried all I can but nothing has worked.' Well get your head in your bible and find Ephesians 6:13 which says:

'Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all TO STAND.'

Did you get that, stand, stand and keep on standing; don't lay on the floor feeling sorry for your self. Get up and stand!

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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Be Sure to Bless the Lord

"Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases, 4Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 5Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s".  Psalm 103:1-5  NKJV

Many things go through our minds each day but, the most important is when our soul reminds us to bless the Lord. And if we are fully open to God, you will realise that this is a daily requirement. Our soul is made up of out Mind, Will and Emotions. So, what we think, the things that we are planning to do and the way we feel about different things are all, wound together within the soul.  No wonder that the Holy Spirit reminds us each day to bless the Lord. This is reinforced in the latter part of verse 1 where we see all that is in us needs to bless the Lord.

We see in verse 2 that we should never forget God's daily benefits. The NKJ version of Psalm 68:19 tells us: 'Blessed be the LORD, who daily loads us with benefits. The God of our salvation.' The Greek word for 'salvation' used here, is Soteria, which contains deliverance, preservation, soundness, prosperity, happiness, rescue and general well-bearing. The fuller realisation is the blessing of eternal life to all that accept Jesus.

Part of the benefits therefore, which we receive each day are Forgiveness (v3) Healing (v3) Redemption (v4) Crowned with loving kindness and tender mercies (v4) Satisfaction (v5) and Renewal (v5). And this is all for starters. We also receive His constant love and support, His friendship and His protection - I could go on. And what is more God's benefits are not Means Tested like the world's benefits are. Unlike a lot of leaders throughout the world, God is fully truthful. He can't be anything else because, He is the Truth.

The love of Jesus brings us contentment, satisfaction, peace and blessing. Think back to that time when you were in a problem, it may have been life-threatening. Look how He came and rescued you, blessed you and wrapped you in His arms until you were well enough to make it on your own. The love that Jesus offers can be found nowhere else. He is the only one who died in our place - for our sin, and then rose again victorious having cleansed us from all the sin that was in us and then gave us His name and eternal life.

I feel He deserves our blessing, don't you. Thank You Jesus, Bless 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

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The Tale-Bearer

"He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with one who flatters with his lips."  Proverbs 20:19  NKJV

Have you ever heard the term, 'being stabbed in the back'? Well this is what happens when someone comes to us, gains certain information and then, goes out and spreads all that we have told them. These people do not honour confidentiality; all they are interested in is finding the gossip and, probably with their own additions to it, spreading it around to anyone who listens. They can be very skilful in this and will often use a prayer group to spread this news, in the guise of prayer. I like what the CSB version of this verse says: 'The one who reveals secrets, is a constant gossip; avoid someone with a big mouth.' Now if anyone is offended by this, I make no apology, it is not myself who is saying this, it is God.

I've mentioned before an anonymous quotation that reads: For those who speak behind our backs - don't worry! They're behind you for a reason.' This is so true. These type of people will never succeed, they will always be followers and not leaders. So don't let them wind you up.

Saying this though, is not easy, because a tale-bearer can do a lot of damage to your credibility. I once preached somewhere and the feedback that I received was awful. Certain people twisted my words and said that I was not preaching Jesus at all. And yet, I had preached this sermon to a dozen Young Offenders the night before and the whole dozen stood up and gave their lives to Jesus. There are back-stabbers wherever you may go and, this includes within the church. So be careful.

Have you come up against the flatterer yet? These are people who get alongside of you and say lots of nice things about you and your ministry and yet, have another agenda; and that is to gather as much information about a certain thing and then use it against you. If they did this to Jesus, they will do it to you as well. Be wise and learn to discern things such as this. Better still, it is better to do what the scripture above suggests and, not associate with them.

Some people reading this, may feel that it is quite accusatory in context. However, I hold my head up high because, I am only saying what the scripture is saying. The truth hurts at times and some people don't like to hear it. The thing is, if we are not warned of such things, we can easily step on a trap and be falsely accused. 

I think the moral of today's commentary is to, always speak the truth and challenge whatever you feel is wrong - such as gossip. If we nip it in the bud quickly then, it can't spread any further. 

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 is God saying to you?

"Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?”Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”  Isaiah 6:8   NKJV

God speaks to us; do you agree? If you do, what has He been saying to you just lately? Perhaps you have been wondering if it actually was God who spoke to you or, just your internal thinking. After-all, we all have minds that can wander all over the place, but if you are a deep thinker, you may hear what you don't want to hear. How? Well, let's take a look at Isaiah 6. We witness God in v8 in  conversation. Who was He in conversation with? Why did He say, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?' Well, obviously in the first part, He, Himself was speaking, But who to? We get our answer in the next part. He uses the term 'Us'. Notice the capitol 'U,' He would have been speaking to the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. So the conversation figured around calling Isaiah to act as a spokesperson to the nation of Israel. However, God or Adonai as He was here, initially didn't speak directly to Isaiah but, He knew that He was in the vicinity and listening. God knew His heart. And He knows yours too. Isaiah heard God saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us.' And he felt in his heart that he should volunteer himself here. 'Here am I. Send me.' And he was recruited that day. He made the decision.

How would you handle this type of thing? Would you jump straight in and volunteer, or would you hold back and wait to see if someone else did first? In church, the preacher nearly always gives the opportunity for us to raise our hands for prayer of some kind. Are you the type of person who shoots their hand up straightaway, or do you wait and look around to see who is responding first and then decide? The thing is, do you ever go forward when you know God is calling you to? At times such as these it can seem like your backside has been glued to the chair. You just can't (or won't) move. When you feel this way there is a need to force the situation and go to the front. So, if God is saying that He needs someone to do a particular job for Him, are you likely to volunteer your services or will you leave it for someone else?

What is God saying to you at this time? Have you turned down an opportunity to serve Him and you feel so guilty? If so, then repent and ask Him to give you another chance. Don't go through your life wishing that you had taken God up on His offer. It's never too late if you are serious. He will give you your chance but, make sure that you do it this time. Opportunities to serve God are a privilege that many want to do but never get the chance. So if He is calling you, it must be something you are qualified to do. Think about 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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Don't put it off until tomorrow

"Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away."  James 4:13-14 NKJV

Many people put things off until tomorrow, or worse - 'some other day'. Many times, the latter never happens. We make promises to our kids and family that we will go to a certain place soon but, despite their constant enquiries about when we will do this, we defer the action.

Many is the time that something needs doing today but, we decide for one reason or another, that we will do it tomorrow. I can be a little like this regarding my tax return. It doesn't take very long to do but, it keeps getting put to the bottom of my list of things to do.

Proverbs 27:1 says, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” The attitude that defers things to some undefined “one day” is an assumption we'll be around. We may not. And what we leave undone or unsaid could make a vast difference for those we leave behind. The Free Dictionary says, 'Procrastination, which this type of behaviour can be called, is to put off doing something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness. To act this way we tend to postpone or delay needlessly.

The thing is, when we defer action by putting things on the list for tomorrow, tomorrow may bring something else that will take its place and push it back further. In fact, it may never get done because, we don't know just how long any of us has left to live. This is why it is important to do what we can today, instead of leaving it until tomorrow. For some, tomorrow may not come.

In addition, when we make plans without consulting God first, James says that our action is called 'boasting'. This is a presumption that we, not God, are in control of the circumstances of our life; and this is a very unwise thing to do. God must have the first place in our lives. We must entrust things to Him on a daily basis: 

'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 path'.  Proverbs 3:5-6

So, how are you doing as far as this goes? Do you defer action and/or do you make promises without God's advice or knowledge? If you can answer 'yes' to these two questions, perhaps you need to re-think your walk 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