Gratitude

"Rejoice always,  17pray without ceasing,  18in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you".     1 Thessalonians 5:16-18  NKJV

How do we express gratitude biblically? Well firstly, we must:

(1)  Remember what the Lord has done for us and for all the times, He has made a way when we felt there was no way out of this.

(2)  Tell others about Him. When God provides for us, we should brag about it. It's a blessing!

(3)  Share the Gospel

(4)  Offer yourself as a living sacrifice dedicated to Him

Can you remember the old Chorus 'Count your blessing'? 

'Count your blessing name them one by one; count your blessing see what God has done/. Count your blessings, name them one by one, and you will discover what the Lord has done'.

It is true, We often allow ourselves to become discouraged by things that try our patience. This can lead to frustration and before we know it, it almost like we have lost sight of God and we feel guilty that we may have grieved the Holy Spirit. God wants us to be happy, joyful. In fact, truly exhilarating not depressing. We need to pray and thank God more and more. When we know that we have sinned, we need to confess this straightaway or as soon as we can. Some people with a Hyper-Grace teaching would argue with me here, stating they we are already forgiven. We were forgiven when we were saved. There is no need to ever ask for forgiveness again. Well in answer to that, we only need to look at verses such as 1John 1:8-10 where John was speaking to Christians. Why would he write this if they were already forgiven. Bottom line, we need to ask forgiveness, daily.

There is always something to thank God for, even on those dark and dismal of days. Just think, when we face the sun, the shadows fall behind us. But when we turn our backs to the sun, the shadows will be in front of us. The moral of this analogy is, don't turn away from the Son, Jesus Christ Himself. Keep Him always in your sight, where we can walk in the Light, not the shadow.

Have an attitude of gratitude and choose to live your life in enjoyment despite the circumstances that come against us. He has done so many wonderful things for us, including dying in our place, so that we may have freedom. So be grateful to Him.

Perhaps you need to talk this over with Jesus and ask Him to help you put things right.

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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Directions in life Part 2

"Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you. 25Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you. 26Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established. 27Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil"   Proverbs 4:25-27. NKJV

We need to watch our mouths - what comes out of them, how we speak to people. Our words can be like an arrow that can seriously wound the hearer. It can kill a friendship with not much chance of a reconciliation. Our tongue can be deceitful or devious and this is where gossip can evolve. We can begin to moan, grumble, criticise and point the finger at others when really, the finger should be pointed at us because of how we have reacted. Changes need to be made.

We need to put boundaries on our mouths and on our desires. Course language and even the odd swear word is not acceptable. We have to re-train ourselves in order to avoid getting side-tracked into unacceptable behaviour. Nothing kills our witness more than this. Let's remind ourselves about what Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:29-32:

'Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.  30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  31Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.  32And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you'. It couldn't be any plainer.

There is a need to consider where we are going and what we are going to do. When we fall into the trap of grieving the Holy Spirit, we know about it and the feeling is awful guilt. There is a need to copy Jesus. Many of us have made our role model a famous person in the past. However, this will get us nowhere. The only one we should copy is Jesus. We need to live our lives around Him and the more time we spend with Him, the more we will begin to be like Him.

bibleref.com puts it this way:

'This chapter ends with a series of instructions on how to avoid straying into this path of the wicked. Emphasis here is on being deliberate, thoughtful, and careful. Much of the language used involves this concept of paying attention, rather than being careless. Similarly, a person's words and speech should be focused and direct, not manipulative or deceptive. It's notable that Scripture warns against turning from the path of wisdom, regardless of which direction one goes. "Do not swerve to the right or to the left" implies that God's wisdom is already perfect. We can't improve on it, nor can we "do better," even if we're convinced our direction is right' (Proverbs 4:20–27).

And this is your word from 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

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

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Directions in life

"My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings"   Proverbs 4:20-23  

Solomon gives more wisdom in this chapter. Many people feel that he would have profited by following his own advice at times. Something that we all need to take on board, I think. We all need to practice what we preach. 

He tells us to listen properly showing good attending skills. We do this on a one to one with someone, by leaning forward slightly, and feeding back a little of their conversation, such as, 

'So, what you are saying is....' This lets the person know that you are listening to them. We need to remember what is said, especially in a counselling session, when a sermon is given or perhaps, a bible study. It is also essential that when we are reading our bible that, we take note of what God is showing us, because His word is good for instruction, teaching and direction.

Hearing clearly to what is being said is paramount to our daily walk with Jesus. If we only hear half of the word, we can make assumptions. When we listen we need to meditate on the word, in fact percolate it, until it is boiling away inside of us. So lock the words in by internalising them. They really are healthy for us. It is almost like God has used Solomon to write a prescription for us. God's word is life and healthy and wisdom is the best medicine going. It safeguards us from life-threatening evils.

Are you open to God's word or, are you too busy? If you are the latter, you need to re-arrange your lifestyle. God must come first. It helps us to guard our heart v23. Our soul is made up of our mind, will and emotions, therefore we need diligence to put this into practice. To be diligent, you must have an earnest and persistent application to an undertaking and this helps us be full of attentive care.

There are several requirements to aim for: You must listen, Read and Study your bible, Concentrate, attend, focus, meditate and internalise so that you are living in Jesus and He in you. When you live it, you will see it.

We'll look at the final part of Chapter 4 tomorrow

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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When you don't know what to do Part 2

"In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."  Proverbs 3:6  NKJV

Note the term, 'In all your ways.' This is a key statement for living a Christian life. When we accept Jesus into our lives we, are really making this statement that we choose to live our life fully for Jesus, no matter what. Pleasing God is our aim, as we do this, He in return will please us, protect us and bless us. This is why we need to get to know Jesus intimately. He longs for us to do this and as we do this, the blessing will pour out on us in abundance (John 10:10,) 

The text above backs this up with the words, 'He shall direct your paths'. Probably a better way of putting it is 'He will make your paths straight.' NIV. When we are on a straight road we can see what's ahead. There are no sharp bends that may have something round them such as, road works, another car or someone walking along the road. No, usually, a straight path is better. Think about that in a spiritual way. Life has certain surprises that can catch us out unexpectedly. We never know what is round the next corner of life. This is why it is easy to give up when we are endlessly trying to move forward. If we give up too early, the next bend, which may have intended to bring us a reward, may be missed. Alternatively, it may bring us tragedy. It is far better to be on a straight road and the Lord offers this as we acknowledge Him.

God can move obstacles that are in our way and also cut a path through a forest  if need be. His ways are amazing. Acknowledging Him, as we saw yesterday, in the Hebrew is Yada, which means having direct intimate contact with God. It centres around having a deep trust in God, one  in which we know for certain, that He will not let us down. If we want perfect direction in life, we need to place Him central in our life. After-all, He knows us through and through; He knows the way ahead and, He knows how to get us from A to B when we need it. 

Have you any major decisions to make? Are you struggling with 'What shall I do?' Then Jesus is the first point of call. His office is always open and He will give you a warm welcome when you contact Him. Just look back on your life. You have made a few mistakes haven't you? Could this be because you didn't ask what to do? I think we all have. How does it sound to being in  direct intimate contact with Jesus? Yes, you have a relationship with Him but is it a deep, intimate relationship, one in which you depend on Him and trust Him 100%. You can have this and there is no application form to fill in either. Jesus has already given you this with His word - the bible.

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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When you don't know what to do Part 1

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding"    

                                                                                   Proverbs 3:5  NKJV 

This is a very familiar verse to us all but, how often do we take notice of it, especially when we have decisions to make? Life presents to us things that we have to seriously make a choice about; and very often we don't know what to do. We've all been in that place. Can I encourage you to take another look at the meaning within this verse. We'll look at verse 6 tomorrow.

Verse 5 encourages us to trust in the Lord and, this must be before you do anything that can have serious consequences if you make the wrong choice. So before you do anything - pray, give it to God because He knows the answers you are looking for. But, when you pray and submit something to God, be sure to slowdown and wait for His answer. Don't rush things; sometimes He answer quickly, at other times He doesn't so wait. Then when you feel you've have heard God, make sure you have a sense of peace to go along with your plans and ideas. Excitement about it is ok but, when you have a daunting feeling, take it slowly; but don't forget that you need to exercise your faith on things too.

So when you trust God, you are actually acknowledging Him and not leaning on your own support, but His. The Hebrew word for acknowledge is yada which is translated 'direct intimate contact' so this refers to life-giving intimacy and trust, such as marriage. It also means to lie down on - to put your entire weight on something, and in this context, it is God. So, applied in a spiritual context, it suggests an intimacy with God in prayer. We can conclude that if we continue our days in yada, we are maintaining our direct intimate contact with Him and as we do, God promises to direct our paths.

'with all your heart' v5 means entirely, without exception. So it is like God says, 'Here I am; trust me completely, I can sustain you. Your own understanding won't support you.' Therefore, remember this when you are faced with decisions, large or small. There is nothing God can't help with and when we consult Him this way, He is pleased because, He knows that we mean business - He knows that we are putting Him first.

Tomorrow we will look at v6. God Bless.

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

Don't be enticed to sin

"My son, if sinners entice you, don't be persuaded.'   Proverbs 1:10   CSB 

Let's spend a few days looking at Proverbs starting in Proverbs 1:10:

Not everyone operates within the truth of God. There are people who will try and entice us to follow them and become involved in their exploits. Sin can be enticing because it offers a quick route to pleasure and prosperity. It also makes us feel that we're one of the crowd. Verse 14 says: 'Throw in your lot with us, and we'll share the loot.' Sometimes we need to steer clear of people who want us to follow their lifestyle, especially when we know that it is wrong. We can't make friends with sin and remain unaffected. Tony Evans writes:

''Don't let sinners entice you. To put this passage in modern terms, if you don't want to be a drug addict, don't hang out with drug addicts. If you don't want to be a gang member, don't let gang members be your running buddies. Bad company corrupts good morals' 1 Cor 15:33

Wise words and full of common sense. It would be rather silly for a recovering alcoholic to spend an evening on a pub crawl, wouldn't it? Don't take the bait. One of my favourite quotations you often hear from me is: 'If you let Satan into the back seat of your car, pretty soon he's going to want to drive' KCM. It is so true. The devil will spend a lifetime trying to entice you and I, to commit sin. He knows our weak spots; he knows where we could easily fall down. So, therefore he will put things our way to entice us. There are many scandals throughout the Christian world and some of them are from church leaders. We have to be so careful because, just one slip and our whole ministry or credibility can fall apart in just a flick of a switch.

Satan and his demons spend a lot of time targeting us; discussing where there is a gap in our armour. This is why it is essential to put it on every day. As I've said, they know the weak areas of our lives so, this is where we need to concentrate on and change whatever needs to be changed. 

Most of us have friends who are not believers. This doesn't mean that we should disown them; but, it does mean that we need to be in control of ourselves. We cannot take a day or night off being a Christian and win. In fact, this is one of the most dangerous of things to do. Don't forget, the devil waits for opportunities such as this, so be alert. Many unbelieving friends have become believing friends. Always look for an opportunity to talk about your faith and what Jesus means to you. Many friends have been saved this way. 

So don't be enticed to sin, but entice people to 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

Where will you spend eternity?

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life".   John 3:16. NKJV

It's rare to hear the full gospel being preached in our churches, these days. Emphasis appears to be given to praise and worship. Now, there is nothing wrong with this, it would be wrong to suggest that this should not happen. However, not at the price of the opportunity to bring the gospel to those who are not yet saved. There needs to be a balance of worship and the word being preached. It is so essential, without Jesus in a person's heart, they are hell-bound. Some may say that, we never know what may happen in the last seconds off a person's life. That is true, I've said it myself. But, are we willing to take that chance. There's no second chance after death.

We are dealing with eternal life or eternal damnation here. Believers will spend eternity with Jesus. Non-believers will spend eternity, but this will be hell - an eternal, conscious punishment.

bibleref.com puts it this way:

'The life offered to those who believe in Christ is "eternal," from a Greek word meaning "never ending." The alternative to life in Christ is destruction: to "perish." This passage explains that the purpose of sending Jesus was our salvation (John 3:17), but also reminds us that those who don't believe are condemned (John 3:18, 36). There is no question that, according to the Bible, people can be saved only through faith in Jesus (John 14:6)'.

Many people are offended by such teaching; they don't believe in hell and, surprisingly enough, some of these are Christians. Many want to hear 'happy preaching.' I can see their point, the world is full of gloom and doom and impending wars and destruction. But just think for a moment and read The Book of Revelation and read many of Paul's letters. We cannot get away from the fact that 'The End is Nigh.' - so to speak.The frightening bit is that we don't know when this will be. Those who study their bibles regularly may notice some of the signs about Eschatology (End Times,) but even Jesus doesn't know when this will be. Check out the Tribulation that will descend on us (Dan 12:1, Rev 7:4. Then of course, there will be the anti-christ and the false prophet. They are not comic cartoons, they will be real people who will terrify anyone who doesn't belong to Jesus. Some say that Christians will have to go through the tribulation as well as non-believers, I don't believe this. I feel that we will be whipped away right at the beginning and will be safe in heaven while the evil world becomes more evil. Do not be in this tribulation. Take action now and accept Jesus as your friend and Saviour. He will cleanse you from every sin you have ever committed.

Don't let the devil fool you, without Jesus there is a place that you will be going for eternity, and it is not heaven. There is a prayer below. Please take notice of it and become a follower of Jesus, today!

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