Praise Him and Praise Him more.

"Let everything that has breath, praise the LORD"   Psalm 150:6. NKJV

Heaven may not be the quietest of places to be. Just a read through Psalm 150 confirms this. It is full of praise and this is good because, praise takes us right into the place where we find God. Throughout the bible, whenever there has been praise, there has been victory. Therefore, it's something that we need to carry on doing because it brings God right into the centre of where you are at this moment. Check out these words below from Keith and Melody Green's song

'When I hear the praise start: (Final verse and chorus)

My precious bride, the day is nearing

When I'll take you in My arms and hold you

I know there are so many things that you've been hearing

But you just hold on to what I have told you

For when I hear the praises start

I want to rain upon you

Blessings that will fill your heart

I see no stain upon you

Because you are my child and you know me

To Me you're only holy

Nothing that you've done remains

                                           Only what you do for Me.    Keith Gordon Green / Melody Green

It doesn't matter what has been happening to you just lately, as you praise God, they seem to be lost in the atmosphere of your adoration to the King, who loves and saved you. You may have heard slanderous things said about you. But don't let it bother you, just hold on to what God has been saying to you. People may be whispering behind your back but, don't forget they're behind you for a reason; you just walk on. 

Things may be coming against you like one thing after another. Keep standing; your friend Jesus will brush them away. Nothing is more important than He is. Whatever people may say about you, God sees no stain upon you because you are His child; to Him you're holy. Nothing that has happened in the past, remains. You have been found Not Guilty because Jesus paid the price. 

So get your praise music on; start singing along with it and make a joyful noise to the Lord. He loves you. Today, God says you are special. Your mistakes may be great but My faithfulness is greater. Change the way you think and change your self-talk from negative to positive. This will take you from depression to hope (Romans 12:2). The KJV says in Psalm 98:4 :Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, ALL THE EARTH: make a loud noise and rejoice and sing praise.'

SO 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

Forgive yourself

"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit".     Romans 8:1   NKJV 

If you are a believer in Jesus, it doesn't matter what your heart says, it is what God says that counts. One day you will stand before Him with no condemnation. Just stop and think about this for a moment. Of late, you may have let God down very badly and you feel awful about it. No matter how much you keep asking God to forgive, you still feel condemned. Why is this?

You feel like this because you need to forgive yourself. Isn't it about time you stopped carrying this burden round with you? Your mind is the problem! It remembers and constantly reveals this to you. There is a need to refuse to allow the old memories to negotiate a deal within you. Bury them instead, today!

1 John 1:9  says 'If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.'  God forgives, but our mind doesn't know this; make sure it does by forgiving yourself. From there you need to forgive yourself as the need arises.

The devil is very crafty and will try and trick you into believing that you have blown it, there is nothing you can do now to make this better. Don't believe this. It is a lie from the pit. Remind yourself that, we will never be condemned by God for our sins, because Jesus has paid the price once and for all. When we confess our sins each day, we can be confident of the fact that He will forgive us. If Jesus forgives us, we need to forgive ourselves. Remind your mind of this fact.

Yes you will continue to sin - daily, but God is faithful to forgive you when you ask for His forgiveness. However, in addition to this, there will be the times when you feel that terrible feeling of guilt. This is the Holy Spirit urging you to bring this before God. As you do, forgiveness follows but, you must remember that when you receive God's forgiveness, He is declaring you Not Guilty. So therefore, you are in error if you refuse to forgive yourself.

Right now at this moment, some of you are feeling, 'This is me'. Therefore, ask God to help you forgive yourself too, if you don't, it will plague you constantly. If you do, it will do the came, but in your defence, you can declare, 'I'm Not Guilty, because I have no condemnation within me. Jesus took it all. I'm Not Guilty.'

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

The Three A's = Growth

"as new born babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby."  

                                                                             1 Peter 2:2  NKJV 

Peter was not only speaking to new converts here, but also to more mature ones - one's that constantly required regular nurture. I think we may all fall into that category don't you feel? All believers need to have a desire for continual growth, like that of a new born.A believer can't just go to church on a Sunday and then expect to be spiritually-filled for the rest of the week. If this happens, they will be spiritually malnourished. One doesn't find a baby being given a 7 day supply of milk on a Sunday, to keep it going for the whole week. The baby obviously requires feeding on a regular basis, and so do we as believers of Jesus Christ.

To reach spiritual growth we must have certain things that spur us on to reach this level. Here are 3 essential ones: Attitude, Appetite and Aim - the Three A's. Let us check these out:

ATTITUDE  Skip back to verse one 'Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy and evil speaking.' Possessing these in our life does not actually draw people to you - agreed? Our attitude must be like Jesus' was, pure and peaceful, loving and kind. But the pressures of everyday life, throw so many frustrations our way, that it is difficult to live in such a way. However, it can be done. Just take one of the things listed above - hypocrisy. If we act like Jesus outside of the home but then like the world in your house, something needs changing. But it takes discipline to master this. This is why we need the pure milk of the word. We need to cultivate our growth. And we receive this by spending special time with Jesus Himself. 

APPETITE  We need to cultivate our growth. A farmer doesn't go into a field that he hasn't worked for ages and expect it to have an abundant harvest. No, he must work hard to produce this. It's the same with us. We too, need to put some time in with Jesus so that, we can draw out a healthy reward. The more we put in, the more we draw out. In other words, we need to invest all we have with Jesus. The more times we do this, we receive an appetite to keep on.

AIM  We need to focus our eyes on the finishing line; this is our objective. However, we are not there yet but at least we know that this is our aim. When we know where we are going, we can do everything that will help us achieve this aim. Check out the Olympic athletes at this time. They didn't just turn up and start their particular skill. It has taken them years of training and dedication, beating their bodies into submission; giving up social activities so that they can reach their aim - a gold medal. We receive nothing if we are not prepared to put something in first. Our aim is to reach the finishing line - heaven. However, until then, we need to train, by finding out more and more about Jesus, so that we too, can receive our gold medal - heaven itself. So commit yourself to live for Him. Remember the Three A's = Growth.

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

Have you a future and a hope?

"For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the LORD, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12Then you will call on Me and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear [your voice] and I will listen to you. 13Then [with a deep longing] you will seek Me and require Me [as a vital necessity] and [you will] find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.14I will be found by you,’ says the LORD, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and I will [free you and] gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ says the LORD, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile."   Jeremiah 29:11-14   Amplified Study Bible

As born again, children of God, we have a future and a hope. It's hard to realise that when you are going through all sorts of trials and pain. But it is true because, quite simply, God cannot lie. But He gives us some direction here - we must seek Him with our whole heart. We'll look at that in a moment but let's look at what God wants to give us in our future. Well it is made up of peace and security. Well-being is uppermost in God's mind for each of us. He loves us so, He will want us healthy and happy. If we're not, what is the point of having a future and what is the point of searching for Him with our whole heart? Answer, none.

But God tells us to call on Him and He will hear our voice. We achieve this by prayer and, constant prayer not only occasionally. He promises that He will hear us He doesn't promise that He will do anything at this stage, and this is important to remember. He does though, promise that He will listen. When we begin to achieve a deep longing to seek God, we will find Him. He says in verse 13 that as we search for Him as a vital necessity, He will be found. This means, we search for Him wholeheartedly.

When we do find Him in such a way, He will restore our fortunes. Now this could be anything, not necessarily money and fine living. After all, God is worth far more than any of this. Incidentally, this is how we achieve deep intimacy with God when, we pray and search for Him in such a way.  But how long this will be we don't know, but it will happen!  

The main thing is, if we search for Him in this manner, we will find Him, He promises this. The word 'search' v13 along with the phrase 'with all your heart' suggests an earnestness that borders on desperation. Because, let's face it, many is the time when we are desperate to seek and find Him.

The wonderful thing about all of this is, He has made Himself available to find. His door is open and He hears when we call to Him. The rest is down to us to wait while He checks His plan out for us. Then He will answer..

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

Is it nothing to you?

"Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look and see!"   Lamentations 1:12   CSB

This is a sad book written at a sad time by the very sad prophet, Jeremiah. The Babylonians had attacked Jerusalem and brought an end to the Southern kingdom of Judah. . Many had been taken into captivity, while others had fled for their lives.

Many believers, preachers and teachers, link this verse to the death of Jesus on the cross. Others, deny this, but there is a possibility that the verse runs parallel with the account of the crucifixion. Len Magee, an ex Elim pastor/evangelist, wrote some beautiful songs and one of these was entitled 'Is it nothing to You?' Let's just check the chorus out:

'Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by, that God's dear Son Jesus, should suffer and die? Look and see, look and see an incredible thing, Son of God, on a cross suffering for my sin'

                                                                                 Copyright Len Magee

It was a sad time for Jerusalem; a sad time for Jesus on a cross and was and is, a sad time that people appear not to care. Just stop and think for a moment; whether the similarities are true or not doesn't matter to me at all. But the fact remains that the people who passed by Jesus on that terrible cross that day, barely gave Him a glance, only to blaspheme Him. That was so sad. And today, people go about their everyday chores, whether it be work, school, college, uni or play and, many of them never give Jesus a thought that, He suffered so severely on that cross for you and me, so that, if we accept Him as our Lord and Saviour, we can have our sins forgiven and have have eternal life.

There are terrible things happening in our world today. Take Southport, only this week, young children murdered others terribly injured and all they were doing was dancing to Taylor Swift's music. Then there is the protests; the stabbing becoming a daily occurrence. People are frightened to go out on their own even during the day. Jesus heart breaks and He hears those words, 'Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by.' Yes but we can't do much about it, can we? Yes we can. We can pray, pray and pray some more. We can spare a thought for grieving parents, husbands, wives and siblings. Praying costs us nothing. Don't let us be guilty of feeling that, it is nothing to us, we'll just pass by. Let us never walk by on the other side. Jesus would never do that. Pray!

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

Count it all joy

2"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience".  James 1:2-3. NKJV

William Barclay gives us insight into these two verses from James:

'Here is a great and uplifting thought. Hort writes: "The Christian must expect to be jostled by trials on the Christian way." All kinds of experiences will come to us. There will be the test of the sorrows and the disappointments which seek to take our faith away. There will be the test of the seductions which seek to lure us from the right way. There will be the tests of the dangers, the sacrifices, the unpopularity which the Christian way must so often involve. But they are not meant to make us fall; they are meant to make us soar. They are not meant to defeat us; they are meant to be defeated. They are not meant to make us weaker; they are meant to make us stronger. Therefore we should not bemoan them; we should rejoice in them. The Christian is like the athlete. The heavier the course of training he undergoes, the more he is glad, because he knows that it is fitting him all the better for victorious effort. As Browning said, we must "welcome each rebuff that turns earth's smoothness rough," for every hard thing is another step on the upward way'    

                                                                               Copyright William Barclay. The Daily Study Bible - James

Suffering has a way of emerging when our anointing increases. God will test us to check if we are ready for this. Let me explain, James said that we should count it all joy when we fall into various trials. Why is this? Because, it increases our faith. When God is ready to use us for a particular task, He will give us the anointing so that we can carry this out. This can be seen at Pentecost (Acts 2) when the Holy Spirit fell on the people and it was like dynamite exploding. The disciples, especially Peter, John and James, were transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit and their anointing gave them the ability to be able to do this without being killed or at least imprisoned. Throughout the book of Acts, we see people being healed, set free from demonic control and eventual imprisonment and flogging for Peter and John. You see, Jesus never said it would be easy for them but, He did say that He would be with them always (Matthew 28:20).

Jesus also told them that, without Him, we could do nothing (John 15:5). Hence, the reason that we need the anointing. However, with this, we are tested, but we need to consider it with joy. Jesus isn't punishing us, He is actually blessing us. He wants us to do things for Him and so, He gives us the wherewithal to carry this out and, this is the anointing. Therefore rejoice.

There will always be a stigma to being a Christian. A lot of unbelievers do not like us telling them about Jesus. They may persecute us, ridicule us, in fact, in some countries you may be imprisoned or killed unless you renounce your faith. Look at Peter and John -'we forbid you to speak in this name (Jesus) Acts 4:13-20.

Therefore, be prepared to be persecuted and even hated for your faith. We belong to Jesus so, never let anyone tell you any differently. CT Studd is famous for quoting this: 'If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice is too great for me to make for Him' How does this sit with you? Can you Amen 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

Watch the assumption

 13Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk.  14So Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!”  1 Samuel 1:13-14  NKJV

A lady named Hannah, was very distressed because she was barren and had pleaded with God to open her womb so she could have a male child. She would then, leave the child (Samuel) with the priest, dedicated to God. The priest, Eli, was sitting there observing her and noticed that her lips were moving very fast but, no sound was heard. He therefore made a judgement on her and assumed that she was drunk. He therefore confronted her about it. Hannah was very distressed about this and told him of her intentions if the Lord would give her a male child.

Assumptions and false judgments are lethal. They have the ability to cause arguments, fights and possibly wars. It is imperative that we get the information right before we charge in causing someone distress. Many have had their lives destroyed by narrow minded people who shoot from the hip and ask questions afterwards. Don't do this. There was a similar incident at Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit had descended on the people in power and they were all speaking in different languages. Some mockers standing by accused them of being drunk. However Peter, who heard this accusation, told them firmly that they were not drunk at all and went on to preach a show-stopping sermon that brought over three thousand people to know Jesus as their Saviour. That was Dunamis power - dynamite  Acts 2:1 and (Acts 2:1-41).

How many times do we make assumptions about people. Let's be honest here. We see or hear something and immediately the devil injects false information about them. The press can be terrible for this. Remember this, not everything that you read in a newspaper is accurate. The truth can be expanded somewhat and before you know it, the news has expanded, rather like Chinese Whispers. Gossip can do this. Bob Gass said 'The trouble with gossip is not so much that it is spoken as an intended lie, but that it is heard as if it were the absolute truth.' 

We see the police turn up at someone's house and straightaway, we are tempted to think, 'Hello, what have they been up to?' A wife can see her husband chatting with a young lady and convince herself that he is having an affair with her. Total assumption and mostly, totally wrong. We can walk into a room full of people and suddenly, the conversation stops and they look around at you. If we're not careful, we can believe that they were all speaking about us. Again, it is assumption. 20% of the time, they may be but, 80% shows us that they are not.

Learn to control your assumptions; 

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