Living Water Part 2

“Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” 

                                                                            John 4:29   NKJV

Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman about spirit and truth. Samaritans had plenty of spirit but lacked truth because they only read the Pentateuch. Therefore, they knew about the Messiah but lacked knowledge of Jesus. They were also unaware of the Spirit's role in worship. True worship involves the heart. It is not ceremony or religiousity, it comes from the heart towards Jesus.

Today, emphasis within the church is either on the Word or on the Spirit. Some churches choose to concentrate on the Word - preaching and teaching, which is excellent. Other churches concentrate on the Spiritual gifts more than on the Word, and this too is good. However, the thing is, if these were brought together - Word and Spirit or Word and Power, however you want to look at it, the churches would be alive with a growth rate that is amazing and healings and conversions each week that would blow their minds. Everyone worshipping God from their heart. The impact would be colossal - revival.

Here at the well that day, Jesus so impressed this woman, that she was converted practically on the spot. She raced back home, leaving her pot of water, to tell the village about her experience. This raises two observations (1) Because of her conversion, she just couldn't wait to tell others what she had seen - Jesus and how He had been so loving and warm towards her, totally different from any other man she had ever met. It usually happens that when someone is born again, that there is a need to tell as many people as you can about Him. Probably, you were like this when you were saved, you can't seem to stay quiet about your experience. This may have been where this lady was coming from. (2) She had been living a sinful life - 5 husbands and now a lover. What if she was known to many of the other men in the village. This could have promoted fear in their hearts that they would be found out. Sin can never be covered up for too long. It will always be revealed one way or another. This is why it is better to confess your wrong-doings, even if there is a great price to pay. It is far better than being caught out.

The Samaritan women became an evangelist - a gift she didn't realise she had. We don't know if she continued to tell people about Jesus. I would think that she did. Once you meet Jesus, you can't stop talking about Him. What about you? Does this stir up memories of your conversion? If you're not a Christian, does this make you want to be? If so, follow the directions below.  Once you have washed in Living Water, you, like this woman, will never be the same again.

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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Living Water. Part 1

"If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”   John 4:10   1-28

Because of pressure from the Pharisees, Jesus decides to go to Galilee. He goes through Samaria to reach there for two reasons. (1) geographically to save miles of walking (2) because He knows He needs to speak with this Samaritan woman. 

At the sixth hour (12 noon) with the sun burning down on Him, He stops at Jacob's Well, the well Jacob gave to his son, Joseph. Shortly afterwards, the Samaritan woman, He had determined to meet, turned up at the well to draw water. Now the disciples had gone in search of food and drink and, Jesus being thirsty asked the woman for a drink. Rather suspicious that He was speaking to her - an outcast, He notices this and Jesus gets her full attention by speaking about 'Living water'.

'If you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you, "Give Me a drink." you would have asked Him. and He would have given you Living water.' v10 

He later says to her:

'Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again,' v13 'but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him, will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.'

Jesus presents Living water as a great illustration of regeneration into everlasting life. 

Straightaway, the woman asks for this Living water so that she doesn't have to keep coming out to the well. At this time, she has not grasped what Jesus is saying to her. Jesus tests her credibility by asking her to go and call her husband and bring him there as well. The woman is truthful and says that she has no husband. Jesus is pleased with her answer and tells her that He knows she has had 5 husbands and the man with her now is not her husband. She understands that He is a prophet and then starts opening up about how the Jewish people worship at the temple in Jerusalem, but Samaritans are not allowed. They have to worship up on the mountain (Mt Gerizim) where they have built a rival temple.

Jesus speaks to her about a time that is coming when worship will takes place, not on the mountain nor in Jerusalem, but in spirit and in truth. She tells Him that she knows that the Messiah is coming and He will tell them all things. Jesus tells her, 'I who speak to you am He.' v26.

Here, Jesus is introducing the woman to the fact that she has a spiritual thirst which needs to be satisfied. He can satisfy this. He has also shown her who He is and that He carries no racial prejudice and that she is welcome. In fact, He shows her His heart. and draws her to Himself.

Jesus has also gained your attention, He has drawn you to Him like water from the well. He has asked you to give Him a drink and you have, Now, He is leading to a deeper level of worship - in spirit and truth. Notice how, He has never looked down on you. Others may feel that you don't fit in with their life style. Don't worry, you fit in with Jesus and, that is all that matters. You are accepted.

See the second half 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

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You are Jesus' Friend

"No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you"                                                  John 15:15   NKJV

What a verse this is, chosen by Jesus to be His friend. Initially though, Jesus was talking to His disciples - He had chosen each of them, not the other way around. But from there, they were commissioned to bear fruit:

'You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you'. V16

Jesus chose His disciples and called them His friend; He sent them to bear fruit (make disciples, heal the sick etc.). From thereon, all of us who heard the word through evangelism or circumstance, became born again and were adopted into His family. Hence, we too are chosen and have become His friend. Therefore, the commission is on us to also bear fruit. 

We were chosen before we were born but, so was everyone else. At a certain point in our life, we asked Jesus to be our Saviour. Others didn't, there was a choice. It was not a case where we were chosen but others was not, such as the false interpretation of predestination is often argued. We all have a choice - Choose Jesus or don't choose Him. For those who choose Him, there is eternal life in heaven. For those who don't, there is eternal life in hell. Everyone has a choice.

The bottom line is that we are sinners. When we ask Jesus into our lives, He forgives us our sin but, we are still sinners - Redeemed Sinners. We have permission to approach the throne of grace:

'Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.'  Heb 4:16.

 We become Jesus' friend and ambassador and therefore we become His partner in the gospel. Now, when you consider where you have come from to the position you hold now in Team Jesus, you have come far. 

Have you realised what a privilege you have. Chosen by Jesus to be His friend, partner, ambassador and representatives. It is amazing that, the Jesus we read about in the bible, wanted to live in our hearts, eternally. Wow!

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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Healing

"Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”  7And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength".   Acts 3:6-7   NKJV

Peter and John, on their way to morning prayer, meet a beggar asking for alms. Peter straightway tells the man that he has no money but, he can give him what he knows is better for the man. He then commands the man to be healed and he and John lift the man up who is now able to jump, run and walk. A miracle. The question is, could you or I do this under similar situations. I mean, it can be a daily occurrence when we see people begging in the streets, many disabled. Could we do that? Would we do that, is probably the question?

What is the difference between us and Peter? Was Peter sure that he could offer healing to this man, or did he have doubt in his heart? Peter was 100% sure; would we be that sure? It's very doubtful. Peter used something very different to what we would do. For one thing, he didn't stand and give a lengthy prayer to God asking for healing. He addressed the situation instead. But he didn't use the normal term 'In Jesus' name.' He said, 'In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The reason he did this was because the name Jesus or Joshua, Yeshua, was widely used in that land and still is today. Peter used the name that carried the authority, the name that that carried the title 'Messiah -The Anointed One'.' 

The difference between Peter and ourselves, is that he lived in a state of expectancy, which is a breeding ground for a miracle and manifestation. He spoke God's word with authority and didn't doubt the outcome one bit. Like Jesus, when Peter spoke, the Holy Spirit went into action. It is the same spirit that we have but, it carries a biblical hope, something we may lack at such times. Not everyone who is prayed for is healed, this is true but this shouldn't prevent us praying for the sick. However, we need that biblical hope; that attitude of assurance that brings the Holy Spirit into action. Could it be that many churches or individuals don't have much success where healing is concerned because of this lacking? It's food for thought.

Notice how Peter and John reacted to the man:

(1)  Get their attention. This is what Peter did when he said, 'Look at me.'

(2)  Give them the name that is greater than their problem

(3). Give them a hand up

Jesus has already given us the authority Mark 16:14-18, so let's get some people healed, saved and given a new life.

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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Don't be a Tell-Tale

"The words of a whisperer (gossip) are like dainty morsels [to be greedily eaten]; 
They go down into the innermost chambers of the body [to be remembered and mused upon]".                                                     Proverbs 18:8.  Amplified

When we have been hurt by someone, we can often have the urge to go and tell someone who will offer a listening ear. And once we have unloaded upon them, we may feel better. However, this may not be the end of it all. Do you trust the person you have spoken with? Let's be honest, many of us are tempted to listen to what people are doing or have done. We may promise that the secret is safe with us but, is it? That's problem number one. Once a secret has been told to somebody, it can be so difficult for them to keep from sharing a little of it to a trusted friend. Then before too long, everyone knows about it. It's not so much about gossiping, but about being unable to keep it a secret because it is so newsworthy. 'These words are like delicious sweets. Although they are fun to eat, they ruin a person's health. Gossip can appear as fun to listen to, but it damages the listener's innermost parts'. (Amplified Commentary).

Problem number two is the fact that we should not be telling anyone about it at all. Unless the problem is a legal one, such as abuse or even worse, where it should be referred to the authorities, we should keep the matter to ourselves. Let me explain. When someone bitterly hurts us, we need to forgive them. Yes, this is a very hard thing to do because we naturally want vengeance on them; we want them to suffer like they have made us suffer. But, we must be aware of God's word that says, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay' says the Lord"  Romans 12:19. God does not want us to take the matter into our own hands, as hard as it seems, He wants us to forgive them and not spread their deeds around to everyone.

RT Kendall writes, 'The first principle of total forgiveness is that we tell nobody what 'they' did to us.' That is so difficult but, when you think about it, this is what forgiveness is all about. Two wrongs do not make a right. We may have been wronged but for us to go and talk about how we have been wronged, is no different. We are just as bad in God's eyes. It causes gossip and can paint an ugly picture of you and the person who has hurt you. We should have a 'No attack, No defence' attitude about us. People can attack us but instead of retaliating we do not have to defend ourselves.

Conclusion: watch the temptation to be a Tell-Tale

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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Newsflash

"Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."   John 1:29  NKJV

Imagine if you will, a Newsflash on TV with the Headline, 'Hairy man points to someone who can save the world.' The report continues with, 'This man claims that he has seen someone who he calls "The Lamb of God" and he says this man, known as Jesus of Nazareth, can take away our sins. He further claims that this man came down from heaven - in the flesh, as a man - and He is God who is saying, The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel"  (Mark 1:15).

Think about this for a moment; this hairy man, otherwise known as John the Baptist, was one of a few who believed who Jesus was. Others did not receive or recognise Him. (Read the 1st Chapter of John for the full story). The Jews had been waiting for a Messiah, a very long time and when He turned up, they refused to recognise Him. They were expecting some glorious King-like figure who would be their warrior and who would fight many battles for them. They didn't expect what John told them.

Fast forward to this present day, if this were to happen to us, would we accept Him. Probably not, because something like this happened in the 80's. A man, claiming to be Jesus, advertised this fact in the national broad sheets (Very expensive), advising the readers that He was Jesus and was coming on a certain day. Of course, on the day nothing happened. Some believed it but not many. There was also a sports commentator on live TV who claimed to be Jesus Christ and the program had to be cut. He wasn't Jesus at all. Jesus does not need to advertise His coming. He doesn't need to have anyone today to say, 'Look, there's Jesus'. Not at all, when Jesus comes we will know about it. We will be whisked away instantly by His angels in what is called The Rapture, and then, when we have left, the Tribulation will happen. Now, there is some confusion on whether we will have to go through the Tribulation, the Anti-Christ and the False Prophet. Some believe we will have to. Others feel we will only go through half of it (the full tribulation will be 7 years). Still others, and I'm one of them, believe that we will be taken out of this instantly by the Rapture. No one is absolutely certain of course, but the good news is, we will get there whatever will happen. 

The pattern of unbelief is still the same today as it was in Jesus' time. People get saved but many others just refuse to accept Jesus because of all the evil that is happening in the world. Many blame God for the pain and death that is around and, to a degree it is hard to understand it ourselves. However, we need to remember that there is a devil and all this evil is proof that he is working flat out to hurt as many people as he can. Why doesn't God stop it? He will, one day soon. But some things are beyond our understanding. We just need to hang on to the fact that, Jesus is Alive and He wants as many people to arrive in heaven. So let's get busy.

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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Praise Him and Praise Him more. Part 2

"19speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,  20giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ"   Ephesians 5:19-20   NKJV

Sadly the days that we live in are evil. Riots, racial discrimination, terrorism, murders, rapes and much more. As end times get closer, we can expect much worse, so we need to stand and keep on standing in our faith. There is a need to build each other up and this includes ourselves. This can be through the singing of Psalms and Spiritual songs. The early church were a:

Singing church  They met together on a regular basis and sang hymns and sacred songs from their heart. Their instruments were limited but no doubt it was a sweet symphony to God

Thankful church. They gave thanks to God for all things and in all places, at all times. And they gave respect and honour to each other and to people they met out and about. They didn't have an awful amount of material fortune like the church today has, but they were grateful for what they did have.

No matter what the circumstances are, God is still worthy of our praise and the thanksgiving we give Him. He sees the sacrifices some people make, especially in countries where it is illegal to follow Jesus or even speak about Him. Under great threat of their lives, they still meet and praise God the best that they can. God sees all. He knows the struggles in a family where one member is a Christian and the others aren't. He sees the problems that this causes and He is grateful for their sacrifice and praise.

There is a need for each of us to be filled with the Spirit of God on a regular basis and we can do this on a regular basis by speaking and singing scripture to ourselves. We claim a scripture that fits our situation and personalise it either speaking it out to ourselves or, singing a new song containing these words. For example,  Psalm 96:1-2 says 'Oh sing to the LORD a new song! Sing to the LORD all the earth. 2 Sing to the LORD, bless His name, proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.' Notice that this Psalm tells us all (not just some writers) to sing to all the earth. That 'all' includes you. God's not worried if a song or the singing of it is out of tune. To Him it blesses His heart.

You can do this whenever. Find a piece of scripture that speaks to you and try taking a walk or a drive - alone, and speaking it out to God. As you say it over and over, there will be a necessity within your heart to sing, so sing these words to Him. As I have said, personalise the words to fit your needs. As you do this on a regular basis, you will feel much different and glad you did this.

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