Your sins wiped away

"And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.  15Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it."                            

                                                                       Colossians 2:13-15   NKJV

Do you realise that the sin you have just repented of is included in this statement? This wasn't a one off situation. Jesus won and He now has the victory over sin and death. When we ask Him to forgive us, our sins are wiped out and it is like they are nailed to the cross as it states here.

You may not feel you are forgiven but once you confess them, you are.

You no longer have a past but, a future with Jesus. How is this? Because Jesus disarmed the principalities and powers. He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

Jeremiah 31:34 says 'I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin, I will remember no more.'

I like what Bob Gass said about this 'Your mistakes are like an Etch a Sketch. He wipes the mistakes away and you start again.'

We are all familiar with the old song, What a friend we have in Jesus:

'What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer'.    Songwriters: Charles Converse / Joseph Scriven

A simple song with such a big meaning. It is a privilege to have Jesus living in our hearts. It is also a privilege to have Jesus wipe our sins away and, to know that we have a place in heaven marked just for us. Jesus speaks about mansion in John 14. I don't know what that means but, what I do know is life there has just got to be better than living here. We will have eternity to enjoy and we will be able to go to Jesus face to face, anytime we wish to. It is not a dream, it is a fact! And because of Jesus, it is ours.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

Lord Jesus, I have sinned   

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 2025 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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Guard your mouth

"He who guards his mouth preserves his life, , but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction."                                  Proverbs 13:3   NKJV

We have all had those ugly moments when we know that we have said too much. We may have broken confidence. We may have spread some gossip in the guise of praying for someone. Then again, we may have been so insulted by something or someone that we have let rip, allowing our tongue to rule the situation. We've all done this or something similar.

Bibleref.com says: 'The person who speaks without thinking, or without control, may make rash promises that he does not keep. He may insult others or lie or tell secrets or offer unsound advice. He may gossip or criticize others unjustly. His careless, harsh language will rebound to harm him.

That just about sums it all up doesn't it? We must take control of the tongue and be in control of what comes out of our mouths. Solomon instructs us to guard our mouths. This is because, some of the things we may say could contain violence. This is one of the problems today where people may react badly to what someone has said to them and before we know it, a fight can break out and it could end up in a devastating manner.

We know that the tongue has the power of life or death 'Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.'  Proverbs 18:21. We need to talk better and we will live better. Otherwise, we will talk poorly and our life will follow that simple path.

David wrote these wonderful, faith-filled words in Psalm 19:14:

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer" (Psalm 19:14). Have you ever tried praying them out loud for your own purposes? 

If you make these words your prayer, God will meet with you and give you the ability to live your life in such a way. However, you must be prepared for flak. Praying such things will inform the devil that you mean business and he will do all in his power to counteract what you say and do. He may meet you with a full-scale attack and, or he may put things in your path that are designed to trip you up. However, this means that you are a threat to him and as you make your stand and go out in the power of the Holy Spirit, He will give you the victory. 

So what are you waiting for?

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

Lord Jesus, I have sinned   

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 2025 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

Refuse Anxiety

"Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad."

                                                                  Proverbs 12:25   NKJV

Anxiety is a killer - to our faith and to our body; stay away from it. Refuse to take it on board. Jesus tells us not to worry be anxious (in Matthew 6). Again in John 14:1 + 27, He tells us not to let our hearts be troubled. Heart attacks, depression and further mental illness all have a root into anxiety. We need to leave it alone. 

How, you may ask? By reading, listening and digesting what scripture warns us about anxiety. The apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:6-7: 'Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;  7and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.' It doesn't just happen; we have to work on it and it is extremely hard but, it is achievable.

Anxiety is a distraction, it slows down the production of your life and diverts your mood. It can affect you relationships, especially with your spouse. It robs you of your joy - and we know that this is attached to the feeling of strength. As I have mentioned, anxiety is a battle and the only true way of getting on top of this is, with our faith - 'For we walk by faith, not by sight.' 2 Cor 5:7. How can we walk by faith when we are allowing anxiety to have the upper hold of our life?

We need God's peace (John 14:27 and Philippians 4:7). But we will never be able to walk in God's peace while we are still allowing anxiety to take control of our lives. It is a choice; yes it's a hard choice but it is one that we can manage. Look at this, Paul didn't say 'Try not to be anxious'. He said, 'Be anxious for nothing.' Jesus didn't say, 'Try not to be troubled.' He said, 'Let not your heart be troubled.' There's a major difference here and, it affects you and I and the choices we make. 

King David said, 'This is the day the LORD has made, we will rejoice and be glad.' Ps 118:24. Check out those two highlighted words above.

So come on, get up, stand and refuse to allow things to get you down, Refuse to be anxious, it is not good for you, is it? Whatever you are feeling anxious about today, shrug it off in the name of Jesus and, go forward in faith, hope and peace!

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

Lord Jesus, I have sinned   

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 2025 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 Hallmark of the Hypocrite

 "Whoever speaks the truth declares what is right, but a false witness speaks deceit. 18There is one who speaks rashly, like a piercing sword; but the tongue of the wise brings healing. 19Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue, only a moment."

                                                                Proverbs 12:17-19   CSB

Once a person has lied to you, it can be extremely difficult to trust them again. We should forgive them of course, but deep down there is that feeling, 'Can I trust this person anymore? But don't you think that Jesus could so easily feel the same way about us when we have lied to Him (Yes we have). And when we have blatantly disobeyed Him? And what about those times when we have judged and pointed the finger at someone who has repented?

Remember what James says in James 3:8-10  'but no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in God’s likeness.10Blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way.'  We must be in control of the tongue. The mind, if we don't process things properly, will feed the tongue and before we know it, we have spoken out and blown it. (Never done this, I bet you have)? Tony Evans reinforces this: It's a reminder that when we are quick to speak - often out of anger, good results rarely follow. We must engage our minds before we speak.

The Hallmark of the Hypocrite is a person who refuses to feel that they may have it wrong. They are right and everyone else is wrong, type of thing. They point the finger at whoever they feel is out of step with God yet, fail to recognise that what they may see in others, is what they do all the time. To refuse to recognise that we have it wrong; is akin to be hypocritical if we continue to refuse to recognise this fact. 

We all let God down, possibly everyday, but it's putting it right with Him that shows maturity. Speaking the truth in love, will always open doors for us. 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

Lord Jesus, I have sinned   

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 2025 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 Golden Rule

"And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise."

                                                                                       Luke 6:31   NKJV

Bibleref.com says:

'The "Golden Rule" applies the part of the Greatest Commandment which says to "love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39). Love is more than kind feelings. It's a sacrificial concern for the well-being of others. We are to think about what we need and use that perspective as a basis for meeting the needs of others—even our enemies who persecute us for following Jesus (Luke 6:27). Jesus illustrates this more fully in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37)'.

Christian values are  very different to the world's values. We have Jesus living in our hearts and so, we need to act accordingly. Take for instance abortion. We know this is wrong and will protest to stop this murderous act. However, what about the person who has gone through with this act and regrets it. Should we walk by on the other side or, should we offer love and counsel to this person. It is easy to point the finger and say to them that it is their fault. But, what would Jesus do here? That is the difference.

We want people to to think well of us so, we must do the same to other people. Love has no record of wrongs; it doesn't keep a diary off all the things that people have said or done to us. Love forgives, and we should do the same. Loving people in this way will not always bring us the response we would like in return. Some people can be nasty and have hateful thoughts towards us. We can't change this. All we can do is be more like Jesus and try to handle things like He would.

This Golden Rule scripture, can actually go back to back with Proverbs 11:25:

"A generous person will be enriched, and the one who gives a drink of water will receive water.' Giving reveals who comes first in our lives (3:9). When we give our money and help to promote God's agenda - building up the saints, spreading the gospel. helping those in need - He promises blessing which far outweighs all we could ever ask for.

There is so much that we need to learn about ourselves; there are so many changes that we have to be agreeable to make. But when we are, we will want for nothing (Ps 23:1). As you shine gold to everyone you meet, you may not always be popular but, you will always be popular with Jesus!

 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

Lord Jesus, I have sinned   

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 2025 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

Do you read your bible?

"20My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; 22For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh."    Proverbs 4:20-22   NKJV

Many Christians today, don't use a bible because they have the app on their mobiles. There's nothing wrong with this at all. For myself though, I like to have my bible with me because if I want to take some notes; underline a scripture or flick through well-worn pages to find a scripture, I can do. However, many Christians admit to not reading their bible because they are so busy. What should be the utmost priority becomes lost in a whirlwind of things that could so easily be left for a little while. But, the bible becomes an afterthought.

Here, Solomon shares with his son the necessity of reading the Word. He calls for his son to pay attention and listen. It's a reminder that parents can't offer their children wise instructions one time and suppose their job is done. Instructing our children is an ongoing responsibility. 

Likewise, God expects us to read His Word and digest it. Let us not forget that He is our parent - Our Father. This is why Jesus said to Satan in the desert, 'It is written,' Now, you can't say that it is written if you don't know what is written, right? The devil can't be fooled, even he knows when a person is familiar with the Word of God or not. 

Now, for some, the bible can be hard going, it can be difficult to understand. This is why it is easier to use an easy to read study bible with useful footnotes. Also using  daily study notes, such as this you're reading. It helps open up scriptures with sound explanations. Having a note book can be handy too or not being frightened to write in your bible. You'll be surprised how welcome some of your own notes are when you see them again.

The bible can be an exciting book used properly. It is a living testament and a guide to your daily living. As Solomon says 'My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; 22For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh." Shut the TV off, try to be alone for a time and just relax with Jesus. Ask Him to open His Word to you and, He will. The closer you get to Jesus, the more He will share with you and the richer your life will be. But you need to put the time in to be able to get the rewards out.

Begin a new adventure in the Word today and see how it benefits you!

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

Lord Jesus, I have sinned   

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 2025 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 the church asleep?

"3When the foolish took their lamps, they didn’t take oil with them; 4but the wise ones took oil in their flasks with their lamps. 5When the groom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep."             Matthew 25:3   CSB

When I started this series, I had no idea how much we would be able to dig out of it. So, I will have one last session on this before we move on. However, can I encourage you to do your own digging. I promise you, there will be more to find because, this is a living word. Just don't try to rush ahead. Sit on the scripture and wait for the Holy Spirit. He will come and lead you along an exciting path. Just keep a note book of what He shows you.

The scripture above tells us that they slept; they took their eyes off their mission and fell asleep. This reminds me of when Jesus was in Gethsemane and His disciples, who were with Him, couldn't stay awake: 'Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.The Spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  Matthew 26:40-41. 

Many feel today, that the church is asleep; sermons are preached but nothing happens. Some say the leaders are even frightened to upset others. Others feel church has become too much of a fun place to go to; but when they return home, everything goes back to normal. 'There's too much worship,' some declare, 'and not enough of the Word being preached. ' Now, this may be so, yet others will believe that there is too much preaching and not enough worship.  The thing is, both of these sets of people are probably right, the correct balance needs to be set for it all to work together properly.

I'm just saying what I hear, don't shoot the messenger, but, there must be some truth in it. Sermons that are preached with no response whatsoever, must be questioned to whether they were from God at all. When was the last time The Lord's Prayer was said in the service? This is something that many churches have left out. Again, we must consider, are we leaving the oil out of the lamp? Will things work successfully if we do this in our own strength? Well the evidence of the five foolish virgins tells us that we won't be successful, and the doors will close on us unless we sort ourselves out.

Perhaps it is time to shake ourselves awake, fill our lamps to overflow and set our sights on the gates of heaven, taking as many with us as possible. However, to do this, you need to be awake and full of energy with your lamp full.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

Lord Jesus, I have sinned   

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 2025 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