Soldiers for Christ

"3You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.  4No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.  5And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules."   2 Timothy 2:3-5  NKJV

We saw yesterday how dedicated we need to be to have the fire back in our belly. Today, this is an add-on. Paul talks about enduring hardships of any kind that will come upon us without any notice. He mentions being a good soldier and that may be a strange thing to new Christians. However, we are in a battle and whatever comes our way we need to be able to deal with it. We are soldiers of Jesus Christ and He is our Commanding Officer.

Hardships can be anything :- loss of a job; loss of someone very dear to us, marital breakdown, bankruptcy or loss of good health. There are many more things that can be added and, these are all in the category of hardship. We need to be ready and able to deal with whatever comes our way. 

The word ENDURE means: To carry on through, despite hardships; undergo or suffer: endure an Arctic winter. 2. To put up with; tolerate: I cannot endure your insolence any longer. 1. To continue in existence; last: buildings that have endured for centuries. 2. To suffer patiently without yielding.  The Online Dictionary

As you can see, the word endure covers a great multitude of things and more. Soldiers don't bother themselves with life in 'Civvy Street' issues. They are on duty and have a role to fulfil. To become entangled with life issues can distract them from what their real role is all about. Do you get the message? We, as Soldiers of Jesus, are committed to Kingdom business. We have a:

(1)  Mission and that is to take the gospel to anyone who has never heard it

(2)  Lead people to Jesus

(3)  Offer love and healing

(4)  Bring peace to each situation

Of course we have much more that we need to do but, these are the main areas.

Paul compares this discussion with the example of an athlete. He/she trains and is a dedicated athlete with the desire to win and obtain the crown. As with the soldier, they have endured all of the pitfalls and press on to get this prize and along the way, they bring as many unbelievers with them who will listen.  And it is well worth it in the end.

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

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'

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Put that fire back in your belly

"Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  7For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."                         2 Timothy 1:6-7    NKJV

There are times when we need an extra push. Life can be draining and with all the stresses and upsets, we can end up exhausted. This is where we have to stop and ask ourselves, 'Am I trying to do this in my own strength?' It's true, we may have been a Christian forever but, that  doesn't mean that we can ignore the basic requirements such as, Read your bible, Pray, Praise God and be willing to learn new things about Him. If we begin to neglect these things and attempt to think that we know it all, we're going to head for a big fall.

Paul reminded Timothy to stir up the gift of God within him. In other words, allow the Holy Spirit to move in freedom within. To do this, we need to be in a place where God is able to do this for us. If you're not ready, then it will be wasted. If you feel that you are in a place where you want more of Jesus, tell Him this. He is only too willing to answer this prayer but only when you're ready to take it on board. It comes with a cost; when a person is seeking to be 'sold out' for Jesus, they must be willing for the changes that this will make in their lives. Are you ready for this?

It takes discipline to 'be on fire for God'. You have to stop watering down the gospel when friends and family are around because you feel embarrassed. Note that Paul told Timothy 'For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." This is what you can expect God to give you but, He'll expect something back in return, and that is a dedicated Man or Woman of God, who walks the walk; talks the talk and gets the job done, a person who will put Jesus first in everything. This doesn't mean that you neglect your family and friends, but that they will see a major difference in you, one that is like a giant magnet drawing them to Jesus. People will either want to know you and speak with you or they will ignore you because you are an embarrassment to be seen with.

Do you want to be an embarrassment to people because of your faith in Jesus? Do you want to walk the walk; talk the talk and get the job done? Then say this prayer below:

Lord, help me stir up the gift of God that has been within me since I was born again. Jesus, I am not filled with a spirit of fear but of power, of love and of a sound mind. Therefore, please touch me again with Your Holy Spirit. I am ready to serve you, I am ready to live for You and I am willing to do or go wherever You may send me. I dedicate my all to You. In Jesus' name. Amen

Now get ready!

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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Reactions

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. "                  Galatians 2:20.  NKJV

Our reactions are a big part of how we present ourselves to unbelievers. Think for a moment about your own reactions of late. Play the video back in your mind of what happened; what was said and how it all turned out. Be honest with yourself. Was there any room for improvement on your part? Could you speech have been more in standing of what you confess to be - a born again Christian? 

In the example that you have been remembering, you may find that you were ok and that is great. However, it may well have been the opposite. Let's dig around this and look at an example. Let's say that you were trying to park to go into a supermarket. You decide to reverse in and as you negotiate the turns, another person shoots into the space behind you. You don't notice the chap and almost reverse into his car. He blasts his horn, winds his windows down and uses some colourful language that hits you like a dart. Now, you have been driving around the car park for ages before you had noticed this one space. Now it is taken and you have a stroppy so and so standing at your door mirror.

Your reactions are not as they should be and you enter into an argument with him. He puffs himself up, showing his muscles and tattoos, makes a rude gesture with his fingers and then walks off into the shop. At this time, it may have made more sense to ignore the man and looked for another space. But no, your flesh has now taken over and you shout after him some choice words and match the finger gesture. He turns round and goes to walk back towards you but then changes his mind and walks on. By now, cars are tooting at you to move your car as it's blocking the way. This leads you to use your finger gesture again. You get in the car and people just can't help noticing that you have a large sticker on the back of the car JESUS IS LORD.

Conclusion, was you in control of this situation? - No. Could you have handled it better? - Yes..

The lesson here is that, you have been crucified with Christ, you no longer live but Christ lives in you. How would Jesus have reacted here? Would He have argued with the man, said some unpleasant words and used the finger gesture? No He wouldn't have; and deep down you know that you shouldn't have either.

I agree, it is totally difficult to not react in the flesh when the flesh attacks you but, you need to because, you are no longer in control. Jesus could have sorted this chap out for you but, you never gave Him a chance. You just went in like a bull in a china shop.

Paul's is saying here that we become so closely attached to Jesus that we die with Him and He begins to live in us. Therefore. when we align our thoughts with His and allow those thoughts to manifest themselves in the choices we make, we are living and walking to the fullest, in what Galatians 2:20 says.

So, we all need to work on our reactions. It's not being a doormat. It's not being a coward and, it's not being a pushover. It's being Jesus to whoever you meet. Why? Because: 'I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.' AMEN                

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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"LET'" - It's down to you!

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.  16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.  17And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."  Colossians 3:15-17  NKJV

We can see from this verse that, we let or allow the peace and the Word of God to dwell and develop within us. Let's look at this, turn to Colossians 3:1-2:

'If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.  3For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.'

First we are instructed to seek things above where Christ is. We do this by setting our minds on the Jesus, and not allowing ourselves to be distracted from doing this. We have a commitment with Jesus. He died for us and as we asked Him to forgive our sin, He did and then came to dwell within us by the Spirit of God. Therefore, we are committed to Jesus and have a duty to walk with Him allowing Him to change us through and through. Then, we can have the confidence to 'Let' our lives be controlled by Jesus. 

The world is full of anxiety and pressure and it is so easy to become caught up in this. This is why Paul said, 'let the peace of God rule in your hearts.'  It's impossible to be stressed out and anxious when the peace of God is upon you. It just doesn't work that way. We see a negative problem coming our way and then, call upon Jesus. By doing this, we let the peace of God rule that very situation. Did you get that? Some may say that's easier said than done but, God's Word is the truth and the Word says let the peace of God rule in your heart. It's a choice we have, but one that far outweighs the other.

Again, Paul says 'Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.' When we let this happen, we are tapping into the Truth. We can speak to the situation around us and bring peace all around. But remember, it is all or nothing. We can't have days off being a Christian. It is a lifetime commitment and so, 'whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.' We must live the life - always!

So, there you have it; we must do our part and then, Jesus will do His part. It's a two-way plan of action, one in which is guaranteed to bring us success and victory.

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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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