Daily life with Jesus by Grahame Howard

Friday, 27 June 2025

Keep your mouth shut!

"19Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut."

Proverbs 10:19 NLT

This verse demonstrates that the bible places significant value on controlling one's tongue and suggests that keeping one's mouth shut, or at least being mindful of one's words, is a path to wisdom, protection and avoiding trouble. James says 'For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.' James 3:2. Again, we read in Proverbs 21:23 'Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble.'

Straight to the point I'm sure you'll agree but true all the same. The problem is, lots of things come into our minds and from there, if we're not careful, they are processed into words and spoken out in a negative fashion. But, we must learn to capture these rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5), because these thoughts are bad for us. We may not speak them out, but we can think them and this could be in the way of judgement, adultery, aggression and whatever else. They are no good for us So, there is a need to take control of ourselves, especially our minds.

From a Christian perspective, controlling thoughts involves actively engaging with God's Word, prayer, and cultivating a mindset aligned with Christian values. This includes replacing negative thoughts with positive ones based on truth, focusing on what is pure and uplifting, and taking every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ. This fits very nicely with what Paul says in Philippians 4:8

'Fix your thoughts on what is true and honourable, and right and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.'

Let us not forget that there is a devil around who will urge us to speak our minds. This is often done by shooting from the hip - speaking out without thinking first. This is dangerous and needs fixing pretty quickly. It can ruin a relationship, a job or a friendship. Many people are not speaking to each other today because of what was said to them yesterday. Forgiveness can be sought yes, but really, it shouldn't have been said in the first place. Not forgiving someone is against God's will but, so is being rude to them; so it needs putting right.

So, if you are outspoken get some prayer and speak with God about it. He doesn't like it so, He will help you quickly if you are genuine about changing this. After all, it's not the type of thing Jesus would do, is it? So bring it to Him now!

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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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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Thursday, 26 June 2025

Be wise - Follow the rules

"25Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. 26Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path.27Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil." Proverbs 4:25-27 NLT

A few years back in the UK, there was a 100 metre athlete called Linford Christie. At the time, no one could beat him although some came close. Christie was famous not only for his running skills but, also for his rituals prior to the race. He would jump up and down, kneel and go over the same thing again. If there was a false start, he would go all through these rituals once more. The most well known ritual was his eyes. He would bulge them out so much that you could imagine his eyes popping out of their socket. I remember a TV interview he had where he told the interviewer that when he did this, he was focusing on the winning tape and also doing this he was blocking out the chaps either side of him who could be a distraction.

Here Solomon says something similar 'Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you.' He had a similar idea; if you look to the right or left instead of straight ahead, you may become distracted, or as Solomon says 'sidetracked,' It is so easy to lose your focus and when we do, we stand the risk of being tempted into something we shouldn't be involved in.

Bible.ref says:

'The wise person refuses to be distracted from his goal. This keeps him on the task. It also avoids temptations from the example of evil people (Proverbs 4:14–15). For the Christian, the goal is to finish the race well by doing the will of God (1 Cor 9:24–27; and 2 Timothy 4:7). The writer of Hebrews exhorts us to "run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:1–2).'

Sadly, this is one of the major problems for people who have an addiction. Someone may tempt them or they go to a place where it is certain that they will satisfy their yearning and they are hooked again. When you have an addiction it is not easy to avoid these obstacles. They are so willing to trip you up. So this is why we look straight ahead; we train ourselves to look straight at Jesus and refuse point blank to be tempted to look elsewhere. It takes practice but, with perseverance it can be done.

To help, check out verse 26. 'Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path.'

This means to carefully consider the path for your feet. In other words, use you sword - the bible to guide you at all times. 'Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.' Proverbs 3:6.

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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Wednesday, 25 June 2025

You'll never be the same again

16One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. 17Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” 18And they left their nets at once and followed him.
19A little farther up the shore Jesus saw Zebedee’s sons, James and John, in a boat repairing their nets. 20He called them at once, and they also followed him, leaving their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired men.

Think about those words that Jesus spoke to Simon and Andrew that day. They had met before but scripture doesn't really give us a clear picture of when. All of a sudden, Jesus walks by and tells them to “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” What on earth did Jesus mean? How can you fish for people? It seemed absurd to say such a thing but, they left their nets and boat and followed Him.

Further up the shore, they met with James and John and Jesus said the same to them; they also followed. What was happening here?

Imagine this happening to you, what would you think? Would you obey and go with Him? Well you did, or you possibly wouldn't be reading this. There was a time when you became so overwhelmed with sadness or with joy and a voice within you called you towards Him - Jesus. However, for these four guys it was slightly different. They had responsibilities; they were fishermen and they had expensive equipment but they just left it on the shore snd walked on with Him.

When Jesus called to you, it was the same voice who had spoken with these four men. The difference was, they saw Him face to face, They also felt totally secure in following Him. Now, they may have felt it a temporary task for them but, once they had met with Jesus, there was no going back. And it's the same for you all these years later. He is still saying, 'Come.' And when you do, He shows you, He shows you new things; He opens new doors and He gives you a new life - a new purpose in life, and with it, a hope and certainty.

What has Jesus been saying to you just lately? Do you feel like something is about to happen or change in your life? Let's put it in proportion; when Jesus called these four fishermen, it was probably their conversion which was their testimony of meeting Jesus. This is just like what happened to you. However, from thereon, Jesus would give them more, as we see from Peter, James and John. It is the same for you. Jesus, if not already, will call you out and give you tasks that you never thought possible for you. Once you've met Jesus, you will never be the same again.

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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Tuesday, 24 June 2025

Press on and take that crown

"I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us". Philippians 3:12-14 NLT

Sometimes life becomes so intense that we have to make a great effort to make things work. It may be that we are one step ahead of God or, one step behind. For success we need to be right beside Him, not in front and not behind. If God were to run, then so would we need to do the same and go with Him. This is not easy and we need to exercise endurance and perseverance

Paul explains what he needs to do to achieve being beside God. Firstly, he admits that he is not there yet, but he keeps on trying to make it. Secondly, he presses on to achieve this' He doesn't let things get in the way, his eyes are on the target and he endeavours to get there. Thirdly, He is focused; and he knows where he is going, forgetting what was and concentrating on what will be.

Paul was a fighter, he wouldn't allow anything or anyone stop him. His determination kept him pressing forward as 1 Corinthians 9:24 says"

“Don’t you realise that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.”

Hebrews 12:1 tells us to be careful not to become weighed down by things designed to slow down our progress. This is anything that takes your focus away from Jesus

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”

This is so important; Satan continually wants to distract us and will try and make things more important than they are. Don't let him. If we have things on our minds that are worrying us, then this is a weight and this needs stripping off before we can hope to makes things happen in our lives. Call on Jesus and ask Him to take care of it for you.

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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Monday, 23 June 2025

It's time to praise the Lord

"1Praise the LORD! Let all that I am praise the LORD. 2I will praise the LORD as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath." Psalm 146:1-2 NLT

One thing that gets neglected at times is the need to praise God. We can become so busy in our life that, a worship time can be cut to just a few uttered words of thankfulness and requests for what we need and would like. This is not enough!. Satan roams around like a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8), and he will tie you up in knots if you have inadequate covering. Firstly, you need the Armour of God (Ephesians 6) daily and then you need to set aside a quiet time preferably before you go out. Some may say, it can't be done, There is load of things need doing and then, I have to get the children ready and take them off to school. Can I say here, you need to change your schedule round; get up earlier if it needs to happen, but don't rob God of His morning time meeting with you.

Prayer and praise is essential to your spiritual survival, check what David said about it:

'1Let all that I am praise the LORD; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. 2Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me. 3He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. 4He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. 5He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!' Psalm 103:1-5. NLT

Just looks at the words David uses: 'With my whole heart,' 'May I never forget the good things He does for me.' 'Forgives my sins, heals all my diseases' 'Redeems me from death, crowns me with love and tender mercies' and 'My youth is renewed like the eagles.' And this is just a selection.

Think about your life; think what God has done for you. There is a lot to praise Him for. Look what He did yesterday for you and then watch with interest at what He will do today. People close to you can offer all the love they have but, God can offer much more, His love is eternal and not affected by petty squabbles. He will always be with you, faithful and loving.

Now that is something to praise Him about, don't you think?

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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Sunday, 22 June 2025

Don't deflect from your focus

"3Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. 5And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. 6And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labour. 7Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things." 2 Timothy 2:3-7 NLT

Paul encourages Timothy to exercise endurance; something we all need to practice. He mentions three important factors:

(1) If you're a soldier of Christ, act accordingly. Unless ordered to do so, soldiers do not get tied up in civilian affairs. They keep their focus on what they committed to.

(2) Unless athletes adhere to the rules, they will be disqualified. In addition, if the athlete does not commit to regular, daily training, they will be unlikely to be fit enough to compete.

(3) Busy farmers should have the right to the choicest of their produce.

Timothy needed to take this on board because Paul was getting towards the end of his ministry and he needed to pass the baton to spiritual leaders. It was something that Timothy had to master if he was to be ready for his own ministry. And, we need to be the same. We may not all be leaders of a church but you can be a leader of the people around you, whether at home, your neighbourhood or workplace. These people may have never been to church except for weddings and funerals. They may have been forced to attend Sunday School when they were younger and this, may have given them bad memories. Nobody wants to do things when they are forced to do them Therefore, there is a lot to consider as you prepare your spiritual ground.

First of all is not to be labelled as a 'Holy Joe' (Anyone who is named this, please forgive the insult). We need to avoid having such a label. There is nothing better than living life as Jesus would have you to and every now and then you may have the opportunity to speak to someone who asks about your background or faith. Hosting BBQ's in the summer inviting people round for a meal can be a great starter, and as time goes on it may be possible to create a bible study or Alpha Course and invite some people.

There are many ways to attract people's attention to Jesus and as the Holy Spirit is the greatest evangelist that can be found, consulting Him can be very helpful. Just be yourself with your potential spiritual 'church', avoid too much 'holy talk or cliches' and just show them Jesus and before too long you may have a thriving group of Christian people.

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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Saturday, 21 June 2025

He has opened a new door for you

"I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me."

Revelation 3:7-8 NLT

The people who belonged to the church at Philadelphia were weak and powerless and they never seemed to realise that their strength was in Christ. The Letter to Philadelphia contained quotes from the book of Isaiah 22:22, Jesus the Messiah is the successor to David's royal line. As Gatekeeper of heaven, He has authority to open and close the way to heaven (Matt 16:19). The Christians at Philadelphia were not prosperous and lacked status and power. But Christ had opened a door for them to claim His status and authority, and in spite of their weakness they obeyed Christ's word and didn’t deny Him even under heavy pressure.

This church may not have had the dynamics, prosperity and power that other great churches had but, they were loyal to Jesus. He had seen their works and was about to bless them. You may not realise it at first but, Jesus sees all you do. He knows the problems you face and He also knows how you have overcome them, sometimes at great cost. Christians around you may

have soared in their ministry for Jesus, and they may have made great leaps of faith, and at times it may seem that you are getting left behind. STOP RIGHT THERE! Don't go down that road because it's a road of never ending misery. In stead, take on board that Jesus has opened a new door for you and, what's more, no one can close it.

Think about this for a moment, a door has been opened for you by Jesus. He invites you to walk through this door, trusting Him. I suppose it is a faith step because you are stepping into the unknown. However, it's a step that will bring you prosperity, power and strength. You can do this because Jesus said you can. What is through the door; well, that is difficult to say. One thing you can be sure of is that it will be the right move, one of great excitement. However, there will be difficult times, nothing is ever easy when you do God's work, But you will have Jesus with you who will guide you safely along the road.

How does all of this find you. Are you bubbling over with excitement or are their doubts in your mind. If so, you are doing the right thing. If you feel you should just get out there and go, you may be wrong. You need to watch and wait for God's directions and when you have this confirmation head for this open door.

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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Daily life with Jesus by Grahame Howard

Friday, 27 June 2025

Keep your mouth shut!

Thursday, 26 June 2025

Be wise - Follow the rules

Wednesday, 25 June 2025

You'll never be the same again

Tuesday, 24 June 2025

Press on and take that crown

Monday, 23 June 2025

It's time to praise the Lord

Sunday, 22 June 2025

Don't deflect from your focus

Saturday, 21 June 2025

He has opened a new door for you

Called to serve Jesus

Daily life with Jesus by Grahame Howard

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