Daily life with Jesus by Grahame Howard

Monday, 14 July 2025

Catch the Wind

"And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:20. NLT

In the 1960's, a chap called Donovan wrote quite a few top ten hits. One of them was called

'Catch the wind.' The opening verse went like this:

I bet you sang this? These words could so easily fit within our prayers at times, especially when things are not running too smoothly or, we have an anxious time ahead. How many times have you felt this way in situations such as these? Quite a few I would think. John Ortberg writes:

'In our ever-changing circumstances, we find seasons within our souls as well. We experience times of desolation and consolation. At times we feel dry spiritually. At other times we sense the presence of the Lord in even the tiniest details of life.'

Life is the rhythm. Life is adventure. Life is catching the wind in our sails, the wind that comes when it pleases. Ortberg contrasts a motorboat and a sailing boating. Piloting a motorboat, we're in control. In a sailboat, we're completely dependent on the wind. If the wind doesn't come, we stay put. We have to catch the wind. It's the same with spiritual transformation.

'Everything depends on catching the wind of the Spirit. Moses didn't ask for or arrange for the burning bush. But once it was there, he had to make a choice. God's responsibility is to provide the burning bush. Ours is to turn aside and pay attention to the work of God.'

If you have asked Jesus into your life then, He is with you 24/7. He provides the breeze to fall on your face, refreshing and lifting you up. Be alert to what Jesus is doing within you and obey., whether you feel His presence or not. Jesus never lied. If He says He is with you always, even to the end of the age, then He is with you. The secret is, staying in step with Him so that when the wind falls upon you, you are ready to spring into action. It can come anywhere; at anytime, day or night. Just be ready.

Just imagine the burning bush. In the desert areas, it is quite normal for a bush to catch fire. What is abnormal is when the bush doesn't burn through at all. Therefore, be ready to spot the abnormalities of life. Think, is God in this? If you have a thumping in your heart and your spirit seems to be on fire, it is probably God. Act on it and catch that wind.

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.

Sunday, 13 July 2025

Get the Truth

"31Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 NLT

At the time that Jesus walked the earth, people would not believe who He said He was. It is rather the same today. We have churches like never before and internet that can reach anywhere in the world. We have bibles freely available, teaching books and courses to encourage our faith and still people walk by on the other side. They just don't want to know for many reasons. This was what Jesus was saying to the crowds that had gathered. Let's look at this in more detail:

Discipleship begins with belief. If you join an organisation or club you will probably get a membership card in return. This shows that you are a member who can freely enter into the venue. Without it, you may be turned away. With Christianity it is rather the same. When people become a Christian, they confess their sins to Jesus and He forgives them along with giving them eternal life. They will have a place in heaven when they die. If a person refuses Jesus and they die, they will be refused entry into heaven because of their sin and they will spend eternity in a place called hell.

The shut mind is the end of discipleship. So because of the person's refusal to accept Jesus, they will suffer a terrible future - one without Jesus, their family and whoever else may have accepted Jesus into their life. The shut mind is a rather unwise thing to have.

To learn from Jesus is to learn the truth. Jesus only speaks the truth. He can do no more because, He is the truth. And His desire is that we accept this truth into our hearts. Once we do, our eyes will be opened and we will see what Christianity is all about and what it offers us.

Discipleship results in freedom. There are many people today who are locked into the past. They hold grudges against people from years ago and most days they think about it, re-living the hurt. Yet:

(1) The truth makes you free. Once you allow Jesus access into your heart He helps you to release all of the pent up hurts of the past and gives you freedom.

(2) You receive freedom from fear. It is so easy to be governed by fear; it is the opposite of faith and can cause problems throughout your life. You fear this and worry about that. You think everyone is against you, talking behind your back or pointing the finger of blame at you. This is not the best way to live. Jesus can show you better.

(3) Freedom from self is a big one. You can be your own worse enemy. Your thoughts will convince you that something has happened when it hasn't. Once you begin to believe this lie, then Satan can put convincing obstacles in your way that reinforce this lie. The only way to defeat this stronghold is to ask Jesus for help. He will if you ask Him.

(4). Freedom from other people. Some people gossip and you may find that you are the main star in this practice. They hear something about you, add to it and in the end it is accepted as the truth. From your own point of view, refuse to be involved in any gossip and let the person know who tells you as well. If you are the subject of this gossip, the more you try to defend yourself from it, the more convincing it may become. Give it to God and let him handle this. Again, He will because it is not the truth!

But really, at the end of the day, it makes sense to belong to the truth - Jesus. He can be your life, your friend, your deliverer and your everything. What do you think? He is waiting if you want Him to be your Lord, Saviour and your Friend. Just say the prayer below.

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, 12 July 2025

Then Jesus turned up!

"11Soon afterward Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain, and a large crowd followed him. 12A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. 13When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said. 14Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.” 15Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother." Luke 7:11-15 NLT

Jesus raised 3 people from the dead during His ministry on earth - this young man, Jairus' daughter (8:40-46) and Lazarus (John 11:38-44), as far as we know from the bible accounts. He has authority over life and death and we need to remember this. The widow' only chance of survival and support was her son but now, he had died and she would have been grieving for him and terrified of what was going to happen to her Then Jesus turned up!

As Jesus walked through the village of Nain - a village south of Nazareth near the Sea of Galilee, he saw a funeral procession. When Jesus found out about what had happened and saw the grieving mother, His heart went out to her and He told her not to cry. He then walked towards the coffin, touched it and said to the boy, 'Young man, I tell you to get up,' And the boy sat up in the coffin. Jesus lifted him up and handed him to his overjoyed, yet bewildered mother. Now Jesus broke some of the Jewish law here, a Jew was rendered unclean by touching a dead body or the coffin. But this was the man who had held the hands of people with leprosy. Jesus was not defiled, in fact He replaced disease and death with cleansing and life. Tradition never stopped Him, whatever was said about Him, and that was a lot.

Can't you just see the love and compassion of Jesus as He saw this poor grieving woman. Many people would walk by her but not, Jesus. He gave her back her son, the will to live and she would never be the same again. She had met with Jesus. No one who has received such love and blessing from Jesus could ever forget Him, in fact, this lady would no doubt have found out more about Him and for all we know, Jesus may have spent some time with her afterwards. There are many things that we don't know about and will need to wait until we speak with Jesus in heaven. What a day that will be!

But until then, grasp hold of the heart of Jesus. He is so loving and caring; so kind and generous and if you know Him, He will also show this love to you. He loves you so much. Keep hold of that statement!

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.

Friday, 11 July 2025

The Eye of the Storm

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1 NKJV

What is the secret place? To Christians, this can be where God is. Now this can be anywhere but it has to be somewhere. It can be anytime but, must be a set time. The eye of the storm is, unbelievably, the most peaceful place on earth. Think about it, this is why Jesus slept on a boat in the middle of the night. while the disciples freaked out (Mark 4:38). He was at peace, He knew the storm couldn't take them under. Some may say, 'Yes, but He was God wasn't He?' Yes, He was but, He was also a human being at that time and bled like we do. The Eye of the Storm is a region of blue skies surrounded by towers of raging wind.

At the centre of the storm, is the eye, it can be total calm and peace. It can be metaphorically described as a peaceful place during a major storm, in the physical sense, such as a terrible argument or squabbles in the area. So metaphorically speaking, like Jesus, we can be in the middle of a raging storm and be at total peace.

With this in mind, why do we all become involved in the problems of life? Haven't we enough to contend with without looking for more? Being a Christian can involve opposition from unbelievers. Just read through the New Testament to see what I mean. If they have a valid point, then yes, speak your mind and have nothing else to do with it. However, many times we should just remain in our secret place - The Eye of the Storm, and be at peace.

A lot of it has to be the way we handle contentious speech. We need to watch our reactions. About 30 years ago, I read a book by a Canadian pastor, whose name I can't remember now. His main teaching was about reactions and he used the term 'No attack - No defence.' We should never have to attack people with our speech and we do not have to defend ourselves either. Jesus is the one who will do this for us, no one else.

Being in your secret place is the place to be, especially when all you hear is bad or fake news and rumours or war or massive tax rises. Can I encourage you to see it is no use getting upset about things if you can't do anything about it. If you can, then do it. If you can't then stay in your secret place. You will receive much more peace and blessing there. It may have a most unsavoury name, but The Eye of the Storm is where Jesus is and wants you to be as well.

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, 10 July 2025

The Eye of the Needle. Part 2 - Making Investments

"The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked.
26Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” 27Then Peter said to him, “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?” Matthew 19:25-27 NLT

Following on from Jesus teaching regarding a camel going through the eye of needle, here, we have Jesus explaining what He meant to the confused disciples, 'Then who in the world can be saved?' Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” Then Peter, ever ready to speak his mind no matter what, said, 'We've given up everything to follow You. What will we get?' This was quite a blunt statement and one in which he could have received a rebuke from Jesus. However, Jesus answered him with great love and affection.

“I assure you that when the world is made new and the Son of Man sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. 30But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.

This was quite a difficult answer for the disciples to make sense of. But in a nutshell, Jesus was saying, faithful Christian people who have given themselves to serving Jesus, will receive great benefits from their investment. Those who have giving up all, here on earth to serve Jesus, will receive in heaven, blessings and rewards for what they have given up. Some rich people may be the last to enter heaven where those who have had basically nothing, will be the first to receive. Jesus will faithfully reward people for what they have done in His name.

Those who are Christ's warfare will share in His triumph too; those who wear the cross will wear the crown. Whatever we give up to serve Jesus, He knows about and He will bless abundantly 100%. That is a great dividend. If our decision to serve Christ has meant giving up certain friendships, they can be certain of having a much wider circle of friends here and in heaven.

The bottom line is, no matter what you have done for Jesus, He is grateful. He measures by heavenly standards not human ones. Remember the woman with the two mites? What the world may say is only small, is massive in Jesus' eyes. This is not a sales-based game, where whoever sells the most earns the most. Not at all. Our sales manager - Jesus, blesses people for their motives and effort.

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, 9 July 2025

The Eye of the Needle

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.24I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” Matt19:23. NLT

The subject of riches has often been a topic of conversation. Many who are not rich, have been known to say if they were rich, they would give a lot of it to the poor and starving people in the world. However, would they? Once they got the taste of richness it is more likely that they would want to keep hold of it. Being rich is ok with Jesus; it is how we handle it that He looks at. (Mark 13:41- 44). If we become selfish and boastful about the riches we can receive this type of comment from Him.

Jesus' comments above, were the results of His conversation with the Rich man. This young man was enquiring He had asked Jesus what good would he have to do to have eternal life. Jesus was quick to tell him that he couldn't buy eternal life. This is one of the things about very rich people. Some feel that everything has a price (16 - 17). Jesus told Him that if he wanted to receive eternal life, he should keep the commandments: 'You must not murder. `you must not commit adultery, You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honour your father and mother. Love your neighbour as yourself.' (18 - 19). The young man said he had done all of these. Jesus told him if he wanted to be perfect, then sell all you have, give the money to the poor and come and follow Me. With that, he sadly walked away. Notice that Jesus had said, 'If you want to be perfect.' The rich chap didn't have to do this in order to follow Jesus, several people were rich who walked with Him. He was checking where his heart lay.

Jesus mentioned a camel going through the eye of the needle. Now there are two interpretations of this:

(1) A camel was the largest animal which the Jews knew of. Now most walled cities had two gates. the main gate where traffic went through and next to it, there was a very low and narrow gate. When the main gate was locked at night, only the small gate could be used. It is said that this little gate was known 'The Needle's Eye'. So Jesus was saying that it was difficult for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, as it was for a camel to enter through the little gate. The Needle's Eye. It would never make it.

(2) This was the other explanation. The Greek word for camel is Kamelos. The Greek word for the cable used to tie up a ship on the dock is very similar to Kamilos. It happened that Jews used the one word and Jesus may have been referring to threading a darning needle with a ship's candle. A very vivid example indeed.

So what's our conclusion

(A) Riches can encourage a false independence. If they have a good supply of the world's goods, they are apt to feel that they will cope very well.

(B) Riches can shackle people to the earth. If people believe they have enough, this can blinker them into believing this is where their heart is. We need no one else.

(C) Riches tend to make people selfish. However rich they may be, there is always the tendency to want more and this can bring a fear that they are spending too much and will run out if they're not careful.

Be rich and be happy. However, know where your riches are from - God your Father. Ask Him how you should use the money He has given you to further the Kingdom of God. Give and be happy. Enjoy the life Jesus has provided 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.

Tuesday, 8 July 2025

See what He has left you - and there's more

"I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid." John 14:27. NLT

It must have been a difficult time for the disciples when Jesus left them. They had been with Him for three years. Their life had been changed by associating with Him and now they heard from Him that He would be leaving them soon. Put yourselves in their position and for a moment forget all you have learnt about Jesus returning and eternal life. Just be them for a moment. It must have been a major blow to them. He was their life, He had promised that He would be with them always. Now, He is leaving them.

Of course, we now know, more than they could have known at that particular time. Nevertheless, if they had known, it would still have been a shock. Anyone who has had a loved one leave them would understand the way it affects the heart, the sleepless nights, the fear and the lack of confidence. But we can never prevent the loss happening.

But look what Jesus told them He was leaving for them: peace of mind and Heart and the peace was not like the world has to offer either. ' 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. Philippians 6-7. NKJV.

This blessing was also for you and me and let's face it, with what is happening all around us, we need peace. This gift of peace, used properly, is intended to guard your heart and mind and prevent you becoming anxious. We all have the stuff that messes up our life and rips our heart apart. We've all been there and maybe some are there right now. Jesus didn't leave us that day. There were preparations to take place until the right time for His return to take us to Himself -John 14:1-4. Until then, He reigns within us and we have instant access to Him whenever we wish.

So you are not alone and, pretty soon, when Jesus comes to take us with Him, we will enjoy the Kingdom of God with Him for eternity. Therefore, remember this when troubles come by - and they will, remember that you have the gift of peace within you and, you have Jesus too. Do not fear or become anxious.

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

Monday, 14 July 2025

Catch the Wind

Sunday, 13 July 2025

Get the Truth

Saturday, 12 July 2025

Then Jesus turned up!

Friday, 11 July 2025

The Eye of the Storm

Thursday, 10 July 2025

The Eye of the Needle. Part 2 - Making Investments

Wednesday, 9 July 2025

The Eye of the Needle

Tuesday, 8 July 2025

See what He has left you - and there's more

That guilty feeling

Daily life with Jesus by Grahame Howard

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