When your heart's not in it

“We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. 4But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.  5Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.” 6And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish."  John 21:3-6   NKJV

When you are tired, depressed and feel let down, the last thing you want to do is work. This, it seems, was the disciples problem when they went out fishing. They spent all night toiling with the sea but, they caught nothing. All this would have done was to add to their misery. When your heart's not in something, even though you may be skilled in a particular area, it doesn't mean that you will be successful. Often, it's a half-hearted attempt to do something but alas, this is not good enough and it mostly comes to nothing.

Jesus' enquiry 'Have you any food?' may have been interpreted by them as. 'Have you any fish to sell?' They would have had their regular customers of course, but they were used to selling extra fish when they had been to sea as this boosted their living. This was perhaps why the gruff, 'No' sounded so rudely.

What Jesus said next could have annoyed them further, 'Cast your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.' One can just imagine the words coming out of Peter's mouth as he heard this. 'Who does this guy think he is? He hasn't any fishing experience' we've been doing this for years mate, we know all of the tricks of the trade.' Nevertheless they did what Jesus had suggested and were overwhelmed by the great amount of fish that they caught.

This highlights three important facts: 

(1) No matter what mood you are in, always do the best you can do. Remember, Jesus' emotions must have been rife prior to the cross, but He still went ahead and did it for us.

(2) Be courteous to people when they ask you questions. What they may have to say may be the answer to what you need to hear. So be thankful.

(3) Listen properly to what people say to you. You may miss an important piece of information.

We all have days when our energy level is low and life events have robbed us of our enthusiasm. But, break throw this barrier and go for gold. You belong to Team Jesus.

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

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.
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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Hold on tight

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful."                           Hebrews 10:23 NKJV

In an ever-changing world of heartache and bewilderment, it is wonderful to have the promise that Jesus remains the same, He never changes (Hebrews 13:8). If you read Hebrews 10:19 through to verse 23, you will read that, we as Christians, have permission to enter the Most Holy of Holies whenever we choose. Usually only the high priest had this privilege but, the veil was torn through His flesh on the cross, giving us free entry. Therefore, we who have this privilege can draw near with a true heart that has been sprinkled with pure water and our sins forgiven. We need to hold on to these scriptures, especially when things become tough and evil is trying to convince us that we have it wrong. We don't, Jesus Christ is the Truth and wants to draw us near to His presence.

When we have let ourselves down and fallen into sin, it can be so easy to give up with a 'God will never forgive me now' attitude. This is what the devil wants us to believe. Remember, he is a liar and can be so convincing if we listen too long to what he has to say. I know I mention it quite often but, look how he convinced Eve and Adam who was standing nearby, of how it was ok to eat the fruit of the tree, 'You will not surely die.' Genesis 3:4. He twisted God's Word and had them both hooked. Don't allow him to do this to you! He will if he can.

How should we respond to him? 'For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.  13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  Ephesians 6:13-14. You cannot take on the devil on your own, he will defeat you. Look what you're up against. The devil has had plenty of practice in defeating Christians, don't let him defeat you. Put on your armour (v14 - 18) and approach in the Name of Jesus. This is where the power is: 'Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,  11and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.'  (Phil 2:9-11).

So, make a stand and keep on standing

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

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.
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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Be flexible with your time

"Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.  6Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one."               Colossians 4:5.  NKJV

We must realise that God wants to be in charge of our time, each and everyday. We can try to go it alone but God knows more about timing than we could ever do. If you can be certain what is going to happen in the next 5 minutes or perhaps, the next day, then perhaps you may have a 

special gift. However, it is unlikely so allow God to book the appointments.

If you are a diary person, you may have a Filofax or iPhone packed with what must be done at 10am and then 11.30. Then it will be lunchtime and then three more appointments in the afternoon until it's time to knock off for the day. But, I'm sorry to disappoint you. God wants you to plan, that's for sure but, not in such a rigid kind of a way. He wants you to be flexible and alert to the Holy Spirit at all times.

This can be difficult if your job demands that you must have set times to see clients, patients or significant others. But even this can be run in a more relaxed manner. There is no need to tick all the boxes in one appointment hour. You can, and it's highly recommended to give all this planning too God.

If you check out Jesus' working day, you'll find that He never rushed. Take note of Jairus; he came to ask Jesus to go with him to lay hands on his daughter who was close to death. Jesus agreed but, on the way He felt someone touch Him as He walked through the crowds This lady with blood issues who had been suffering for 12 years owned up to touching the hem of His gown. The lady went into some detail about her condition and this may have taken some time because Jesus looked at Jairus and said 'Do not be afraid; only believe.' How Jairus felt about this we don't know, what we do know is the little girl was close to death and this waiting was not helping. Finally, Jesus arrived at Jairus' home and healed the young girl and she sat up immediately.

Just think, if Jesus had have been bound by timings in His diary, the little girl may have died. But He wasn't. Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit and it was He that determined what and where Jesus should be. He was flexible with His time and why was this? Because, He was always led by the Holy Spirit and so should you be as well

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

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.
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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Why are you down in the dumps?

"Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Saviour and my God."     Psalm 42:5.  NIV

There are times when we feel so down in the dumps that, we don't want to do anything, except of course, lay down and give up. I am sure that you have felt like this from time to time. Whether it's depression or things that have gotten on top of us, we don't know. All we know is we feel sorry for ourselves.

Several great figures in the bible felt this way - Elijah, David and let's not forget Peter when he had denied Jesus. They felt down in the dumps but, look at this, they all came through it. They didn't stay in this frame of mind. And you don't have to either. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and His name is Jesus.

I was feeling down in the dumps one morning as I took our dog for his morning walk. I couldn't even think of a bible verse to help me. Suddenly my mobile rang and on the end of the 'phone, I heard this little scratchy voice singing, 'Don't worry, about a thing, for every little thing's going to be all right.' No it wasn't a resurrected Bob Marley, it was my wife - my best friend. It was a word in season for me as it lifted my spirit and picked me up right there. She was right, there was no reason that I should be anxious and worried. Yes things appeared pear-shaped at the time but, God's in charge and 'every little thing's going to be all right.' 

Two scriptures come to mind as I process this. Firstly: 'Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.' (Matthew 6:34). Each day, we have enough to contend with. We can't change the past and we can't alter the future, but we can let 'today' help us through and make sense of it all so that we can cope with what is happening.

The second scripture is 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.   (Philippians 4:6-7)

Anxiety gets you nowhere because it is a distraction. The devil, when he wants to stop you doing God's work, will throw something in that will distract you from the main thing. See it for what it is; how many times has he done this to each of us? To be this way robs you of your joy and peace and it can lead you to make some unwise decisions too. Do you know something? The cause of worry is simple; it's the reluctance to trust God to take care of the various situations in your life.

Therefore get your victory over worry and anxiety today. Give it to Jesus; pray and thank Him and receive His peace.

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

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.
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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Always a price to pay!

"But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.  16For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”          Acts 9:15-16.   NKJV  

It's not always easy to minister to people who may pose a threat to you. Equally, it is difficult to pray for someone that you don't particularly like. Some would say that we shouldn't bother doing this because all it will do is cause a block for the Holy Spirit to work. However, there's no sign of that here: 'And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”  18Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptised.'   Acts 9:17-18. NKJV

Much to his delight, Ananias obeyed and Saul was changed into a man of God there and then. His eye sight, which had been damaged on the Damascus Road, was restored. Saul, who shortly afterwards became known as Paul, was a changed man and from this day forward would serve God building churches and introducing people to Jesus. It's wonderful what God can do with someone.

However, from thereon, Paul would discover that the greater the anointing, the greater the suffering. And, the greater the suffering the greater the anointing. Later, He called Paul to write this piece of scripture:

'But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 10always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.  12So then death is working in us, but life in you.13And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, 14knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up and will present us with you. 15For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.'   2 Corinthians 4:7-15

So there is always a price to pay if you want to serve Jesus. Some people can make Christianity sound like pleasant roses blooming all around and us laying in a garden eating grapes and iced water in hand. It may be similar to that, one day, But, until Jesus' return, we have a job to do and it is not going to be easy. It will be a tough assignment.

Therefore, if this is what you want, then put your armour on and walk out into battle winning souls for Jesus. Healing sickness and disease for Jesus and changing the atmosphere around you from hostility to peace.

We have a job to do and then, a great eternity to enjoy when we reach heaven.  

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

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.
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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Don't add to God's Word

"And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden;  3but of the fruit of the tree which isin the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”      Genesis 3:2-3   NKJV

Time and time again, we find people misquoting the bible. They add words to a verse or they leave them out. It's almost like they want to make scripture fit into what they believe. It can be done absent-mindedly, especially when under pressure to explain a difficult verse. 

In today's scripture, we see Eve doing this. She adds 'nor shall you touch it, lest you die,' v3

God didn't say that, Eve added it and, the serpent used this to add more pressure. Down through the years, criticism of Eve's added words have caused quite a storm in places and Eve has been accused of sin by quoting these words. However, their criticism is unjustified because if they touched the tree without eating of it they would not have disobeyed God's directive and thus, would not be guilty of any sin. The sin was committed when Eve plucked and ate the fruit along with her husband, Adam, who incidentally should have silenced this conversation from the start instead of allowing it to reach this stage.

When we're in conversation with an unbeliever, who presents us with a very difficult question, it can be easy to add to what we read in the scriptures in order to counteract their challenge. But, God doesn't need any help at all. He is totally capable of handling whatever is thrown at Him. So, don't even consider changing a few words just to fit into your argument.

The same is true when preaching or running a home group. We may not know the reason that something was done or said. Saying something like, 'I suppose Jesus meant this.' Don't suppose anything; supposing things is wrong. If you don't know the answer, don't be afraid to say so. When I was a very young Christian, I spoke in a bible study and commented on Jesus kneeling on the ground supposedly writing something (John 8:6-8) I foolishly suggested that perhaps He didn't know what to say, so He was silently praying to His Father for the answer. 

Of course He knew what to say, He is never short of the answer.That was my early days of knowing Jesus and I'm happy to declare that I have learnt not to make foolish statement such 

as this ever again.

When you think of it, there is never any reason to add to Jesus' words. The Father has catered for everything and there is no need to ever add to them.

If you would like to contact me email grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

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.
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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

The FFF

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  10If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us."                        1 John 1:8-10.  NKJV

God knew you were screwed up when He called you, do you realise that? Yes He did, and He made provision for this through Jesus who was happy to take your sin upon Himself, if you repented. Can you remember before you knew Jesus. Someone would encourage you to do something that you knew was wrong and, if you did it, you would feel an overwhelming guilt. That was the Holy Spirit. He was around you the moment you were born into this world. You just didn't realise it. You knew it was wrong to steal but, you probably did steal a sweet or something when no one was looking (the Holy Spirit was looking). Even now, after giving your life to Jesus, you are tempted to do wrong. 

There is a dodgy scheme going around at the moment. Someone will buy a digital fire stick and send it away to someone who then converts this - for a fee, into being able to use this stick into receiving all TV streaming channels together with many more. And all this costs you is the one time fee to the person who provides this service. Of course, this is totally illegal, but some Christians are taking advantage of this service. When they are caught - and they will be - what a discredit to their faith this will be.

Temptation is all around - heavy gambling, drug and alcohol addiction, adultery, homosexuality - just to name a few. Once a person is drawn into this kind of thing, it is difficult to break free of it. The ideal way is to avoid it but, this is not as easy as it sounds. There are people with very convincing tongues who will tell you that it is all right. You know it isn't and what's more, God's Word reinforces this and if you will take note of it, Jesus will help you to break away from that kind of life.

For a title in today's commentary, I have used 'The FFF.' What is this? It is the an acronym of a phrase 'Freely Flowing Forgiveness.' This is what has always been offered to people who fall into sin and through the revealing power of the Holy Spirit, repent and accept forgiveness and follow Jesus for life. Wherever sin and temptation are, FFF is around too. Whenever you find yourself falling into temptation, the Holy Spirit will be hovering around you (Genesis 1:2.) He has always been around as I said earlier and He has one interest and that is, introducing you to Jesus. He is the N0 1 evangelist to be found. 

Why not write this acronym down in your bible. It will remind you that wherever you are you are surrounded by 'Freely Flowing Forgiveness'.

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.
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. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.