What is Jesus like?

"1Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

2For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him,There is no beauty that we should desire Him. 3He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him."                           Isaiah 53:1-3    NKJV

According to this scripture there is no beauty in Jesus; nothing in His appearance to attract anyone. He was despised and rejected, a man of sorrows who knew what grief was. It was a great sin of Israel's leaders and people that they failed to recognise their Messiah when He came. My theory on this was, they didn't recognise Him because they were looking for some great super-star who would be the greatest King they had ever had. He was, but they failed to see this. He was no super star, He didn't come from Hollywood, Jesus came from Calvary and that is where the major difference was. He had nothing to prove to anyone.

There is though, something about Jesus that draws a person to them. Once you are introduced to Him, you can't forget Him, He attracts you so much. Philippians 4:8 says of Him: 'Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.' 

We need to get our thought life like His and THINK RIGHT. We can control our thinking by thinking God thoughts. We can't think about evil things and Jesus at the same time. One of them has to go (2 Corinthians 10:4-6. When we've learned to master this area, we can begin to see Jesus more clearly as Philippians 4 states above. (1) He is true not false or unreliable, He is genuine. (2) He is noble which really says that He is honourable and morally attractive. (3) He is just - righteous towards God and man. (4) He is pure - He has a high moral character. (5) He is lovely - means He is admirable and agreeable. (6) He is of a good report - a good reputation and trusted. (7) Virtue - this describes Him as of moral excellence. (8) He is praiseworthy - something that needs to be commended.

Just think of that last point 'Something that needs to be commended.' Be honest, wouldn't you like to be considered this. Not in a pompous, pride-filled way but, because you are so close to Jesus that people can see Jesus in you. You walk like Him; you talk like Him and people can't fail to see this. 

What is Jesus like? Everything here that we have covered and much. much more. We could talk about Him until we are actually in eternity and still not be able to cover it all. In a nutshell, aren't you pleased that you belong to Him? Aren't you pleased that one day you will be with Him? Aren't you pleased and grateful that He loves you - dearly?

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.

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

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

 

Stop the Finger Pointing

"Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven."    Luke 6:37   NKJV

'He pointed at Jill and she pointed at Jack, and then one day, the finger pointed back - at them!'  

I felt God give me this little ditty as I was preparing to write today's commentary. Let's be honest with ourselves today, we often speak about someone when there is nothing to say. We may not know anything about them so, we may push a few doors to find out what's the news about them. This can be that 'First Appearance Syndrome' we have to know who they are, where they are from and why they're here in your church or Christian circle. 

Initially, you may not like the look of them - why is that? You may have heard a little about them, how successful they were in their last church and now they're here. Are you fearful of them? Are they a threat to your gifting? Are you jealous of them and find their reputation intimidating? Why is that? Is it them or is that you? At least give them a chance to settle in before you make a solid judgement of them. But then again, ask yourself, should you be making a judgement about them?

Search your own heart, what is it that you don't like about them? Is it justified? Is there history between you and this person and they know things about your past that you have hidden from others? If so, are you feeling judged? Why not get into a conversation with them. Perhaps there is something going on that you need to put right with them. On the other hand, you may need to forgive them for something they may have done some time ago, that hurt you. The thing is, they may not even know about this.

We humans beings can be strange people at times, we get suspicious about people or things; we get hurt very quickly and close down on people; we hold grudges and may talk about people behind their backs. We're all the same but, maturity has helped many from dwelling on such things and they've moved on. Perhaps you haven't. 

Let's remind ourselves, love never judges and it doesn't condemn. If it did, none of us would be able to stand before the Lord. Our role model is Jesus, we can't go wrong when we model ourselves on Him and He wants us to get things right within ourselves and with others, and pointing the finger at people is a great place to start. We need to remember that when we judge someone, the judgement falls back on us. Some people we meet may have some rough edges about them and we may not like them for it. But hold on, we too, have some rough edges that they may dislike as well. Therefore, love Jesus and ask Him to fill you with love for the person you are struggling with. After all, we will have to spend eternity with them, so we might as well get it right now. 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
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.

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

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

 

The Ability to be Content

"6Now godliness with contentment is great gain.  7For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.  8And having food and clothing, 

with these we shall be content.  9But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition."                                    1 Timothy 6:6-9    NKJV

The ability to have real godliness and at the same time to be satisfied with one's personal circumstances is more than money can buy. On its own, godliness leaves us searching for that special thing which we can never find. But when it is accompanied with contentment, it is a great gain.

It is being at ease where you are thankful for what you have. It's learning to be satisfied with what God has given you, until He gives you more - and He will (Phil 4:11-13). When we have contentment we have inner sufficiency in spite of our external circumstances. If we have a full stomach, clothes on our back and a roof over our head, that is contentment.

It is though, nice to be able to buy new clothes or the latest techie toy in the computer department, but if we can't have these without using a credit card that we know will put us in a debt situation, is it worth it? When we are content with what we have, God has a wonderful habit of suddenly blessing us with something we would like, but don't have the cash to provide it. He's our Father and He loves us. As long as we place Him first in our life and honour Him with our tithes, He will do the rest.

Are you content? Do you worry about it? Bob Gass once wrote:

'The cause of worry is simple, it's the reluctance to trust God to take care of the various situations in your life.'

Think about that statement and let it penetrate your soul. God doesn't want you worrying about anything. He wants you to be content and secure in yourself. He created you to be a winner and, believe me, you will win on many occasions. Just trust Jesus. He is the best friend you could ever have!

'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.

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

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

 

A Prayer for those worn out times

"1I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help?2My help comes from the Lord,  Who made heaven and earth. 3He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. 4Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep. 5The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand. 6The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. 7The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;He shall preserve your soul. 8The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore."    Psalm 121   NKJV

The writer here left a thought in later translator's minds that these first two verses could be pointing to Pagan heresy. This was because it is stated that help comes from the hills, not the Lord. So they punctuated the second part of verse 1 as a question. However, the temple in Jerusalem was regarded as the dwelling place of God. Jerusalem is situated on a mountain and surrounded by other mountains. Hence, when a Jew needed divine guidance, he looked towards the hills - towards God.

In verse 3, the Holy Spirit reveals the eternal security of those who trust in the Lord. Our foot, He will preserve from moving as we stand on the foundation of God. He will keep us - His children from slipping or falling. 

Verse 4 infers that God places a Guardian Angel around us day and night. As we sleep, He watches over us, as He does when we move around, He protects us. Many times we feel worn out, abused and walked all over. It tires us out, but, we have His guarantee that He will keep our going out and our coming in, from this time forth and even forevermore (v8).

Jesus knows when we're tired out and misused. But He loves us to tell Him this. Do you ever think to pray? Or do you just remain silent and press on, stressing yourself out. God wants to hear from you. Why don't you personalise this Psalm and turn it into a prayer for yourself. It may change your whole life.

'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.

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

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

 

 

Victims of Slander and Threat

1In my distress I cried to the Lord, And He heard me. 2Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips And from a deceitful tongue. 3What shall be given to you, Or what shall be done to you, You false tongue? 4Sharp arrows of the [a]warrior, With coals of the broom tree!5Woe is me, that I dwell in Meshech, That I dwell among the tents of Kedar! 6My soul has dwelt too long With one who hates peace. 7I am for peace; But when I speak, they are for war.    Psalm 120  NKJV

One of the awful experiences of a believer's life, is when they are victims of lies and slander. Gossip so easily follows and this, is mostly received as the truth and in most cases, mud sticks. Whether these slanderous remarks are true or not, they always leave a scar and no matter what, other people are left wondering if this is true or not. To try and sort it out yourself, may seem the right thing to do but, it may backfire on you and the matter may become worse. The recipient of the slander may try to blame who they feel is the culprit. This may be right but then again, the accusations may just be hot air and can make this worse. A bitter root may be formed against whom is thought to be the culprit and endless bad thoughts may come to mind as the imagination wanders. This may be happening to you at this time. What can you do? Well, there are two approaches one can take (1) Challenge the person you believe is responsible or (2) Give it to Jesus who its brilliant at sorting these things out (Romans 12:14-21). It may be far better to leave it all to Jesus. 

We see and hear this most days in the media where one politician is slandering another. In this Psalm, all the Psalmist was after was peace but, he was dealing with war-mongers. This can be claimed today. Our world is desperate for peace but, war is dominating any type of attempt at bringing this about. No one wants a war but nations argue and haggle over things and while this is happening, thousands of innocent people are dying or being terribly injured. Do we want war? Of course we don't but what is the answer. It is found in 2 Chronicles 7:14:

'if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.'

Prayer is the only answer. As Christians come together with Jesus, there is an unstoppable power. This is a sure road to restoration and revival for all times. If the conditions are met, the promises will be fulfilled!

'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.

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

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

 

Prayer and Praise through the Word

TAU

"169Let my cry come before You, O Lord; Give me understanding according to Your word. 170Let my supplication come before You; Deliver me according to Your word. 171My lips shall utter praise, For You teach me Your statutes. 172My tongue shall speak of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness. 173Let Your hand become my help, For I have chosen Your precepts. 174I long for Your salvation, O Lord, And Your law is my delight. 175Let my soul live, and it shall praise You; And let Your judgments help me. 176I have gone astray like a lost sheep; Seek Your servant, For I do not forget Your commandments."

We come to our final section of this lengthy Psalm and we find in v169 that there is an urgent appeal for an audience and then for a true spiritual understanding. The writer confirms to us that the enemy is never faraway and so he continuously cries out for deliverance as the Word promises. There is a constant need to be soaked in the Holy Spirit and full of the Word off God. There is an audience of non-believers out there and they need Jesus, although many will deny this statement. But at least in trying, we are giving them a chance.

As we study God's Word, our increased knowledge should never lead us to be full of pride - a feeling of being puffed up. On the contrary, it should lead us to praise and adoration of the Lord. The writer feels that we should never waste our words on things that don't matter but, on lasting matters such as what Jesus has, can and will do for us. Wasted words never built anyone up but, the Word of God, spoken in faith is pure medicine to our soul.

Remember that we're not only saved to serve but, more to praise God for His great mercy. The writer emphasises v175 'Let my soul - Mind, Will and Emotions - live and it shall praise You.'  Italics mine

Through this Psalm, the writer has led us to see how important God is in our lives,. He has shown us that there is nothing better than praising and living for Jesus and the pitfalls of failing to do this. I hope you have enjoyed reading this Psalm and commentary as much as I have in writing it. In closing I have placed some additional notes on the meaning of certain words in each verse. God Bless

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 119:1 blameless
2. Psalm 119:15 look into
3. Psalm 119:20 is crushed
4. Psalm 119:28 Lit. drops
5. Psalm 119:28 grief
6. Psalm 119:36 Cause me to long for
7. Psalm 119:37 Lit. Cause my eyes to pass away from
8. Psalm 119:37 So with MT, LXX, Vg.; Tg. Your words
9. Psalm 119:42 taunts
10. Psalm 119:45 Lit. in a wide place
11. Psalm 119:69 Lit. smeared me with a lie
12. Psalm 119:70 Insensible
13. Psalm 119:75 Lit. righteous
14. Psalm 119:89 Lit. stands firm
15. Psalm 119:90 Lit. stands
16. Psalm 119:95 give attention to
17. Psalm 119:100 aged
18. Psalm 119:109 In danger
19. Psalm 119:111 inheritance
20. Psalm 119:113 Lit. divided in heart or mind
21. Psalm 119:117 Uphold me
22. Psalm 119:119 destroy, lit. cause to cease
23. Psalm 119:119 slag or refuse
24. Psalm 119:122 guaranty
25. Psalm 119:126 broken Your law
26. Psalm 119:139 put an end to
27. Psalm 119:140 Lit. refined or tried
28. Psalm 119:143 Lit. found
29. Psalm 119:156 Or Many
30. Psalm 119:165 Lit. they have no stumbling block
31. Psalm 119:170 Prayer of supplication

'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.

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

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

 

Perfection of the Word

SHIN

"161Princes persecute me without a cause, But my heart stands in awe of Your word. 

162I rejoice at Your word As one who finds great treasure. 163I hate and abhor lying, But I love Your law. 164Seven times a day I praise You, Because of Your righteous judgments. 165Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble. 166Lord, I hope for Your salvation, And I do Your commandments. 167My soul keeps Your testimonies, And I love them exceedingly. 168I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies, "For all my ways are before You."    Psalm 119:161-168   NKJV

Some men in places of authority have oppressed people, especially God's servants. However, if our eyes are fastened on Jesus and we are obedient to Him, He will give us the favour we need to withstand it. Such people should never have been promoted to the top. They were ok in second place, such as assistant, and did the job well, but when the time came for them to take the helm, it all went wrong. It is called 'The Peter Principle' (Dr LJ Peter & Raymond Hull Copyright 1969 William Morrow & Co Inc.) People often get their promotion but, they can't do the job. They have been promoted to their level of incompetence. Ambition leads people to do crazy things and all of us have to pay the price. There are many of these people who should not be in these positions of authority. They just can't take the lead. You may know some.

We need to keep our eyes on God, praying, praising and learning His Word. In verse 164, the writer mentions praising seven times a day. Seven is the number of perfection or completeness. The writer encourages us to praise God wholeheartedly. 

We're given peace in this world, while others who do not know Jesus are continually troubled. We have our share of troubles but we able to avoid the pitfalls of sin, because our eyes are on Him. 

We can either walk in peace with Jesus or, struggle through paths of adversity. The thing is, if we know Jesus, He has given us the ability to become perfect as He is. We are not there yet though, by a long chalk. However, we have taken a step towards this. So keep on this road

'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.

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

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard.