Death is not final - it is just a doorway

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me".       Psalm 23:4    NKJV

The world over, many people are afraid of death and conversation about this subject is often avoided. It's not that we don't know that we will die someday, it's just that we don't want to think about it. Woody Allen sums it up, 'I'm not afraid to die, I just don't want to be there when it happens.' In a way, he sums up the feelings of most people.

It's similar for the Christian but we view it differently. We don't wish to dwell on the subject but, we have no need to be afraid of it. Death is only a doorway - a doorway to heaven and Jesus. David viewed it as not fearful at all. In the valley of the shadow of death, our Shepherd is right there with us so, there is no need to fear at all. The sting of death is unconfessed sin but, Jesus has taken our sins away when He died on the cross, so that sting is no longer able to hurt us. 

We may not like the thought of death, especially if we have received a bad diagnosis and the prognosis is not good. Fear can kick in but, so can peace. I used to work in a hospice and my job was speaking with dying patients and their families. It was amazing to see how patients responded to the news. Yes, many were fearful but as they spoke about it, a kind of peace came upon them. I was privileged to be able to speak to them about Jesus and many over the 10 years I was there, accepted Jesus. 

Death is not final. Those who know Jesus as their Lord, go directly to Him and that wonderful life begins. Sadly, those who don't know Jesus or refuse to believe in Him, also have eternity but, this is eternity without Jesus and their friends and family, and there are no second chances to change their minds.

This is why it is so important to prepare for the future and death - the place you will spend eternity is most importance. Ask yourself, 'When I die and walk through a door, what will be on the inside, paradise or eternal death and pain.?The choice is yours

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. 

Get instruction

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye".                                                               Psalm 32:8    NKJV

We often go out into a wilderness type of setting trying to find answers to what we are supposed to do. The thing is, as born again believers of Jesus Christ, we don’t have to do that. We have all we need for our daily care and the answers to the questions we struggle with; it is recorded in the book we call the bible. This is why it is essential to read it and study it as much as you can. It is a life-saver,

I’m not trying to teach you what you already know, not at all. What I’m attempting to do is to underpin what is required for a healthy and prosperous walk with Jesus. His Word here, tells that He will instruct us and teach us and guide us in what is the right way to go and the right thing to do. If you ever go on a hike in the countryside, unless you’re familiar with the lay of the land, it is a good idea to take a compass with you, that is if you know how to use one. If you don’t then have someone show you the basics. It’s foolish to set off without one, or have one and not know how to use it.

In many ways, Jesus can be rather like a Spiritual compass. When we are struggling to find our way with something, He has the answers. We may hear a soft voice within our soul guiding us but usually, He will point us to scripture. It’s a Living Word and I have lost track of the times that He has shown me something and, it has been bang on to what I asked Him. He can't be faulted. He is our instructor.

The word instruct here means to: teach (Yarah in Hebrew), direct, to point, shoot, aim, throw and cast in a straight manner. The primary meaning of Yarah is 'to shoot straight' or 'direct the flow of something'. Jesus is our instructor and teacher, He is also our guide because He knows what's ahead or what we may encounter. Therefore it is foolish to go alone; we need His guidance.

Have you ever tried to go it alone? It's not a recommended thing to do, you may make it but, you're going to meet many hazards along the way. At this moment in time, are you struggling to know what to do about something? Don't use guess work i.e 'eeny, meeny, miney, mo' type of thing. It doesn't work and really, you're just casting yourself before Satan - and he wants to totally confuse and disarm you, don't go there. Instead, get before the Lord and ask Him what you should do. He will answer but, be patience, it will be in His time. Why? Because His time is perfect. Oh, and by the way, He may be trying to direct you through His Word. So spend some time reading it, the answer may come so quickly.

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. 

Keep your mood healthy

"But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head. 4I cried to the Lord with my voice, And He heard me from His holy hill." Selah

                                                                          Psalm 3:3-4    NKJV

This Psalm shows us the changing moods of David. They changed rapidly from dark despair to confidence. Let's be honest, aren't we all like this at times? We may feel that there is no help for me from God, 'I'm on my own here.' Then, our mood can change again, very quickly as we remember past victories - the many times that God has rescued us.

In verse 3, we see a breakthrough. David prays, 'But You O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the one who lifts up my head.' The difference here is that David began speaking faith to Himself. Changing moods are often present but we have to rise above them; otherwise we sink. He recognised the danger around him but, he had been here before. This is the man who toppled the giant, Goliath. He may now have been older, but his faith was more stronger and through his past victories and experience, he knew God through and through. Therefore, what he said in verse 4 was a life-changer, 'I cried to the Lord with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill.' And then, the amazing confidence he had in God shone through, 'I lay down and slept; I awoke for the Lord sustained me' v5.

When our circumstances overwhelm us, we are called to look to the same God of peace. It is essential that we do this. It may be difficult; our pride may try to prevent us calling on God or asking someone to pray for us, but, it is paramount to our survival. In addition, we should always try to have confidence within our hearts by speaking faith. Often, when we have a sudden attack from the evil one, we panic and speak out negative words. Don't do this. Stay in contact with Jesus and you'll be less likely to do this.

It is far better to be able to lay down and have a sound sleep knowing that God is watching over you.

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. 

What's missing in your life?

"Unless the Lord builds the house, They labour in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain".     Psalm 127:1-2   NKJV

William MacDonald says of this Psalm, 'Little is much if God is in it' but the reverse is also true, 'Much is nothing if God is not in it.' Wise words indeed which underpin verse one very well, 'Unless the Lord builds the house, They labour in vain who build it.' Basically, if our activity is not directed by the Lord, it is a waste of time and energy. A person can work hard and be appointed to the level of director in a successfully thriving business, but if God is not in this, the person may not personally succeed. They can build an empire - a vast church, but if they have accomplished this in their own strength and left God out of it, it will all come to nothing.

We can't leave God out of our life and be happy and successful. As Solomon would say, 'It is all in vain.' God needs to be the central part of our lives; whether that's a marriage, a business, work or life in itself. One can never be truly happy and content, no matter how rich they may be, without God. They can have all worldly goods and still not be happy. They can have everything and yet, nothing. Without Jesus in a person's life, they are dry and discontented.

'Much is nothing if God is not in it'. What is your spiritual life like at this moment? It may present Jesus to be just a flickering, distant light, that is all. Or it may be a flaming torch of Holy Spirit fire. What would you like it to be out of these two? What are you missing out on? Remember when you were first saved; nothing bothered you at all because Jesus was your everything. He was a flaming torch of fire. Has He turned into a flickering, distant  light now. What happened to make it this way; what has happened to dampen the fire?

You only need to tell Him how you feel and ask Him to bridge the gap that has become more like a daily ritual than a time of intimate peace and worship. Why not do it right now?

'Lord Jesus, please re-light the fire that once burned brightly in my heart and help me to be in intimate worship with you every single day of my life. In Jesus' name. 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. 

People Pleasing and the Praise of men

"Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; 43for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God."     John 12:42-43   NKJV

 William MacDonald says, 'It was obvious that these men were more interested in the praise of their fellow men than they were in the praise of God. They thought more of man's approval than of God's.' Can people be genuine believers acting in such a way? Check out John 5:44 for Jesus' answer. 'How can you believe, who receive honour from one another, and do not seek the honour that comes from the only God.'

People throughout the history of the church have sought the attention of man instead of God. It is no different today. Let me explain, if you preach a sermon, lead the worship or run a bible study, it is so easy to want to hear people praise your efforts - 'I really enjoyed your word today' or perhaps, 'I like it when you lead the worship.' Now, let's be honest, it is nice to be encouraged this way, we need it and are grateful when we receive this. However, the difference is, when we go looking for the praise, dropping hints to people about the sermon or worship time. This is wrong because we most certainly are attempting to steal the glory from Jesus. The best thing to do is to just be grateful that you were chosen to deliver this ministry. Jesus thought you were worthy and that is all that matters.

People pleasers do a particular thing for someone and then hang around them seeking their thanks and praise. They go over the top when asked to do a particular task, in fact, they try to go further and do much more. There are genuine people that do this of course, but, others like to feel special with a leader figure. How are you on this?

Look at Jesus' example:

'Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,  7but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.  8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.  9Therefore 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.'  Philippians 2:5-11.

Jesus remained humble and didn't shove himself forward wanting to take the lead. The devil does that. Just be content that Jesus loves you; if you asked Him into your life, He has saved you, but if you haven't you can say the prayer below if you choose to. Just remember, that you are an elite member of an elite army - Team Jesus!

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. 

Jesus doesn't always act the way we expect

"Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.  3Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”4When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

                                                                        John 11:1-4.  NKJV

When Jesus received word that their brother was sick, one would have felt that He would have dropped everything and raced off to be with His dear friend but, He didn't, He told His disciples that He would wait two days and then go to Him. It seemed, to His disciples and others, a very strange thing to do, but they were coming to terms with the behaviour.

When He finally went to Bethany where Lazarus and his sisters were, Jesus found that Lazarus had died and Martha was quite broken and disappointed that He had not gone over there in haste. However, Jesus had initially said that Lazarus' sickness was not unto death. He didn't mean that he wouldn't die - He knew he would. But the outcome of this sickness would not be final. Lazarus would rise again to the glory of the Father, This was the real part of this situation, to his family and friends, Lazarus had died but, God is greater than death. He knew He would raise him up to the glory of God.

We learn something here. We would have thought that Jesus would have gone to Lazarus immediately, but He delayed this. His delays are not Him saying, 'I won't do that'. We need to be patient and wait for Him to act. What are you waiting for Him to do? You may have a real problem and the only one who can help is Jesus. However, your prayers seem to go unanswered. Don't assume that He has denied your requests. Remember what happened in Bethany that day and wait and be patient. 'Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!'   Psalm 27:14. God may be wanting you to wait because, this is a learning curve for you. Don't miss it.

Finally, when the time was right, Jesus visited the tomb. Despite being told not to get too close because of the stench of rotting flesh (11:39), Jesus went forth and in a loud voice commanded that Lazarus come forth. And he did. Don't ever become anxious because of the waiting period. Yes, it can be tedious, but it can be very delightful when you receive what you have been 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
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 Good Shepherd

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.  12But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.  13The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.  14I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.  15As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep."

                                                                              John 10:11-15.  NKJV 

Jesus is not a mere shepherd but, a good one - in fact the best. There’s a great difference between a shepherd and a hireling. The hireling is hired labour, he’s there to earn a living, he is not as concerned with the sheep as the shepherd is. If a wolf attacks, the hireling will defend himself and do his best to escape, leaving the sheep in danger. Not the shepherd, he has his shepherds crook and he will do all he can to protect the sheep and ensure they are safe.

We get a good picture of Jesus here. He is the Good Shepherd He knows all His sheep by name and will lay down His life for them, rather like He did on the cross, to save us all. This is what He was referring to - what His fate would be to save us on confession of His name.

Usually it would be the sheep who would lay down their life for the Shepherd. However, Jesus was different, He was the True Shepherd and like a normal shepherd, who would be with his sheep 24/7, Jesus The Good and True Shepherd is with you and I, always. Even though He knew what lay ahead, He faced it, with the Power of the Holy Spirit and carried on with His ministry until the time of the crucifixion.

‘When blood from a victim must flow, This Shepherd by pity was led, To stand between us and the foe, And willingly died in our stead’.  Thomas Kelly

The hireling does the job he is paid to do and picks up his pay. That was his only responsibility, it was a job of convenience for him, that was all. Sadly, there are hirelings in the church today - men or women, who choose the ministry as a comfortable occupation without true love for the sheep. For some, church life is just a tradition and it is the sheep - us, who dip out because the lack of the Holy Spirit being used.

Jesus offers a very intimate relationship with Himself, the love He shares with each of us, is the same love He shares with His Father and vice-versa. We have a lot to be grateful for. We have a loving Shepherd who took our sins upon Himself and has given us freedom and eternal life. And, we can have a deeper  experience with Him too, if we give him everything - to be sold out for Jesus. This is what He wants; do you want this too?

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.