Serving Jesus - it's all or nothing

"And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him".          Colossians 3:17   NKJV

Notice that this statement from Paul means doing things for Jesus and what we speak about as well. They can't be separated. If we do something for Him but moan and groan about it, then we might as well have not bothered. It is not blessing Jesus, the listener or yourself. Our words must reflect Jesus as well as our deeds.

Doing something in the name of Jesus, is like authorising a contract with His signature on. We need to ask, 'Can I do this in the name of Jesus?' Can I say this in the name of Jesus? Would it bring Him glory? And, 'Would He cause His blessing to rest upon it?

One writer puts it this way: 'Can we speak it and in the same breath, name the name of Jesus? Can we speak it remembering that He will hear?  William Barclay

The Word tells us 'Whatever you do in word or deed.' We cannot be selective here; it is all or nothing. We live for Jesus 24/7 each year. There are no days off. One prisoner who I was visiting wanted to become a Christian and asked me if, he could follow Jesus for 6 days a week, and kick people's heads in on the other day. Obviously, he was disappointed to hear me say that this would not be acceptable Jesus requires every part of our time. It is all or nothing. It is the same with our words, out of the same mouth comes praise and worship and then words of hostility or harmless jokes (James 3:9). They are not harmless if swear words and/or innuendo's are contained in them. 

Another writer puts it this way: 

'The New Man, lives his life for Jesus. He will only seek to do the things that he may do in the name of the Lord Jesus, and he will persevere in the difficulty of doing such things, knowing that he is doing them in the name of the Lord Jesus.' Enduring Word. David Guzik 

So there we have it, following and living for Jesus requires an all or nothing approach. Nothing else will qualify. It may sound harsh but so was the nails that pinned Jesus to the cross. Think about it.

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. 

Have I pleased You Lord?

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer".           Psalm 19:14.  NKJV

Back in the '80's, I heard a preacher from another country preach at a nearby church. He said that at night before he went to sleep, he would always say in his prayers, 'Lord, have I pleased You today?' This had a lasting effect on me and I can remember it as if it was yesterday. I thought, what a challenging question to ask God each evening.

I personally feel that the text above perfectly underpins that question he asked the Lord. It is us, baring our soul to God and asking Him if we have pleased Him in all that we have done for Him Many of us, would have to add our requests for forgiveness before we had the nerve to ask Him this. but really, if we had the habit of asking Him for forgiveness straightaway after we know we have sinned, this wouldn't be a problem. Don't forget, once we confess our sin, we receive forgiveness at once, we don't have to keep on asking Him, no matter how convicted we feel.

So, is this something you feel would be good for you to ask each evening? If so, incorporate it in your end of day prayer. As you get used to this, it most certainly makes one think of how we need to be more and more respectful to Jesus. He is our friend, this is true. But He is also our King - our God. We wouldn't dare consider being disrespectful to our King here in the UK, so we should remember that Jesus is the King of all kings.

There is a need to be careful what comes out of our mouth each time we open it. We also need to clean our heart up because this is where the stuff comes that feeds our mouth with bad things. Once we can say this verse without stumbling, we will know that we have got it right. Our words and our actions will be acceptable to Him and, His love and power will surround us. 

Try and keep sight of the fact that Jesus Christ is our Redeemer. God purchased us at a great price so that we would be able to respect and serve Jesus. We were on route to hell but Jesus grabbed us from the flames and declared that we were His and His alone. When you look at it this way, words become impossible to thank Him for this. But we don't have to, all He wants is our love and allegiance to Him.

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. 

Do Axe Heads Float?

"But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron axe head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, “Alas, master! For it was borrowed.”    2 Kings 6:5   NKJV

Life for a student can be hard work - lots to do, essays, exams and home work each evening. Add to this they may have very little cash to live on, and getting a part time job can be a priority.

We read that Elisha had started a School for Prophets which was well attended. However, after time, the place in Jericho was found to be too small for the students. Therefore, they decided to go and build a new place near the Jordan and asked Elisha to go with them, which he agreed to.

One day as they were cutting down trees, one of the students, lost his axe head and it sank into the deep water. He was beside himself with worry. The axe, which was an expensive one, had been borrowed and the student had no way of retrieving the axe or buying one in replacement. Furthermore, as it was borrowed, he would need to pay the cost to who had loaned him this. It was an impossible task - and impasse, and the student was out of his head with worry and fear. He did the right thing and ran to Elisha and blurted out what had happened. Elisha asked him to show him where it had occurred.

They both looked into the water but it was not possible to see it. So Elisha, cut a stick and threw it into the water where it had fell. Immediately, the axe head floated to the surface. Elisha said, 'Well I've done my bit, now you can do yours. Pick the axe head up. (my words)' Notice that God will do what He has to do but, will expect you to do your bit too. This was a mind-blowing miracle. This axe head was solid iron and very heavy. There is no way that this could float - was there? Yes, as we've seen time and time again, nothing is too hard for God to do. He cares and is interested.

God saw the student's problem. He was in debt with no chance of paying for it. He could go to jail for this but, God saw all of this and rescued the student from the clutches of being a debtor. The Formula was:

THE PROBLEM  The axe head was very heavy and costly too. The student had borrowed this, probably like we would from a hire service. They would want their axe head or money back. But the student couldn't do this. He was in an impossible place to be.

THE MIRACLE  Elisha got a stick and threw it into the water in the area the axe and sank. With that, the axe head rose out of the water and floated on the surface.

THE MEANING  This shows God's care and compassion for His people. This young chap was on the brink of a wonderful career but without the axe head, he was in big trouble. God, reached down and changed the situation.

And He will continue to do this as we walk in step with Him. He is interested in the big and the very small areas of our life and is willing to demonstrate this whenever there is a need. Are you missing an axe head? You just need to call on Him!

'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. 

Dry as Old Bones

"And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”   Ezekiel 37:3.  NKJV

Just think of your spiritual life at the moment and ask yourself this question, 'Can these bones live?" Only you know the answer to this question, no one else can answer for you, not even God. God offers here a chance of New Life to whoever will accept it. What He offers is a cure for the dryness that you may be feeling at this time. I'm not speaking of a bone condition or arthritis but a spiritual dryness. 

Be honest, do you feel dry? Why is this? There is a need to find the answer to this condition. What is making you feel dry? Dryness brings a brittleness about it caused, probably by lack of moisture, lack of life and loss of vitality and hope. It makes you feel like saying, 'What's the point?'  There is every point but you need to trace the beginning of it and throw it out in the name of Jesus. Amen?

When you're withered, weak and have a feeling of dryness and drought, this often signifies God's judgement or withheld favour. Don't forget that brittleness brings a tendency to break easily, and this is something that you need to stay on top of. How can you confess that you are a Child of God if you're on the floor more times than you are full of life?

Ask yourself, do you have a feeling that you are not good enough. Others are far more brainier than you are and this is why they are successful. Stop there. Number one, you are good enough; God made you in His image so if you have a feeling that you are lacking in some area, try and find what that is. Look at the disciples, they were a bunch of uneducated fishermen and yet, they moved with the power of God when they finally realised their worth. Come on, get back up again.

You are good enough; you are accepted by Jesus, He thinks so much of you that He went to the cross in your place. Stop thinking negative and stop distancing yourself from the one who loves you more than anyone could do. Jesus is you friend and you'll never find anyone more faithful as He is.

Read your bible, pray and enjoy each moment with the one who says about you 'My dear friend, you are special to me. I love 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. 

Be Anxious for Nothing

"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus". 

                                                                    Philippians 4:19    NKJV

As we serve and bless God, He in return will bless us. People in the UK today, are concerned about what the Budget will bring forth - higher tax, lower wage, higher economy, pensions hacked etc. But, if we have placed God in His rightful place, in our hearts, we can face and overcome anything that is thrown at us.

We are not full of fear, we're full of Jesus and He will never let us down. As we give to Him - our everything, including our money, He will ensure that we are ok. Mind you, we must notice that this verse is not a written assurance that we can spend, spend, spend  selfishly because we know God will supply some more. It doesn't work like that. We need to be sure that we don't take this verse out of context. Paul was referring to the people giving to him and to others to bless and provide for them when they were needy; and this is what God means here. We should also make sure that we honour God with our wealth by tithes and offerings. After all, He has given to us and we should reciprocate.

When we bless God and others in such a way as this, the blessing and the miracle comes our way and our needs are met. So, if we play our part, God will play His as well. He is not concerned about what governments will do at all. They may raise taxes, chop pensions and raise mortgages and this may make us fret. But it doesn't cause Jesus to fret at all. He is in charge. He has made provision for us and will continue to do so and it's like He says 'If you will, I will.' 

If you are honouring God with your wealth, there is no need to be anxious for anything. Jesus is in charge and will continue to be so forevermore. Just remember:

'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.

Meditate on These Things'.  Philippians 4:6-7

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. 

Your Blessing!

"The Lord bless you and keep you; 25The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; 26The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” 

                                                                  Numbers 6:24-26    NKJV

This is a Priestly Blessing given by God to Moses in order that he bless the people with it.  Let's just pick it apart for a moment: it is to bless you - to keep and protect you - to have God's face shine upon you - To be gracious to you - to lift up His countenance and favour upon you and to give you peace. And this is God's perfect peace, Shalom Shalom.

God's instructions to Moses was to ask Aaron to bless the Israelites with these words. It is a guide for God's people to bless others as well. One only has to read and meditate on the words to realise the affect they would have on people - total blessing.

DL Moody wrote these words:

'Here is a benediction that can go all the world over, and can give all the time, without being impoverished. Every heart may utter it: it is the speech of God: every letter may conclude with it; every day may begin with it; every night may be sanctified by it. Here is a blessing - keeping - shining - uplifting upon our poor life of all heaven's glad morning. It is the Lord Himself who brings this bar of music from heaven's infinite anthems'

                                                     (DL MOODY - Notes from my Bible. P41)

Just think, when God's face shines upon you, He looks to invoke benefits; but when He hides His face, He is angry. Let us always endeavour to remain in His blessing. Try using these words of blessing in your own life - to your spouse, children, your partner even your friends. It is a great way to start the day, carrying God's peace and the blessing throughout your day. Then, prior to bedtime, use them again to ensure you have a peaceful sleep. My wife and I have blessed each other this way for long time and, always end with Shalom, Shalom.

To bless someone means to pronounce the favour of God upon the person. Remember that.

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. 

Shalom, Shalom

"You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. 4Trust in the Lord forever, For in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength".

                                                                                   Isaiah 26:3-4    NKJV

I consider this verse to be one of the most classic of verses in the bible. It is a verse that we need to claim for each day; it says it all. As we remain focused on Jesus He will give us His peace. It is the peace Paul mentions in Philippians:

'and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.'  Philippians 4:7. Jesus also mentioned this peace in John 14:27 'Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.'

This peace is not only valid in the kingdom age, but also for all those who tune their minds to God's spiritual realities. The ambitions of selfish sinners will crumble, but the Llord Himself is an everlasting rock v4.

The term 'Perfect Peace' is expressed in Hebrew by Shalom, Shalom, a Hebrew method of putting great emphasis on a word. The word Shalom implies health, happiness, well-being and peace. The word translated mind is not the usual Hebrew word, but rather is a word meaning 'creative imagination.' Isaiah's thought is that he whose creative imagination, the seat of plans and ideas, is firmly founded on the eternal Lord, will enjoy Shalom in all its implications.

Therefore, if you want to be close to Jesus and flow in His peace at all times, change you thought life. Train your mind to focus on the things of God and stay focused this way. Pray that God will help you to change your thinking by renewing your mind. It takes practice and dedication but it is possible to achieve this. God won't do this for you but, as soon as He sees that you are trying to do it, He will give you the help, power and support to accomplish the job.

Why not use this verse each day as you come to have a time with Jesus. Make the verse personal to yourself and after a time, things will begin to change in your 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.