Daily life with Jesus by Grahame Howard

Sunday, 14 December 2025

"I never knew you!

"21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!" Matthew 7:21-23. NKJV

When I was a new Christian and read this account above, it put real fear in me. Just the thought that Jesus could say, 'I never knew you' was real scary. Even now at the back of my mind, it makes me think. You may feel the same way, so let us ponder this.

Can you lose you salvation? We've already seen from previous studies over the past few months, that we can't. If we have asked Jesus into our life, then we possess eternal life and will be with Jesus and other Christians in heaven when we die. There are though, many people who believe they are believers, but aren't. They may have had a brief encounter with Jesus, like we see in scripture, however, they have decided not to make a commitment to Him and have gone their own way. As we know, there are many people who have been in the church for many years, who have never asked Jesus to be their Lord and Saviour. They just assume that because they go to church every Sunday and have a bible, that this is all you need. This is not the case.

Jesus told Nicodemus, a prominent Pharisee and ruler of the Jews, that he must be born again. This confused him and he asked Jesus how this could be. Jesus told him that he must first be born of water - a reference to physical birth and the Spirit to enter the kingdom (John 3:5). Thus, Jesus was contrasting physical birth with spiritual birth. This was the way to God's kingdom, being born physically (of water and flesh) and also supernaturally (of the Spirit). This is called being born again.

Therefore, if you have been born again in such a way, you are a Christian and possess eternal life, with a guaranteed entry into heaven. This, however, does not mean you can sit back and wait for this to happen, and be involved in things that you know you should not be involved with. Being a Christian doesn't mean that you will never sin again - far from it. There are times when you may let God down so badly that you will question whether you are saved or not. Be reassured, you are, and are just one of the many of us who behave in such a way every now and then. As soon as you confess your sin, you are forgiven 1 John 1:9.

So, don't get confused or worried that Jesus will tell you that He never knew you. If you belong to Him, you are more likely to hear words such as, 'Well done, My good and faithful servant.'

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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Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard.

Saturday, 13 December 2025

What about him Lord?

"Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” 21Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”
22Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.” John 21:20-22 NKJV

Jesus had just restored Peter to his rightful position and given him some information concerning his future death. One would have thought that being forgiven for denying Jesus three times and then being restored to the team with leadership promises, Peter would have been over the moon. However, Peter still had his rough edges and they showed here, 'But Lord, what about this man?' v21.

Of course, Peter was referring to John, who had leaned on Jesus' breast at the supper. Perhaps there was a little jealousy there, after all he was only human and the Holy Spirit had not fully, fallen upon him yet. Jesus was very firm with Peter and basically told him to do what He told him to do and mind his own business about John.

Whatever we do; wherever we go, we will always walk in our humanity, that is until we are filled with the power of God. Even so, there will always be the opportunity to return to where we were, and this is where Satan comes in. 'God didn't say that, did He; I'm sure He meant something else. Go on, do it, God will tell you off if you don't' These words are similar to what he spoke to Eve about that day in the garden. He is very convincing and, given and inch he will take a mile.

This is what we are up against in our daily walk. We are tempted to think bad things about other people, especially fellow Christians. Satan gives us an untruth, and we take the bait and create a bad atmosphere when we are around these people. We need to remember what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:7: '(Love) bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.' In other words, we should always think the best of people until we are proven wrong.

We've all done it; we've all pointed the finger at our brother or sister. We've all had an accusatory word about someone, firing at them before we know the whole truth. We should probably remember the sworn statement said in a court of law, 'I promise to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth' This statement is a binding law and any other thing we may say, will perjure ourselves. Think of this when we are holding on to accusations about someone. Unless it is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, perhaps it may be wise to refrain from slandering or accusing someone.

Think, what would Jesus do and you will have the answer!

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Friday, 12 December 2025

Turn the Light On

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."

John 1:1-5 NKJV

Well, we're about two weeks away from the festive period - Christmas and Jesus' birthday, and as people do their shopping, put up their lights and generally look forward to the holiday, I am still surprised how many people still see Our Lord as the baby Jesus. It's a nice thought for children but, Jesus is not a baby anymore. That was thousands of years ago. He has moved on; many in this world have not.

Just a look at today's scripture; we see very clearly that Jesus existed much earlier than His birth in that cold, stable. In fact, we see Him described as being with God at the beginning of time. We also see that He is God Himself and 'the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters'. Genesis 1:2. At creation there was God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirt; three separate persons wrapped together as one God.

The place was in total darkness until God said, 'Let there be Light,' and there was Light. Jesus was involved in the creation of this world and, is still involved today. All things were created through the Word - who is Jesus and, Jesus and His Father created you and I. Tony Evans says, 'The existence of life in creation is proof that the created order is not the result of impersonal chance events, as atheistic evolutions assert.' God and His Son Jesus, did it.

Jesus gives light to men v4, and this is because Satan brought temptation into the world and man fell into sin. Jesus is now on a mission to turn this world and its people, back to God. No baby could do this. The Christmas story is wonderful but as Christians, when we see Jesus as a baby in a manger, begin instead to see Him as He is now, Lord of Lords, King of kings. He didn't remain in the manger, He came to earth to save His people and then He died on the cross. However, don't forget, He rose again and is alive today and His power knows no end. One day, He is going to return to earth and take all of His believers to heaven with Him. Note that I said 'Believers', if you are not a believer, quickly become one because when He comes, you will be left behind if you don't.

We all need to turn the light on and stop living in darkness. Jesus is not in the dark, He is Light and lives that way. Everyday of your life, start by turning the light on in your life, every time you wake up. There is darkness all around you but, not within you if you know Jesus.

So turn that Light on now and live for Jesus. He is Light and will show you the way. Say the prayer below to follow Him.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Thursday, 11 December 2025

Still sitting on the sidelines

"For exaltation comes neither from the east Nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one, And exalts another". Psalm 75:6-7 NKJV

Some people have to wait years before things in their lives change for the better. Take for example promotions at work. You may be adequately qualified for this promotion but, up to this moment, it has not happened. Why? Well the answer may be here in this verse.

Take a look at v7 'He puts down one, And exalts another.' God is the means behind our success. We may be able to manipulate promotions but, if God is not in it, then it may go pear-shaped and fail. As I've mentioned above, some people may have waited a long time for this to happen, but up to now, nothing has. You may be one of these waiting people. The word for you is, 'It will happen when it happens.' This may sound harsh but, have you ever considered that God may not want you to be promoted; He may have something better for you, but you can't see this because you have been fixated on this one thing.

You may have seen other people being raised up into a better job with good prospects and, this has been hard to accept. I wonder how the disciples had felt when all of a sudden, this guy who was a Pharisee, and had been treating Christians awfully because of their faith, had been suddenly changed in a dramatic way on the Damascus Road and raised up into the hierarchy of their team. Think about it, this would have cut deeply into their souls. It would be like taking a notorious spy from the enemy side and putting him or her into your side - your team. This would have felt very difficult to accept.

We can be left sitting on the sidelines for a great time wondering if we're ever going to be called onto the field to take someone else's place in the game. Sometimes, it doesn't happen.

God is the one that has the power to change things for you but, you must accept that He may not do this. He may have something better for you; He may want you to change your job or, He may just want you to remain doing what you're doing. If the latter is the case, there is only one thing that can work well and, this is to just accept what you're doing.

But are you willing to do this? Have you ever considered that God may have a special assignment for you at your workplace? You may be the only Christian there and God is waiting for someone to start there who has suffered a lot of hurt and disappointment in their life. And He may just have chosen you to do the job of speaking to him and introducing him to Jesus. Food for thought?

Think about it. We never know what God is going to do next. At this time, you are in His will and if you become promoted, you may not have the chance to see this person. It's just a thought of course, but worth considering.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Wednesday, 10 December 2025

It takes two to tango

“Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”
11She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” John 8:10-11 NKJV

Today, we see Jesus in a Catch 22 situation. The Pharisees had brought to Him a woman who had been caught in the very act of adultery. They reminded Him of what Moses had said in the law, that anyone caught in adultery should be stoned to death. They wanted to catch Him out. If He agreed that she should be executed, He would set Himself up to override Roman authority because no one could execute someone themselves without the agreement of the hierarchy. If He said that they should let here go, once again He would be betraying the law of Moses. It really was a Catch 22 situation.

The Pharisees were not interested in the woman. They didn't know her predicament, she may have been desperate for money and this was the only way she could eat. This obviously didn't make it right because she was breaking the law. One thing comes to mind, 'Where was the man who had been caught with her?' It takes two to tango but, for some reason he was nowhere to be found. Also, they had told Jesus that she was caught in the 'very act'. If they knew this, it proves that they must have been there in the house. Why? Why were they in there; had they broken in which would have been against the law? There were lots of things not right about their accusations. It goes to show that the Pharisees were hard people; full accusatory statements and judgemental with it. There are still people around in our society who could fit into this role. Be careful and wise.

The absence of the man caught in the same situation also flags up that the Pharisees were full of hypocrisy. Surely, they would know what was written about adultery in the law. Leviticus 20:10, Deuteronomy 22:22 are very clear about the punishment of both man and woman. But they ignored this fact. There was certainly some prejudice about at this time.

Jesus' reaction hit them right in the stomach, 'He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first'. v7. What an answer; it cleared the place. Who among them was qualified to judge her? Matthew 7:1-2. It's the same today. Whenever we judge someone, the same judgement comes back upon us. so be very careful what you say about people.

In conclusion, Jesus' comments to the woman caught in adultery show His heart to us all. He didn't condone her act, let's be sure of that. However, He told her not to be involved in sinful situations again. Let us realise that the devil is around us and, he will attempt to expose anything about us that isn't clean.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Tuesday, 9 December 2025

The Power in Fellowship

"When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance".

Acts 2:1-4 NKJV

When the Day of Pentecost came, 50 days after Passover, the disciples were together in a house. The word 'together' means in the Greek Koinonia, a word meaning of one accord and of one heart. This type of fellowship cements the believers to each other and to the Lord Jesus. They truly become one. When Koinonia is present, the Holy Spirit is in attendance in power.

And this was happening here. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like a mighty wind of hurricane form and it filled the house where they all sat. Tongues as of fire fell on each of them and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and they began to speak in other tongues. At the time of Pentecost, which was a Jewish holiday, Jerusalem was full of people visiting for the time of the wheat harvest and also commemorating the giving of the law on Mount Sinai. In the Old Testament is was known as the Festival of Weeks. Therefore, when they heard the sounds from the house, they were all confused because they were all from different nations and yet, they recognised their own language being spoken.

Many call this the Baptism of the Spirit but the evidence of tongues would be recognised as a gift at a later stage. Jesus had told them earlier on (Acts 1:5) that they would be baptised in the Holy Spirit and part of this was now taking place. However, it would take explanation from Peter to the crowd of what they were witnessing. This preaching session brought in an excess of 3000 souls with many more from thereon.

The main thing I want to direct you to is the Koinonia fellowship. When people meet together, of one accord, with no issues between any of them, the Holy Spirit can work amazingly in people's lives. When we are cemented to each other and to the Lord Jesus, it is a recipe for amazing power, in fact outrageous power and people are saved by the impact of it all. They can't resist.

But it will only happen when we get it right. The disciples had it right and look what happened. It can and will happen to us as well as we give all of ourself to each other and to Jesus.

Get your bibles out, pray, study and learn and pretty soon people will begin to notice and SUDDENLY you will have people all around you. Try it and see.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Monday, 8 December 2025

Nothing you do for Jesus is ever wasted

"And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head. 4But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted? 5For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they criticised her sharply".

Mark 14:3-5. NKJV

Jesus was the honoured guest at Simon the leper's house, possibly in gratitude for being healed from this terrible disease. As Jesus sat there, a young woman came to Him with a jar of very expensive oil and poured it over His head. Now, this oil was worth the equivalent of a year's pay and this provoked some anger from some present. In defence of the girl, whose name was Mary, and was probably Mary of Bethany, Lazarus and Martha's sister, Jesus told the people that they would always have the poor with them, and they could help them with their own means if they felt so strongly. However, Mary had recognised that Jesus would not be around much longer and this perfume was to anoint Him for His burial.

Let's get things straight here, this perfume was owned by Mary, it belonged to her. Therefore, she could choose to do with it what she wanted. It was nothing to do with anyone else. This reminded me of a recent occurrence a week or so back. I was out walking in some public gardens with my wife, when we came across a chap who was selling magazines. He shouted to us that he was freezing and could we give him some money for a cup of coffee, in order to warm himself up. My wife complied with this and he went away happy. Now some people would say that we should never give a street person any money - 'they will only waste it on drugs or booze. You should take them to get what they need.' That may be so, but they may also be genuine, like Jesus was with Mary, He was gracious and showed her trust. It was my wive's money and she can do what she wants with it. This act, may just be remembered and may bring him into the kingdom, we never know.

Like the religious people of the day who witnessed Mary's act, they were ruled by the cost and not by what she was doing for Jesus. We should all do the same for the people in need on our streets. They are cold, hungry and have no self respect. Just an act of kindness can bring them proof that some people care for them. We don't know what brought them to be homeless or in great need and we should always be wise not to go too far. But, a few coins can give them hope.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Daily life with Jesus by Grahame Howard

Sunday, 14 December 2025

"I never knew you!

Saturday, 13 December 2025

What about him Lord?

Friday, 12 December 2025

Turn the Light On

Thursday, 11 December 2025

Still sitting on the sidelines

Wednesday, 10 December 2025

It takes two to tango

Tuesday, 9 December 2025

The Power in Fellowship

Monday, 8 December 2025

Nothing you do for Jesus is ever wasted

Leading up to the unpardonable sin

Daily life with Jesus by Grahame Howard

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