"I'm fine thank you"

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Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick."
                                                                                                       Matthew 9:12. NKJV

Jesus was talking with some tax collectors and others and made this statement to the Pharisees, who had accused Him of eating with them and other sinners. Jesus made it clear that 'tax collectors and sinners' are the reason He came to earth - to reach these people and change their lives. He wanted them well!

On the subject of being well, how many times do we tell people that we are ok when we're not? We may have a raging headache or other ailment or even a major problem, but we answer them with a lie. I remember seeing my doctor a few years ago. When I walked into the surgery, the conversation went something like this:

"Oh, hello, come in, how are you?' I replied, 'I'm fine thanks, really well.' He looked at me and said, 'Then why are you here?'

It really made me think. This is something that we all do. We see people in the street and in the short greeting, we tell them that we're fine, when really, we're not. Mostly, the answer is a general one. We don't share our personal stuff with people we don't know very well. However, what about others; people at church? I know for a fact that I have attended on a Sunday and said that I'm fine when I'm far from it. Is it that we're embarrassed with people, or if we hold an important role at the church, we're not supposed to be ill or depressed?

We need to be real. We need to be honest with people. That way, people can pray for us and show us that they care. We can also do the same for others when they say they're not feeling too good. But when we're in a conversation with someone who shares that they have a sickness or a problem in their life, give them your whole attention. Show them that you care and are willing to listen; and willing to try and help. Don't just pat them on the shoulder, say you'll pray for them and walk away. That type of thing is so demoralising, but sadly it is a regular thing in some circles.

How would Jesus want us to be with people who are in need. We only have to look in the Gospels to see His love in action. We need to be more like Him. There's a lot of hurting people in this world and, if we claim to be a Christian, then we are His ambassador and He would want us to handle things just like He did. You say, I can't be like Jesus. Of course you can. He lives in your heart; the Holy Spirit has taken up residence there too. He told us to 'lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.' Mark 16:18.

What more do you want. People need you; they need help. God says go, then go!

Copyright 2019 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

Acquittal Notice

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"13 And you being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it."
                                                                                                           Colossians 2:13-15  NKJV

Imagine if you were in court charged with something and were awaiting sentence for a crime that you were guilty of. The pressure would be enormous. However, imagine if the judge told the court that he could see nothing wrong whatsoever and he was going to dismiss the charges against you and set you free The feeling would be one of great surprise, shock and eventually joy, because you would be free and have no charge to answer for.

Well, this is what Jesus did for us all. Before we knew Jesus, we were covered in sin. According to God's law, we were guilty of our sin and we would have to pay the price. The devil, who is responsible for all the sin in this world, would be jumping for joy, because you would be on your way to his department - death and hell. It is written in Romans 6:23:

'For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord'

Jesus died in our place; He took the price of our sin and died on the cross in our place. He paid the debt for us so that we could have life.

The devil had placed a note on the cross accusing us of all the things that we have done wrong in our lives, and let's face it, there is a lot!. In our own strength, that note would be there, flapping about for all to see. At the bottom of the note was written, 'This person is guilty and is going to die in this sin.' However, because of Jesus' actions in dying in our place, He declared us 'Not Guilty.' He made the devil look stupid and weak and wiped the slate clean for us. The Certificate of Death was cancelled. He had paid things in full and the accusatory note was ripped up and destroyed. It was as if it had never existed. Eternal life with Jesus was the intended route.

Note the word, 'Intended." God intends for us to go to Heaven and spend eternity with Him. However, just because Jesus died in our place and declared us not guilty, does not guarantee that Heaven is where we are going. Jesus has paved the way; but we need to do something that will make us qualify for this journey to take place. We need to to believe in Him, but not only to believe, because the devil believes in Him too. "You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe - and tremble." James 2:19. The demons and the devil who controls them, believe but they are trembling because they know their time is short and they will have to answer for all the havoc and hurt they have caused. No just believing in God is not enough. We have to accept Jesus into our hearts and confess Him as our Lord and Saviour. This is the only way. Many people will have a great shock when they die, if they haven't accepted Jesus as their Lord. Don't be one of them!

'Lord Jesus, I confess You as my Lord and Saviour. I ask You into my heart. Please forgive all of my sins and fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Amen

Copyright 2019 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

It's not over until it's over

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"Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green." 
                                                                                           Psalm 92:14  NLT

A chap once said to me, 'There is no retirement in the Kingdom of God.' We were discussing retirement and what he would be doing when he finally had to leave work. It made me think of men of God from the past, such as Moses. He was 80 years of age before God called him to go and bring the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt. That would be unthinkable in our culture because we have fixed in our minds that when a person reaches retirement age, that will be the time when they will wind down somewhat and concentrate on hobbies such as the garden or cooking. 

However, that is not the case. I have found since I retired that I am busier now than I have ever been. God has shown me that retirement has freed me up to concentrate on what He wants me to do, instead of being committed to a work contract. 

As a Christian, who has reached retirement age, God does not place a person in a home for the elderly. Far from it. He has invested quite a few years in that person and now they are able to be free enough do and go where He directs. Retirement is just the beginning.

Many people become depressed when they eventually reach retirement age. They've worked all their life and been active. Now work has come to an end, some have wound down so much, that there is no point in anything. God doesn't want that for people. He wants retirement to be a thing of the past and even though to many people, the grey hair gives the age away, there is still far more that can be offered. There is life to be had and room to bless people. Retired people, for one thing, have a vast experience that can be shared to the younger generation. God doesn't wish for the years of gained experience to just fizzle out and be lost. He wants people to share this. 

Retired people were young once, and they were also inexperienced. Thank goodness that there were older people around that could teach and mentor us in the things of God. Old age affects us all. There's no getting around it. Everyone becomes grey at some stage. But there is no way that a retired person should be put out to graze and be forgotten about. They have a voice and a brain and younger people can benefit from the vast experience that they have to offer.

To tell the truth, life for Moses was only just beginning. As DL Moody says, 'He had spent 40 years in Egypt thinking he was a somebody. Then 40 years in the wilderness learning he was a nobody and then, another 40 years seeing what God can do with a nobody.'

God's idea of retirement is, 'It's not over until it's over.' Grey-headed people are important and a force to be reckoned with. They pave the way for the future generation who have a lot to learn before, they too become a grey head. 

If you're retired or reaching that age, rejoice, God has some work for you that only you can do. Get excited about it, even if other people are not. You are valuable!

Copyright 2019 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

Time

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"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. Verse 1"
                                                                                               Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Note this verse carefully; it says there is a time for every purpose. It's there in a nutshell. We often claim that we do not have the time to do all we have allocated for the day. But, that may be down to bad planning. The Word of God is true. We can't get away from this fact. There is time for every purpose. However, we need to take a look at how we handle our day.

If we have not the time to do what is required for the day, then perhaps we have taken on too much! We need to prioritise, making sure that the most important things of the day are taken care of and the less important ones, possibly left until tomorrow, or better still, delegated to someone else.

When our days are packed with loads of things to do, then an order of priority is the only way to approach these matters. Braking things down into bite-sized chunks (manageable pieces) makes good sense. This basically means looking at what's on the list for today and planning how to negotiate it. It may be that the thing we have broken down into manageable pieces, can be broken down again to make things that much easier. If anything more urgent crops up during this time, then that must take priority. A diary or a To Do list must be flexible, otherwise it can lead to stress and disaster. Learn to prioritise. It takes practice, but it makes for a better, manageable day.

God has given us ample time to meet every busy demand. It's us that mess it all up. One of the things that can lead to stress and unrest is time-keeping. God is always onetime, never early and never late. Therefore, we need to work in such a way too. There is nothing that causes more indignity than booking appointments for a particular time and then being 30 minutes or so late. It doesn't show the person you are meeting, that you are busy. It shows a lack of time management. Of course, occasionally because of one thing or another, this is unavoidable. However, avoid doing it on a regular basis. It adds nothing to one's self-esteem.

A great way of remembering all that needs to be done, is to keep a To Do list or a diary. But if you don't look at these planners, then it will all go pear-shaped. God may keep us waiting for answers to prayer, that is true. But that could either be because we are asking amiss, or the time is not right for God to act yet. Spending time with Him will show the way. There is no way, if we were meeting God for an hour or so, that He would turn up late, so take some lessons from Him. If a church service was due to start at 11am, it would be awful if the pastor or whoever's in charge, turned up 30 minutes late after leaving everyone out in the cold. It just couldn't be. So let us check our time-keeping.

Really it is a discipline and one that is important to take control of. Yes life is busy, things can happen out of the blue, but really, there is no excuse for bad time-keeping. Furthermore, there is a time for everything; it is just a matter of getting it right. It takes practice, hard work and most of all discipline.

Why not manage your time better from now on?

Copyright 2019 Grahame Howard

dailtlifewithjesus@protonmail.com

Being grateful

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"Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."
                                                                                                    Psalm 107:1. NKJV

Cast your mind back to the days when perhaps, money was not so readily available. Those times when you used to window shop without going into the shop to buy, because you just didn't have the money to purchase what you had just been viewing.
I remember when I was young when I used to look in the windows of this immense sports come toy shop. It had so much in the store. It was amazing. All around the outside of the store were windows so it was very easy to peer in longingly at the wonderful sights. I used to press my nose up against the windows so that I could get a better view of some game that was just outside of my view. I would spend ages there, re-visiting most days just doing the same, until that wonderful day when I had received some birthday money. I would then dash to this store and walk inside proudly to buy what I had been looking at all this time. I used to be so grateful when I had received this longing in my heart.

Perhaps you remember the days when your parents could not really afford to purchase certain things for you. My parents did their very best and I really lacked nothing. However, there was always something that the other lads used to have that I didn't. This is life really. There is always someone that appears to have everything while others have a great lack.

 As we grow older and get married and start a family, money can be tight. Children must take priority and once again some parents have to wait until the financial climate is much better before the purchase of something longed for, can be bought. When the children have grown up, left home to start families of their own, that is probably the time when parents can re-invent themselves again. There may be better jobs which bring in a better salary. Both parents may be working, so things begin to brighten up, a lot. Yes, there is still financial pressure of bills, rent or mortgage payments and whatever else. But there seems to be less pressure to it all. It is nice to look in a shop window or view online shops and be able to purchase what we see, without much worry about paying for it all. As long as a person has the funding and is not depending on credit card payments that they can't meet, it's good and a blessing.

I stop and think of the earlier days and I'm so grateful for what God has supplied to me and my family. We are blessed. What about you? Can you say the same? Are you grateful for what God has done in your life. He is so good. You may have financial pressure at this time but, as long as you put God first and trust Him, He will not let you down. He will lead you along the paths of gratefulness. It's not far away.

Try and think back to the times when you had very little. Think of the ways that you have seen God bless you, bail you out of a predicament and put you back on the road again. Do you really feel He's going to leave you on your own now? Of course he isn't. Get your praise music on and start jumping, shouting and singing to God for His faithfulness to you now and for what He is going to bring you in the future. What are you believing Him for? Trust Him, accept it by faith and believe that it's on the way to you.

It is time to look up and be grateful. Its time to thank Jesus for salvation and friendship. It is time to get ready for what He has in store for you. Think big because He is a big God and there is no stopping Him. 

Copyright 2019 Grahame Howard 

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

Leaves but no Fruit

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"18 Now in the morning as He returned to the city, He was hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, 'Let no fruit grow on you ever again." Immediately the fig tree withered away." Matthew 21:18-19

There was a false illusion here and it displeased Jesus. The fig tree was displaying leaves which meant that there should have been figs on the tree. However, there wasn't. It had only the leaves. It was actually displaying that it was fruitful but it was false advertising - letting people believe it had something that it didn't. 

People can do this. Some people profess to have something but in the end it turns out to be untrue. False illusion. Basically, this parable shows God's disapproval of people who are all leaves and no fruit. These type of people display nothing but false hope and untruth and should be avoided wherever possible.

This tree was cursed by Jesus because it professed a lie. It had nothing but leaves. There was an outward form but nothing to back it up. God has immense displeasure when we claim to have fruit but don't. When we claim to have a prophecy but all it is is empty words. Such prophecies have ruined people's lives and in some cases, driven people away from a Godly walk God is not pleased by such behaviour and in a way, it shows that the person who gave the prophecy was displaying no good fruit whatsoever. They were just dried up and should never have attempted to prophesy in the first place. It was all leaves and no fruit.

God doesn't approve when there is a profession of fruit but no reality with it. To put it into the words of David Guzik, 'It is talk without walk.' Jesus commented on this in Matthew 7:15 - 20:

'Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears  good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit , nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire . 20 Therefore, by their fruits you will know them.'   NKJV

Now a word of warning here; not everyone who gives a prophecy that is wrong, is a false prophet. They just lack experience. They should however, be subject to leadership oversight and not be allowed to give a prophecy unless it goes through the leader beforehand. As time goes on, experience would kick in and less strict oversight be necessary. However, it is good practice to adopt this type of controlled ministry in order to avoid completely messing up someone's life with false prophecy.

If a person stays close to God on a daily basis; reading the Word, praying and learning from The Holy Spirit; before long, a level of good fruit will be recognised by the leadership and they will be raised up into their ministry. It is not really possible to expect to bear an overpowering level of fruit without spending time with God. On another note, be careful that you don'y sit on the fruit God has given you, afraid to administer it to whoever He leads you to. If you Bury it, it may shrivel up and die,

Copyright 2019 Grahame Howard 


dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com

Don't take the bait

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"My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent."   Proverbs 1:10. NKJV

In other words, don't take the bait. It would be awful to be a fish and realise, too late, that the tasty morsel floating in the water that we have just bitten into, was actually a trap and we've fell for it and this is the end. This is how it can feel to Christian people who have given in to their craving desires and committed sin.

Solomon here, speaks of sinners. Well we're all sinners, but Christians are sinners, saved by grace. Here Solomon is speaking about people who act in a very sinful way. He is saying, they are the ones to be careful of. 
All around us are temptations and people scheming to get us to do a particular thing that we know we should not be doing. A Christian needs to avoid keeping bad company. Friendships need to be made carefully. Rather like it would be foolish for an alcoholic to keep friends with someone who is a heavy drinker; likewise it would be unwise for a Christian to keep company with someone who is likely to drag them away from their faith.

There used to be an old saying, 'Show me your friends and I can see your future.' There is a degree of truth in this statement. We need to be careful where we go and avoid areas which would do us no good at all. No harm can come to us unless we allow ourselves to join in and consent. So wisdom is the name of the game. Wise people distance themselves from risky situations. 

There has always been risks around in the Christian and non-Christian circuits. It is being careful about what we do and where we go that matters. It is maintaining our values. Men and women can so easily wind up in adulterous relationships, whatever their beliefs. There are many predators out in the world who are skilled in tricking people into things that they would usually avoid. It only takes a few drinks from the wrong people and things can go very wrong. Young Christians become involved in sex and drug taking if they fall into the wrong crowd. Abusive situations happen all over the place, as the media is constantly showing us on a daily basis.

It is not only young Christians who fall to temptations; men and women who have been believers for many years can become involved in adultery and viewing porn on the internet.   
Many Christian marriages are falling foul to the devil, as are Christian ministries where pastors become involved in extra marital affairs. Lives and families are broken in two by unwise behaviour such as this. Daily, Christian marriages are biting the dust because of adultery, alcoholism, drug taking and abuse.The devil is not our friend and if he can force a marriage apart, he will. If he can cause a partner to become involved in adulterous relationships, he will. If he can ruin people's lives and see children placed into a care situation because parents can't say no, he will.

Solomon, who was full of wisdom, had the answer to these temptations many years ago. He clearly said, 'Do not consent.' And that is the bottom line. Be watchful and careful wherever you go and whatever you do. The price is way too high to blow things. Wise up!

Copyright 2019 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com