Attitude

"But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you slaughtered the fattened calf for him"  v30    Luke 15:28-30  Christian Standard Bible 

The Prodigal, as we saw yesterday, has returned home, broken and crushed and full of repentance, and his father has thrown a party to celebrate this fact. However, his brother is not happy about this, 'this son of yours'.

When a person returns to Jesus after falling away for a time, not everyone is happy and greets them with open arms. If this is you, you may have noticed this. Some begrudge the fact that a person has been away from the fold and then returns. The people, who have an attitude, feel they shouldn't be welcomed back but, if they are, they should not receive a pat on the back for it.

This is how the older brother felt. He was angry that a party had been thrown for him and the fattened calf slaughtered. Everyone seemed delighted but, not him, not only was he angry but, he began speaking from his child ego, refusing to go into the house where the celebrations were taking place. No matter how much the father tried, he refused to enjoy the party and he began complaining, criticising and judging and then feeling sorry for himself. One can see his point to a degree, after all, he had remained fathful and hardworking while his brother took half of the inheritance and blasted it on wild living; yet, now he was being treated like a king. One can almost hear him saying, 'It's not fair.'

He had a heart problem - it was full of pride and now hate and, his attitude matched this. He had no compassion, sympathy or love for his brother. Note the father's comments in verse 32; he matches the language of the older son, 'But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found' (CSB). The older son had referred to his brother as , 'this son of yours' v30. The father was reminding him that this was his brother and he needed compassion and forgiveness.

And it is the same for us. People in the church may offend us; they may hurt and anger us but, we need to get our attitude right because they are our brother or sister. We all make mistakes and we all need forgiveness for making them. Our remit is to love and uphold a brother or sister who may be in the wrong, or may have taken a wrong turn but then returned to the fold.

Let us remember that, this is what Jesus did for each of us. So, keep checking your attitude!

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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Return to Your Father

"And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.  21And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son."  V20 of  Luke 15:11-32   NKJV

Jesus told a parable about a father and his two sons. One was stable in his ways, dedicated to helping out on the farm, while the other son had itchy feet. He longed to see what the world had to offer in the cities. He therefore, asked his father for his share of the inheritance that he and his brother were entitled to. His father complied and set off on his new adventure.

However, when he had squandered all of his money living life in the fast lane, with his newly found friends, he was nothing but a pauper. He found a job feeding pigs, a livestock hated by the Jews, and he recognised that the pigs ate better than he did. He finally decided to go back home to his father and repent. His father had been hoping for his return and looked for him everyday. When he saw him in the distance, he ran to him, kissed and hugged him and welcomed him home. The Prodigal hardly had the chance to repent, he was so loved v20-24. This describes beautifully, how our Father - God Himself, searches for us when we are far a way from Him. He longs for your return and will welcome you with open arms and blessing.

You may not have have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, or you may have known Him and walked away just like the Prodigal did. The lure of worldly things can be so tempting but when the chips are down, no one wants to know, you're basically on your own. The Prodigal found this out. While his money lasted, he was a 'Splendid chap', but when it had all gone, he became 'Billy no- mates',

You may be like this; you've tried everything the world has to offer and found out that it is not what you thought it would be like. You may be down on your luck with not a friend in the world. Someone, you loved dearly may have broken your heart and you feel shattered. But deep down, something is drawing you; you may have a desire to visit a church but you are sure that they won't accept you. Let me just say that, whatever you have done, Jesus Christ will accept you and give you a brand new start. He has been waiting and looking for you. Why not come to Him now!

'Lord Jesus, I feel so lonely and depressed. Will you help me please? I feel all alone with no future but, I have a hope in You. I have burdens and fears that weigh me down but, deep down I know You can help me. Please come into my life and forgive my sins and fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give myself to You now. Amen

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

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Watch your Reactions

"Repay no one evil for evil"  v17 of Romans 12:14-17   NKJV

This can also be known as 'Tit for Tat’ repaying eye for an eye. Back in Babylonian times, one of the kings brought in The Code of Hammurabi, recognised then as The Lex Talionis, or in other words, The Law of Tit for Tat. Jesus abolished the old law and introduced a non-resentment and non-retaliation code - Love.

Sadly, it still exists in some quarters where people seek revenge for things done to them. But this is not the way Jesus would have us behave. Yes, people hurt us and do all sorts of unkind things to maim us. However, we are called to be like Jesus and refuse to retaliate and allow God room to handle this for us. And He will!

As I've mentioned in the past, when we have asked Jesus to be our Lord and Saviour, we have died to self. Our sins have been forgiven and we belong to Him. Baptism by submersion is symbolic of this. When we go under the water, we are dying to our old life. When we come out of the water again, we are being raised to a new life in Jesus.

Therefore, we are dead to reaction. Dead men don't react. So when we are treated badly, we refuse to act badly in return. One may say that this is rather like being a doormat. However, check Jesus' reactions when in similar circumstances; He was mostly silent to His accusers. This is hard to accept but, we need to adopt this attitude.

I once read a book called The Passion for Souls by a Canadian pastor called Oswald J Smith. It had been written around the 1950's. He had preached a sermon about reactions and had entitled the sermon, 'No Attack - No Defence' and this is something that has remained with me for around 40 years. It is a discipline, one that is learnt over a time - it is rarely instant. We don't retaliate or attack, we just leave it all to Jesus.

Thoughts come into our minds about what someone has said to us or, what they may have done to hurt us. It serves no purpose to focus on this; we need to refuse to think about such things. These thoughts are from the devil, sent to antagonise and intimidate us. They have the ability to keep us immobile. Stop thinking them by replacing your thoughts with wholesome things such as:

'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. ' Philippians 4:8   NKJV

'And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.  16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.  17And 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 3:3:15-17  NKJV

Think about good things and refuse to listen to things that will not build you up. But most of all. Watch your Reactions

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

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Read the Instructions

"My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; 22For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh"       Proverbs 4:20-22   NKJV

Most people today buy something such as, a Smart TV, Watch, Hi Fi unit or even a car and never really pay much attention to the instructions. Life appears to be too busy to face reading a thick instruction manual, that is daunting, so they cut corners. The perils of this is when something fails to work properly, or a button is pressed that shouldn't be, we say it's not working and want to return it to the store. It is not helped when there is no hard copy and the Instruction Manual has to be downloaded. Many people avoid this and get into the same problems.

Our text today encourages us to give attention to God's words, in fact, to listen properly by inclining the ear. Counsellors often use this technique to show that they are listening properly, to what is being said. As we read our bibles and listen to God, we are being instructed. Just like the instructions are important for a piece of equipment, the bible, also is vital to our lives. God's word contains directions that show the way forward. Verse 22 says, 'For they are life to those who find them and health to all their flesh.' We need instruction in living our lives properly, which may include bringing up our children and teaching them accordingly. A happy, stable marriage and home is the reward of investing in the instructions of the Lord.

What we teach our children today, will be a blue print of how they may teach their children. If we fail to instruct them wisely, they will want to avoid this with their own. Some of us may have got it wrong in the early days of family life because of being overly-religious or not living the life with our children. This may have had a bad effect on them. We do make mistakes but we can learn from them. Therefore it's never too late to change this by confessing our mistakes to them.

A healthy walk with God starts with a healthy relationship with Him. There is no chance of really getting to know Him unless, we meet with Him on a regular basis. This is where our daily quiet time comes in, which includes reading the bible, praying and listening - feeding on His word and getting instruction. This is where the life comes from and, He wants to give it in abundance John 10:10. Don't ignore this or give it second place. He requires the first place in our lives. 

You may have made mistakes in the past but, He can help you repair the damage. All you need to do is ask Him and listen. This way you will get instruction.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

        

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Unshakeable Faith

 "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.  17If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.  18But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

                                                                                     Daniel 3:16-18   NKJV

Nebuchadnezzar created a huge golden image, possibly depicting himself, and made a declaration that when a certain sound of music was played from the instruments, everyone would need to bow down and worship this god-like figure. Failure to do so would mean being cast into burning fiery furnaces. There are similarities in the actions of certain dictators of the past. Men who wanted so much power that they would stop at nothing to achieve this status.

Pride is a dangerous thing. It is selfish and conceited and only thinks of itself. It takes glory in no one, except its own self esteem. People such as this, seek their own agenda and praise, wanting what they want and now! They will stop at nothing to fulfil their dream. It's possible that Nebuchadnezzar was wanting to create his own faith. It is thought that he been a sort of believer in the past but, had fallen away. This may have been a way back for him and could bring people to support him much more, instead of rebelling.

When Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego heard about this they were adamant; they would not bow down to anyone except Jehovah. They told the king this, saying their God would be able to deliver them from this violently, hot death. But, it is their words in verse 18 that stand out above all the others: 'But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up'. They were demonstrating, Unshakeable Faith, they would not compromise; whether God rescued them or not, they would still be faithful to Him, they would still worship Him.

This is the sort of faith God looks for in each of us. We may ask Him to heal us but, if He doesn't, we still praise Him. We may walk through many storms and suffer much but, we still give Him the glory. He gave His life for us. How could we ever fail to worship Him? He is the only true God. May we always have Unshakeable Faith, no matter what we may face.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

        

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God's Daily Benefits

"Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name." v1 

                                                                                               Psalm 103:1-5  NKJV  

Most places throughout the world have a benefit system where people on low income; are disabled or unable to work for some other reason, may receive benefits so that they can live as comfortably as possible. This helps people, but God has a better benefit system and this one is not means-tested. This is better than any other system; the benefits not only meet our needs but, they take care of everything we need.

The other day, I witnessed someone completing an in-depth form so they could claim Attendance Allowance - a benefit that qualifies certain people over retirement age, who have some type of disability. Question after question requested information of how the disability affected their daily lives. It made me think how God provides each believer with the best benefits available and, there are no forms to fill out to receive them either. The benefits are offered instantly.

Let's take a look at these benefits:

Forgiveness  No matter what we have done in the past or will do in the future, God forgives us as we repent, confessing this sin to Him.

Healing  God is our healer. He will heal us when we ask Him in faith. It may be an instant healing or, it may take some time and, He may not heal as we would expect Him to. Sadly for some, there appears to be no healing at all. There is no answer at times such as this, but, He can be relied on.

Redeems  He recovers our life from disaster as we turn to Him at conversion and, He continues to redeem us from all types of life events, even near death experiences.

Crowns  He is our King and He treats us like one as well, taking care of all issues that come against us.

Satisfies and Renews  He provides for us so that we are able to eat, drink and be clothed with nice garments. He provides us with family, a home and all we need. This may be something that we have not been used to so, it is a renewing process for some.

He does all of this on a daily basis. The KJV and NKJV both quote Psalm 68:19 as, 'Blessed be the LORD, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation.' He brings us a lorry load of benefits each day because, of His great love for us. This is why David wrote, 'Bless the LORD, O my soul (Mind, Will & Emotions)  and all that is within me (Everything we have) bless His holy name.'

He is our Lord, our King and our friend. He loves us more than I could ever explain here. Words fail when we think of the great compassion and faithfulness, He has for us. Just worship and thank Him

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

        

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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What is your Foundation?

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

26“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:  27and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”  

                                                                               Matthew 7:24-27  NKJV

Many believers have begun a project, such as their own business, new job or even a place at uni, to find it all go wrong. Why is this? If God directs our lives, why do such ventures go wrong? It may be because, more than likely, they have built this project on sand.

Sand sinks; walk out to the water's edge on any sandy beach and, as you step on the sand you will notice that an indentation is formed. The further you go out, the deeper the indentation will be and, on some beaches you will have to be careful of encountering dangerous quicksands. It is impossible to build on this type of ground unless, a strong foundation is laid. For the believer, this can mean if you build something the Lord is not wanting you to build, it could all collapse or be very difficult to manage with many struggles.

So what can we do when God is leading us into something, or we feel that He is? Check these: 

Proverbs 16:3 (NIV) says 'Commit to the LORD, whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.'

Psalm 32:8 (NIV) 'I will instruct you and teach you, in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.'

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) 'Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding 6 'in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.'

Essentially, we need to seek God's direction. If we're not careful, we can rush into something we feel is right, only to realise it was a wrong turn, and suffer a collapse. This can be upsetting, soul-destroying and embarrassing. I read somewhere just recently that' Haste makes waste.' It is true; we should always ensure that we have God's approval before dashing into something. So if you feel something stir within you, or you feel God leading you to do a particular thing, ask Him to confirm it. Don't rush in hastily; pray and wait for God's answer.

When you do this, it will be in accordance with God's Word and if He gives you the 'go ahead' you will be building on the rock - Jesus your sure foundation. If He doesn't give the 'go ahead' for this project, thank and praise Him and then wait for further directions from Him.

Copyright 2022 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

        

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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