Thorns

"And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure".                                        2 Corinthians 12:7.  NKJV

Thorns can be very painful if we are unlucky enough to have one pierce our skin. Some thorns are only small, but others can be very long. Jesus had a crown of these forced onto His head and they were probably the long ones. They would have pierced His scalp giving Him great pain and discomfort. Here, Paul was given a thorn in his flesh. Now this was not a physical one but something that was a messenger of Satan v7. It may have been an ailment, eye problem or some other medical condition. Whatever it was, it brought Paul great pain and torment and, despite asking Jesus three times to take this thorn away, Jesus wouldn't. He told Paul, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness' (v9). Therefore, Paul had to put up with this but, God gave him divine grace that was sufficient for Paul's needs. 

But why did this come about? Paul had been caught up in a vision some 14 years ago and he was taken into the third heaven. The first heaven refers to the earth's atmosphere; the second heaven is the area that includes the sun, moon, planets stars and galaxies. The third heaven is the dwelling place of God. Now even though Paul was speaking in the third person about a man this happened to, we know Paul was referring to himself because he was talking about boasting and weaknesses (v1). He was given special privilege to have a tour of heaven. He heard the language of heaven. He saw the inside workings of heaven and may have seen much, much more. It completely changed his life and gave call for him to boast about it when he came out of the vision. However, he didn't wish to do this but, to keep him from boasting, he was given this thorn in his flesh - a reminder not to boast about what he saw.

Speculation about this as been the topic of many theologians and church people over the years but, no-one really knows what the thorn may have been. It was painful and it brought him much torment but it was something Paul had to live with. It could have been anything but what we know, is that the Lord wanted to keep him humble bringing more glory to God. Paul didn't moan about this affliction, in fact, he boasted about it 'Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.' (v10).

If God gives you a thorn in the flesh, it is for your good. He loves you and wants the best for you. It has a purpose and it is a sign that He is forming you into the person He wants you to be. Many people of God - some well known leaders in the church - have been burdened with sickness or something else. It hasn't stopped them from performing their duty for Jesus. Don't let it stop you either. You are special to 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. 

Nothing is too difficult for the Lord Part 2

"And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city;  21and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.”  22Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods.  23And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely.  24Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks".    Acts 16:20-24   NKJV

Once again we see God's people being set free from prison. Paul and Silas had been preaching in the city when a slave girl with a spirit of divination kept following them and declaring what they were doing. In the end, Paul put a stop to this and commanded a spirit to come out of her. This annoyed her masters because they would be losing a lot of money, for she was a fortune teller. So, they took them to the local magistrates. 

As we can see from the text above, Paul and Silas suffered many blows from rods and were then thrown into the inner jail.  They were placed in stocks and chained up. It was probably like a dungeon as the other prisoners could see them. It would probably have been a rat-infested part of the prison and very cold and smelly. They must have been in terrible agony because of their wounds and the stocks irritating this. How would they cope? How would you have coped?

Around midnight, they began singing hymns to God. All the other prisoners could see and hear them and must have been astounded at this. They didn't weep or complain; they were not feeling sorry for themselves. Not at all; in the middle of their pain and difficulty they were bringing praise to God. This is a wonderful example to us that when we are down and depressed and feeling sorry for ourselves, the way ahead is to praise God. He is still on the throne no matter what.

Suddenly, there was a great earthquake (v26) and it shook the whole of the prison, unlocking doors and breaking off chains from the prisoners. The keeper of the jail was about to take his life because he thought all the prisoners had escaped. However, Paul shouted to him not to do this reassuring him that they were all still there. The keeper threw himself down at Paul's feet and asked what he could do to be saved. Paul told him to, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.'

You know, problems come around and we feel that things are impossible to change. But we are wrong. Jesus Christ can change anything. Nothing is too difficult for Him. Paul and Silas could have been executed but they weren't. They could have died from the cold and damp - they didn't. They could have been in prison for a very long time, probably until their death - they weren't. Jesus changed it all for them and through this a family were saved and possibly many of the prisoners who were looking on.

When you think things are over, they're probably just beginning!

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. 

Nothing is too difficult for the Lord

"Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. 6And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison.  7Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands".          Acts 12:5-7.  NKJV

Christianity was on the rise and Herod the king decided to harrass the church. He killed James, the brother of John with a sword and then, because of the pleasure it brought to the Jews, he decided to seize Peter. As the day was late, he had him firmly imprisoned with two chains and placed between two soldiers. There were also guards at the prison door. He appeared to be going nowhere, except to meet with Herod the next day.

Now look at this, Peter wasn't worried about what would happen, he was at peace and slept between the two soldiers. Suddenly, the Angel of the Lord stood by him and struck him on his side, waking him up. There was a great light in the prison and as Peter stood, up, his chains fell off. This is an amazing piece of scripture and a powerful example what God can do in a person's life. Notice also in verse 5, that the church was praying non-stop for Peter's delivery. He got what they asked for. Never underestimate the power of prayer. Peter felt he was in a vision. They negotiated the guards in the prison and those at the doorway and still, they were not seen. Also the light and the noise of the chains never alerted the guards. That is a Wow factor!

We must realise and accept the fact that Jesus can do anything He chooses to do. 14Is anything too hard for the Lord? Genesis 18:14 tells us and this is fact. When we are walking in God's will, doing what He has given us to do, He will either supply what we need to fulfil the exercise or, He will put people in our way that can help us to do it. Whatever, way, Jesus has it covered.

This doesn't mean there will never be problems ahead. Jesus had obstacles before Him but He overcame them all, even the cross at Calvary. Be victory-minded; with Jesus, you are able whatever happens, He will bring you through to success. Don't ever doubt or, you will be without.  Just walk on in the victory Jesus has given 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. 

Stir up your Gift

"Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  7For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind".                                                2 Timothy 1:6-7    NKJV

Here, Paul urges Timothy to stir up the spiritual gift that was given him when he laid hands on him. That day, Paul validated Timothy's gifting, and God expected from that day, fruit to be born because of it. Timothy could not ignore this fact and, nether can we. God expects this fruit from us. We have to develop it, keep it fresh and vibrant. Notice that God expects that we stir up this gift, not Him. He has given this gifting in the first place now, it is down to us to carry it out. We will be held accountable if we fail to do this.

We are not told what particular spiritual gift we are to stir up but, it is obvious that the first point is to stir up the Holy Spirit within us. This means we have to clear out all of the old way of life, sweep it clean and allow the Spirit of God, access to our whole being. There may also be a particular gift that God has for us - pastor, teacher, evangelist or other type of ministry. God will show us this as we begin our tidying up of our lives. Of course, in a church setting, our ministry must be recognised by the body as we are under authority there. Therefore, we must remain accountable. Be mindful of Proverbs 18:16: 'A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men'. If your gifting is from God and for that church, God will open the door. If not, He may require that you move, but get counsel for this.

Once we know the gift that God has given us, we are to ignite the flame and let the fire burn within us and to whoever we are sent to. We are not to become puffed up or professional by the gifting God gives us. Just a glimpse of how Jesus handled things in Philippians 2 will give us a sound introduction. Rather than having a position of authority, we are called to be servants for Jesus. Yes there are times when we may have to use the authority given to us but, this should only be used when necessary.

If you have a burning desire within you to serve Jesus, then speak firstly to your pastor and be guided by their thoughts. However, balance this out with what you feel God wants of you and act accordingly. He may require you go for ministerial training or serve in the church periodically but, be prepared that, you may be turned down. This could be because it is felt that you are not ready yet or, that you don't fit in. Pray it through for direction, but don't rush into anything until you are sure what God wants.

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. 

:

Only a Prayer away

6This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles.7The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, 34:7 The believer is not only saved, but kept as well. The angel of the LORD, that is, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, serves as an encircling garrison for those who fear Him, delivering them from dangers seen and unseen. No sheep of His can ever perish (John 10:28).

Psalm 34:6-7.   NKJV

David was a mighty warrior although at this time, he had been in fear of king Achish. This is why he had feigned mental illness. He needed to get away from him. David was also a mere man and needed to cry out to the Lord for help. God heard him and delivered him v6.

        

Your weakness is not frowned on by God. On the contrary, He is always there to help at all times. When we are in a precarious position, Jesus is in the right position, encamped around us. We only need to call out to Him v7.

We often consider we have a weakness when we continue to let God down or, get ourselves into times of trouble, but we are normal people living a normal life, the main difference being, we need to involve Jesus much more than we do.

Sometimes, we may find ourselves in a scary position. We don’t know what to do to solve this. Possibly this is why we have taken on the task of forgetting the fact that Jesus is encamped around us. The problems may have been escalating for some time but, we may have thought, it’s not that big a problem, I’ll attend to it later, but later never comes and the problem goes on.

Don’t put things off until tomorrow, attend to them today. We have no problem that is too big for Jesus. He is with us 24/7 and that is so encouraging to know. Len Magee, an Elim Pentecostal music pastor, wrote and recorded a song called ‘Only a prayer way’ rubber-stamping the fact that He will take it all on board as we give it to Him.

There is no need to fret, worry or fear because Jesus is here

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. 

:

Always be ready to praise and worship God

"I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad".      

                                                                                     Psalm 34:1-2    NKJV

David wrote this Psalm at a time when he was on the run from Saul, who was out to kill him through his jealousy, because David was better thought of than himself. So David penned this Psalm and then David found himself with Achish (or Abimelech as some thought this name was of the king, while others thought it was the place.) One of Achish's servants recognised David and made it known to the king. Therefore, David began to feign being mentally ill, making weird noises, having saliva running into his beard and scratching at the doors of the gate. Achish was convinced and had David put out of the city and he went on his way.

David wrote this song and made it known that we should all bless and praise the Lord at all times. David intended us to use this song not only when things were going well but also when things were at there worse. He knew that such worship as this, would encourage people and place praise in their hearts too. And this is what David carried on doing. He was a man after God's heart and he wanted to live up to this. 

It is so encouraging for us too. Praise lifts the heart and reaches Jesus faster than the speed of light. He cannot resist a praising person and He is right in the middle of it, joining in with us as He praises His own Father God. It must be an amazing sight to witness seeing the church, the angels, Jesus and Father God praising in heaven. We will see this one day.

But, I believe that David wrote this song for all down the generations to sing in worship. Just think, instead of moaning and groaning when things go wrong, wouldn't it be wonderful to bless the Lord at all times, the praise so tremendous that the walls of heaven shake (Isaiah 6:3).

It can be done but, only when we put God's Word into action and bless and praise Him at all times. This means all the time. Think of the changes that this would bring. Well. it has to start somewhere so, why not be one of the early starters and get this show on the road.

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. 

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.