[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Your pattern sins (7)

‘Fear not, for I am with you.’
Isaiah 41:10 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 27 Oct 2018

Loyalists: Loyalists love to be part of a great team. When the chips are down, you can count on them.

They crave a cause to which they can give themselves, and want to be part of a group they can believe in. At their best, loyalists help everyone else become better.

They’re usually quite bright and articulate, although they may not always volunteer their thoughts. They can become cynical when they feel let down – which is inevitable at times.

That’s why the Bible has so much to say about showing grace and extending forgiveness to each other. When twelve-steppers use the term ‘the God of your understanding’, they’re referring to your personal perception of God.

Loyalists often perceive God as hard to please, so their signature sin is fear. Jesus told of three servants who were each given a sum of money to invest.

The first two invested wisely, bringing profit to their master and pleasing him. But the third, afraid of failing and incurring his master’s displeasure, buried his talent in the ground (see Matthew 25:14-30).

The ‘takeaway’ in Christ’s parable is that God reserves His harshest judgment not for those who try and fail, but for those who fail to try because they give in to fear. Someone estimated that there are 365 ‘fear nots’ in Scripture; that’s one for every day of the year.

If God designed a bumper sticker it might read, ‘Fear not.’ So don’t be afraid – He’s with you today!

Jeremiah 50, Hebrews 1

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Your pattern sins (8)

‘Be devoted to one another in love.’
Romans 12:10 NIVUK

The UCB Word for Today - 28 Oct 2018

Enthusiasts: Enthusiasts are the life and soul of the party. They’re apt to have a gift for storytelling – and they like to talk about themselves.

If you try to talk to them about their problems, they may listen to you at first, but they are like Teflon – it doesn’t seem to stick. Author John Ortberg tells of being in a restaurant with a friend, and every time they ordered something their server said, ‘Superb,’ or ‘Excellent choice,’ or ‘Brilliant.’ When Ortberg asked her, ‘Do you ever say, “That was really stupid,” or “That’s going to taste terrible”?’

She replied, ‘No, in the kitchen we actually have a list of affirmations, and every time somebody orders something we have to give them one of those affirmations.’ Well, enthusiasts don’t need a list of affirmations because they are always saying things like ‘awesome’, ‘wow’, ‘fabulous’, or ‘great’.

Sometimes they can go for years without seeing the pain and darkness in other people, or even in themselves. They’re also tempted to make life revolve around their pursuit of positive feelings – the desire for gratification – and they can be miserable when they’re not getting enough attention.

So, what’s the answer?
1) Address your need to be the centre of attention. ‘Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honour one another above yourselves.’
2) Address your reluctance to deal with pain or unpleasant situations.

It’s a trait that can lead to isolation and addiction. ‘Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power’ (Ephesians 6:10 NIV 2011 Edition).

Luke 20-27-47, Psalm 110-112

---

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Your pattern sins (9)

‘We were gentle among you.’
1 Thessalonians 2:7 NIV


The UCB Word for Today - 29 Oct 2018

Commanders: Commanders were created to understand power and leadership, to know how it works, and feel a natural pull towards it. If this describes you, an image of strength is important to you.

You have a need to lead. Opposition actually energises you.

Winston Churchill was a commander easily bored by agreement, and whose greatest moments were inspired by opposition. He had a running battle with Lady Nancy Astor, who once said to him, ‘Winston, if you were my husband, I’d poison your tea.’

To which Churchill famously replied, ‘Nancy, if I were your husband, I’d drink it!’ When Adolph Hitler came to power in Germany, Churchill found the formidable enemy he’d been waiting for his whole life. And he rose to the challenge.

Without good leadership nothing gets accomplished. But power can become an end in itself, and you can become frustrated when you’re not getting your own way.

Indeed, other people may feel intimidated about speaking up when they don’t agree with you. And when that happens you may have compliance, but you don’t have love, loyalty, or respect.

God help a leader who has no leader, and those who follow him or her! Responsibility without accountability produces instability. Only when you surround yourself with people who have 20/20 vision to compensate for your blind spots, can you see your tendency to use people and employ fear and intimidation to get your own way.

Paul, a great leader, wrote, ‘We were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her children.’ When it comes to great leadership, there are two words that go hand in hand – ‘gentleness’ and ‘greatness’.

Jeremiah 51-52, Hebrews 2

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Your pattern sins (10)

‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbour.’
Ephesians 4:25 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 30 Oct 2018

Peacemakers: Peacemakers thrive when life is calm. They love the verse: ‘How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity’ (Psalm 133:1 NIV 1984 Edition).

They make excellent therapists and mediators, and can usually bring reconciliation to families, neighbourhoods, and workplaces. But sometimes they’re inclined to seek peace at any price, use their relational skills to blend in, and avoid taking the initiative or assuming risks because of their undue attachment to comfort and security.

They often suffer from ‘terminal niceness’ when courage is what’s really required. Abraham is a great illustration of a peacemaker.

When he and his nephew Lot began to prosper, a feud broke out between their herdsmen because the land was too small to accommodate all their cattle. Realising it could split the family, Abraham took action, dealt with the problem, and saved the relationship.

On the other hand, when King Abimelech saw Abraham’s wife, Sarah, and wanted to make her part of his harem, Abraham, fearing for his life, acted like a coward and said, ‘She is my sister’ (Genesis 20:2 NIV 2011 Edition). It’s critical to recognise your pattern sins so you can deal with them effectively.

Jesus warned about those who go around taking specks out of other people’s eyes, while failing to notice the ‘log’ in their own (see Matthew 7:3). Your pattern sin is so appealing that it’s your biggest danger, and it’s so close to you that you’re apt not to see it.

David prayed, ‘Cleanse…me from secret faults. Keep…thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me’ (Psalm 19:12-13 KJV).

Lamentations 1-2, Hebrews 3

[ebankole]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


Your pattern sins (11)

31 OCTOBER 2018
‘We will in all things grow up.’
Ephesians 4:15 NIV


Whether you are a reformer, a server, an achiever, an artist, a thinker, a loyalist, an enthusiast, a commander, or a peacemaker, every one of us wrestles with sin. And knowing that each category of sin has its own hidden temptations should make you less envious of others when you’re not doing well yourself, and less likely to judge them when you are.

Recognising your particular pattern sin lets you know what you need to work on. For example, if you’re a reformer you need to be aware of your tendency towards self-righteousness. However, it’s also important to recognise that you’ve been wired by God with a passion for justice – and that’s a good thing.

Indeed, you’ll feel His presence most when you can express these things with freedom and love. Finally, knowing other people’s patterns helps you to empathise and live in harmony with them. As you learn about their patterns you become more patient with those whose sins are different from yours.


For example, you can make sure ‘helpers’ don’t always get stuck in the ‘serving’ mode, and encourage ‘peacemakers’ to speak honestly when they’re angry. Our goal should be to take off our religious masks, strengthen one another in our areas of struggle, and do it in a gracious, non-judgmental way.

When we know and accept ourselves and others, we can walk together in love. ‘Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up.’ Only then are we free to become the best version of ourselves – God’s hand-sgned edition.



Lamentations 3-5, Hebrews 4

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Where to go for help

‘Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.’
Psalm 25:1 KJV

The UCB Word for Today - 01 Nov 2018

When you need help, turn to Psalms chapter 25 and note what David did.

1) He knew where to go. ‘Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.’ Recently a reader called us to ask for prayer for a family member who had just been diagnosed with stage four cancer.

How quickly our lives can change! Where can we turn in such moments? To God.

He’s known by many names in Scripture, and one of them is Jehovah-Rapha – the Lord who heals you. How wonderful!

His Word says, ‘He heals your diseases – every one’ (Psalm 103:3 MSG). With God no sickness is incurable, which means you can go to Him today with confidence.

2) He knew Who to trust. ‘O my God, I trust in thee’ (Psalm 25:2 KJV).

A man or woman without God has to fill the role of God in his or her own life. That may be okay in good times, but what about malignant cells, faulty heartbeats, redundancies at work, home repossessions, and phone calls that bring bad news in the wee hours of the morning? To whom do you turn then? ‘Unto thee, O Lord!’

3) He knew how to pray: ‘Show me, teach me, lead me.’ ‘Show me thy ways…teach me thy paths…Lead me in thy truth…for thou art the God of my salvation’ (vv. 4-5 KJV).

Theologian Richard Foster says, ‘To pray is to change. It’s the central avenue God uses to transform us.

If we’re not willing to change we will soon abandon prayer.’ So have you prayed about it?

If not, get into God’s presence right away. That’s where you’ll find the help you need.

Ezekiel 1-2, Hebrews 5

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Knowing God’s will – it’s a powerful thing!

‘He made known to us the mystery of his will.’
Ephesians 1:9 NIV

The UCB Word for Today - 02 Nov 2018

What a joy it is when the will of God is no longer a mystery, because He has made it ‘known to us’. Suddenly your outlook is different, your attitude changes, and fear can no longer play games with your mind.

Now you know – and knowledge is power! The Bible says, ‘The people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits’ (Daniel 11:32 KJV). There are times you know things in your spirit that you can’t figure out in your head.

And it can cause you to be misunderstood. You can carry the knowledge of a breakthrough or a blessing in your spirit long before it happens. The Bible says, ‘We know about these things because God has sent His Spirit to tell us’ (1 Corinthians 2:10 TLB).

When God imparts wisdom to you, it puts you in a position to succeed. What separates the bank president from the caretaker?

It’s what he or she knows! They may be equal in every other sense, but one has paid a price to learn things that place him or her in a different position that brings different rewards.

‘We know these things.’ God can cause you to know something that will change the course of your life.

He can show you something during the night that changes how you feel in the morning. In His presence you receive insights that give you purpose, hope, dignity, direction, and the strength to get up and fight for what He promised you in His Word.

So get into His presence today – and stay there until He reveals to you His will in the matter.

Ezekiel 3-4, Hebrews 6

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Joseph’s three coats (1)

‘Now Israel [Jacob] loved Joseph…[and] he made him a [coat] of many colours.’
Genesis 37:3 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 03 Nov 2018

Let’s look at the three different coats Joseph wore, as they present a picture of your life as a Christian. First, the coat of salvation.

Notice, it was a ‘gift’ from his father; Joseph never paid a penny for it, or sewed a stitch, or provided an inch of fabric. And that’s the story of our salvation, isn’t it?

The Bible says, ‘For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast’ (Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV). Motivated by jealousy and resentment, Joseph’s brothers threw him into a pit and dipped his coat in the blood of a goat in order to convince their father that he had been devoured by a wild beast.

Are you getting the picture here? ‘The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin’ (1 John 1:7 NKJV). In Old Testament times, when someone sinned they brought a sacrificial lamb to the altar and the priest shed its blood as payment for their sins.

But the priest did not examine the person, he examined the lamb. If the lamb was ‘worthy’, the person was accepted and their sins were atoned for.

So the moment you acknowledge your sin and pray, ‘Father, I come in the name of Jesus, the Lamb of God,’ you are totally forgiven and accepted. ‘Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need’ (Hebrews 4:16 NKJV).

Ezekiel 5-7, Hebrews 7

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Joseph’s three coats (2)

‘He left his [coat] in her hand, and fled.’
Genesis 39:12 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 04 Nov 2018

The second coat Joseph wore was: The coat of temptation. The Bible says, ‘When Joseph went into the house to do his work…she caught him by his [coat], saying, “Lie with me.”

But he left his [coat] in her hand, and fled and ran outside’ (vv. 11-12 NKJV). Joseph was young, handsome, lonely, far from home, and facing repeated temptation at the hands of his boss’s wife.

Yet he resisted her advances and said, ‘How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?’ (v. 9 NKJV). His first concern was not that he couldn’t get away with it, but that he couldn’t live with himself if he said yes.

Remembering how God had loved, preserved, and blessed him put the brakes on any carnal inclinations and impulses he may have had. Not so with David. After his affair with Bathsheba, he wrote these words in his penitential prayer of Psalm 51: ‘Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight’ (v. 4 NKJV).

Who are you sinning against? God. Who is observing what you’re doing?

God: the One who demonstrated the extent of His love for you at Calvary. Did God forgive David?

Yes, and He will forgive you too. But David’s story proves that sometimes we have to live with the consequences of our deeds, and they can devastate not only us but those who look to us for guidance.

Paul, the greatest of the apostles, acknowledged this truth: ‘I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified’ (1 Corinthians 9:27 NKJV).

Luke 21:1-19, Psalm 113-115

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Joseph’s three coats (3)

‘He clothed him in garments of fine linen.’
Genesis 41:42 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 05 Nov 2018

The third coat Joseph wore was: The coat of destiny. Because Joseph honoured God in the most difficult of circumstances, he ended up on the throne of Egypt, wearing the coat of rulership and fulfilling his destiny.

The psalmist said God ‘sent a man before them – Joseph – who was sold as a slave. They hurt his feet with fetters, he was laid in irons.

Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him. The king sent and released him, the ruler of the people let him go free.

He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his possessions’ (Psalm 105:17-21 NKJV). The tests and temptations you are facing are over your future.

They are preparing you for your destiny! All of your life can be training for one season, for one assignment.

And the greater the assignment, the greater the attack that will come against you. Five times in Genesis chapter 39 the Bible says, ‘The Lord was with Joseph.’

But that did not exempt him from betrayal by his family; or repeated temptation at the hands of his boss’s wife; or slander and false imprisonment; or disappointment at the hands of the butler he befriended in prison.

Looking back, however, Joseph realised that all of these experiences were ‘training for reigning’. When asked why he used only wood taken from trees that had weathered the biggest storms to make his violins, Stradivarius replied, ‘Weather-beaten wood makes the sweetest music.’

So persevere, keep trusting God, and you’ll sing a song of victory.

Ezekiel 8-10, Hebrews 8

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Your good and His glory

‘If you suffer for doing good and…endure…this is commendable before God.’
1 Peter 2:20 NIV

The UCB Word for Today - 06 Nov 2018

Many of the people we admire in Scripture were badly treated. And God permitted it to happen.

Think about Daniel being thrown to the lions, and Joseph being tossed into prison. They did nothing to deserve it.

The Bible says: ‘If you suffer for doing good and endure it, this is commendable…To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps’ (vv. 20-21 NIV 2011 Edition). Notice, you are ‘called’ to overcome difficulties.

There’s purpose in your pain. And nothing can touch you without first passing through your loving heavenly Father’s hands.

He anticipated it all, and everything you’re going through right now is preparing you to serve Him more effectively. Paul said, ‘At my preliminary hearing no one stood by me. They all ran…But it doesn’t matter – the Master stood by me and helped me spread the Message’ (2 Timothy 4:16-17 MSG).

Paul didn’t see it as simply enduring, he saw it as advancing! So be encouraged; you’re growing in grace [becoming more gracious] and in the knowledge of the Lord (see 2 Peter 3:18). You’re in the preparation process.

‘But I don’t understand,’ you say. Then listen to Joni Erickson Tada: ‘If God’s mind was small enough for me to understand, He wouldn’t be God. Sometimes I can’t stand being in this wheelchair, but there God’s grace takes over.

Even in my handicap, God has a plan and purpose for my life.’ Whether God takes you out of the situation or brings you through it, trust Him.

He’s working for your good and His glory.

Ezekiel 11-13, Hebrews 9