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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Monitor your mind (1)
03 MAY 2022

‘We take captive every thought.’
2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV

If a thief came to your door, would you invite them in? No, you would call the police and have them arrested. And that’s what you need to do when wrong thoughts come to your mind! Take them captive – before they take you captive. And you must do it the moment the first one tries to enter your mind. When you entertain a thought, you empower it, and it will overcome you.

The Bible says, ‘Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you’ (James 4:7 NIV). On your own you don’t have the power to resist Satan, so don’t try it! But the moment you call on God and submit your will to Him, you’re more than a match for Satan. You get to decide who will control your mind: ‘The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace’ (Romans 8:6 NIV).

When a thought keeps turning over and over in your mind, ask yourself, ‘What direction is this thought leading me in? Is it towards spiritual death, or towards “life and peace”’? Think about it: you don’t buy insurance after a storm has flattened your house. If you’re wise, you do it before the storm comes.

So instead of failing and saying, ‘I’ll never be any different,’ look back and ask yourself, ‘What was I thinking that led to my failure? Was I in the wrong company, or the wrong place, or the wrong mindset? Have I been reading God’s Word and praying regularly? Have I built my life around people who strengthen me?’ In the long run, monitoring your mind pays great dividends!

1 Samuel 25-26, John 13:21-38

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Monitor your mind (2)
04 MAY 2022

‘We have the mind of Christ.’
1 Corinthians 2:16 NIV

There is a natural mindset, and there is a spiritual mindset. To live victoriously, you must develop a spiritual mindset. The Bible says: ‘The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God…and cannot understand them because they are [spiritually] discerned…But we have the mind of Christ’ (1 Corinthians 2:14, 16 NIV).

As you programme your life in accordance with God’s Word and consciously submit yourself to do His will every day, He will plant His thoughts in your mind. What an advantage! For example, someone criticises you and your feelings get hurt. In that moment the Lord speaks to you and says, ‘Yes, your feelings are hurt, but part of it is just wounded vanity and we can deal with that. I love you despite all your baggage. Your standing with me isn’t at risk. The person who criticised you may see a flaw. But nobody thinks you’re perfect anyway, and it’s better not to have to pretend. Here is a chance to grow. Use it!’

Even though there are elements of pain in these kinds of thoughts, instead of paralysing you, they energise you. They’re true, they give you ground to stand on, and you realise that if you can keep your mind centred on them, the right feelings and actions are more likely to flow from them. Now you’re starting to live out the promise, ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee’ (Isaiah 26:3 KJV). Instead of focusing on your critics, focus on God, on your spiritual growth, and on what you can learn from the experience.

1 Samuel 27-29, John 14

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

The smell of sin
05 MAY 2022

‘Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God.’
2 Corinthians 2:15 NLT

When food in your fridge goes bad, you know it the moment you open the door. And your life is like that. When there is something wrong inside, the people who come in contact with you often sense it. Jesus spoke some of His harshest words to Peter: ‘Get thee behind me, Satan…for thou savourest [smell] not the things that be of God, but those that be of men’ (Matthew 16:23 KJV). What was Peter’s sin? Pride. He openly contradicted Jesus (see Matthew 16:22). There are sins of the spirit and sins of the flesh. Peter’s was a sin of the spirit, whereas David’s was one of the flesh that manifested itself in adultery and murder. Later David wrote, ‘Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me’ (Psalm 19:12-13 NKJV).

Now, God doesn’t want you to become self-absorbed and introspective to the point where you live in condemnation. But He does want you to be sensitive to sin and deal with it immediately. Scripture gives us three ways to stay clean in a spiritually polluted world.

1) Walking in the light (see 1 John 1:7). That means striving to be honest before God and man.

2) Being accountable. That can mean having someone in your life who is mature enough to deserve your confidence, gracious enough to put up with your inconsistencies, and honest enough to confront you (see Ecclesiastes 4:9).

3) Dealing with your sin right away (see Psalm 32:3-5). The moment that brings consciousness of sin should lead to confession of sin resulting in cleansing of sin. Then you must get back up and go on with God!

1 Samuel 30-31, John 15

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

The power of God-given ideas (1)
06 MAY 2022

‘All peoples on earth will be blessed through you.’
Genesis 28:14 NIV


Good ideas come from God, so ask Him for one. The world’s been blessed by those who did. Consider anaesthesia: how would you like to be operated on without it? That is the way they did it until a Scottish doctor named James Young Simpson introduced something he called ‘artificial sleep’.

As a student at Edinburgh University he was attracted to surgery because he was troubled by the pain and mortality rate experienced during operations. As a result of reading ‘And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam’ (Genesis 2:21 NKJV), Simpson thought chloroform might be the answer. He first experimented on himself. Finally, in 1847, the first three operations with chloroform took place. One of the patients, a young soldier, enjoyed it so much that he seized the sponge and inhaled again. ‘It was just too good to be stopped,’ he said.

At first Simpson encountered opposition. Some thought it was a sin to interfere with nature. ‘Hand me the Bible,’ said Dr Simpson. ‘This is how God operated on Adam.’ Simpson made speeches, wrote letters and pamphlets and tried to convince those who opposed him that this was the way forward. In a setback, when three deaths attributed to chloroform were reported from other hospitals, Simpson was able to show them that they were not applying the anaesthesia correctly. The tide turned when Queen Victoria gave birth to her eighth child under chloroform and declared that she was ‘greatly pleased with its effect’. Today ask God to give you an idea that blesses others. Then act on it!



2 Samuel 1-2, John 16

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The power of God-given ideas (2)
07 MAY 2022

‘All peoples on earth will be blessed through you.’
Genesis 28:14 NIV[


One God-given idea can change so much. Braille sure did! In 1824, Louis Braille, a Christian, invented a system of raised dots on paper so that blind people could read. He invented 63 symbols representing every language, hence God’s Word was placed into the hands of the visually impaired for the first time.

And communications? In part, you owe your mobile phone and your computer to a Christian named Samuel Morse. How different the world was before him! First-class news took two weeks to reach the USA. And reports of a major victory could take six weeks to reach Britain. One day a friend said, ‘Morse, when you were experimenting did you ever come to an absolute deadlock, not knowing what to do?’ Morse replied, ‘More than once.’ His friend asked, ‘What did you do then?’ Morse shared a secret, ‘I got down on my knees and prayed for light, and light came, and when my inventions were acknowledged by flattering honours from America and Europe, I said, “Not unto me, O Lord, not unto me, but unto Thy name give the glory.”’ That’s why the first message sent by transatlantic cable read, ‘What God has wrought.’

Now add another Christian named Louis Pasteur, the French scientist who showed us that infection is the result of things we cannot see, namely germs and viruses. He introduced sterilisation methods that eventually saved the lives of multitudes. Think God has run out of good ideas? Not a chance! Ask Him for one for your life, your ministry or your business!



2 Samuel 3-5, John 17

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

The power of God-given ideas (3)
08 MAY 2022

‘All peoples on earth will be blessed through you.’
Genesis 28:14 NIV

In What the World Owes to Christians, Dr Victor Pierce, an Oxford scholar, shares the story of the typewriter. ‘The typewriter was a forerunner to the modern word processor. But how did a Christian come to invent it? To write sermons. Seriously!

Christopher Sholes was concerned about his pastor who’d been busy all week visiting victims of an epidemic, comforting the bereaved and conducting funerals. Consequently he had no time to write his Sunday sermons. One day Sholes, discussing with a friend what could be done, said, “It seems a pity there ain’t some quick method of writing for busy folks like parsons.” His friend replied, “Why not invent a machine?” Sholes responded, “I’ll try.” That rainy afternoon was the beginning of months of hard work. Finally a group assembled one day to see him tap out on paper, in capital letters, C LATHAM SHOLES, NOV 1867.

Six years later the Remingtons recognised the typewriter as something that could revolutionise business. In those days clerks were mostly men, but the Young Women’s Christian Association started offering courses in typing for women. Initially it created a scandal, but as the first typists to be trained were women, employers rushed to hire them. Hence the typewriter and the YWCA determined that a woman’s place was not only at home, but could also be in the office.’ Is it okay for me to pray for God to bless my business? Yes! God wants to bless your business so that you can help carry out His, which is the business of reaching the world with the gospel.

Luke 9:1-17, Psalms 49-50

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Leaning on your own staff
09 MAY 2022

‘Jacob, when he was dying…worshipped, leaning on…his staff.’
Hebrews 11:21 NKJV

The Bible says, ‘By faith Jacob, when he was dying…worshipped, leaning on the top of his staff.’ Picture this: each time Jacob had an experience with God, he took a knife and cut a ring around his staff as a reminder of what happened. The rings started at the bottom and worked their way to the top. One would surely have symbolised the night he wrestled with God and his name was changed to ‘Israel…a prince…with God’ (Genesis 32:28 KJV). Another would have represented the night God showed him a vision of a ladder extending into heaven with angels on it. In short, Jacob’s staff represented a lifetime of experiences with God. So, it’s not surprising that he died worshipping God – and leaning on his staff!

Now consider the story of the Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 4. Her son suddenly became ill and died, so Elisha sent his servant Gehazi ahead with his staff to let the woman know he was coming. But when Gehazi placed the prophet’s staff on the dead boy, nothing happened. Only when Elisha himself came was the child restored (see 2 Kings 4:32-35).

The fact is, you can’t lean on anyone’s staff but your own! You can’t stand on anyone else’s experience with God but yours. When it’s time to face life’s challenges – including death – you can only lean on the faith you have developed during your personal walk with God. That’s why it’s essential to be faithful and consistent in your spiritual journey. By leaning on his staff when he was dying, Jacob, in essence, declared, ‘The God who preserved, protected, and prospered me thus far will take me the rest of the way.’ What blessed assurance!

2 Samuel 6-8, John 18:1-18

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Aim for the mark
10 MAY 2022

‘I press toward the mark for the prize
Philippians 3:14 KJV

Paul writes: ‘I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect [mature], be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you’ (vv. 14-15 KJV). Paul describes the Christian as a marksman. In Paul’s day, the mark would have been hit by an arrow, but in our day, the mark could also be hit at a firing range. If you have ever fired at a target, you know this:

1) Your aim must be unbroken by distractions. When you have the bullseye in your crosshairs, something as insignificant as taking a breath at the wrong moment can make you miss the mark. So what is Paul saying? Simply this: ‘Forget what’s behind you and around you and stay focused on winning the prize.’ He is not referring to your salvation. Jesus already purchased that and gives it to you freely by grace. No, he is talking about fulfilling your God-given destiny and obtaining the reward that waits beyond it.

2) Your bullet has to have the right amount of powder. Otherwise, it will start dropping off before it hits the mark. Are you getting the idea? Your powder is your power! And where does your power come from? The Holy Spirit! Jesus said: ‘You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem [at home], and in all Judea and Samaria [on the job and in your relationships], and to the end of the earth’ (Acts 1:8 NKJV). So the word for today is – aim for the mark.

2 Samuel 9-11, John 18:19-40

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Be faithful
11 MAY 2022

‘You were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.’
Matthew 25:21 NKJV

In Scripture, to be faithful means to be steady, stable, dependable, and consistent. Do those attributes describe you? They should, because faithfulness pays big dividends with God. ‘A faithful man will abound with blessings’ (Proverbs 28:20 NKJV). Jesus said, ‘Many are called, but few chosen’ (Matthew 20:16 NKJV). Why is that? Because talent may open the door and get you the job, but character and faithfulness will keep you there.

When it comes to faithfulness, God will test you in two ways:

1) Your faithfulness in someone else’s vision. ‘If you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?’ (Luke 16:12 NKJV). If you’re critical, caustic, complaining, competitive, or constantly comparing yourself with others, you will be disqualified for what God has in mind for you. Faithfulness calls for serving with love and humility.

2) Your faithfulness in small things. ‘His lord said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things…For to everyone who has, more will be given…but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away”’ (Matthew 25:23, 29 NKJV). God wants to know He can trust you. You prove that by how well you serve others and by your faithfulness in small things.

These are proven biblical principles that don’t just work in spiritual matters, but in everyday life. So today, take a few moments to prayerfully ask yourself the question, ‘Am I faithful?’ When you are, God will bless you.

2 Samuel 12-13, John 19:1-22

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God’s DNA is in His Word
12 MAY 2022

‘All Scripture is God-breathed.’
2 Timothy 3:16 NIV

On a cold day, have you ever tried breathing on your hands to restore warmth and life? That’s like what happens when you meditate on God’s Word, because ‘all Scripture is God-breathed’. Imagine yourself at a party where people are blowing up balloons and popping them with pins. A scientist could figure out which balloon was yours because your DNA (the genetic configuration that makes you unique) is in your breath.

Now apply that principle to reading the Bible, and you will understand how vital it is to your spiritual life. John tells us ‘the Word was God’ (John 1:1 NKJV), so anytime you ingest God’s Word, you’re ingesting His attributes. That’s why the Enemy will try to keep you so busy that you have no time to read your Bible.

The truth is, many of the issues we struggle with could be resolved or eliminated altogether if we developed a hunger for God’s Word. Job said, ‘I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food’ (Job 23:12 NKJV). Jeremiah, who was so dejected that he became known as ‘the weeping prophet’, said, ‘Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart’ (Jeremiah 15:16 NKJV). Jesus experienced every test and trial known to man; He even went toe-to-toe with the Tempter. What was the secret of His strength? He said, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God”’ (Matthew 4:4 NKJV).

Today get God’s Word into you – it’s His DNA.

2 Samuel 14-15, John 19:23-42