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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

‘God Is’ (4)

‘I … made the earth and created mankind upon it.’

Isaiah 45:12

The UCB Word for Today - 4 Oct 2016


Ever wonder why we’ve failed to find life on any other planet, yet ours is designed to sustain us and meet our most basic everyday needs?

It makes you wonder, doesn’t it? Do you think it’s just a coincidence?

Not according to the Bible. In it God says, ‘I … made the earth and created mankind upon it.’ Did you know that if the earth was 10 per cent larger or 10 per cent smaller, life as we know it wouldn’t be possible?

Or that we’re just the right distance from the sun so we receive the right amount of heat and light? If we were any farther away we’d freeze, and if we were closer we wouldn’t be able to survive.


Consider for a moment the amazing tilt of the axis of the earth. None of the other planets are tilted like ours at 23 degrees.

This angle allows the sun’s rays to touch every part of the earth’s surface over the course of a year, as the earth circles the sun.


If there was no tilt to the axis, the poles would accumulate enormous masses of ice, and the centre of the earth would become so hot we couldn’t stand it.


Like an excited parent designing a room for the arrival of their newborn child, God made this earth specifically for us. ‘For this is what the LORD says - he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited’ (v. 18 NIV 2011 Edition). That’s how much God cares for us.

Luke 19:1-27, Ps 103-104

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

‘God Is’ (5)

‘The moon marks off the seasons.’

Psalm 104:19


The UCB Word for Today - 5 Oct 2016

Here’s an amazing thing: without the moon it would be impossible for us to live on this planet.


And if anyone ever succeeded in deflecting the moon from its orbit, all life would cease. It acts like a maid to clean up the oceans and the shores.


Without the tides created by the moon, our harbours and shores would become one big stench pool of rubbish and it would be impossible to live anywhere near them.


Because of the tides, continuous waves break upon the shores of the ocean, aerating the waters of the planet and providing oxygen for plankton, the very foundation of our food chain.

Without plankton there would be no oxygen, and all life would end.


God is a creative genius, isn’t He? He made the moon the right size and placed it the right distance from the earth to create the exact atmosphere we need.


We live within a great ocean of air - 78 per cent nitrogen, 21 per cent oxygen.


These elements are continually mixed by the tidal effect of the moon upon the atmosphere.


This has the same effect it has upon the seas and always provides the same proportion of oxygen.


Though we keep dumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, it’s absorbed into the ocean and we’re able to continue to live.


If the atmosphere wasn’t as thick as it is, we’d be crushed by billions of pieces of cosmic debris and meteorites that fall continually upon our planet.


Who takes good care of you? God! And He’s on the job twenty-four/seven! Aren’t you glad?


Is 65-66, 1 Thess 3

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


‘God Is’ (6)
‘You give life to everything.’

Nehemiah 9:6
The UCB Word for Today - 6 Oct 2016

Let’s look at another miracle of God’s creative genius: the nitrogen cycle.

Nitrogen is extremely inert - if it wasn’t we’d all be poisoned by different forms of nitrous combinations.


However, because of its inertness, it’s impossible for us to get nitrogen to combine naturally with other things.


But it’s definitely needed for plants in the ground, so what provision does God make for getting it out of the air and into the soil? Lightning!


A hundred thousand lightning bolts strike our planet daily, creating a hundred million tons of usable nitrogen plant food in the soil every year. Forty miles up, there’s a thin layer of ozone.


If compressed it would be only a quarter of an inch thick, yet without it life wouldn’t be sustainable. Eight killer rays continually fall on our planet from the sun; without ozone we’d be burned, blinded, or boiled.


The ultraviolet rays come in two forms: longer rays, which are deadly and are screened out, and shorter rays, which are necessary for life on earth and are administered through the ozone layer.


Furthermore, the most deadly of these rays are allowed through the ozone layer in a very limited amount, just enough to kill the green algae which otherwise could grow to fill the lakes, rivers, and oceans of the world.


No doubt about it, we are totally dependent on God’s goodness. That’s why the psalmist said, ‘All look to you to give them their food at the proper time.


When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things’ (Psalm 104:27-28 NIV 1984 Edition). We have an awesome God!


Jer 1-2, 1 Thess 4

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

‘God Is’ (7)

‘He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;

the earth is satisfied.’

Psalm 104:13
The UCB Word for Today - 7 Oct 2016

Have you ever wondered why nowhere else in the universe do we find water in any abundance, except here on earth?

To date, all our telescopes and space travellers confirm that.


Water, the amazing solvent, dissolves almost everything upon this earth except those things that are life-sustaining.


This amazing liquid we take for granted exists as ice, breaks up rocks, and produces soil. As snow, it stores up water in the valleys.


As rain, it waters and cleanses the earth. As vapour, it provides moisture for much of the arable land on earth.


It exists as cloud cover in just the right amount. If it had clouds like Venus, the earth couldn’t support life.


But we have exactly 50 per cent of the surface of the earth covered by clouds at any one time, allowing just the right amount of sunlight to filter through.


As steam, for centuries water has run some of the most powerful machinery we have.


Other than bismuth, it’s the only liquid heavier at four degrees Celsius than it is at freezing.


If this were not so, life as we know it could not exist on this planet. Therefore when it’s frozen it’s lighter and it rises.



If this wasn’t the case, our lakes and rivers would freeze from the bottom up and kill all the fish; the algae would be destroyed, oxygen supply would cease, and mankind would die.


So when you feel like God doesn’t notice you or care about you, drink a glass of water and say, ‘Thank you, Lord!’



Jer 3-5, 1 Thess 5

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Submit to God’s Correction

‘I … reprove and chasten.’

Revelation 3:19

The UCB Word for Today - 8 Oct 2016

God’s correction humbles us in ways we need to be humbled.

And when He does it, we have three options: 1) Rebel against Him. 2) Rationalise and make excuses. 3) Receive His correction and get back on track.

But lasting change can’t even begin until you accept that God loves you unconditionally and just as you are.

Without that, you’ll keep trying to change yourself in a vain attempt to earn His love and acceptance.

The truth is, you already have it - you just don’t know it! Many of us think that by accepting ourselves we’re excusing all the things that are wrong with us. Not so!

You can’t properly receive God’s correction until you’ve a clear understanding of how much He loves you.

Without that you’ll interpret His correction as rejection and see His disapproval of your behaviour as disapproval of you.

To grow spiritually you must believe that God is committed to you, especially when He deals with you correctively and leads you in ways you don’t understand.

During such times you must have an unshakeable trust in His love for you. The apostle Paul was convinced that nothing could separate him from God’s love (see Romans 8:39).

In Revelation chapter three God is speaking to each of us when He says, ‘Those whom I [dearly and tenderly] love, I tell their faults … convict and convince … reprove and chasten.’ One of the strongest evidences of God’s love and acceptance, is His correction.

Indeed, you should be concerned about the absence of it! So if God’s correcting you right now, take heart and rejoice! It means He has good things in store for you.

Jer 6-8, 2 Thess 1

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Qualifying for Leadership in the Church

‘If someone aspires to be [a leader] …’

1 Timothy 3:1

The UCB Word for Today - 9 Oct 2016

The Bible outlines specific qualifications for leadership in the church. ‘An elder must be a man whose life is above reproach.


He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation … must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach.

He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him.


For if a man cannot mange his own household, how can he take care of God’s church? An elder must not be a new believer, because he might become proud and the devil would cause him to fall.


Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced … and fall ... In the same way, deacons must be well respected and have integrity … They must be committed to the mystery of the faith now revealed and must live with a clear conscience.

Before they are appointed as deacons, let them be closely examined.


If they pass the test, then let them serve as deacons. In the same way, their wives must be respected and must not slander others.


They must exercise self-control and be faithful in everything they do … Those who do well as deacons will be rewarded with respect from others and will have increased confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus’ (1 Timothy 3:1-13 NLT).

Jer 9-11, 2 Thess 2

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

‘Turning … Serving … Waiting’

‘You turned … from idols to serve the living and true

God, and to wait for His Son from heaven.’

1 Thessalonians 1:9-10

The UCB Word for Today - 10 Oct 2016

Let’s read what Paul wrote to the Thessalonian believers: ‘You became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe … from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth … in every place.


Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. For they themselves declare … how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven’ (vv. 6-10 NKJV).


The lives of these believers could be summed up in three words: ‘Turning … serving … waiting.’ Let’s look at each, and see what we can learn. 1) Turning.


Repentance means doing an about-face turn. It calls for renouncing and forsaking your carnal thought patterns and self-indulgent ways. 2) Serving.


Try serving others rather than expecting them to serve you. At the end of each day, pray, ‘Lord, how well did I serve You today?’ For it’s in serving others that you serve Him. 3) Waiting.


If you knew for sure Jesus was coming back tomorrow, what would you do differently today? Would it change your habits, your words, your attitudes? Some of us live our lives as if Christ had changed His mind about coming back again.


Make no mistake - He is! Don’t be caught off guard. Endeavour to live each day in the light of His soon return. Doing that will rearrange your priorities!


Jer 12-14, 2 Thess 3

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

‘Restless, Irritable, and Discontent’

‘Give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty.’

John 4:15

The UCB Word for Today - 11 Oct 2016


In Alcoholics Anonymous’ twelve-step programme those seeking recovery are taught that when they become ‘restless, irritable, and discontent’ they’re in danger of going back to their drug of choice.


And that doesn’t work! Why? Because inside each of us there’s a God-shaped blank that only He can fill. Some of us try to fill the blank with human relationships.


Jesus met a woman who’d been divorced five times and was now living with her boyfriend.


The conversation went like this: ‘Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.


Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty”’ (vv. 13-15 NIV 1984 Edition).

Your body tells you when it’s hungry and thirsty. So does your soul - and if you’re wise you’ll listen.


The only ‘safe’ addiction is total surrender and dependency on God! We all have a tendency to respond to what our flesh craves instead of what our spirit needs.


So we turn to things like work, sex, and entertainment. Now we’ve added a new one - the Internet.


Psychologists are actually treating people with ‘Internet addiction’. Honestly! King David had it all: power, popularity, pleasure, and possessions.


But it left him empty, so he wrote, ‘As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God’ (Psalm 42:1 NIV 1984 Edition).

Learn to recognise when you are ‘restless, irritable, and discontent’ and reach for God.

Luke 19:28-48, Ps 105-106

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


First Thing in the Morning (1)

‘Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my

understanding to his will.’

Isaiah 50:4

The UCB Word for Today - 12 Oct 2016

Here’s a wonderful promise from God’s Word: ‘The … LORD has given me his words of wisdom … that I know how to comfort the weary.


Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will. The … LORD has spoken to me, and I … listened. I have not rebelled or turned away’ (vv. 4-5 NLT).

Isaiah said God woke him up every morning and told him what he was supposed to do that day, and what he was to say to others!

This wasn’t a ‘one of a kind’ occurrence: it happened ‘morning by morning’. Can you imagine how differently your day would go if you took the time to hear from God before you got out of bed? Notice the word ‘understanding’. God can give you understanding about what you should say and do before you get into a given situation.


He said, ‘I am the LORD … who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go’ (Isaiah 48:17 NIV 2011 Edition).


Talk about having a plus in life and an edge on the competition! And here’s the best part: even if you’re not listening, or you’re not in the right place spiritually, or you don’t have much experience in this realm, God will work with you ‘morning by morning’ until you learn to recognise and respond to His voice.

Are you surprised? You shouldn’t be! After all, that’s what good parents do with their children when they want them to grow up, mature, and enjoy life’s best.

Jer 15-17, 1 Tim 1

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

First Thing in the Morning (2)

‘Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD.’

Psalm 5:3

The UCB Word for Today - 13 Oct 2016

Why does God say so often in Scripture that He will speak to us first thing in the morning? After all, He can speak to us any time He chooses.


There are two reasons: 1) He wants to have first place in your life. He wants to be number one on your list of priorities for the day.


So before you turn on the TV, or check your computer or phone, or go galloping off, learn to be still and allow God to give you insight and understanding as to what’s important for your day - and your life.


You’ll be amazed at the solutions He gives you: the creative ideas and the clear sense of guidance.


You’ll find the promise really is true: ‘The steps of a good man [and woman] are ordered by the LORD’ (Psalm 37:23 KJV).


In fact, after a few weeks or months of living this way you won’t want to go back to your old routine. 2) He wants a blank page to write on.


Ever try talking with someone who’s distracted or preoccupied? You just want to move on. But when that person is really important to you, you try to pick a time of day when you know they’ll really listen.


Well, you are important to God and He wants to speak to you! Can you imagine your loss if you fail to hear what He has to say, or to understand what He has in mind for you? One of the secrets of King David’s strength was this: ‘Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly’ (Psalm 5:3 NLT).


In order to succeed, you must put hearing from God at the top of your morning routine!
Jer 18-19, 1 Tim 2