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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Husbands and wives (2)

‘Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman.'

1 Corinthians 11:3

The UCB Word for Today - 10 Sep 2017

Paul writes, ‘I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of the woman, and God is the head of Christ.’

There is an order to how God operates. Just as Christ was submitted to God, husbands are supposed to be submitted to Christ, and wives are supposed to be submitted to godly husbands.

Note the words, ‘the man is the head of the woman’ - not all women. This arrangement doesn’t apply in the workplace or in other relationships.

When we fail to honour God’s structure, Satan can enter our homes just as he entered the first home in Eden. ‘Submission’ is an unpopular word today.

But when we understand it from a biblical perspective, we see that it’s a positive force to accomplish good, not a negative force to subject women to an inferior status. The Greek word for submission, hupotasso, means to willingly place oneself under the authority of another.

It doesn’t involve coercion, but rather a willingness to take who and what God made you, and submit it to the authority of another. In the husband’s case, to God, and in the wife’s case, to God and to her husband.

Paul writes, ‘Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her’ (Ephesians 5:25 NIV 2011 Edition). When a husband loves his wife that way, and gives himself to her, she will gladly submit to his leadership in the home.

It’s her husband’s love and protection that releases her into the fullness of her God-given potential.

Luke 17:1-19, Ps 91-93

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Husbands and wives (3)

‘All your males are to appear before the Lord.’

Exodus 34:23

The UCB Word for Today - 11 Sep 2017

God said, ‘Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord…For I will drive out nations before you…enlarge your borders, and no man shall covet your land’ (vv. 23-24 NASB).

Three times a year the men of Israel were to go on a spiritual retreat and seek God’s guidance. And God promised to protect their families and their possessions while they were gone, and even to ‘enlarge [their] borders’.

So, if you’re a husband who wants God to protect your family and bless your endeavours, you must take the time to submit your thoughts, actions, and decisions to His leadership. You’ll never function successfully as the head of your family until you’re under the headship of Christ.

The best thing you can do in leading your home and building a great marriage is to ask the question, ‘What is the mind of Christ in this matter?’ (see 1 Corinthians 2:16). And then follow it.

Once you’ve done that, you’ll have your wife’s full attention and cooperation. Why? Because she’s no longer arguing with you and your opinions.

Now you’ve brought Christ and His Word into the equation. It may take time for your wife to trust your leadership and respect your thinking, but as she sees you walk with God and practise His principles, she’ll come to trust you and feel secure.

When a woman says to her husband, ‘I need you to hold me,’ she’s not necessarily talking about physical intimacy. She’s talking about her God-given need for security. She needs a husband she can love and trust. And God can make you such a husband.

Is 14-16, Gal 4

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Husbands and wives (4)

‘In Adam all die.’

1 Corinthians 15:22

The UCB Word for Today - 12 Sep 2017

The Bible says, ‘In Adam all die.’ Why Adam? He was called to be the head of the first family, therefore he was responsible for what happened in the home.

As people, husbands and wives are equal under God. But in marriage each has a different role. What happened in the first home was the result of two people wanting to live independently of God.

That’s the way many relationships function today. One or both partners choose to live their lives separately from God’s rule and authority. It shows up in the 50 per cent divorce rate we’re experiencing.

And that doesn’t take into consideration that many who remain married say they’re not happy and wouldn’t marry the same person again. Conflict arises when you and your spouse have different histories, learning styles, personalities, and backgrounds.

One spouse might say, ‘My father raised me like this,’ or ‘My mother always did that.’ We all have our own idea of what makes up ‘the knowledge of good and evil’ - what’s right and what’s wrong for a marriage. Everyone has an opinion.

The problem is, you can spend your life arguing over opinions and get nowhere. As followers of Christ, we’re called to live our lives and build our marriages on Bible revelation, not personal intuition.

Adam’s job was to get God’s viewpoint on issues pertaining to life and family, then share it with the other members of the family. How? By being a loving husband and modelling godly leadership. When a home functions this way, God’s blessing will be present.

Is 17-19, Gal 5

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Husbands and wives (5)

‘Husbands…live with your wives, and treat them with respect.’

1 Peter 3:7

The UCB Word for Today - 13 Sep 2017

You must get to know your wife and respect her needs. When God made woman, He made her to be a receiver and responder.

He made her a little softer, a little warmer, a little more emotional in order to respond to you. A woman responds to a man in such a way that the very thing he wants, he will receive by giving instead of demanding.

When your wife feels truly loved and secure you won’t have to worry about her fulfilling her responsibility in the home. You won’t have to wonder if you’ll have an active, intimate, physical relationship.

She’ll be right there responding to your needs. But that means you must put your wife and family first. Sometimes that means saying, ‘Sorry, guys, I can’t go out with you tonight because I’m taking my wife on a date.’

When you’re that kind of husband, you’ll get the kind of response you want without demanding it. But be prepared; there may be issues festering under the surface that need to be dealt with before you can move forward as a couple.

If so, be humble enough to say, ‘I’m sorry I’ve failed you. I haven’t loved you the way I was supposed to and I know it has affected our relationship. I haven’t given you the time and attention you need.

But starting today I’m going to change. With God’s help, I’m going to try to love you the way you deserve to be loved.’ Now, sir, your wife may faint when she first hears it, but if you follow through, you can have the marriage you always dreamed of.

Is 20-22, Gal 6

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Husbands and wives (6)

‘Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house.’

Psalm 128:3

The UCB Word for Today - 14 Sep 2017

The psalmist writes: ‘Blessed are all who fear [respect, honour and obey] the LORD, who walk in his ways. You will eat the fruit [rewards] of your labour; blessings and prosperity will be yours.

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table. Thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD’ (vv. 1-4 NIV 1984 Edition).

In a favourable climate, grapevines need no coaxing to grow. They’ll produce grapes in abundance, from which comes wine. And wine in the Bible speaks of joy and celebration.

It’s the same in your home. As a husband, God holds you responsible for creating a climate in which your wife and family can experience ‘blessings and prosperity’. That means you must spend enough time at home to create and maintain an ideal temperature.

When you’re seldom present you can’t do that, because your absence just frustrates your wife and diminishes her sense of worth and self-confidence. When she has to take second place to your career, your sports activities, and your friends - not to mention your television watching - you’ll never build a great relationship with her.

To know what your wife’s needs are, you must spend quality time with her. If you want to discover her true potential and know just how wonderful a person she is, create the right climate in your home.

One woman joked, ‘I never knew what real happiness was until I married my husband - now it’s too late!’ That doesn’t have to be your story. You can create a climate in which you both thrive and enjoy life.

Is 23-25, Eph 1[/color]

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

You are redeemed by the blood of Jesus

‘The blood of Jesus Christ…cleanses us from all sin.’

1 John 1:7

The UCB Word for Today - 15 Sep 2017

Going to church, doing your best, and subscribing to fuzzy notions about God won’t get you into heaven. Here’s the testimony of those already in heaven:

‘To him who loves us…freed us from our sins by his blood, and…made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father…be glory and power for ever and ever!’ (Revelation 1:5-6 NIV 2011 Edition).

There’s an interesting story behind a broken rope on display at the Matterhorn Museum in Zermatt, Switzerland. Some climbers who scaled the Matterhorn used it to rope themselves together for the return descent.

But one climber slipped and dragged three others with him into an abyss. The other team members braced for the shock on the rope linking them all together, expecting it to halt their companions’ fall.

But the tug came, and to everyone’s horror the rope snapped, plunging them to their deaths. Nobody knows why an inferior rope was used. But they do know it wasn’t genuine Alpine rope, which is guaranteed and distinguished by a red strand running through it.

There’s a lesson here. From Genesis to Revelation the Bible has a red strand running through it, and it represents the only thing that can save you - the blood of Jesus.

Old Testament believers looked forward to the cross, and New Testament believers looked back to it. By trusting in Christ’s finished work, you’re accepted by God, and one day the door of heaven will open and you’ll live with Him forever.

And it’s all based on this truth: ‘The blood of Jesus Christ…cleanses us from all sin.’ No more is required, and nothing less will get you through the door!

Is 26-27, Eph 2

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Become a good thinker

‘As he thinketh in his heart, so is he.’

Proverbs 23:7

The UCB Word for Today - 16 Sep 2017

With practice, you can become a good thinker.

Observe two things: 1) Good thinkers have foresight. ‘The plans of the diligent lead to profit’ (Proverbs 21:5 NIV 2011 Edition).

The word diligent means ‘to work, study, and plan’. You don’t stumble into success and figure it out afterwards. Whether you’re in business or ministry, your level of success will increase dramatically if you place a high value on good thinking.

Novelist Victor Hugo wrote, ‘A small man is made up of small thoughts.’ People who don’t practise good thinking usually find themselves at the mercy of circumstances - or other people’s thoughts.

Unable to solve problems, they find themselves facing the same obstacles over and over. And because they don’t think ahead they’re habitually in reaction mode.

An old German proverb says, ‘Better an empty purse than an empty head.’ Good thinkers overcome difficulties, including lack of resources, that often leave poor thinkers at the mercy of good thinkers.

In As a Man Thinketh, James Allen says, ‘All that a man achieves or fails to achieve, is a direct result of his thoughts.’ Do you believe that? If you do, you’ll place a high value on good thinking and make it a priority in your life.

2) Good thinkers look for the best, not the worst. They live by this scriptural principle: ‘Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things’ (Philippians 4:8 NIV 2011 Edition).

Is 28-29, Eph 3

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Are you being stretched?

‘All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize.’

1 Corinthians 9:25

The UCB Word for Today - 17 Sep 2017


When you’re being stretched spiritually, your faith in God grows. When you’re being stretched mentally, your old ideas are challenged and replaced with new ones.

When you’re being stretched relationally, selfishness dies and love grows. So, are you being stretched right now?

God allows us to have stretching experiences that prepare us for the race He has called us to run in life - and every so often your soul will ‘hit the wall’.

No amount of strength and no amount of pressing will move the problem. This is soul stretch! Often, these moments aren’t the real test; they are just warm-ups that prepare us for future challenges.

They are points of reference designed to keep us from panicking when we’re in the midst of the real race. Remember that God never allows a person to run for Him, or with Him, who hasn’t been stretched in their thinking, their faith, and their ability to live and love.

So, when you face a problem that just won’t move, remember to take a deep breath and remind yourself that God is stretching you. It’s the stretching of the soul that enables us to face situations we think will kill us, but don’t; to endure times when we think we won’t make it, but do.

Sooner or later we will all face difficult times and relationships, but they are just the deep knee bends of life. So, when it feels like you’re being stretched to breaking point, don’t quit. See it for what it is - preparation for running and winning your God-assigned race in life.

Luke 17:20-37, Ps 94-96

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Remember to forget

‘If you have anything against anyone, forgive him.’

Mark 11:25

The UCB Word for Today - 18 Sep 2017

No matter how much two people love each other, conflicts are sure to arise that call for extending grace and showing forgiveness. Do you know that couples who are happy and stay married have the same number of disagreements and conflicts as couples who are unhappy and get divorced?

Statistically, that is true! It’s not the absence of conflict that preserves marriage, but the ability to manage conflict when it happens. So how do you ‘manage’ conflict?

By practising the kind of self-control that keeps conflicts from mushrooming into hurtful and divisive stand-offs. It also means knowing what to do with hurt feelings like anger, disappointment, and dashed expectations.

In other words, it means knowing how to forgive it and forget it. But emotional hurt and tension are almost impossible to forget; the harder we try, the more we remember.

So, what’s the answer? Remember to forget! Try to act like God, who chooses not to hold against us what He knows about us.

He says in His Word: ‘I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins’ (Isaiah 43:25 NKJV).

That means if you are holding something against your spouse, there’s only one solution: forgive it and forget it.

You may never forget how you’ve been hurt, but you can choose to forgive it and move on. No, it’s not easy, but you can do it.

How? By remembering the things, known or unknown to others, that God has forgiven you for and extending that same grace to your spouse.

Is 30-31, Eph 4

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Free from people’s approval

‘We are not trying to please people but God.’

1 Thessalonians 2:4

The UCB Word for Today - 19 Sep 2017

There’s a world of difference between performing for people’s approval, and being free to minister to their needs because you know you already have God’s approval.

Striving for approval is like any other drug; you can never get enough of it. And like all drug addicts you go crazy when it’s withheld.

It places you at the mercy of other people’s opinions, and as a result you live on an emotional roller coaster. That’s not how God wants you to live!

Paul was free to speak the truth in love: to confront people or to be gentle with them. When someone told Paul they didn’t like him, he didn’t lose sleep over it because his security and self-worth weren’t built on their acceptance.

‘We speak as those approved by God’ (v. 4 NIV 2011 Edition). Paul didn’t go around comparing himself with others, demonstrating his superiority by trying to be top dog or the one who’s always in charge.

Knowing he already had God’s approval set him free from such anxiety and meant he could enjoy the life God called him to. When we’re immature, we worry about what others think of us.

But as we become more mature, we realise that most of the time they aren’t thinking about us at all. They’re too busy thinking about themselves - or worrying about what we think of them!

Knowing you have God’s approval gives you the strength to deal with criticism and conflict because you’re secure in your identity. And your identity is this: you’re redeemed, called, and approved by God.

Is 32-33, Eph 5:1-16