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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Be Faithful
‘She is your companion and your wife by covenant.’

Malachi 2:14
The UCB Word for Today - 7 Jul 2016


As the culture around us becomes more permissive, the idea of faithfulness in marriage is being challenged.


The entertainment industry promotes the idea that infidelity is a marvellous game for two. But they don’t tell you the downside. When it has run its course, it brings pain and disillusionment.


And not only for the two people involved, but for those who love them, depend on them, and look to them for an example. It’s time for some straight talk about the covenant of marriage.

After the thrill of the chase and the cooling of passion, you get back to cooking, cleaning, and earning a living.


Yes, the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, but it still has to be mowed. When you’re dating you get to see the best aspects of someone, but when you marry them you get to live with their flaws, frailties, and irritants, much like those in the former husband or wife.


And guess what? Married life begins to feel confining. Then what does the individual do when he or she is beginning to feel trapped? Hopscotch from one life to another in a vain search for something indescribable - something they never seem to find.


What’s the answer? Instead of looking for the right person, seek to grow and mature and become the right person. Often the qualities you’re looking for in someone new lie undiscovered and unappreciated under the surface in the person you’re married to.


These qualities are like seeds: if you water them, nurture and protect them, they will grow into something beautiful you can enjoy.

2 Chron 32-33, Rom 1

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


You Can Live a Victorious Christian Life
‘Don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.’

Romans 13:14
The UCB Word for Today - 8 Jul 2016


If you’re serious about living a victorious Christian life you must do three things: 1) Burn the bridges to your old lifestyle.

Any bridge you refuse to burn gives Satan an invitation and re-entry point into your life.

The new believers at Ephesus did something radical; they brought out all their books on witchcraft and pornography and burned them in public.

They weren’t namby-pamby or willy-nilly; they were committed! They lived by the words, ‘Don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.’ 2) Establish prayer as a top priority.

Prayer puts a shield of divine protection around you; don’t start your day without it. Jesus said, ‘Stay alert; be in prayer so you don’t wander into temptation’ (Matthew 26:41 MSG). Unless you acknowledge your vulnerability for sin, you won’t pray against it and you’ll end up experiencing defeat.


The most effective weapon the enemy has against you - is you. Your old nature must be crucified daily, and prayer is how you do it. 3) Fill your mind with God’s Word.

Jesus said, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God’ (Matthew 4:4 KJV).

Three different times in the wilderness Satan tried to get Jesus to submit to temptation, and each time Jesus responded, ‘It is written’ (vv. 4, 7, 10 KJV).

After the third attempt Satan gave up and left Him alone. Why? Because he can’t prevail against you when you know God’s Word and stand on it.

So have your ‘It is written’ armour ready. Build yourself up on the Word of God before the attack comes.


2 Chron 34-46, Rom 2

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


Listen to God’s Voice
‘Your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”’

Isaiah 30:21
The UCB Word for Today - 9 Jul 2016


One of England’s finest preachers decided because of his wife’s failing health not to go to America and speak at an important conference.


Although he’d purchased his ticket, the ship sailed without him, and J. Stuart Holden missed a golden opportunity in the prime of his preaching career.


A devoted husband, he gave himself to caring for his wife and tried not think of what he was missing on the other side of the Atlantic.


The truth is we’re too easily disappointed when our plans fall through; too easily discouraged when ‘great career opportunities’ are missed, and our complaining proves that we don’t know God like we say we do.

Delay is often the protective hand of our heavenly Father. It certainly was for Holden, who resolved never again to question God’s timing.

Why? Because the unused ticket he held reserved his passage on the new ‘unsinkable’ luxury liner - RMS Titanic. There’s so much talk in the Church today about self-help, that God’s providence and guidance is seldom mentioned.


But the bottom line is we don’t decide God’s plan for our lives, we discover it. Much of the time we don’t understand how He leads us, and it’s only in retrospect that we see His hand at work.


Paul wrote, ‘When I go to Spain, I hope to visit you’ (see Romans 15:24). But he never made it; instead he ended up in prison.


But it was from there that he wrote the Epistles. So here’s the question: if you really believe God is directing your steps - why are you questioning, doubting, and complaining?


Ezra 1-2, Rom 3

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


Choose to ‘Live in Peace’
‘Live in peace … and the Author and Promoter of peace will be with you.’

2 Corinthians 13:11
The UCB Word for Today - 10 Jul 2016
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When Jesus sent His disciples out to preach, He told them to go into each city, find a suitable house in which to stay, and say, ‘Peace be unto you.’ If they were accepted they were to stay there and minister.


If not, they were to leave and shake the dust of that place off their feet (see Matthew 10:11-15). Why did Jesus say that? Because instead of staying where you’re tolerated, you need to go where you’re appreciated. You shouldn’t waste your time on people who don’t want to be helped.


If you remain where there is strife you can’t be effective. Strife grieves the Holy Spirit. When peace leaves, the Holy Spirit leaves, and He’s the one who does the real work.

Question: when you picture Jesus ministering to others, how do you see Him? Certainly not with the stressed-out, hurry-up attitude we often have.


Don’t you get an image of Him ministering in a quiet, tranquil peace? That’s a trait you need to develop too. As ambassadors of Christ we need to become more like our Master in dealing with others.


Paul writes, ‘Live in peace, and [then] the God of love [Who is the Source of affection, goodwill, love, and benevolence toward men] and the Author and Promoter of peace will be with you.’ When you resort to force, argument, intimidation, anger, and coercion, you’re on your own.


But when you demonstrate affection, goodwill, love, and benevolence towards people, God has promised to be with you. So the word for you today is - choose to ‘live in peace’.


Luke 13:1-21, Ps 72-73

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


Soul Prosperity
‘I pray that … your soul prospers.’

3 John v. 2
The UCB Word for Today - 11 Jul 2016



John wrote, ‘I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.’ For your soul to prosper you must: 1) Question your doubts and not your faith. We spend too much time dwelling on our misgivings, and experiencing faith as an occasional flash in the pan.


God’s promises are for ‘believers’, so start believing what He says. 2) Not be a ‘Lone Ranger’. It’s no coincidence that the Old Testament tells the story of God’s ‘people’, and the Epistles were addressed to ‘congregations’. We grow as we relate - not isolate! 3) Guard your thought life.

Practise mind management! When your ‘thinking is controlled by the sinful self, there is death. But if [it’s] controlled by the Spirit, there is life and peace’ (Romans 8:6 NCV). 4) Fall asleep and wake up immersed in gratitude. It’ll transform your day. ‘In everything give thanks’ (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NKJV). 5) Get rid of anything that distracts you from God. Limit the time you spend on the phone or watching TV.6) Always err on the side of mercy. Philip Yancey writes, ‘I marvel at the humility of a God who descends to live inside His flawed creatures, but do I show that same attitude toward people of whom I disapprove?’ 7) Be specific, and not revert to generalities when discussing your faith. Paul wasn’t ‘ashamed of the gospel’ (Romans 1:16 NKJV), and neither should you be. 8) Be gracious to those who irk you.

Remember, God chose them too! Sometimes it’s easier to be gracious to nonbelievers than to uptight, judgemental Christians.

But that just makes you a different kind of judgemental! 9) Forgive those who hurt you. Harbouring hatred hinders healing; instead, bring your hurts to God.


Ezra 3-5, Rom 4

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


Don’t Be a Gossip
‘A talebearer reveals secrets.’

Proverbs 11:13
The UCB Word for Today - 12 Jul 2016


When you gossip you’re like a loose cannon. Stop and try to imagine that.

When a cannon is anchored and aimed in the right direction it can win the battle. But when it’s not it can destroy everything in its path.

And that’s what gossip does: ‘A talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.’ The word ‘talebearer’ comes from the Hebrew word rakal, which means ‘to go about’; it’s likely derived from an old word meaning ‘merchant’. So a talebearer is someone who goes around peddling gossip! The story is told of a mother who was preparing dinner one evening when her little boy came running into the kitchen. ‘What has Mama’s little darling been doing all day?’ she asked. ‘I’ve been playing postman,’ he replied. ‘Postman?’ the mother wondered aloud. ‘How could you do that when you’ve no letters?’ He said, ‘Oh, I had a whole bunch of letters.’ Alarmed, she said, ‘What letters?’ Her son replied, ‘I found them all tied up with ribbon in an old trunk in the attic, and I put one in every letterbox on the street.’ Even when you don’t intend harm, your words can start a chain reaction that devastates people’s lives and drives wedges.


That’s why the Bible says, ‘A perverse man sows strife, and a whisperer separates the best of friends’ (Proverbs 16:28 NKJV). Unless you’re sure that what you’re sharing in confidence will remain in confidence and result in good, don’t share it at all.


And if you feel like you must talk to somebody, talk to the One who can do something about it - God!


Ezra 6-8, Rom 5

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


Ask God for a Vision
‘Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.’

Hebrews 12:2
The UCB Word for Today - 13 Jul 2016


A vision is a picture of what ‘can be’ rather than ‘what is’. Your vision may be to bring help to the marginalised and forgotten. Like John Kirkby, who left his job in finance when he felt God call him to help the poor and found Christians Against Poverty.

Or of honest business that doesn't oppress its workers - like the Christian founders of Cadbury, Rowntree, and Fry in the confectionary industry.

It may be a vision of freedom where there’s oppression - like the one that made William Wilberforce give up a life of privilege to eradicate slavery.


Or your vision may be smaller and simpler - like being the first one in your family to graduate from university, or becoming a great parent to your child even though you yourself never had one.


Or breaking a bad habit before it breaks you…or overcoming your fear of technology and learning to use an iPad…or spending your retirement years impacting the world around you.


Thoreau said, ‘If you’ve built castles in the air…put foundations under them.’ But having a vision isn’t enough; there has to be a commitment to act on it.

That’s called a mission - and it requires setting specific, measurable steps to achieve it.


Those steps are called goals; they establish a plan for accomplishing your mission and thus fulfilling your vision.


You’ll generally have one vision, but many goals. And each goal you reach brings you a step closer to fulfilling your vision.

And here’s the really good news: when your vision comes from God, He’ll give you the strength, wisdom, connections, relationships, and resources to make it happen because He’s ‘the author and finisher of our faith’.

Ezra 9-10, Rom 6

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


How to Minister to People (1)
‘Four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat.’

Mark 2:3
The UCB Word for Today - 14 Jul 2016


It took four people to get this man to Jesus, and fortunately they weren’t the kind who gave up easily.

They refused to let the crowd stand in their way. They even ‘raised the roof’ to get him to Jesus.


So if you want to minister to people: 1) You must be aware of their need. They may look like they’ve ‘got it all together’, yet inwardly be lying on a stretcher.


When they’re alone they cry out, ‘God, unless you help me I’m finished.’ They’re hurting, desperate, and powerless, and they know it. 2) You mustn’t let them down.

Committing to bring somebody to Jesus means picking them up, refusing to let them down, and carrying them the whole way.


It means comforting, encouraging, and holding them securely until He touches them. 3) You must allow Jesus to do it His way. Often hurting people don’t know what they need - but Jesus does.

So once you get them there, back off and let Him work. When we’ve been in church a while we tend to look for outward signs of change.

But Jesus recognised that this man’s first need was for forgiveness: ‘My child, your sins are forgiven’ (v. 5 NLT). After that He addressed the man’s second need: ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!’ (v. 11 NLT).

Don’t dismiss God’s tendency to work in ways that don’t make sense to you. He knows what He’s doing, and He never does anything by half-measures.


Once He starts working on somebody, He’ll ‘keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish’ (Philippians 1:6 MSG).


Neh 1-3, Rom 7

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


How to Minister to People (2)
‘They dug through the clay roof above [Jesus’] head.’

Mark 2:4
The UCB Word for Today - 15 Jul 2016


When the four people carrying their paralyzed friend arrived at the house where Jesus was preaching, the crowd was so big that they couldn’t get to Him.

So they’d a choice to make: give up, or persist and find a way through.

That’s when they decided to climb up and dig ‘through the clay roof above [Jesus’] head’. When they finally broke through and Jesus saw their faith, He said to the man, ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!’ (v. 11 NLT). And what happened next is notable: ‘The man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers.


They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”’ (v. 12 NLT). Whatever ‘roof’ is separating you or the person you love from Jesus, it must be removed.


Tear it off! Don’t let anything stand in your way! Jesus can give anyone healing, a fresh start, a good job, a strong marriage, healthy kids, or an effective ministry - if they are willing to dig for it. These people were radical in their approach.

They didn’t just have faith - they had faith in action! They had come to see Jesus and they refused to be denied.

As they dug through the clay roof they believed they were only a few feet away from a miracle, and they weren’t about to be put off. Knowing that is what kept them going.


So no matter what you have to do today, let nothing stop you from getting to Jesus.

You’re closer to a breakthrough than you realise, so keep digging and don’t stop until you get there!


Neh 4-6, Rom 8:1-21

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


‘I Wish…’
‘Love one another as I have loved you.’

John 15:12
The UCB Word for Today - 16 Jul 2016


A Christian counsellor writes: ‘A year six teacher shared with me the results of a creative writing project assigned to her class.


She asked the kids to complete a series of sentences that began with the phrase, “I wish…” The teacher expected her students to write about their desires for bicycles, toys, animals, and trips to theme parks, etc. Instead, twenty of the thirty students made reference to the breakup of their families or conflict at home: “I wish my parents wouldn’t fight.” “I wish my father would come back.” “I wish I could get straight A’s, so my dad would love me.” “I wish my mother didn’t have a boyfriend.” “I wish I had one mum and one dad, so the kids wouldn’t make fun of me.


I’ve three mums and three dads, and they botch up my life.” “I wish I had an M-1 rifle so I could shoot those who make fun of me.” It’s hardly front-page news that the family is in trouble today, but it continues to distress me to see little children like these struggling at a time when simply growing up is a major undertaking.


Millions of their peers are caught in the same snare. Every aspect of their young lives is influenced by family instability during their developmental years.


Without gaining access to professional counselling, many of these kids will drag their problems into future relationships. Then the pattern of disintegration will repeat itself in the next generation.


Returning to the responses given by these students, I wonder how your children would complete a sentence that began with the words, “I wish…”’


Neh 7-9, Rom 8:22-39