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The Word For Today-A Daily Update
TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

The hardest thing you’ll ever do

‘[Jesus] made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant.’

Philippians 2:7
The UCB Word for Today - 22 Dec 2016


The hardest thing you’ll ever do is to put others first and yourself second, because we intuitively look out for ourselves.

Self-preservation is man’s first instinct - but it doesn’t work. Do you know how two goats respond when they meet on a narrow path above a river?

They can’t turn back, and they can’t pass each other because they lack even an inch of spare room. The goats instinctively know that if they butt each other they’ll both fall into the river and drown.

So how do they handle it? Nature has taught one goat to lie down so the other can pass over it; and as a result both animals survive and arrive at their destination safe and sound.

Instead of seeing itself as a doormat to be walked on, the goat sees itself as a bridge to be crossed over.

So it becomes a win-win. The Bible says Jesus ‘made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant’.

And to do that you must focus on other people’s needs instead of your own ‘rights’. President Calvin Coolidge once said: ‘No enterprise can exist for itself alone. It ministers to some great need, it performs some great service, not for itself, but for others; or failing therein, it ceases to be profitable and ceases to exist.’ And what’s true for any organisation or business operation, is true for you.

And here’s the best part: every time you sacrifice in order to serve someone, you’re sowing seeds of blessing you will surely reap.

Zech 1-2, Rev 15
 
TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY
The key to a successful life
‘These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature.’

2 Peter 1:4
The UCB Word for Today - 23 Dec 2016



The story is told of a pastor who was invited to dinner with one of the families in his congregation, so the woman of the house decided to impress him. After dinner she wanted him to read something inspiring to the family. She said to one of her children, ‘Please go and get the Good Book, the book we love, the book we read every day.’ Guess what happened? The child came back with a shopping catalogue! Seriously, just as you cannot thrive physically without a daily intake of good nutrition, you cannot thrive spiritually without a daily intake of God’s Word. Everything you need for living a joyful and victorious Christian life is found in your Bible. ‘By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself…he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires’ (vv. 3-4 NLT). What did Jesus use to overcome Satan’s temptations in the wilderness? Intellect? Willpower? No, He used the Scriptures because He knew Satan has no defence against them. Do you want to succeed in your career, in your home, in your relationships, and everywhere else? ‘Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do’ (Joshua 1:8 NLT).
Zech 3-4, Rev 16
 
TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY
Smile, and start a chain reaction
‘When I smiled at them…their faces lit up.’

Job 29:24
The UCB Word for Today - 24 Dec 2016


If you think you’ve nothing to smile about, consider these words from a man who’d just experienced the death of all his children, the loss of his entire fortune, and was now covered from head to toe in boils. ‘When I smiled at them, they could hardly believe it; their faces lit up, their troubles took wings! I was their leader, establishing the mood and setting the pace by which they lived. Where I led, they followed’ (vv. 24-25 MSG). That’s the power of a smile! One Christmas a big department store posted this sign: ‘The Value of a Smile: it costs nothing, but creates much. It enriches those who receive it, without impoverishing those who give it. It happens in a flash, and the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None are so rich that they can get along without it, and none so poor but are richer for its benefits. It creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in business, and is the countersign of friends. It is rest to the weary, daylight to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and nature’s best antidote for trouble. Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is no earthly good until it is given away. And if in the last-minute rush of Christmas buying some of our salespeople should be too tired to give you a smile, may we ask you to leave one of yours. For nobody needs a smile so much as those who have none left to give!’ Start a chain reaction this Christmas! Walk around with a smile on your face and see what happens.
Zech 5-6, Rev 17
 
TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY
Why Jesus came
‘Enoch walked with God 300 years.’

Genesis 5:22
The UCB Word for Today - 25 Dec 2016


Life is a journey with a definite beginning and end. And if you’re wise you’ll do what Enoch did for 300 years - he walked with God. Can you imagine how well you’d know God after spending all those years with Him? There’s nothing dull or boring about walking with God. The psalmist says, ‘You have made known to me the path of life; you fill me with joy in your presence’ (Psalm 16:11 NIV 1984 Edition). God made you for Himself, and only when you discover His purpose for your life will you find peace and joy. If you were to take a fish out of the ocean and place it on the beach, you’d see its scales dry up as it gasped for breath. Is that fish happy? No. If you covered it with a mountain of cash would it be happy? No. Would an iPad, a good book, and a cool drink make it happy? No. Would a new wardrobe? No. Only one thing will make it happy: putting it back in the water. That fish will never be happy on the beach because it wasn’t made for the beach. It was made for the ocean, in the same way you were made for fellowship with God. You’ll always feel like a fish out of water - never knowing peace and joy - until you find Him. And the good news is He’s as close to you as a prayer. Once you ask Him into your heart you’ll never feel empty again. Do you know why Jesus came that first Christmas? He tells us: ‘So that [you] may have the full measure of my joy within’ (John 17:13 NIV 2011 Edition).
Luke 24:1-35, Ps 129-139
 
TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY
The Christmas spirit
‘Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another.’

Colossians 3:13
The UCB Word for Today - 26 Dec 2016


For some people Christmas is not a time of joy, but depression. In some cases it’s because their families are fractured by divorce and their memories are painful. In their book, None of These Diseases, S.I. McMillen and David Stern described the damage we inflict on ourselves when we dislike someone or refuse to forgive them. ‘The moment I begin to hate a man, I become his slave. He controls my thoughts. He controls my feelings. He even controls my dreams. Stress hormones constantly surge through my bloodstream and wear down my body…the one I hate hounds me wherever I go.’ As your family gathers for Christmas, perhaps there’s a member you don’t like or haven’t forgiven. If so, remember that Jesus came into the world to love the unlovely and forgive the unworthy. The word ‘grace’ means ‘unearned, unmerited, undeserved favour’. And Christ will flush the anger and resentment out of your heart if you let Him. If you’re not looking forward to seeing someone in your family this Christmas, offer this prayer: ‘Lord, I confess that I don’t like _______ and I’m dreading being with them. Help me to forgive and show grace. Let the love of Christ flow through me this Christmas. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.’ You say, ‘But they don’t deserve to be forgiven.’ Yes, and neither did you deserve God’s love and forgiveness either. Jesus said, ‘Love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you...Do to others as you would like them to do to you’ (Luke 6:27-28, 31 NLT). That’s the Christmas spirit!
Zech 7-8, Rev 18
 
TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY
‘How silently the wondrous gift is given’
‘You will find a baby…lying in a manger.’

Luke 2:12
The UCB Word for Today - 27 Dec 2016



One Christmas in London Phil Yancey went to hear Handel’s Messiah. He says: ‘I’d spent the morning viewing remnants of England’s glory - crown jewels, a gold mace, the Mayor’s gilded carriage…such images must have filled the minds of Isaiah’s contemporaries who heard the promise, “The glory of the LORD shall be revealed” (Isaiah 40:5 KJV). No doubt the Jews thought back to the glory days of Solomon when “silver and gold [were] as common…as stones” (2 Chronicles 1:15 NIV 2011 Edition). The Messiah who showed up, however, wore the glory of humility…The God who could order armies and empires like chessboard pawns emerged as a baby who…depended on a teenage couple for shelter, food, and love. In London I caught glimpses of the way rulers stride through the world: with bodyguards, trumpet fanfares…bright clothes…flashing jewellery. [A head of state] had recently visited the U.S. with 4,000 pounds of luggage…2 outfits for every occasion…a personal hairdresser…and a host of other attendants…God’s visit to earth took place in an animal shelter with no attendants and nowhere to lay the newborn King but a feed-trough. A mule could have stepped on him! The sky grew luminous with angels, yet who saw that spectacle? Illiterate hirelings who watched the flocks of others, “nobodies” who failed to leave their names.’ The story inspired an Episcopal priest visiting Bethlehem in 1865 to pen the familiar words: ‘How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given; so God imparts of human hearts the blessings of His heaven. No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin; where meek souls will receive Him, still the dear Christ enters in.’
Zech 9-10, Rev 19
 
TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY
Put on the garment of praise
‘The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.’

Isaiah 61:3
The UCB Word for Today - 28 Dec 2016


Praise works like a magnifying glass. It causes what you’re focusing on to get bigger, to be ‘magnified’. David said, ‘Magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together. I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears’ (Psalm 34:3-4 NKJV). It’s a mistake to wait until you’ve no problems, fewer problems, or your problems are solved before you praise the Lord. Praise is one of the great scriptural keys to problem-solving because it gets your focus on God, the problem solver. Charles Spurgeon said: ‘My happiest moments are when I am worshipping God, really adoring the Lord Jesus Christ…In that worship I forget the cares of the church and everything else. To me it is the nearest approach to what it will be in heaven.’ God has promised you ‘the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness’. It works like this. When you begin to praise Him with a heavy heart, you experience a new sense of hope and joy. Through worship you are reminded that God is bigger than the situation you face; that He’s not only capable of managing your concerns but willing, wanting, and waiting to. The psalmist wrote: ‘Seven times a day I praise You’ (Psalm 119:164 NKJV). Fill your day with praise. Don’t just take coffee breaks and tea breaks, take ‘praise breaks’. Begin to praise God for two things: 1) His attributes. His power, love, grace, favour, guidance, etc. 2) His acts. Recall His goodness to you. Go ahead; take off the spirit of heaviness and put on the garment of praise.
Zech 11-12, Rev 20
 
TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY
Don’t look back
‘Anyone who…looks behind him is useless for the kingdom of God.’


Luke 9:62
The UCB Word for Today - 29 Dec 2016
Jesus sought out people prepared to do more than just believe in Him - He wanted people willing to follow Him. His early ministry was marked by people like Andrew, Peter, Philip, and Nathanael (see John 1:35-52): people willing to leave where they were and what they owned in order to follow Him. Jesus called people to a life of radical commitment. When He ‘called the crowd to him…He said, “If people want to follow me, they must give up the things they want. They must be willing even to give up their lives”’ (Mark 8:34 NCV). No half-measures, but a willingness to follow Him full-time. Trusting in Jesus will get you into heaven, but nothing less than following Him daily will make you useful in His kingdom on earth. Three different men told Jesus, ‘I’ll follow you, Lord’ (see Luke 9:57-61), but they weren’t willing to give up the priorities of their old lives (see v. 62). And Jesus responded with this powerful metaphor: ‘Anyone who puts his hand to the plough and…looks behind him is useless for the kingdom of God.’ Following Jesus means whatever is back there, stays back there - old hang-ups, attachments, and lifestyles. You can’t plough the straight furrow of discipleship looking back at the past. Don’t let the gravitational pull of past failure, guilt, fear, shame, betrayal, loss, abuse, rejection, resentment, and unforgiveness ruin your future. Cut the cord; join those willing to ‘follow the Lamb wherever He goes’ (Revelation 14:4 NKJV).
Zech 13-14, Rev 21
 
TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY
A relationship addict finds lasting satisfaction
‘But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again.’


John 4:14
The UCB Word for Today - 30 Dec 2016

Jesus asked the woman at the well for a drink of water. Surprised that a Jew would talk to a Samaritan, she asked Him why He was asking her for water. He replied: ‘If you knew…who I am, you would be asking me for…living water. Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst - not ever’ (vv. 10, 13-14 MSG). Notice the distinction between ‘this water’ and ‘the water I give’. Jesus wasn’t discussing regional water qualities. He was talking about her five failed marriages and the man she was currently living with. The truth is, she had no idea how or where to find the satisfaction she’d thirsted for. One disappointing relationship after another; no matter how often she drank from ‘this water’ her thirst could not be satisfied. And her response to each failed relationship was another failed relationship - supposing, as we often do, that doing more of what doesn’t work will eventually make it work! Jesus wasn’t criticising her lack of morals. No, He was offering her the only real cure for emptiness. ‘Anyone who drinks the water…I give will never thirst again.’ Whatever you’re looking to for fulfilment - drugs, alcohol, sex, pornography, serial relationships, money, or popularity - it’s all water that can never satisfy. Focusing your life on Jesus, spending time with Him, talking with Him, and ‘drinking in’ His Word daily will absolutely fill the void within you.
Malachi 1-4, Rev 22
 
TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY
The New Year (1)
‘You have crowned the year with Your bounty, and Your paths drip with fatness.’

Psalm 65:11
The UCB Word for Today - 31 Dec 2016


One Bible teacher says, ‘Like most people you’ve probably made New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, exercise, eat better...and improve your life. But did you know that the desire to improve your life with each New Year started in the heart of God? David said, “You have crowned the year with Your bounty, and Your paths drip with fatness.” In Bible times “fatness” was considered a sign of material success. Moses sent twelve spies in to scout out the Promised Land and report back on whether it was “fat or lean”. They brought back word saying that it “flowed with milk and honey” (see Numbers 13:26-27). The land was so fruitful that it took two men to carry one cluster of grapes! So what will it take for you to experience God’s blessing this coming year? Note the words “crowned”, “bounty”, and “paths”. In the same way a crown encircles your head, this year you can be surrounded by God’s bountiful goodness. But something is required on your part. You must walk in His “paths” throughout the year, because only His paths “drip with fatness”. You can’t expect to experience the success God offers if you’re not willing to walk in close fellowship with Him every day. Ezekiel expresses a similar thought: “I will make them and the places around about My hill a blessing...there shall be showers of blessing [of good insured by God’s favour]” (Ezekiel 34:26 AMP Classic Edition). The places around God’s habitation will be showered with blessing and goodness; so endeavour to stay close to God each day of this year.’
Gen 1-3, Matt 1