[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Passing the fear test

‘God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid.’

Isaiah 12:2

The UCB Word for Today - 17 Oct 2017

How much of a factor is fear in your life? Go ahead, take the fear test. Circle the number that best corresponds to how you feel.

1) I don’t remember the last time I was really afraid.
2) I am afraid rarely, and only when I or someone close to me is in physical danger.
3) I am a little more fearful than I’d like to be.
4) Fear is a significant factor in my everyday life. I avoid anything risky or dangerous.
5) I’m afraid of many things on a daily basis, and it changes the way I live my life.

If you circled number one you’re an unusual individual who doesn’t experience normal fear. You may have to temper your actions with greater discernment and wisdom.

If you circled number two, you have a healthy attitude towards fear and you’ve got a handle on it. You should try to encourage others who have a more difficult time with fear than you do.

If you circled number three or four, you’re in an excellent position to improve your life by changing your attitude. Begin by identifying the source of your fears, and determining to turn your fear into faith in God (see Romans 10:17).

For each area of fear, figure out a positive opposite, and create a plan of action to cultivate that quality. Then focus on what you can control today.

If you circled number five, chances are fear is getting the better of you and you’ll have a difficult time overcoming it on your own. So, pray and reprogram your mind with God’s Word (see 1 Timothy 1:7). And don’t be afraid to seek help from a trusted friend or counsellor.

Jer 27-29, 1 Tim 6

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

If it’s God’s will - you can have it

‘If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.’

1 John 5:14

The UCB Word for Today - 18 Oct 2017

The story is told of three men marooned on a desert island with little hope of being rescued. One day they were walking around the island when one of them picked up an old, tarnished lamp.

When he rubbed it, a genie appeared and offered to grant each man one wish. The first man said, ‘I wish I was back in my office in Boston.’ Puff! He was there. The second said, ‘I wish I was home with my family in London.’ Puff! He was there.

The third man looked around and said, ‘It’s so lonely here, I wish my friends were back with me.’ The problem with wishing is that genies and magic lamps don’t exist. But God does!

And since He is in control of your life and He’s more powerful than any genie, when your wishes become prayers that line up with His will, they can become a reality.

‘Does the Bible teach that?’ you ask. Yes; it says: ‘This is the confidence we have in approaching God…if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him’ (vv.14-15 NIV 2011 Edition).

But even when your wish is in line with God’s will, you need one more thing - faith. Faith does two things: a) It opens your eyes to see that God’s promises are for you personally. b) It acts like a magnet, drawing the fulfilment of His promise into your life.

So, what are you wishing for? If it’s God’s will - you can have it.

Jer 30-31, 2 Tim 1

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Has your love grown cold?

‘You don’t love me…as you did at first!’

Revelation 2:4

The UCB Word for Today - 19 Oct 2017

Love is like a fire; when it’s not fuelled, it goes out. That’s what happened to the Christians in the church at Ephesus. In earlier years Paul wrote these words to them: ‘Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love’ (Ephesians 6:24 NASB).

Their love for the Lord was so strong and so evident to all, that Paul commended them for it. But by the time Christ speaks to the same church in the book of Revelation, their love for Him had waned:

‘I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me’ (vv. 2-5 NLT).

Evangelical leader John Stott wrote: ‘They’d fallen from the early heights of devotion to Christ which they’d climbed. They’d descended to the plains of mediocrity. In a word…the hearts of the Ephesian Christians had chilled.

Their first flush of ecstasy had passed. Their early devotion to Christ had cooled. They’d been in love with Him, but…had fallen out of love.’

You can go to church, read your Bible, and pray every day, yet not love God as you should. Loving God is a commitment and a heart attitude that results in obedience. It’s a focus: a daily decision to honour Him in all you say and do. So, has your love grown cold?

Jer 32-33, 2 Tim 2

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Confessing our sins

‘I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.” And you forgave me!’

Psalm 32:5

The UCB Word for Today - 20 Oct 2017

When you deliberately sin, you’re rebelling against God’s rule in your life - and you’ll feel bad about it. And feeling bad is evidence that you truly are a redeemed child of God; otherwise your sin wouldn’t bother you.

Picture a teenager saying to his dad, ‘I’m truly sorry, but I took your credit card and bought beer for my mates with it.’ Now, the chances are his father may never have discovered it, especially if he wasn’t a good bookkeeper.

But his son’s troubled conscience brought it to the surface and he said, ‘Dad, I shouldn’t have bought the beer; I shouldn’t have lied about my age; I shouldn’t have used your credit card to do it. You trusted me and I let you down. I’m sorry, and I won’t do it again.’

That’s confession. That’s what we must do in our prayers. The Greek word translated as confession means ‘to agree with God’. When we confess our sins, we are agreeing with God concerning the sin in our lives as revealed through His Word and by the Holy Spirit.

When we confess, we verbalise our sin and receive cleansing and forgiveness. Yes, confession is often painful, but it keeps our fellowship with our Heavenly Father clear, open, and close.

It’s not that God stops loving us, but that we no longer feel we can approach Him with confidence. Do you have a sin to confess? ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness’ (1 John 1:9 NKJV).

Jer 34-36, 2 Tim 3

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Learning to lead (1)

‘You cannot handle it alone.’

Exodus 18:18

The UCB Word for Today - 21 Oct 2017

President Theodore Roosevelt once said, ‘The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it.’

Bottom line: unless you learn to delegate, your leadership will deteriorate and your vision will stagnate. In Exodus, Moses was wearing himself out physically, emotionally, and spiritually trying to keep up with the demands of two million Israelites and be ‘the answer man’ for every problem.

That’s when his father-in-law told him, ‘You cannot handle it alone. Listen now to me and I will give you some advice’ (vv. 18-19 NIV 2011 Edition). It takes wisdom, maturity, and humility to ask for help. And it’s a sign of strength, not weakness.

That’s hard to come to terms with, for those of us who take pride in our ability to ‘do it all’. The truth is, what Moses was doing was neither good for him nor the people depending on him.

As a leader, it’s easy to overestimate your own importance and competence. That’s why Paul cautions, ‘[Don’t] think you are better than you really are. Use good sense’ (Romans 12:3 CEV).

God has placed people around you who have certain gifts and talents. When you recognise and involve these people, they’re fulfilled and the job gets done right. God created us to be interdependent, not independent.

Delegating authority to the right people strengthened Moses for the task of leading as God intended. When you try to be ‘all things to all people’, you end up frustrated. You’re not called to do it all, but to get it done through others. That’s what leadership is about.

Jer 37-39, 2 Tim 4

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Learning to lead (2)

‘I have great confidence in you.’

2 Corinthians 7:4

The UCB Word for Today - 22 Oct 2017

When people feel ‘used’ they begin to drop out, but when they feel appreciated they’ll follow you anywhere.

Paul, one of the finest leaders of all time, told the Corinthian believers, ‘I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged…my joy knows no bounds’ (vv. 3-4 NIV 1984 Edition).

He was their biggest cheerleader. He didn’t just correct, he comforted. He didn’t just sharpen, he strengthened - all hallmarks of great leadership.

Good leaders: 1) Are consistent. They set an example by walking the walk so everyone knows that what’s heard at the bottom is practised at the top.

2) Voice their appreciation, realising that people need to know they’re an important part of the team and the vision.

3) Always listen to suggestions, opinions, concerns, and ideas. They don’t prejudge, and they’re not dismissive. Author Betty Bender said: ‘It’s a mistake to surround yourself only with people just like you.

Throw off that warm comforter and replace it with a crazy quilt of different and imaginative people. Then watch the ideas erupt!’

4) Don’t see people as statistics. Businesswoman Mary Kay Ash said, ‘P&L doesn’t mean “profit and loss” - it means “people and love.”’

5) Explain why they like things done a specific way. It lessens mistakes, and the resentment that can stem from feeling ‘ordered around’. Statesman Clarence Francis said, ‘You can buy a man’s time and physical presence at a certain place…

But you can’t buy enthusiasm, initiative, loyalty, and the devotion of hearts, minds, and souls. You have to earn these things.’

Luke 20:1-26, Ps 107-109

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Learning to lead (3)

‘Correct, rebuke and encourage.’

2 Timothy 4:2

The UCB Word for Today - 23 Oct 2017

When you crave acceptance and approval, you end up being controlled by those you’re supposed to lead. Paul recognised this. That’s why he instructed Titus:

‘Teach…and encourage your people…correcting them when necessary as one who has every right to do so. Don’t let anyone think that what you say is not important’ (Titus 2:15 TLB).

Afraid of causing upheaval in the ranks, insecure leaders agonise over decisions and assume responsibility for other people’s emotional reactions. They don’t realise that when you’re doing what you should be doing and others don’t agree, that’s their problem, unless you make it yours.

A mature leader deals with disappointment and keeps a good attitude; they’re willing to face the music even when they don’t like the tune. Think: when you warn your children about putting their hand on a hot stove, it’s not your responsibility to make them enjoy hearing it, right?

Hopefully, as they mature they’ll understand. But the truth is, some people won’t like hearing the word ‘no’ regardless of how old they get! But we all need to hear it from time to time; otherwise, we’ll never be happy with anything other than getting our own way - and that means getting nowhere, or getting into trouble.

Paul, who was training Timothy for leadership, told him, ‘Correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction.’ Correct people when they’re wrong, rebuke them when they’re stubborn, encourage them when they struggle, be patient as they learn and grow, and make sure your instructions are clear and understandable. That’s what good leaders do - and the only way you learn it is by doing it.

Jer 40-42, Titus 1

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Learning to lead (4)

‘If it is leadership, let him govern diligently.’

Romans 12:8

The UCB Word for Today - 24 Oct 2017

How will you know you have the gift of ‘leadership’? Because you’ll know where God wants you to go, and be able to show others the value of going with you. There are many talented people who never become effective leaders. Why?

Because they’re more interested in themselves than in those they lead. What’s interesting, however, is once they go through the school of hard knocks, they become sensitised to other people’s needs.

But good leaders don’t wait for that to happen. They realise that ideas are a dime a dozen, but people who can implement them are priceless.

Legendary American football coach Bear Bryant used to say, ‘I’m just a plough-hand from Arkansas, but I’ve learned to hold a team together. How to lift some men up, how to calm others down, until finally they’ve got one heartbeat together.

There are just three things I’d ever say: If something goes bad, I did it. If it goes semi-good, we did it. If anything goes really good, then you did it.’

When you have the gift of leadership, you’ll also be approachable. You won’t fly off the handle, you won’t let minor problems poison your outlook, and you’ll sandwich every slice of criticism between two layers of praise.

Robert Louis Stevenson said, ‘Keep your fears to yourself but share your courage with others.’ There are people who knock the heart out of you, and people who put it back in.

Paul was such a leader: ‘Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God…for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News’ (Philippians 1:3,5 NLT). That’s the kind of leader you should aspire to be.

Jer 43-45, Titus 2

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Respect, don’t reject

‘I try to find common ground with everyone.’

1 Corinthians 9:22

The UCB Word for Today - 25 Oct 2017

For any relationship to work, we must accept each other’s differences. Within our family we must respect each other’s unique perspectives. We don’t need to agree on every issue, but we must always honour where the other person is coming from.

Paul did that: ‘I try to find common ground with everyone.’ Some of us who claim to follow Christ have a hard time with views and values that differ from our own. We think ‘compromise’ is a dirty word.

Some of us have turned from the most immoral lives to faith in Christ, yet after our conversion we won’t associate with anyone who doesn’t agree with us and adopt our newfound values. Sometimes our families fall apart because we try to force our opinions on the people we love, and set boundaries to keep nonconformists out.

What a terrible misuse of Christianity! Jesus didn’t condemn the people who crucified Him; He prayed, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do’ (Luke 23:34 NKJV).

He didn’t view them as morally bad, but spiritually blind. He told His disciples, ‘No one can come to Me unless the Father…draws him’ (John 6:44 NKJV). It’s your job to love people, and it’s God’s job to change them!

So, stop trying to do what only God can do! If you invest patiently in your relationships, respect other people’s perspectives, and sow good seed, you’ll reap a pleasant harvest in the long term.

Your love, not the force of your argument, can give hope to the most severely damaged among us that there’s healing for the broken places of the human soul.

Jer 46-47, Titus 3

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Forgiveness and inner healing

‘Who forgives all your iniquities.’

Psalm 103:3

The UCB Word for Today - 26 Oct 2017

The psalmist wrote, ‘Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases.’ Notice which comes first: the consciousness that all your sins are forgiven precedes the healing of all your diseases.

Note also the words ‘all your iniquities’. Some of us are comfortable with receiving partial forgiveness, but we refuse to allow God’s forgiveness to touch some dark areas we can’t let go of, and that we refuse to forgive ourselves for.

Whatever those mistakes may be, allow God to forgive all your sins, and receive healing for all your diseases. Let the past go. Let the mistakes go.

Allow yourself to be free, and learn to forgive yourself by receiving with an open heart God’s total and complete forgiveness. Stop hurting yourself, because Jesus was hurt for all your sins.

Stop beating yourself up, because Jesus took all your beatings at the cross. Stop punishing yourself, because Jesus has received all the punishment due on your behalf.

It’s time to stop asking yourself if you’ve done enough to earn God’s forgiveness and acceptance. They are undeserved - they cannot be achieved by struggle and self-effort; they can only be received by faith.

If you gave someone you loved a birthday gift and they insisted on paying for it, how would you feel? Hurt? Upset? That’s how God feels when you try to ‘earn’ His forgiveness, healing, and righteousness.

The more you let the waterfall of God’s grace and forgiveness wash over you every day, the more you’ll receive His health for your body and His soundness for your mind.

Jer 48-49, Philemon