[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Take better care of your body

‘Honour God with your body.’
1 Corinthians 6:20 NLT

The UCB Word for Today - 08 Mar 2018

Unless you get into better shape physically, you may go to heaven sooner than you planned. The Bible says, ‘Honour God with your body.’ How do you do that?

1) Change your diet. Many of us eat for the wrong reasons – like stress, boredom, fatigue, anger, depression, and low self-esteem.

Try to get to the root of your problem. Insufficient fruit, vegetables, and fibre, and too much fast food can wreak havoc with your health.

Practise self-control. ‘Those who belong to Christ…have given up their old selfish feelings and…things they wanted to do’ (Galatians 5:24 NCV).

2) Start exercising. The secret is to start slowly. Take the stairs instead of the lift, park your car and walk, play ball with your kids instead of watching TV.

God designed your body to move, and that doesn’t mean strolling from your car to your desk every morning. Exercising three times a week for thirty minutes will reduce your blood pressure and stress, and boost your sense of well-being. Come on, get with it!

3) Go to bed earlier. Pastor Tony Jenkins consulted his doctor about his wife’s snoring. ‘Does it really bother you that much?’ the doctor asked.

‘It’s not just me,’ Jenkins replied. ‘It’s bothering the whole congregation!’

Seriously, you require eight hours of shut-eye. You can probably get by on less, but do you want to just ‘get by’?

The psalmist said, ‘It is no use…to get up early and stay up late…The Lord gives sleep to those he loves’ (Psalm 127:2 NCV).

So, turn off the TV and the computer and turn in at a reasonable hour. The word for you today is: take better care of your body!

Numbers 13-14, Mark 6:1-29

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Give God your best

‘I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the LORD my God that have cost me nothing.’
2 Samuel 24:24 NLT

The UCB Word for Today - 09 Mar 2018

Instead of trusting God for victory over his enemies, David decided of his own volition to count the number of troops in his army to see how strong he was. God considered it ‘a slap in the face’, and a plague hit Israel that wiped out seventy thousand people.

In order to stop the plague, David was told: ‘Build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite’ (v.18 NLT). When Araunah realised what was happening, he offered his threshing floor and oxen to David free of charge.

But David said: ‘“No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing.” So, David paid him fifty pieces of silver for the threshing floor and the oxen.

David built an altar there to the Lord and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And the Lord answered his prayer…and the plague on Israel was stopped’ (vv. 24-25 NLT).

The old Anglo-Saxon word for worship is worth-ship, which is the act of ascribing worth or value to a person or object. What’s the point?

It’s this: when it comes to serving God, if it doesn’t cost – it doesn’t count! God knows we can’t all give the same amount.

But what He’s asking for isn’t equal giving, but equal sacrifice! The Bible says, ‘Honour the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything’ (Proverbs 3:9 NLT).

So, whether you’re worshipping, serving, or giving, make sure you’re giving God your best.

Numbers 15-16, Mark 6:30-56

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Make prayer a priority

‘We will give ourselves…to prayer and…the word.'
Acts 6:4 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 10 Mar 2018

In Disciplines of a Godly Man, pastor and author R. Kent Hughes says: ‘Jay Sidlow Baxter once shared a page from his own personal diary with a group of pastors who had inquired about the discipline of prayer. He began telling how…he entered the ministry determined he would be a real man of prayer.

However, it wasn’t long before his increasing responsibilities, administrative duties, and the subtle subterfuges of pastoral life began to crowd prayer out. Moreover, he began to get used to it, making excuses for himself.

Then one morning it all came to a head as he stood over his work-strewn desk and looked at his watch. The voice of the Spirit was calling him to pray.

At the same time another velvety voice was telling him to be practical and get his letters answered, and that he ought to face the fact that he wasn’t one of the “spiritual sort” – only a few people could be like that. “That last remark,” says Baxter, “hurt like a dagger blade.

I couldn’t bear to think it was true.” He was horrified by his ability to rationalise away the very ground of his ministerial vitality and power.’

Understand this: minutes invested in prayer will give you a greater return than hours spent in ceaseless activity. The New Testament apostles understood that.

As the church grew bigger and they became busier, they made a life-changing decision: ‘We will give ourselves continually to prayer and…the word.’

As a result, the church grew and multiplied. So, make prayer a priority!

Numbers 17-19, Mark 7:1-16

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

The Mothers’ Honour Roll

‘And a book of remembrance was written.’
Malachi 3:16 KJV

The UCB Word for Today - 11 Mar 2018

Is it possible that when we get to heaven there’ll be a ‘Mothers’ Honour Roll’, listing the names of all the faithful mothers who prayed day and night on behalf of their children and grandchildren? Maybe, but this much we do know: God honours mothers who honour God!

He responded to the prayers of Hannah and gave her a son who would grow up to be a prophet and lead the nation of Israel. And Paul writes concerning Timothy: ‘I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also’ (2 Timothy 1:5 NKJV).

The Bible tells us God keeps records: ‘Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another…the Lord hearkened …and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and…thought upon his name.’

John writes: ‘I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works’ (Revelation 20:12 KJV).

Susanna Wesley had nineteen children (nine died as infants), and she spent an hour every day praying for each one by name. Her prayers paid off. One of her sons, John, brought a spiritual awakening to Britain and founded the Methodist Church.

Maybe there will be an honour roll for mothers in heaven, and maybe not. But one thing is sure – when mothers pray, God listens and lives are changed.

So never stop praying for your kids, Mum.

Luke 4:31-44, Psalm 26-28

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Break your alabaster jar (1)

‘A woman who had lived a sinful life…brought an alabaster jar of perfume.’
Luke 7:37 NIV

The UCB Word for Today - 12 Mar 2018

The Bible says, ‘A woman who had lived a sinful life…brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping…poured perfume on them’ (vv. 37-38 NIV 1984 Edition).

This perfume was pure nard, a perennial herb that is harvested in the Himalayas. Half a litre of it!

And the jar itself, made of translucent gemstones, was probably a family heirloom. It might even have been her dowry.

Plain and simple, it was her most precious possession. How ironic, yet how appropriate that the perfume used in her profession as a prostitute would become the token of her profession of faith when she poured out every last drop at the feet of Jesus.

Breaking that bottle was her way of breaking with the past. No more masking the stench of sin with the sweet scent of perfume.

No more secrets. No more shame. She walked out of the dark shadow of sin into the light of the world.

There comes a moment when you have to come clean with God. A moment when you need to unveil your secrets, struggles, and sins.

A moment when you need to fall full weight on the grace of God. Why do we act as though our sin disqualifies us from the grace of God?

That is the only thing that qualifies us! Anything else is a self-righteous attempt to earn God’s grace.

You cannot trust God’s grace 99 per cent. It’s all or nothing. When we try to save ourselves, we forfeit the salvation that comes through Jesus Christ alone, by grace through faith (see Ephesians 2:8-9).

Numbers 20-22, Mark 7:17-37

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Break your alabaster jar (2)

‘More than a year’s wages.’
Mark 14:5 NIV

The UCB Word for Today - 13 Mar 2018

It’s possible the alabaster jar of perfume represented every penny of this woman’s life savings. The value is evidenced by the fact that two gospel writers find it noteworthy enough to give us a written estimate: three hundred denarii – the equivalent of an entire year’s salary.

Let’s get down to brass tacks. For most of us, the alabaster jar of perfume is money. It’s our nest egg. It’s our pay cheque. It’s our retirement fund.

And the question is this: are you willing to give it all away? We’re not suggesting you should not pay your bills or plan for your future or take care of your family.

But if God prompted you to give it all away, would you be willing to break your alabaster jar and pour it all at the feet of Jesus?

During his lifetime, John Wesley gave away approximately thirty thousand pounds. Adjusted for inflation, that’s more than £1,350,000 in today’s money.

Wesley made a covenant with God in 1731 to limit his income to twenty-eight pounds a year. But the first year he made only thirty pounds, so he gave just two pounds.

The next year his income doubled, and because he managed to continue living on twenty-eight pounds, he gave away thirty-two pounds. He never had more than one hundred pounds in his possession because he was afraid of storing up earthly treasure.

He believed God’s blessing should result in raising our standard of giving, not our standard of living. Even when his income rose to thousands of pounds, he lived simply and gave away all surplus money.

He died with a few coins in his pocket, but a storehouse of treasure in heaven. Think about it!

Numbers 23-25, Mark 8:1-30

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Break your alabaster jar (3)

‘She has done a beautiful thing to me.’
Mark 14:6 NIV

The UCB Word for Today - 14 Mar 2018

Most of us are good actors, but it’s difficult to fake a reaction. And when the woman broke the alabaster jar, the reaction of the disciples is telling.

‘Why this waste?’ They thought she was pouring her perfume down the drain by pouring it at Jesus’ feet.

They called it a waste, but He called it ‘a beautiful thing’. Then He went on to say, ‘Wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her’ (v. 9 NIV 2011 Edition).

Can you imagine what this one statement did for her self-image? It had probably been years since she’d heard a kind word or a compliment.

Those words could be paraphrased, ‘You may not believe in yourself, but I believe in you.’ No one can spot potential like Jesus.

That’s because He’s the One who gave it to us in the first place. And that’s why God will never give up on you.

It’s not in His nature (see Philippians 1:6). His ‘goodness and mercy shall follow [you] all the days of [your] life’ (Psalm 23:6 KJV). All you have to do is turn around.

This woman was desperate enough to crash the party, and Jesus responds to desperate people. How desperate are you?

Desperate enough to make a move, make a change, make a sacrifice? Desperate enough to pray through the night?

Read through the Bible? Reconcile the conflict? Plead with a friend who is a lost cause?

Give your life savings to a kingdom cause? The path of least resistance won’t get you to where you need to be.

But if you go out of your way for God, God will go out of His way for you.

Numbers 26-28, Mark 8:31-38

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

The cure for worry

‘Offer up your prayers and requests to God.’
Philippians 4:6 CEV

The UCB Word for Today - 15 Mar 2018

The Bible says, ‘With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. Then…God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand.

And this peace will control the way you think and feel’ (vv. 6-7 CEV). When you pray more, you worry less.

That means you have a choice: either pray about it or worry about it. In prayer you give the problem to God, therefore you experience more peace of mind.

Does that mean you won’t worry about the problem at all? No. It means you’ll worry about it less.

While your goal is to give it completely to God and not worry about it at all, you’ll only get there step by step. God’s not asking you to exist in a state of denial.

‘Don’t worry – be happy!’ fails to appreciate the seriousness of the concerns you have.

God doesn’t expect you to suddenly stop caring. Instead He offers an alternative to the pointless and exhausting habit of worry: ‘Pray without ceasing’ (1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV).

Does that mean a thirty-second prayer will rid you of all anxiety? No. It means start your day with prayer, and continue praying off and on throughout the day.

Pray as you drive. Pray at work. Pray before your lunch break.

Pray when you get that difficult phone call. Pray when you’re disappointed by something.

Pray when surprises come. Pray when you triumph.

Pray in the midst of painful news. Pray without ceasing – literally.

Your heavenly Father, being deeply touched by your struggles, loves it when you come to Him asking for help. He’s right there, ready to step in. Just invite Him to do it.

Numbers 29-31, Mark 9:1-29

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Obedience training

‘I delight to do Your will.’
Psalm 40:8 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 16 Mar 2018

Billy Graham’s wife, Ruth, wrote: ‘Tonight I sit on the porch, our old German Shepherd dog lying at my feet. Thunder rumbles in the distance.

As the storm nears he tears into the front yard to meet it…furiously doing battle. As it passes he returns to the porch, convinced he has driven it away.

He’s a German guard dog, carefully trained in search and rescue, attack and obedience. Search and rescue in these mountains can come in handy.

I can’t imagine an occasion on which I’d give the order to attack. But a well-trained dog can sense hostility or spot a weapon (even what resembles a weapon), in which case it’s a wise person who freezes in his tracks.

But it’s the obedience training that gives real joy. To stop, to sit, to lie down, to go away, to search, to stay, to heel.

A disobedient dog is not only a headache, he can be a liability. Obedience makes a dog a joy.

Is it less so with God and His children? There are some I know who’ve been trained in attack.

We will not mention their names – you may know a few – but they’re skilled at it. Then there are those trained in search and rescue. (I put the Salvation Army in this group.) And there are those who’ve been trained in obedience.

I think this more than anything else must give the Lord pleasure. Simple obedience; joyful, eager, unquestioning obedience.

To be able to say with the psalmist, “I delight to do Your will, O my God” would be the height of training for the Christian. For this is what gives God the greatest pleasure.’

Numbers 32-34, Mark 9:30-50

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Show grace, because you’ll need it yourself!

‘If a…relationship with God could come by rule-keeping…Christ died unnecessarily.’
Galatians 2:21 MSG

The UCB Word for Today - 17 Mar 2018

While grace doesn’t give anyone a licence to live as they please, the judgementalism that comes from insisting that others live by our standards has caused untold damage. Chuck Swindoll writes: ‘Legalism spreads a paralysing venom…blinds our eyes, dulls our edge and arouses pride in our heart…love is overshadowed by a mental clipboard with a long checklist requiring others to measure up…soon friendship is fractured by a judgemental attitude and a critical look.

And before you conclude that you’re not guilty, observe your reaction when you meet another believer who doesn’t think, act, or dress the way you do. Even when you think you’re sophisticated enough to disguise your real feelings, they come out in the “stony stare” and the “holier than thou” attitude.’

Jesus said, ‘Don’t judge others, and God won’t judge you. Don’t be hard on others, and God won’t be hard on you. Forgive others, and God will forgive you’ (Luke 6:37 CEV).

A judgemental Christian acts as though blowing someone else’s light out will cause their light to shine brighter. But it’s not so.

Paul writes, ‘If a…relationship with God could come by rule-keeping…Christ died unnecessarily.’ You say, ‘But what if someone is getting off track, or sinning intentionally?’ The Bible says, ‘If another believer is overcome by sin…humbly help that person back onto the right path…be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself’ (Galatians 6:1 NLT).

When you take it upon yourself to condemn others – you are denying them the same grace you may need before the day is over.

Numbers 35-36, Mark 10:1-31