[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

What it takes to win

‘I run with purpose in every step.’
1 Corinthians 9:26 NLT

The UCB Word for Today - 15 NOV 2020

Whether it’s in the world of sports or the kingdom of God, all winners exhibit these five traits:

1) Self-awareness. Winners are honest about their strengths and weaknesses.

The Bible says, ‘The Lord searches every heart…If you seek him, he will be found by you’ (1 Chronicles 28:9 NIV). In prayer you see yourself as you are. As you read God’s Word, you begin to see yourself as you can be.

2) Focus. Wherever you are today, be there – because that’s where God is.

People who spend their lives ‘waiting for their ship to come in’ are usually disappointed, or die on the pier. Winners live in the present moment. They refuse to be in one place while their mind is in another.

3) Confidence. Winners overcome anxiety by keeping their eyes on the goal.

As they get closer, their confidence increases. Jude writes, ‘Dear friends, by building yourselves up’ (Jude v. 20 NIV). This is something you must do for yourself, and do daily through prayer and God’s Word.

4) Toughness. Winners sacrifice the present for the future.

They’ve learned to say no to indulgence and yes to discipline, because to them the prize is worth the price. Paul writes: ‘Like an athlete I punish my body…training it to do what it should, not what it wants’ (1 Corinthians 9:27 TLB).

5) A game plan. Winners recognise that talent alone isn’t enough; you need a plan to live by.

So, have you discovered God’s plan for your life? Are you living by it? If not, talk to Him about it today. It’s one of the most important conversations you will ever have.

Luke 22:1-30, Psalms 119:1-88

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Be ready to receive

‘Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.’
John 16:24 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 16 NOV 2020

The Bible doesn’t tell us how long the lame man in Acts chapter 3 had sat begging at the temple gate, but it was a daily occurrence. When he saw Peter and John, the odds are he wasn’t expecting anything – just another day trying to survive.

Then Peter said, ‘Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk’ (Acts 3:6 NKJV). Here’s what happened next: ‘He…stood and walked and entered the temple with them – walking, leaping, and praising God’ (v. 8 NKJV).

There’s an important lesson here for you. God has set times for doing certain things.

He has a calendar and your name is on it: ‘For the time to favour her [or him]…the set time, has come’ (Psalm 102:13 NKJV). If you’re not spiritually attuned you can miss your ‘set time’ and forfeit what God has for you.

That means you must learn to live in expectation, because God’s blessings are either coming towards you or passing you by. Miracles happen to those who believe in them, ask for them, expect them, and receive them.

The enemy will try to keep you so preoccupied, cynical, and hopeless that when God sends the answer you prayed for, you won’t recognise it, reach for it, or receive it. Jesus said, ‘Whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.

Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full’ (John 16:23-24 NKJV). So, be ready to receive.

Ezekiel 30-32, James 4

[ebankole]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Protect your spiritual life
17 NOVEMBER 2020
‘The breath of the Almighty gives me life.’
Job 33:4 NKJV
You can put metal bars on the windows of your house, a security system in your car, video cameras in your business, and stash your prized belongings in a bank vault.

But what are you doing to protect your most valuable possession, namely, your spiritual life? Elihu told Job, ‘The breath of the Almighty gives me life.’ When God breathes His spirit into you at the point of salvation, you become spiritually alive.


Now you have the ability to love Him, serve Him, and bring pleasure to Him. And that’s what the enemy is after – the part of God that’s inside you! And to get to it he will attack your body, wage war against your mind, and try to control you through habits, doubts, and fears.


He will even work through other people, including close friends and family members. When God breathed into Adam, he became alive. He recognised who he was and what he was called to do in life.


Don’t miss the lesson here! Until you recognise that God created and redeemed you for a purpose, other people will try to ‘breathe’ their identity and agenda into you. And that’s dangerous, because when someone can define you they can control you! ‘How can I protect myself?’ you ask.


Live each day with a consciousness of the presence of God! The psalmist said, ‘You are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.


Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings!’ (Psalm 61:3-4 NLT). When you’re in that place of safety, the enemy can’t touch you or anything that is rightfully yours.

Ezekiel 33-34, James 5

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Refined ‘in the furnace of suffering’

‘I have refined you in the furnace of suffering.’
Isaiah 48:10 NLT

The UCB Word for Today - 18 NOV 2020

Never become jealous of someone else’s talent. And don’t be intimidated by it, because the God who called and equipped them will use you too.

When you learn to appreciate and applaud the gift of God in someone else’s life, you put yourself in a position where He can bless you as well. The fact is, we’re all necessary to God’s plan.

The Bible says, ‘God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased’ (1 Corinthians 12:18 NKJV). God sets and God allocates!

So seek Him and you’ll find your assignment. Why did Jesus say, ‘Many are called, but few chosen’ (Matthew 20:16 NKJV)?

Part of the answer is found in these words: ‘I have refined you, but not as silver is refined. Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering.’ You need more than just a calling – you need character in order to have credibility.

And that means spending time in the refiner’s fire. Generally speaking, it’s not your calling that gets you into trouble; it’s your character – or lack of it! God says: ‘I want to see how you respond under pressure.

When you want a yes, but you have to live with a no. When you desire to be in public ministry, but you’re assigned to a back room.’ God is a wise businessman; He doesn’t put untested merchandise in His window.

So what ‘furnace of suffering’ are you in today? Are you feeling the heat of the refiner’s fire?

If so – rejoice! When you come out, you’ll be equipped and ready for service. And that’s the word for you today!

Ezekiel 35-36, 1 Peter 1

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Knowing and enjoying God’s will

‘The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him.’
Lamentations 3:25 NLT

The UCB Word for Today - 19 NOV 2020

If you’re struggling spiritually today, here are three thoughts that will help you: First, realise that doing God’s will isn’t supposed to be easy.

Satan, your enemy, gives up nothing without a fight, and anxiety is one of his secret weapons. That’s why the Bible says, ‘Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up’ (Galatians 6:9 NLT).

Overcomers aren’t necessarily more educated or more talented than other people, they’re just more persistent. They push beyond the point at which others quit.

Second, believe that God’s will is for your total well-being. You are the offspring of a perfect God, so act like it.

His covenant with you is forever, so think like it. Your total well-being is His desire and delight, so live like it.

The apostle John wrote: ‘I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth’ (3 John v. 2 KJV). Third, reach by faith for what God has promised you.

Sickness acts like a thief. It can rob you of time with those you love, money that could be used to achieve your goals, and energy needed to fulfil God’s purpose for your life.

The prophet Isaiah said, ‘Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows…and by His stripes we are healed’ (Isaiah 53:4-5 NKJV). At the cross, Jesus purchased everything you need.

So rise up in faith today and claim it, because as the Scripture says, ‘The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him.’

Ezekiel 37-39, 1 Peter 2

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

If you sow, you’ll reap

‘The one who plants generously will get a generous crop.’
2 Corinthians 9:6 NLT

The UCB Word for Today - 20 NOV 2020

Your financial harvest is determined by what you spend, what you save, and what you sow into God’s kingdom. The Bible teaches that consecutive sowing guarantees consecutive reaping.

Your future begins with what you have in your hand right now. Nothing is too little to multiply.

Every one of us has received something from God that is capable of reproducing; the secret is putting it into His hands. He wants us to succeed, to have the resources needed to fulfil His will, and help others do the same.

He said, ‘I am the Lord…which teacheth thee to profit’ (Isaiah 48:17 KJV). In the New Testament Jesus taught fishermen how to catch more fish (see Luke 5:1-11).

On one occasion He even told His disciples where to find money to pay their taxes (see Matthew 17:27). He taught that giving, not withholding, is the way to multiply what’s been given to you (see Luke 6:38).

Sometimes your seed is your only way out of trouble, but you must be willing to sow it. Here are the facts of Scripture.

Jesus showed people where money could be found. And when they failed at something, He motivated them to get up and try again – using His methods.

He told them God was their unfailing source of supply, and encouraged them to expect a harvest on every seed they sowed. Paul says, ‘God loves people who love to give.

God can bless you with everything you need, and you will always have more than enough to do all kinds of good things for others’ (2 Corinthians 9:7-8 CEV). Bottom line: if you sow, you’ll reap! It’s that simple!

Ezekiel 40-41, 1 Peter 3

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Don’t keep it to yourself!

‘Go home…and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you.’
Mark 5:19 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 21 NOV 2020

Have you ever been somewhere so wonderful that you never wanted to leave? That’s how the man in Mark chapter 5 felt after Jesus healed him from a life of insanity.

He wanted to travel with Jesus, listen to His teachings, witness His miracles, and enjoy His company. But Jesus told him to go home and tell His family what God had done for him.

God doesn’t want you to live remote and distant from the rest of the world! The only way to keep what you have is to give it away.

After a spiritual mountaintop experience, you must take what you’ve received and share it with those in the valley. The man in today’s reading had spent years living in a graveyard.

He was cutting himself and raving incoherently. Now the crowd saw him ‘sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind’ (Luke 8:35 NKJV).

And that’s still how it works. First Jesus clothes you, then He calls you.

When you come to Him, you’re spiritually naked, so He wraps you in His righteousness. Paul says, ‘Any man…in Christ…is a new creature: old things are passed away…all things are become new’ (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV).

Whereas you were once ‘in Adam’ where all die, now you’re ‘in Christ’ where all are made alive spiritually (see 1 Corinthians 15:22). Hymnist Edwin Mote wrote: ‘Clothed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne.’

But never forget that once you’re ‘clothed and in your right mind’, it’s your God-given mandate to go out and tell others what the Lord has done for you.

Ezekiel 42-44, 1 Peter 4

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

God is good – all the time!

‘Examine and see how good the LORD is. Happy is the person who trusts him.’
Psalm 34:8 NCV

The UCB Word for Today - 22 NOV 2020

The psalmist said, ‘Examine and see how good the Lord is.’ Pay particular attention to the words ‘examine’ and ‘good’. What you believe about God manifests itself in the way you live.

What does it mean to be ‘good’? It means living up to the best you know.

And since God is omniscient (all-knowing), He knows what your best is! His goodness is beyond all question.

Because God is good – not just pious, but really, practically, consistently good – your cup of well-being, security, peace, confidence, and joy can be overflowing! A good God cannot break His promise, abandon His children, or fail to love and bless them.

You can be sure that in every circumstance He will treat you in the best possible way. When your life seems to be falling apart, sometimes it’s difficult to see God’s goodness or feel that things will get better.

That’s when you must use the faith God has already given you, and by an act of your will, trust Him (see Romans 12:3). A wise pastor was asked by a troubled parishioner, ‘Pastor, does the world look like a wreck to you too?’

He replied, ‘Yes, like the wreck of a bursting seed!’ Without undergoing the ‘wreck’ stage, during which its world literally falls apart, the acorn could never give life to an oak tree. So embrace God’s will in this trial because it’s ‘good, acceptable and perfect’, regardless of how it feels to you right now (see Romans 12:2).

Ultimately, you’ll ‘see how good the Lord is. Happy is the person who trusts in him’!

Luke 22:31-46, Psalms 119:89-176

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Shun unhealthy self-focus (1)

‘Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith.’
2 Corinthians 13:5 NIV

The UCB Word for Today - 23 NOV 2020

Self-focus isn’t necessarily bad if it leads to spiritual growth. However, some people mistakenly assume that it’s a biblical mandate!

After all, didn’t God tell us to ‘examine ourselves’? So with that in mind we start to wonder – ‘Do I measure up spiritually? Have I truly repented?

Do I pray enough? Is God pleased with me?’

The truth is, focusing on yourself can keep you feeling discouraged and defeated. Let’s check and see what God actually says.

There are only two mentions of self-examination in Scripture, and neither teaches us to indulge in self-focus. First, Paul challenged the Corinthians about tolerating gross sin in their church.

A man was having an affair with his stepmother and no one seemed bothered by it. And because they had ‘not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they…indulged’ (2 Corinthians 12:21 NIV), Paul wrote, ‘Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith.’

This isn’t an invitation to self-focus, but a spiritual credential check-up. ‘See whether you are in the faith.’

Second, Paul corrected the Corinthians’ behaviour during the Lord’s Supper. Because some were getting drunk on communion wine, he said, ‘Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup’ (1 Corinthians 11:28 NIV).

Paul’s not suggesting you become fixated on your flaws, but on the liberating truth that Jesus paid the price for all your sin – past, present, and future. The Bible says, ‘Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith’ (Hebrews 12:2 NIV).

Growth, joy, and victory lie in abandoning unhealthy self-focus and staying Christ-focused!

Ezekiel 45-46, 1 Peter 5

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Shun unhealthy self-focus (2)

‘Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching.’
Luke 12:37 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 24 NOV 2020

When dealing with self-focus, you may ask, ‘What about those Scriptures that specifically tell us to “watch”? Aren’t they all about keeping an eye on ourselves?’

That’s a good question, so let’s take a look at some of those ‘watch’ passages in Scripture. In Mark 13:34-37 (NKJV) we read: ‘A man going to a far country…left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.

Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming – in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning – lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!’

What Jesus was teaching here is the exact opposite of self-focus. The doorkeeper wasn’t to watch himself, but to watch for his returning master.

Jesus expects us to forget ourselves, work conscientiously for His kingdom, and be watching and prepared for His return. He said, ‘Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching.

Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself…have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.’ Far from an obsessive self-introspection that leaves you exhausted, discouraged, and disappointed with yourself, Jesus wants you to be excited and involved in His work here on earth, to actively watch for the coming again of your Lord and King.

‘Look to Me [not to yourself!], and be saved…For I am God, and there is no other’ (Isaiah 45:22 NKJV). So focus more on God – and less on yourself.

Ezekiel 47-48, 2 Peter 1