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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


Bringing People to Jesus (3)
‘When they could not find a way … they went up on the roof.’

Luke 5:19
The UCB Word for Today - 29 Apr 2016



When you pick up the weight of another person, it can be a heavy burden to bear. Notice: 1) It took four people to bring this man to Jesus. Sometimes you have to call in reinforcements.


When you’ve prayed for someone and nothing seems to be happening, here’s a great Scripture: ‘If two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.


For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them’ (Matthew 18:19-20 NIV 1984 Edition). 2) It was their faith, not the sick man’s faith that Jesus responded to. ‘When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven”’ (Luke 5:20 NIV 2011 Edition).


The poor guy had been in this condition for so long that his faith was probably as dead as his limbs. But that’s no problem for God; He’ll respond to your faith by touching your loved one. 3) They refused to give up on him.

You need tenacious faith that refuses to quit. Just because you talked to someone about the Lord before and they didn’t respond, doesn’t mean they won’t respond now.


Maybe they weren’t ready back then, and now their circumstances have changed. Maybe you went about it the wrong way, and now you have a better approach.


The point is, when you do your part, God will do His. ‘So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit’ (Galatians 6:9 MSG).


1 Sam 17-18, John 12:1-26

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


Today, Encourage Someone
‘Encourage him, and strengthen him.’

Deuteronomy 3:28
The UCB Word for Today - 30 Apr 2016


Encouragement can work miracles. In the movie Stand and Deliver, high school teacher Jaime Escalante has two students in his class named Johnny.

One is a happy child and an excellent student; the other spends his time messing around and getting into trouble.

When the Parent Teacher Association held its first meeting of the year, a mother came up to Jaime and asked, ‘How’s my son, Johnny, getting along?’.

Jaime mistakenly assumed she was the mother of the better student, so he replied, ‘I can’t tell you how much I enjoy him.


I’m so glad he’s in my class’. The next day ‘problem Johnny’ came to Jaime and said, ‘My mom told me what you said about me last night.

I haven’t ever had a teacher who wanted me in his class.’ The result? He completed his assignments that day, and brought in his completed homework the next morning.


A few weeks later he had become one of Jaime’s hardest-working students - and one of his best friends. His life had been turned around because of an accidental word of encouragement. It works like this: When you look for good in a person and express it, you give them something to live up to. In other words, you motivate them to be better than they are.


The last thing God told Moses to do was to encourage and strengthen Joshua ‘for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see’ (v. 28 KJV).


And here’s the great thing about encouragement: You don’t have to be rich, attractive, prominent, or brilliant to give it, and it’s always appreciated. So today, encourage someone.


1 Sam 19-21, John 12:27-50

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


When God Calls You (1)
‘Give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord.’

1 Corinthians 15:58
The UCB Word for Today - 1 May 2016



A career is something you choose; a calling is something you receive. A career is something you do for yourself; a calling is something you do for God.

A career promises status, money, and power; a calling generally promises difficulty, suffering, and the opportunity to be used by God.


A career may end with retirement and lots of toys; a calling doesn’t end until you die. A career can be disrupted by any number of events, but God enables you to fulfil your calling even in the most difficult circumstances.


For some people in Scripture obeying the call of God meant living in slavery, being captured and sent into exile, or being put to death.



Their career trajectories didn’t look promising, yet they fulfilled their calling in extraordinary ways. Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship, once had one of the highest profile careers in America.



He had access to power and influence in the Nixon White House, yet he was sent to prison. His career was over, but his calling was just beginning.


He was called to reach others just like himself. He reflects: ‘The real legacy of my life was my biggest failure - that I was an ex-convict. My great humiliation - being sent to prison - was the beginning of God’s greatest use of my life; He chose the one experience in which I couldn’t glory [and used it] for His glory.’ In the providence of God, the end of your career can be the beginning of your calling.


So whatever God has called you to do, the Bible says, ‘Give yourselves fully to the work … because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.’



Luke 8:26-56, Ps 46-48

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY





When God Calls You (2
‘God works through different [people] in different ways.’

1 Corinthians 12:6
The UCB Word for Today - 2 May 2016




Skilled potters recognise that when they press clay it presses back, giving them an indication of what it can and cannot become.



Amateur potters often lack that discernment - and the end work proves it. When you don’t honour your raw material, reality becomes your enemy.



The word vocation comes from the Latin word for ‘voice’. Discovering your calling involves listening very carefully.



If you close your ears and pursue something you’re neither called nor equipped to do, you’ll end up living with anxiety that whispers, ‘You’re trying to do something God didn’t tell you to do.’ The courage to acknowledge what you’re not brings great freedom; the lack of it imprisons you.



Parker Palmer writes, ‘You cannot choose your calling; you must let your life speak.’ Perhaps you were created to learn, and in so doing to benefit others.




If you are, you’ll find yourself drawn to reading, reflecting, writing, and teaching. However, if you’re convinced (or allow others to convince you) that you must be a corporate success in order for your life to count, you’ll always be going against the grain of your life.




Instead, learn to ride the horse in the direction it’s going. Philosopher Mortimer Adler writes about brilliant minds called to sit at the table of what he terms ‘the great conversation of the human race’. Well, guess what? Ninety-nine percent of us will never sit at that table!


But we can look forward to the commendation: ‘Well done … good and faithful servant’ (Matthew 25:21 NLT), that God promised to those who hear His call, accept it, and devote their lives to fulfilling it.


1 Sam 22-24, John 13:1-20

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


When God Calls You (3)


‘The LORD called Samuel again the third time.’

1 Samuel 3:8
The UCB Word for Today - 3 May 2016



You didn’t arrive on this planet with your calling pre-clarified and your gifts pre-developed. Discerning

God’s calling usually involves attempts and failures. He called Samuel four times before he recognised the divine voice.


Before Peter walked on the water he said, ‘“Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And [Jesus] said, “Come”’ (Matthew 14:28-29 NASB). Here’s a lesson you can learn from this: You are not in charge of water-walking, Jesus is! It’s not about having power at your disposal to be used any time you choose, for whatever you please.


Before you decide to get out of the boat you’d better be sure it’s what you’ve been called to - and that Jesus is the One calling you. God’s looking for more than impulsiveness.


Sometimes we make reckless decisions about relationships, finances, or work, then rationalise them using the veneer of spiritual language.


In many self-help books risk-taking is seen as commendable, but as a Christian the risks you take should be in direct response to God. If you’re a thrill-seeking personality you may be particularly susceptible in this area.


Boredom can make you vulnerable, and tempt you to solve your problems by making rash decisions that are out of step with God’s will.


There’s a fine line between ‘Thou shalt not be afraid’ and ‘Thou shalt not be reckless’ - one that’s easily blurred.


Knowing when to step out of the boat and take a risk doesn’t just call for courage, it calls for wisdom to ask the right questions, discernment to recognise the Master’s voice, and patience to wait until He says, ‘Come!’



1 Sam 25-26, John 13:21-38

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY



When God Calls You (4)


‘What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.’

Romans 8:18
The UCB Word for Today - 4 May 2016




Sometimes we view the call of God on our lives through rose-coloured glasses. But hearing His call isn’t the same thing as falling into your dream career.

When God called Jeremiah to preach to a people who refused to listen, he cried so much he became known as ‘the weeping prophet’. Our first response to a God-sized assignment is generally - fear.

Henry Blackaby writes: ‘Some people say, “God will never ask me to do something I can’t do.” I’ve come to the place in my life that if the assignment I sense God giving me is something I know I can handle, I know it’s probably not from God.


The kind of assignments God gives in the Bible are always God-sized. They’re beyond what people can do, because He wants to demonstrate His nature, His strength … and His kindness … to a watching world.’ Saying yes to God’s call often means putting in hours of effort when you’d rather not.


And it doesn’t always reward you with the kind of recognition you’d hoped for. People may disapprove of what you’re doing and try to block you.


Yes, it’ll involve trial and error and some false starts. And natural talent alone isn’t enough to honour your calling; you’ll need ideas, strength, and creativity beyond your own resources to do what God requires of you.

Paul says, ‘We are labourers together with God’ (1 Corinthians 3:9 KJV), because in order to succeed it has to be God and you doing it together. He doesn’t just call you to work for Him; He calls you to work with Him!




1 Sam 27-29, John 14

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


Leaders Are Made, Not Born!
‘Who am I that I should go?’

Exodus 3:11
The UCB Word for Today - 5 May 2016



Why does God call people who don’t necessarily feel qualified? So we’ll depend on Him more than on ourselves.


When God called Moses, he asked, ‘Who am I that I should go?’ When God called Gideon, he replied, ‘I am the least in my family’ (Judges 6:15 NIV 2011 Edition).


When God called Solomon, he said, ‘I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties’ (1 Kings 3:7 NIV 2011 Edition). When God called Jeremiah, he replied, ‘I do not know how to speak’ (Jeremiah 1:6 NIV 2011 Edition). Yet they all became great leaders.



How did they do it? By saying yes to God’s call, learning from their mistakes and growing wiser, and drawing strength from God each day. So whether your God-given assignment in life seems large or small, you can grow into it.


Winston Churchill wasn’t thought of as an academic success, and it took him several attempts to pass the entrance exam for The Royal Military College, Sandhurst.


But he went on to become leader of wartime Britain, and is considered by many to be one of the greatest figures in British history.


The Greek statesman Demosthenes had such a speech impediment as a boy that he was embarrassed to speak before a group.


But he invested long hours by the sea in unrelenting practice to overcome his problem - and as a result, became one of the most famous orators of all time.



You may not have a natural aptitude for leadership, but under God’s guidance you can develop into a leader. Why? Because even though you may be limited, the God who lives within you isn’t!



1 Sam 30-31, John 15

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


Do You Feel Inadequate?
‘Who is equal to such a task?’

2 Corinthians 2:16
The UCB Word for Today - 6 May 2016


In Second Corinthians chapter two Paul asks the question, ‘Who is equal to such a task?’ And in chapter three he answers it: ‘Our competence comes from God’ (2 Corinthians 3:5 NIV 2011 Edition).


We’re aware of our limitations when it comes to meeting the needs of our families, fulfilling the demands of our jobs, persevering in spite of the energy drain and the chronic pain, battling a long-standing habit, learning a new job after being laid off, staying in a difficult marriage, and finding the strength needed to keep forging ahead when our dreams fail. We pretend we’ve got it together.


We act like we’re capable of handling any situation, but deep down we know we’re not.


The truth is, without God’s grace and power we are inadequate. This can be a tough concept for proud, assertive types to accept.



It undermines their ego to have to acknowledge that without God they don’t know the right thing to do, the right way to do it, or where the power to do it will come from. It’s tough for them to admit they must consciously rely on Him at all times.


But once you adopt that stance and start depending on God, you’re on the threshold of the life you’ve always wanted. What was the secret of Paul’s strength? ‘I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become’ (2 Corinthians 12:10 MSG). D.L.
Moody said, ‘When a man has no strength, if he leans on God he becomes powerful.’ Regardless of how long you’ve walked with Jesus, never forget that every ounce of your adequacy comes from Him.



2 Sam 1-2, John 16

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


Working Together in Unity
‘Each of you is a part of it.’

1 Corinthians 12:27
The UCB Word for Today - 7 May 2016


None of us can do individually, what all of us can do collectively. Paul writes, ‘All of you together are Christ’s body [the church], and each of you is a part of it.’ But His body has been known to misbehave.


The brain discounts the heart. (Academics discount worshippers.) The hands criticise the knees. (People of action criticise people of prayer.)



The eyes refuse to partner with the feet. (Visionary thinkers won’t work with steady labourers.) So Paul writes, ‘The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you”’ (v. 21 NLT). The mega-church needs the smaller church. The liberal needs the conservative. The pastor needs the missionary.


Cooperation is more than a good idea; it’s a scriptural command. ‘Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace’ (Ephesians 4:3 NIV 2011 Edition).


When we work together in unity, the Bible says God ‘commands His blessing’ to be upon us (see Psalm 133:1-3). We haven’t been called to compare, to compete, to complain, or to criticise one another.


No, we’ve been called to complement one another! Jesus said: ‘When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action.


And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there’ (Matthew 18:19-20 MSG). What an astounding promise. When we come into agreement, Jesus notices. He shows up, and He hears and answers our prayers.


2 Sam 3-5, John 17

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


How to Please God
‘If you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.’

1 Peter 2:20
The UCB Word for Today - 8 May 2016

You become like the people you spend the most time with, so choose your friends carefully.

If you spend time with angry, resentful people you risk becoming an angry, resentful person yourself. That’s because attitudes are contagious.

Here’s a wonderful story that illustrates the point. A man purchased a newspaper at a newsstand every day.

He always greeted the vendor very courteously, but in return received very gruff and discourteous service; the vendor would rudely shove the newspaper in his face.

The man, however, would politely smile and wish him a nice day.

This went on for several days until a friend asked, ‘Does he always treat you this rudely?’ The man replied, ‘Unfortunately, he does.’ The questioner asked, ‘Are you always so polite and friendly to him?’ The man replied, ‘Yes, I am.’ The questioner continued, ‘Why are you so nice to him when he’s so rude to you?’ The man replied, ‘Because I don’t want him to decide how I’m going to act.’ The Bible says: ‘If you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.

For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you.


He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone.


He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered.

He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly’ (vv. 20-23 NLT). That’s how to please God.


Luke 9:1-17, Ps 49-50