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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY



You'll Walk in Forgiveness
‘He spoke very kindly to them, reassuring them.’

Genesis 50:21
The UCB Word for Today - 16 Nov 2015



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Seventeen years after being reunited with Joseph, his long lost son, Jacob died and Joseph’s brothers panicked.



They started to think, ‘Now Joseph will pay us back for all the evil we did to him’ (v. 15 TLB). So they got together, made up a story, and sent word to Joseph, saying, ‘Before your father died, he instructed us to say to you: “Please forgive your brothers for the great wrong they did to you”’ (vv. 16-17 NLT).



Now think about it. If their father really had said this, he wouldn’t have told Joseph’s brothers, he’d have told Joseph himself, right? He wouldn’t have gone to his grave with the fear that Joseph might exact revenge.




When Joseph heard that his brothers doubted his forgiveness he called them together and wept, saying, ‘“Don’t be afraid…I myself will take care of you and your families.”...And he spoke very kindly to them, reassuring them’ (v. 21 TLB). True forgiveness, the kind that’s taught in Scripture, is a commitment you must practise every day of your life. People need loving the most, when they deserve it the least.



No one ever said it would be easy. If Jesus had waited until His enemies repented, He’d never have prayed on the cross: ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do’ (Luke 23:34 NKJV). Sure, it’s easier to forgive when others acknowledge their offence.


But if that’s a prerequisite, you may never experience victory! And what you don’t forgive – you have to relive! So for your own sake forgive, take back your life, and begin walking in the blessing of the Lord.


Ezek 30-32, James 4

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY



You’ll Ask God to Bless Them
‘Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us.’

Ephesians 5:2
The UCB Word for Today - 17 Nov 2015



Walking in love and forgiveness is difficult on several fronts. 1) It goes against your carnal nature. 2) There’s a chance others may never know you forgave the offence. 3)



Your heart could break as you watch God bless the offender in answer to your prayers, as if they’d never sinned against you in the first place.


John Calvin pointed out that praying like this ‘is exceedingly difficult’, and early Church theologian John Chrysostom called it ‘the highest summit of self-control’.



The Bible says Job’s suffering ended and his prosperity was restored once he was able to pray for those who’d become a thorn in his side (Job 42:10). When you pray this way you put into practice the words of Jesus in His famous Sermon on the Mount: ‘Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven’ (Matthew 5:44-45 KJV).



That’s Christ’s standard of forgiveness, and it’s a high one. Maybe you’re wondering how anybody could possibly live that way. Look at the life and death of Stephen, the first Christian martyr.



Even while his enemies were stoning him, he prayed, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them’ (Acts 7:60 NIV 2011 Edition).



Therein lay one of the secrets of Stephen’s great effectiveness.


True forgiveness is the medicine that heals the deepest emotional wounds.


It closes the door on the past, and gives you grace and motivation to move forward and enjoy the life God wants you to live.


Ezek 33-34, James 5

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


‘Get into Place!’
‘There was not a man to till the ground.’

Genesis 2:5
The UCB Word for Today - 18 Nov 2015


The Bible says, ‘The Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.’ At the beginning of creation God caused a mist to come up from the earth and water the ground.



Up until that time there had been no downpour from the heavens. That’s because there was nobody to do the prep work and ‘till the ground’.



There’s a spiritual lesson here! There are things God has planned to do, made provision for, and desires to do – but He won’t until you ‘get into place’ where you can receive what He longs to give you.



The blessing is there, safe in God’s keeping.

The need is there, persistent in its pain. But the blessing can’t come until your heart is in the right place for God to act.



Right now you may be enjoying a ‘mist’, but you know God has more for you.

You’ve a frustration that causes you to say, ‘Why am I not further along?’ Rather than blaming people and circumstances, you need to pause, look up, and ask, ‘Lord, are You waiting for me to get into place?’ When you ask that question, be prepared to hear the answer and obey it, even if it means rearranging your priorities and paying the price to receive what God wants you to have.



What does He want you to have? Not a mist, but a downpour! He’s willing and ‘able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us’ (Ephesians 3:20 KJV). But first you must ‘get into place’.
Exek 35-36, 1 Pet 1

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


Different Types of Prayer (1)
‘Pray…with all [manner of] prayer.’

Ephesians 6:18

The UCB Word for Today - 19 Nov 2015



In Scripture there are many different kinds of prayer. Let’s look at some of them and see what we can learn: 1) The prayer of surrender.

When Paul met Christ on the Damascus Road he prayed, ‘Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?’ (Acts 9:6 KJV). That’s like signing your name to a blank cheque and saying, ‘Here I am, Lord, do with me as You please.


I hope I like what You choose, but even if I don’t, I’ll do it anyway; Your will be done, not mine.’ You’re deciding to voluntarily follow God rather than trying to get Him to follow you.


As a result He will do the work that needs to be done in you, so that He can do the work He desires to do through you. 2) The prayer of commitment.


The Bible says, ‘Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him’ (1 Peter 5:7 AMP).

As long as you keep trying to control everything, your stress levels will keep mounting.


But once you learn to hand things over to God, you’ll wonder why you spent even a single day worrying. 3) The prayer of intercession.

The prophet Ezekiel writes, ‘I looked for someone…who would…stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land’ (Ezekiel 22:30 NIV 2011 Edition). ‘The gap’ is the distance between what is – and what can be.

And when there’s a ‘gap’ in someone’s relationship with God due to a particular sin, as a believer you have the privilege (and responsibility) of placing yourself in that gap and praying for them.


Ezek 37-39, 1 Pet 2

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY



Different Types of Prayer (2)
‘Pray…with all [manner of] prayer.’

Ephesians 6:18
The UCB Word for Today - 20 Nov 2015



Here are three more types of prayer: 1) The prayer of petition.

You must learn to be confident in asking God to meet your needs. Jesus promised, ‘What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them’ (Mark 11:24 KJV).



If we’d stop trying to impress God, we’d be a lot better off. Length, loudness, or eloquence isn’t the issue; it’s the sincerity of our heart, the faith that’s in our heart, and the assurance that we’re praying according to God’s will that gets results. 2)



The prayer of agreement. Jesus said, ‘If two of you…agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father’ (Matthew 18:19 NIV 2011 Edition).



When you’re up against something too big to handle alone, find a prayer partner and get into agreement with them.


This isn’t for people who constantly live in strife, then decide to agree because they’re desperate.


God honours the prayers of those who pay the price to live together in harmony (See Psalm 133:1). 3)


The prayer of thanksgiving. When your prayers outnumber your praises, it says something about your character. Self-centred people ask, but rarely appreciate.


God won’t release us into the fullness of all He has planned for us until we become thankful for what we’ve already received.


Petition avails much; praise avails much more! ‘In every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God’ (Philippians 4:6 NIV 2011 Edition).



Powerful living comes through thanksgiving. We can literally ‘pray without ceasing’ (1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV) by being thankful all day long, praising God for His favour, mercy, loving kindness, grace, longsuffering, and goodness.



Ezek 40-41, 1 Pet 3

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


Remember To Say Thank You
‘God’s people should be bighearted and courteous.’

Titus 3:2
The UCB Word for Today - 21 Nov 2015


Gratitude comes with a host of benefits. It improves your heart rhythm, reduces stress, and helps you heal physically and think more clearly under pressure.


It floods your body and brain with endorphins that strengthen and rejuvenate you.

And like any muscle, the more you exercise it the stronger it grows. It doesn’t have to be complicated; just take a walk and think about your blessings and it will set the tone for your day.


The psalmist said, ‘Praise the Lord and do not forget all his kindnesses’ (Psalm 103:2 NCV). God’s blessings operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Try this: When you sit down to eat, have everyone at the table name something they’re thankful for. There’s always something.



An elderly lady at a nursing home said, ‘I thank you, Lord, for two good teeth, one upper and one lower. And I thank you that they meet!’.


Psychologist Martin Seligman suggests sending a letter or email of gratitude to somebody, then visiting that person and reading it to them.


People who say ‘thank you’ are measurably happier and less depressed. The CEO of Campbell Soup wrote over sixteen thousand thank-you notes to his employees, and energised the entire company in the process.


Go ahead, encourage your friends and co-workers by letting them know you appreciate what they do. The Bible says, ‘God’s people should be bighearted and courteous.’ One author observes: ‘You have it in your power to increase the sum total of the world’s happiness by giving a few words of sincere appreciation to someone who’s lonely or discouraged.


Perhaps you’ll forget the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them for a lifetime.’


Ezek 42-44, 1 Pet 4

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


Today, Speak Words that Encourage
‘You…have…spoken words that…encouraged those who were about to quit.’

Job 4:3
The UCB Word for Today - 22 Nov 2015


The Bible says, ‘Help others with encouraging words’ (Romans 14:19 MSG).

When Job was in trouble, his friend Eliphaz reminded him how in the past Job’s words had ‘encouraged those who were about to quit’.


Words can hurt or heal, bless or blister, destroy or deliver, tear down or build up. ‘The tongue has the power of life and death’ (Proverbs 18:21 NIV 2011 Edition). Jon Walker writes: ‘You…the one with Jesus in your heart – are capable of murder.


And so am I. We have the power to speak death with our words, and…the power to speak life.

Perhaps you’ve been on the receiving end of a message meant to murder. “You’re not smart enough…thin enough…fast enough…good enough…a real Christian wouldn’t think such things.” In a world where people are beaten up and put down, God gives you superhero power to punch through the negativity.


You speak life when you say, “You matter to me. I like you just the way you are…Your life counts. You were created for a purpose.


God loves you, and you’re incredibly valuable to Him.” You can become the voice of God’s grace in the lives of others, supporting, loving, helping and encouraging them with the words that flow from your mouth.’

God wants us to encourage each other, but that doesn’t mean flattering or buttering people up. It means speaking words that help them to stay on their feet and keep going.

What you say can give fresh hope to a friend, a relative, a neighbour, or a co-worker who’s about to collapse. What a gift!


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

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


Today, Depend on God
‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.'

2 Corinthians 12:9
The UCB Word for Today - 23 Nov 2015


Hindrances, hang-ups, and hurdles are God’s gift to the self-sufficient.

While He won’t let you use your weakness as a crutch or a cop-out, He’ll allow it to keep you dependent on Him. Paul wrote, ‘I was given a thorn…to…keep me from becoming proud’ (V. 7 NLT).


Why would God keep you in touch with your limitations? To embarrass you? No, to empower you so that you can do His will.


God’s intention is to increase, not decrease your need for Him. Perhaps this illustration will help you. Imagine four steel rings.


The first can support eighty pounds, the second sixty pounds, the third forty pounds, and the fourth twenty pounds.


Linked together, what’s the greatest weight the chain can support? Two hundred pounds? No, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, so the answer is twenty pounds! And it’s the same with us; we’re only as strong as our weakest area.


That’s why we sometimes try to excuse or ignore them.

But that’s dangerous because relying on your own strength may win you a few victories and accolades and cause you to think you can handle everything on your own.


It was because Paul was so brilliant that God permitted difficult circumstances that kept him on his knees, living in a state of forced dependence.

After praying repeatedly for God to take his weakness away, Paul finally came to the place where he could say, ‘I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me’ (v. 9 NIV 2011 Edition). So today, depend on God!


Ezek 45-46, 1 Pet 5

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


A Faith Perspective
‘Life versus even more life! I can’t lose.’

Philippians 1:21
The UCB Word for Today - 24 Nov 2015


Roman prisons were terrible places. Offenders were stripped, flogged, and placed in leg irons. Their blood-soaked clothing wasn’t changed even in the dead of winter.


And the ‘inner cell’ (Acts 16:24 NIV 2011 Edition) where Paul and Silas were imprisoned was the worst. Lack of water, cramped conditions, and the stench of toilets (if that’s what you could call them) made sleep impossible.


Prisoners routinely begged for death, and some even committed suicide. It was your worst nightmare! Yet ‘Paul and Silas were…singing…and the other prisoners were listening’ (v. 25 NIV 2011 Edition).


In The Message, Eugene Peterson paraphrases it like this: ‘The other prisoners couldn’t believe their ears.’ Talk about impact! Paul’s attitude impressed them before his religious beliefs ever reached them. Let’s face it, anybody can sing in church, including hypocrites.


But when you can praise God in the midst of pain, pressures, and problems – that’s something else. How did they do it?


They had a faith perspective! It’s not what you have lost, but what you have left that counts! Paul didn’t just sing in prison, he wrote some of his best stuff there. Here’s his take on it: ‘Everything happening to me in this jail only serves to make Christ more accurately known, regardless of whether I live or die.


They didn’t shut me up; they gave me a pulpit! Alive, I’m Christ’s messenger; dead, I’m his bounty. Life versus even more life! I can’t lose’ (Philippians 1:19-21 MSG). What are you going to do with a man or woman like this? They’re beyond your threats.


Their strength comes from a source that’s not diminished by outside circumstances.


That’s because they have a faith perspective. And that’s what you need today too!


Ezek 47-48, 2 Pet 1

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY


‘Peace of Mind’
‘I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind.’

John 14:27
The UCB Word for Today - 25 Nov 2015



You can control what goes on in your mind by filling it with God’s Word.

Not the Word you read casually, but the Word you process mentally, apply to each situation that arises, and stand on in times of crisis because you know it’s your right to have the peace Jesus promised.


Jesus corrected His disciples because they lost their peace of mind during a storm.

He didn’t lose His. He was asleep in the back of the boat. So where are you today? Resting with Jesus in the back of the boat, or panicking with the others up front? Worry overwhelms you when you forget two things: 1)

What the Lord has told you. Jesus said, ‘Let us go over to the other side’ (Mark 4:35 NIV 2011 Edition).

And once He spoke those words there wasn’t a wave big enough to sink them. Anytime you’re doing what God’s told you to do, you may go through storms but you won’t sink. 2) Who’s with you in the boat.


The disciples thought they knew Jesus pretty well, but before the night was over they were asking, ‘Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!’ (v. 41 NIV 2011 Edition).


Has it ever occurred to you that the storm you’re in right now has been permitted by God to show you that you don’t have a problem He can’t solve; that you’re not alone, and that through this experience you’ll come to know Him better?


In the Amplified Bible the words of Jesus are translated like this: ‘Do not let your hearts be…distressed, agitated’ (John 14:1).

The only power worry has over you – is the power you give it.


Dan 1-2, 2 Pet 2