[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Made righteous – by faith (2)

‘Their faith is credited as righteousness.’
Romans 4:5 NIV

The UCB Word for Today - 24 MAR 2020

There are only two ways you can become ‘righteous’. The first is through trying, and the second is through trusting.

When you try to earn God’s approval by your performance, you can never rest because you can never really be sure you’ve done enough to please Him. But when you place your trust in Christ’s finished work on the cross, the Bible says you enter into God’s ‘rest’ (see Hebrews 4:3).

Paul writes, ‘If anyone is in Christ, the new creation (something that didn’t exist before) has come: The old (appetites and actions) has gone, the new (appetites and actions) is here!’ (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV 2011 Edition). You don’t have to struggle to be seen as righteous in God’s eyes.

The moment you placed your trust in Jesus, God made you ‘the righteousness of God [in Christ]’ (v. 21 NIV 2011 Edition). Why did He do it that way?

Because any righteousness you could achieve through good works and keeping rules falls so far short of what He requires that He sees it as ‘filthy rags’ (see Isaiah 64:6). So God credited His righteousness to you (see 2 Corinthians 5:18).

Paul writes: ‘David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it: “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight…whose record the Lord has cleared of sin”’ (Romans 4:6-8 NLT). Hymnist Edward Mote wrote these words: ‘Dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.’ Rejoice! That’s how God sees you – made righteous by faith!

Deuteronomy 13-15, Mark 12:28-44

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Don’t go there!

‘Sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.’
James 1:15 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 25 MAR 2020

When God says no to sin, He’s not being demanding – He’s being protective. The Bible explains the dangers and subtleties of sin this way: ‘Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.

Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren’ (vv. 14-16 NKJV).

Today some folks are advocating the idea of legalising certain drugs, such as marijuana, for recreational use. But the idea has already been tried, and it failed disastrously.

In the late 1980s, the Swiss set aside city property in Zurich, where addicts could legally shoot up and where free needles were provided, hoping to slow the spread of AIDS. The area of Platzspitz became known as ‘Needle Park’.

So how did the experiment work out? Almost overnight the number of drug users visiting the park soared from 200 to 20,000.

Ten thousand ‘consumption events’ occurred per day, as users from all over Switzerland came to get in on the fun. They soon outnumbered the local population.

The death rate went through the roof, as health officials sought to resuscitate as many as fifty overdose cases per day. And the crime rate, instead of decreasing, went through the roof too.

City officials finally called off the experiment and closed the park. Almost immediately the crime rate dropped to its former levels, and the programme ended in total failure.

When God says to you, ‘Don’t go there,’ it’s because He loves you and wants only the best for you. So be wise, listen to Him, and don’t go there!

Deuteronomy 16-18, Mark 13:1-20

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Work on your self-image

‘You saw me before I was born.’
Psalm 139:16 TLB

The UCB Word for Today - 26 MAR 2020

Iyanla Vanzant said, ‘Everything that happens to you is a reflection of what you believe about yourself. We can’t…draw to ourselves more than we think we are worth.’

That means how we see ourselves determines the kind of relationships we establish. Many of us harbour a low sense of self-esteem.

We deem everyone else as being more important than ourselves and think meeting their needs is more important than meeting our own needs. We compare ourselves and allow others to determine who we are, and become dependent on their approval to prop up our identity.

But it’s a slap in the face to God to look at another person and say, ‘I wish I were like them.’ God made you for His own purpose, that you might reflect a unique aspect of His glory.

As believers in Christ, we’ve been given a new identity as children of God. We weren’t created to live dependently on any other person.

Rather, God is restoring us to the image of His Son and making us whole (see 2 Corinthians 3:18). In Him we don’t ever need to be afraid to be who we really are.

It’s time to develop a true opinion of yourself based on the truth that God made you exactly, precisely, intricately, wondrously, and uniquely you – a one-of-a-kind creation for which there’s no comparison. The psalmist wrote: ‘You…scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe…How precious it is, Lord, to realise that you are thinking about me constantly!’ (Psalm 139:16-18 TLB).

Deuteronomy 19-21, Mark 13:21-37[/color]

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Focus on what matters

‘I press towards the goal for the prize.’
Philippians 3:14 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 27 MAR 2020

Part of Paul’s amazing success was because he was so focused. ‘I press towards the goal for the prize of the upward call.’

Focus can bring energy and power to almost anything, whether spiritual, mental, or physical. Sociologist Robert Lynd observed that ‘knowledge is power only if a man knows what facts not to bother about’.

The birthing of a potential breakthrough often results from sharing many good ideas. But to take ideas to the next level, you must shift from being expansive in your thinking to being selective.

A good idea becomes a great idea when it’s given focus time. It’s true that focusing on a single idea for a long time can be very frustrating, but your perseverance will pay off.

The mind will not focus until it has a goal. But the purpose of your goals is to focus your attention and give you direction, not identify a final destination.

As you think about your goals, make sure that they are:

1) clear enough to be kept in focus;
2) close enough to be achieved;
3) helpful enough to change lives.

Paul described his goal as ‘the upward call’. When you think only of yourself, you’re thinking ‘downward’, but when you think of others, you’re thinking ‘upward’.

These three guidelines will get you going. And be sure to write down your goals.

If they’re not written, you can almost be guaranteed that they’re not focused enough. And if you really want to make sure they’re focused, take the advice of theatrical producer David Belasco, who said, ‘If you can’t write your idea on the back of my business card, you don’t have a clear idea.’

Deuteronomy 22-24, Mark 14:1-26

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Live by your convictions (1)

‘Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself.’
Daniel 1:8 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 28 MAR 2020

The Bible says, ‘Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank.’ This particular food and wine was offered to pagan gods as an act of worship, and for Daniel that was unacceptable.

He was being asked to compromise his character, and he wouldn’t do it. Daniel had good reasons if he had chosen to say yes.

He was far from home and could do as he pleased. Nobody back home would ever know it.

Plus, if he didn’t eat it, he would be insulting the king – not a good career move! Daniel knew God’s Word was clear when it came to idol worship, and God blessed him for it.

He ended up being protected, preserved, promoted, and prospered in unthinkable ways. His philosophy was: ‘When God says yes, I say yes. And when God says no, I say no.’

And he had established his convictions before he got to Babylon. Question: have you decided what your core convictions are?

Have you spent the good times determining what you will and won’t do during the hard times? If not, you need to.

Daniel’s friends probably told him, ‘Nobody will know.’ But his thinking was: ‘God will know, and so will I.

I don’t have to live with you, but I’ve got to live with me.’ Your thoughts and ideas must always be open to change and improvement, but your core convictions must be non-negotiable.

So, live by your convictions.

Deuteronomy 25-27, Mark 14:27-52

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Live by your convictions (2)

‘My conscience is clear…It is the Lord who judges me.’
1 Corinthians 4:4 NIV

The UCB Word for Today - 29 MAR 2020

Daniel was forced to decide if he was going to be a conformer or a transformer. What’s the difference?

Pressure controls a conformer. If you place enough pressure on them, they’ll cave.

If you put enough pressure on them, they will smoke the first joint, they will take the first drink, they will do what everybody else is doing. But principle governs a transformer.

You say, ‘Living that way is very demanding.’ Yes; and it’s very protective.

God knows better than we do how to avoid pain, frustration, and destruction in our lives. Because He sees the cliff’s edge clearer than we do, He places guardrails next to the drop-off.

And when we follow His commands we avoid heartache, pitfalls, and the loss of our reputation. Refusing to eat the king’s meat was not a matter of diet, but of dedication to God.

Now, we’re not advocating the idea: ‘let conscience be your guide’. Your conscience is not always a good guide.

Because you don’t think something’s wrong doesn’t mean you shouldn’t think it’s wrong. Your conscience can be damaged and it can be burned.

The Bible speaks of ‘having [your] conscience seared with a hot iron’ (1 Timothy 4:2 KJV). Paul writes, ‘My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent.

It is the Lord who judges me.’ Nevertheless, the conscience question is the first you should ask when faced with a difficult decision. Rarely do you make a good choice to do something, if you know doing so will take your conscience on the dreaded guilt-trip.

So, live by your convictions.

Luke 6:1-26, Psalm 33-34

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Let God comfort you

‘God is…the source of all comfort.’
2 Corinthians 1:3 NLT

The UCB Word for Today - 30 MAR 2020

When you lose someone you love, you go through a grieving process. And God will comfort you and walk you through it.

Jesus said, ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted’ (Matthew 5:4 NIV 2011 Edition). Grieving is the healthy way to process your emotions, to express your pain and move beyond it.

Recovery doesn’t happen overnight; it happens in proportion to the size of your loss. Only small losses are healed quickly.

Zig Ziglar says: ‘The longest twenty hours of my life were those right after my daughter’s death. When making her funeral arrangements, I had to listen to a salesman who was an incessant talker, and who told me thirty times that he wasn’t a salesman.

Twice I had to leave the room; I simply couldn’t handle him. The night before, half asleep and half awake, I kept thinking my daughter was wondering when her daddy was coming to get her.

The next morning I took a walk, praying and crying the whole way. When I returned, the Lord spoke to me in such a distinct way: “She’s fine.

She’s with me, and you’re going to be fine too. I’m all you need.

Keep walking. Keep talking. Keep praying. Keep crying.”’

Grief and loss can’t be solved, but they are experiences you don’t have to go through alone. The best-known Psalm in Scripture says, ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me’ (Psalm 23:4 NKJV).

The sun will shine again. ‘Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning’ (Psalm 30:5 KJV).

Your joy will return – God promises it!

Deuteronomy 28-29, Mark 14:53-72

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Satan is at work – stand up to him!

‘An enemy has done this.’
Matthew 13:28 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 31 MAR 2020

The Bible says: ‘Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and…when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop…the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?

How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this’”’ (vv. 24-28 NKJV).

We all need a spiritual wake-up call from time to time. Sometimes the problem we are dealing with isn’t of human origin.

Jesus said, ‘While men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.’ Yes, it’s foolish to blame everything on the devil, but it’s even more foolish not to recognise when he is at work.

Paul writes: ‘Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but…against the powers of this dark world and…spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground’ (Ephesians 6:11-13 NIVUK 2011 Edition). He goes on to say, ‘Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one’ (v. 16 NIV 2011 Edition).

So the word for you today is: recognise when Satan is at work, stand up to him, and he will flee! (see James 4:7.)

Deuteronomy 30-31, Mark 15:1-24

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

You’re being tested

‘Do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you.’
1 Peter 4:12 NKJV

The UCB Word for Today - 01 APRIL 2020

The Bible tells us: ‘Do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy’ (vv. 12-13 NKJV). In The Message, Eugene Peterson paraphrases Peter’s words: ‘Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job.


Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner.’

Times of testing feel ‘strange’, but they are normal and necessary! They are how you grow in grace.

They are how God equips and prepares you to do great things in His kingdom. God never afflicts us, but He most assuredly tests us.

And His tests measure us, reveal us, strengthen our faith, purify us, and cause us to grow spiritually. To quote the apostle Paul: ‘Every detail works to your advantage and to God’s glory: more and more grace, more and more people, more and more praise!

So we‘re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace’ (2 Corinthians 4:15-17 MSG).

If you could see the blessing that’s waiting for you on the other side of this fiery trial, you’d cancel your pity party and start planning your promotion party.

Deuteronomy 32-34, Mark 15:25-47

[Gracemohau]

TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY

Having the overcoming attitude

‘There is wonderful joy ahead.’
1 Peter 1:6 NLT

The UCB Word for Today - 02 APRIL 2020

In 1962, in a classic study called Cradles of Eminence, Victor and Mildred Goertzel investigated the family backgrounds of more than 400 highly successful people. They sought to identify the early experiences that may have contributed to their remarkable achievements in life.

They included people like Einstein and many others who are famous and admired. Their backgrounds proved to be very interesting.

Three-quarters of them came from troubled childhoods, enduring poverty, broken homes, or parental abuse. One-quarter of them had physical disabilities.

Most of those who became well-known writers or playwrights watched their parents embroiled in one crisis after another. Here’s what the researches concluded: The need to compensate for disadvantages was a major factor in their drive towards personal achievement.

These people had one thing in common – the overcoming attitude: ‘This is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith’ (1 John 5:4 NKJV). When you have faith in God and yourself, you can end up doing things that astound you.

The problem that seems so formidable today, can become the very thing that launches you into greatness tomorrow. The Bible puts it this way: ‘There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while.

These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold…So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honour’ (1 Peter 1:6-7 NLT).

Joshua 1-3 , Mark 16