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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Why does God choose weak people to do His will?
28 AUGUST 2024

‘God has chosen the weak things.’
1 Corinthians 1:27 NKJV
Answer: because the only kind of people God has to work with are weak people!

Moses’ relationship with God is described in these remarkable words: ‘The Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend’ (Exodus 33:11 NKJV). So, was Moses perfect? Far from it. He spent the first forty years of his life as a prince in Pharaoh’s palace, and the next forty years as a shepherd living in the wilderness. The Bible speaks about the strains in his marriage and his times of stress and despair. In The Ten Commandments movie, Moses is played by actor Charlton Heston, who was tall, handsome, and articulate. But Moses was actually a weak, bashful stammerer who couldn’t put two words together without verbally tripping over himself, much less speak in the courts of the most feared dictator on earth.

The Bible refers to the Israelites as a ‘congregation’, which made Moses a pastor. And no pastor had more trouble with a congregation than he did. You say, ‘Why bring up Moses’ shortcomings?’ To encourage you! To let you know that your flaws don’t disqualify you and your limitations don’t limit what God can do through you.

Paul writes: ‘For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty…that no flesh should glory in His presence’ (1 Corinthians 1:26-27, 29 NKJV).

Ecclesiastes 4-6, 2 Corinthians 5

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Always be open-minded (1)
29 AUGUST 2024

‘When I saw it, I considered it well; I looked on it and received instruction.’
Proverbs 24:32 NKJV

King Solomon is considered one of the wisest men who ever lived. He wrote three books in the Bible and is quoted regularly. And he was a lifetime learner and seeker of truth. ‘When I saw it, I considered it well; I looked on it and received instruction.’

Note the words ‘I considered it well’. That should be your fixed attitude in life. God’s plan for you is to keep learning, changing, growing, and maturing until you draw your last breath. And that means always being open-minded. Consider the Pharisees. They were 100 per cent committed to their belief system. They were also the best-educated people in society. Yet they resisted Jesus and the truth He shared at every turn. Why? For three very common reasons:

1) Pride: ‘If what Jesus says is right, that makes us wrong.’

2) Security: ‘If we accept what He is teaching, what will happen to our reputation and our income?’

3) Tradition: ‘We have believed and done things this way for generations.’

Can you see where we’re going with this line of thought? And can you see how it may apply to your life?

One pastor said, ‘It’s good to be saved and sanctified, as long as you are not saved, sanctified, and stuck!’ Spiritual growth requires two things: a hunger for truth, and the humility to acknowledge that you still have more to learn. Those are two qualities that God always honours: ‘The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way’ (Psalm 25:9 NKJV). So always be open-minded.

Ecclesiastes 7-9, 2 Corinthians 6

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Always be open-minded (2)
30 AUGUST 2024

‘They received the word with all readiness.’
Acts 17:11 NKJV
Here is a tale of two cities:

1) Thessalonica rejected the truth. ‘Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures…saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ”…But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar’ (vv. 2-3, 5 NKJV).

2) Berea received the truth. ‘Paul…went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men’ (vv. 10-12 NKJV).

This is not just a tale of two cities but two mindsets. An open mindset and a closed mindset. A closed mindset says, ‘I believe I know all there is to know about this subject,’ and an open mindset says, ‘I’m grateful for what I know, but I believe there is more to know.’ But a word of caution! Just because a speaker says something doesn’t mean you should accept it without question. A leader who seeks to honour God won’t be offended when you question what they say. The Bereans ‘received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.’ Whose teachings were they checking out? Paul’s, the author of half the New Testament! So the word for today is – always be open-minded.

Ecclesiastes 10-12, 2 Corinthians 7

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

In the storm with Jesus (1)
31 AUGUST 2024

‘Let us cross over to the other side.’
Mark 4:35 NKJV

Growing in faith and getting to know Jesus intimately requires going through storms with Him. The disciples discovered this when Jesus said to them, ‘Let us cross over to the other side.’ Next, we read: ‘A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling’ (v. 37 NKJV). Their story has a happy ending. Jesus calmed the storm, and they said in amazement, ‘Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!’ (v. 41 NKJV). There are life-changing truths Jesus taught and aspects of His character that you will never understand until you have been through a storm with Him.

Sometimes when storms come, we assume they are the result of something we have done wrong or that we’re not in the will of God. The disciples were in the storm due to obedience, not disobedience. They hadn’t done anything wrong; they had done something right. Understand this: even if you love Jesus with all your heart, you will still face storms. As the disciples discovered, the storm can come when you’re closest to Jesus. He doesn’t promise that the storm won’t strike your boat but that the storm won’t sink it. He doesn’t promise smooth sailing, but He guarantees a safe landing.

You will face life’s troubles with either fear or faith. How are they different? Fear concentrates on the storm; faith concentrates on the Saviour. It may sound surprising, but we need storms. Jesus permits us to sail into them so that we will 1) consider His promises, 2) stay calm in His presence, and 3) have confidence in His power.

Song of Songs 1-3, 2 Corinthians 8

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

UCB Word For Today
In the storm with Jesus (2)

01 SEPTEMBER 2024
‘He…said…“Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.’
Mark 4:39 NKJV

A pastor describes some storms in life: ‘You come home from work, walk into the kitchen, and find a note saying, “I want out of the marriage.” A clap of thunder! You go to the doctor anticipating a normal check-up, and the lab work comes back, and you have cancer. The wind howls! You go to bed at peace, only to be interrupted by a phone call at three in the morning telling you that your father has suddenly died of a heart attack. Your ship nearly capsizes! The only predictable thing about life’s storms is their unpredictability. They sweep in when you least expect them.’

Jesus had told His disciples, ‘Let us cross over to the other side’ (v. 35 NKJV). They should have realised that when He climbed aboard the boat, it became unsinkable. Inherent in His words was a promise of safe arrival. A difference exists between hearing a promise and believing it. Too frequently, we fail to believe that Jesus will accomplish what He has promised us.

The pastor encourages us: ‘In those moments, we should remind ourselves that the sun may quit shining, the wind may start blowing, and the waves may begin crashing, but Jesus never fails to keep His promises…Jesus wants you to…remember that there is no need to fear when He is near…He wants to be the Captain of your life’s ship. You may not always be aware of Jesus, but He is there just the same. For those disciples, the safest place in the world…was right there in that boat. Because safety is not the absence of problems. Safety is the presence of Jesus.’

Luke 16:16-31, Psalms 89-90

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Take a faith-based risk (1)
02 SEPTEMBER 2024

‘The Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people are attacking it.’
Matthew 11:12 NLT

Peter gets unfairly criticised. He is the disciple who denied Christ three times, but he is the only one who got close enough to Jesus to get caught. He is the disciple who impulsively cut off Malchus’s ear when the lynch mob came to arrest Jesus, but he is the only one who came to Jesus’ defence. He is the disciple who sank in the Sea of Galilee, but he is the only disciple who walked on water.

It’s so easy to criticise people from the comfortable confines of the boat. Basically, there are two kinds of people: creators and criticisers – those who get out of the boat and walk on water and those who sit in the boat and criticise the water walkers.

When everything is said and done, our greatest regrets will be the God-ordained risks we didn’t take. German author Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said, ‘Hell begins the day that God grants you the vision to see all that you could have done, should have done, and would have done, but did not do.’ Jesus said, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and violent people are attacking it.’

What do you believe God is leading you to do? What is the persistent prompting of the Holy Spirit urging you to do? Do it. Failing to take a faith-based risk is like permanently misplacing a piece from the jigsaw puzzle of your life. It leaves a disappointing hole. When we reach the end of our lives, our biggest regrets will be those missing pieces. So today, go ahead and take a faith-based risk.



Song of Songs 4-5, 2 Corinthians 9

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Take a faith-based risk (2)
03 SEPTEMBER 2024

‘Without faith it is impossible to please [God].’
Hebrews 11:6 NKJV

When making important decisions, especially when they can affect the lives of others, the Bible says you should do two things. First, count the cost (see Luke 14:28). That means you should evaluate and investigate, and you should seek guidance and counsel. ‘The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice’ (Proverbs 12:15 NIV).

How certain should you be before you move forwards? In his book, The Next Generation Leader, Pastor Andy Stanley writes: ‘Generally speaking, you are probably never going to be more than 80 per cent certain. Waiting for greater certainty may cause you to miss an opportunity.’ What are you waiting for? A guarantee that you won’t make mistakes? That you won’t be criticised or experience embarrassment? If so, you will get nowhere.

When you have done all that wisdom demands, you must trust God and take a faith-based risk. If you don’t, you will end up living with regret. In a research study done by two Cornell University psychologists, they learned that time is a major factor in what we regret. We typically regret our actions over the short term. But over the long term, we are inclined to regret our inactions. The study found that in an average week, action regrets were somewhat higher than inaction regrets – 53 per cent to 47 per cent. But when people think about their lives as a whole, inaction regrets exceed action regrets 84 per cent to 16 per cent.

In other words, you won’t regret the errors you made as much as you will the God-ordained opportunities you missed. So, go ahead and take a faith-based risk.

Song of Songs 6-8, 2 Corinthians 10

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Take a faith-based risk (3)
04 SEPTEMBER 2024

‘I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.’
Matthew 16:18 NIV

Gates are defensive devices, and storming those gates requires offensive measures. Think of the church as a battering ram. Instead of complaining about the culture, we need to present better options. We must produce higher-calibre films and compose more extraordinary music, write more notable books, and start superior schools and form better businesses. The old aphorism indicates we should stop cursing the darkness and start lighting some candles.

In Roaring Lambs, Robert Briner writes: ‘Why not believe that one day the most critically acclaimed director in Hollywood could be an active Christian layman in his church? Why not hope that the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting could go to a Christian journalist on staff at a major daily newspaper? Is it really too much of a stretch to think that a major exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art could feature the works of an artist on staff at one of our fine Christian colleges? Am I out of my mind to suggest that your son or daughter could be the principle dancer for the Joffrey Ballet Company, leading a weekly Bible study for other dancers in what was once considered a profession that was morally bankrupt?’

Paul didn’t criticise the philosophers on Mars Hill and tell them they were going to hell. Pointing to their altar to the unknown God, he indicated, ‘I’ve come to tell you who He is, and His name is Jesus.’ What was the result? ‘Some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter”’ (Acts 17:32 NKJV). Go ahead; take a faith-based risk and see what happens.

Isaiah 1-2, 2 Corinthians 11

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Christ can set you free
05 SEPTEMBER 2024

‘I will set nothing wicked before my eyes.’
Psalm 101:3 NKJV

Pornography is sweeping across the world, leaving families torn apart in its wake. Many churchgoers who are struggling to break free feel isolated and helpless. One UK survey revealed that 75 per cent of Christian men and 35 per cent of Christian women viewed pornography regularly or occasionally. When you watch it, powerful neurotransmitters such as dopamine are released, which bond you to the images you’re looking at. According to neuropsychologist Dr Tim Jennings, ‘Any type of repetitive behaviour will create trails [neural pathways] in our brain that are going to fire on an automatic sequence.’

Some churches treat this issue as strictly a moral one, failing to realise it’s also a brain problem. We advise people to try more, pray more, and love the Lord more. And that’s important. But when you fight the flesh in the power of the flesh, you end up fighting yourself. What’s the answer? Your mind has to be renewed, and that’s a process. When your brain has been trained the wrong way, it must be retrained the right way. This calls for radical commitment, such as removing pornography from your life and sometimes walking in accountability with a mature Christian friend you can turn to in times of testing. Above all, it involves reprogramming your mind with God’s Word.

Paul writes: ‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind’ (Romans 12:1-2 NKJV). You don’t have to live in bondage to pornography. Christ can set you free.

Isaiah 3-4, 2 Corinthians 12

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TODAY'S WORD FOR TODAY™

Speak life
06 SEPTEMBER 2024

‘Let him refrain his tongue from evil.’
1 Peter 3:10 NKJV

The Bible says, ‘He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good’ (vv. 10-11 NKJV). Note the words ‘let him turn away’. That doesn’t mean you should be rude or insensitive, but be solution focused rather than problem focused.

Your mouth is a powerful tool that can help or harm. If you can grasp an understanding of the power of the words you speak, it can change the course of your life. You can either speak positive, uplifting, encouraging things into existence in your life, or words that produce negative, discouraging things (see Proverbs 18:21). None of us want to be a mouthpiece for the devil. But the truth is, the mouth can be used for blessing or destruction, not only in our own lives but also in the lives of others.

Your mouth is like a pen, and your heart is like a tablet. When you say something over and over, it gets on the inside of you and becomes you. It’s not something you have to try to do anymore; it’s who you are. Be a mouthpiece for God. ‘The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary’ (Isaiah 50:4 NKJV). ‘How forceful are right words!’ (Job 6:25 NKJV). ‘The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom’ (Psalm 37:30 NKJV). ‘Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers’ (Ephesians 4:29 NKJV). Today, speak life!

Isaiah 5-6, 2 Corinthians 13