UCB Word For Today

In Bible times cities were built with high walls around them for protection. Why? Because an enemy strong enough to tear down those walls was strong enough to take the city. Now you understand this Scripture: ‘Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.’ An anonymous poet wrote ‘The Man in the Glass.’ Here it is: ‘When you get what you want in your struggle for self, and the world makes you king for a day, just go to the mirror and look at yourself, and see what that man has to say. For it isn’t your father or mother or wife who judgment upon you must pass, the fellow whose verdict counts the most in your life is the one staring back from the glass. Some people may think you a straight-shooting chum and call you a wonderful guy, but the man in the glass says you’re only a bum if you can’t look him straight in the eye. He’s the fellow to please, never mind all the rest, for he’s with you clear to the end. And you’ve passed your most dangerous, difficult test, if the man in the glass is your friend. You may fool the whole world down the pathway of life and get pats on the back as you pass, but your final reward will be heartaches and tears if you’ve cheated the man in the glass.’ The Bible says, ‘The fruit of the Spirit is…forbearance [self-control]’ (Galatians 5:22 NIV). And the best way to have self-control is to submit to ‘Spirit control’.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Was God telling him to stay in London rather than go to China? Thomas Barnardo had come to London for missionary training, only to have a ten-year-old child show him a rooftop where eleven homeless boys were sleeping. Barnardo was ‘moved with compassion’, and set out to find temporary lodging for them. Other midnight tours revealed more homeless youths – as many as seventy-three in one night. China would have to wait; God had given him London. Barnardo sold some three hundred thousand copies of the Scriptures in public houses and marketplaces to raise money for his work among the children. He was often persecuted for defending them, even sustaining physical injury. When a cholera epidemic hit London in 1866, he worked tirelessly, only to see thousands die. Some would have given up in discouragement, but not Barnardo. He eventually opened a Home for Destitute Boys and, later, a Village for Girls. Through the next several decades, he built numerous homes and villages that cared for some sixty thousand abandoned children, and became known as ‘the father of nobody’s children’. And happily, he lived long enough to see seventeen of the young people he rescued enter the ministry and take the gospel to foreign lands. You say, ‘How can I be sure God is calling me to a particular need?’ Because you will be moved with compassion. ‘When He [Jesus] saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said…“The harvest truly is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest”’ (vv. 36-38 NKJV).

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

‘Heavenly Father, your Word says: “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. Therefore…you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live” (vv. 11-13 NLT). I’m tired of struggling with this habit, and acknowledge that I’m powerless over it. So, I make a commitment now to surrender my will to you. Give me power to not only say no to Satan’s temptation, but to say an even stronger yes to you and your plan for my life. You know the void I’m trying to fill. Take away my desire for this habit, and help me to withstand the cravings. Teach me how to walk in triumph day by day instead of thinking I can solve this problem right away. Your Word says if the Son makes me free, I shall be free indeed (see John 8:36). Your Word says I can be more than a conqueror through Him who loved me (see Romans 8:37). Your Word says, “Clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires” (Romans 13:14 NLT). Clothed in your presence and power, I will begin to walk in victory over this habit each day.’

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Here are four benefits of a true friendship: First, a true friend is someone who, when you feel like you have made a mess out of things and a fool out of yourself, still believes in you and reassures you that you haven’t done permanent damage. The Bible says, ‘There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother’ (Proverbs 18:24 NLT). Second, a true friend is someone who is there when the good times are not. The Prodigal Son discovered to his hurt that when your money runs out, many of your so-called friends go with it. Third, a true friend is someone who gets in your way when you are on your way down. James writes: ‘My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back…will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins’ (James 5:19-20 NLT). Solomon writes, ‘An open rebuke is better than hidden love! Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy’ (Proverbs 27:5-6 NLT). Fourth, a true friend is someone who comes in when the world walks out. The Bible says, ‘A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need’ (Proverbs 17:17 NLT). If you have friends like this in your life, treasure them – they’re a gift from God. And don’t just be a taker, be a giver. Go out of your way to be a true friend to someone else.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Constantly tell your child that they’re loved, valuable, and capable. Otherwise, their self-evaluation will be based on their worst qualities and perceptions rather than their best ones. Psychologists say that some of the world’s most successful people suffer from ‘the imposter phenomenon’. When interviewed, these people often express deep self-doubt, saying they don’t feel worthy of the position they hold, or the high opinion others have of them. Where did that begin? At home! Often this self-concept is formed before puberty when a child has no clear sense of their identity and feels unattractive, dull, and useless. That’s when you, as a parent, need to say that this is a short-term experience, like travelling through a tunnel from which they will certainly emerge. Discuss the sexual awakening that’s about to occur as childhood ends and how to handle it responsibly and morally. Not to do so is to leave your child alone to cope with questions they don’t always have the right answers to. Yes, you must instruct and correct them. But if they constantly feel like you’re ‘on their back’ instead of ‘on their team’, they can lack the confidence and initiative needed to trust themselves and develop a healthy self-concept. And if your parents didn’t do this for you, you will have to be extra sensitive and make sure you do it for your children. The psalmist David gives us a prayer God will answer: ‘May our sons flourish in their youth like well-nurtured plants. May our daughters be like graceful pillars, carved to beautify a palace.’

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Going to heaven is based solely upon having a relationship with Christ; one in which you place your total trust in Him. This relationship also involves rules you live by and guidelines that make you more godly. A tennis player isn’t free to play tennis if there is no baseline to let him or her know whether the ball is ‘in or out’. A football or rugby player isn’t free to play without a touchline. A netball player is not free to play netball without boundary lines. You cannot be truly free without restraints. For example, a fish is not free to wander through the jungle, and a lion is not free to dwell in the ocean. Neither was made for that. Freedom is having the benefits accumulate to you that you were created to receive. Freedom doesn’t mean no boundaries. Freedom ‘in Christ’ means that within the right boundaries, you get to experience ‘life more abundant’ (see John 10:10). James writes, ‘If you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says…God will bless you for doing it.’ In 1215, the Magna Carta was signed by King John. It protected individual rights and civil liberties, while at the same time asserting that no one, not even the king, was above the law. Today, it stands as a symbol of justice and freedom within the law, reminding you that when you’re in the UK, you can have freedom – as long as you agree to stay within the rules.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

God is not hesitant or indifferent when it comes to showing Himself strong. Rather, He is looking ‘throughout the whole earth’ for people who are loyal to Him so He can reveal His power through their lives! Here are three things you need to know about God: 1) He is always at work in supernatural ways in our world, and He has a lot He wants to accomplish. 2) He is actively searching for loyal partners – people who steadily care about what He cares about. 3) He is consistently nudging people to respond, but most people miss it or say no. Question: What would it look like in your life if you began to say yes? A minister writes: ‘A life marked by the miraculous is not just possible, not even just desirable, but is at the very centre of God’s will for every one of us. When we settle for less, our lives lose delight, fulfilment, and purpose. Personal needs of people we meet get overlooked. Extreme needs in our communities and around the world go unmet. When a whole generation settles for less, the character and motives of God get called into question. His shining presence seems to fade in the world.’ But you can do something about it. You were born to be God’s ambassador, making Him visible each day (see 2 Corinthians 5:20). God desires to show Himself strong in you, for you, and through you, because every person you encounter has a need that only God can meet.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Jesus said, ‘The Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does’ (John 5:19-20 NIV). The demands on Jesus were endless. Those who were sick wanted Him to help them. The Pharisees wanted to embroil Him in theological arguments. His disciples wanted Him to go to certain places and not others. But every step Jesus took, every act He performed, and every question He answered was in response to the leadings of His heavenly Father. That’s why He didn’t burn out. That’s why He could say on the eve of His crucifixion, ‘I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do’ (John 17:4 NKJV). Now you understand why Jesus often prayed all night and rose early in the morning to pray while His disciples were still sleeping. He had only one purpose: doing what God wanted done that day. Is that easy to do? No. People will pressure you, and unmet needs will guilt-trip you unless you are absolutely clear as to what God wants you to do. And knowing that calls for intimacy, dependency, sensitivity, and obedience to God. But living this way brings a level of joy and fulfilment that cannot be found in anything else. And this is the life you have been called to live, because Jesus said, ‘As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you’ (John 20:21 KJV).

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Here is an amazing story of how God works: ‘I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by, on His right hand and on His left. And the LORD said, “Who will persuade Ahab to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?” So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, and said, “I will persuade him.” The LORD said to him, “In what way?” So he said…“A lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.” And the Lord said…“Go out and do so”’ (vv. 19-22 NKJV). Do you see what’s happening in heaven? It could be called a business meeting. God wants to rescue Israel from its evil king, but He is open to ideas. When the spirit (or angel) proposes to mislead the king through his advisors, God not only approves but promises him success. On earth the prophet Micaiah warns Ahab that his advisers have been misled. But the king chooses to listen to them anyway. He boldly marches north against Syria, but dies in battle. This story shows you a clear correlation between events in heaven and simultaneous events on earth. Yes, God can act sovereignly without our help. But He also chooses to work through human beings like us. He has a to-do list that’s called ‘His will’. And He is looking for people who are prepared, able, ready, and willing to do it. What should your response be? To pray, ‘Lord, whatever you want done today, use me to do it!’

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Is your mind besieged with fear and worry? Read these seven Scriptures prayerfully and carefully, and use them in prayer: ‘Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT). ‘The LORD gives his people strength. The LORD blesses them with peace’ (Psalm 29:11 NLT). ‘Give your worries to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will never let good people down’ (Psalm 55:22 NCV). ‘You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!’ (Isaiah 26:3 NLT). ‘I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid’ (John 14:27 NLT). ‘Blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit’ (Jeremiah 17:7-8 NLT). ‘Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet’ (Proverbs 3:24 NKJV).

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.