UCB Word For Today

One day your heart will give a final pulse, and your lungs empty a final breath. And barring the return of Christ, you will die. The psalmist asked, ‘What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave?’ (Psalm 89:48 NKJV). Young and old, good and bad, rich and poor; neither gender is spared; no class is exempt. ‘No one has power over the time of their death’ (Ecclesiastes 8:8 NIV). The geniuses, the rich, the poor – no one outruns or outsmarts it. Julius Caesar died. Elvis died. John Kennedy died. Princess Diana died. We all will die. We won’t escape death. The finest surgeon might enhance your life but can’t eliminate your death. The Hebrew writer was blunt: ‘People are destined to die once’ (Hebrews 9:27 NIV). Exercise all you want. Eat nothing but healthy food, and pop fists full of vitamins. Stay out of the sun, away from alcohol, and off drugs. Do your best to stay alive, and still, you will die. Death seems like such a dead end until we read Jesus’ resurrection story: ‘He is not here; for He is risen, as He said…Go quickly and tell His disciples…He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him…So they went out quickly…to bring His disciples word…Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshipped Him’ (Matthew 28:6-17 NKJV). For the redeemed child of God, death is not the end but the beginning of a glorious life in heaven that will have no end.

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

Just minutes before his final breath, Jesus cried out, ‘Tetelestai!’ from the cross. In English, it is translated as ‘It is finished.’ It was the same word that was written on receipts in New Testament times, indicating that a debt had been paid in full. Jesus’ death on the cross was the final instalment on sin. The entire debt for every sinner who comes to Him for salvation has been paid in full at Calvary. Paul wrote: ‘Where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.’ Did you catch it? ‘Much more!’ The mercy bank is never closed. And there are never insufficient funds. The supply of grace is always greater than the demand of sin. The split second we confess our sin, a miraculous transaction happens. All our sin is transferred to Christ’s account and paid in full. But as good as that is, it’s only half the gospel. There’s a second transfer that takes place. All His righteousness is credited to our account, and God says, ‘Let’s call it even!’ Paul explained it this way: ‘God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them…For He made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him’ (2 Corinthians 5:19, 21 NKJV). To be ‘in Christ’ means we stand in His righteousness rather than our own. So, when we stand before God, we won’t have to account for our sin, because it was already accounted for at the cross. The Father will see the righteousness of His Son that has been credited to our account.

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

When Martin Luther began the work that became the Great Reformation, his friend Myconius said, ‘I can best help where I am. I will remain and pray while you toil.’ Then one night, Myconius dreamed that Jesus approached him and showed him His hands and feet, wounded by His crucifixion. He looked into the eyes of his Saviour and heard Jesus say to him, ‘Follow Me.’ Jesus led him to a mountaintop and pointed eastward. Myconius looked and saw a plain stretching away from the horizon. It was dotted with thousands and thousands of sheep, and one man was trying to shepherd the great flock. Myconius recognised him as his friend, Martin Luther. The Saviour then pointed westward, and Myconius saw a great field of standing corn, with only one reaper trying to harvest it all. The lonely labourer was obviously exhausted, but he persisted. Myconius recognised the reaper to be Martin Luther. ‘It is not enough that I should pray,’ he said when he awoke. ‘The sheep must be shepherded, and the field of corn must be reaped. Here am I; send me.’ He immediately sought out Luther and volunteered to serve in whatever capacity Luther desired. The Bible says, ‘When [Jesus] saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion…Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest”’ (Matthew 9:36-38 NKJV). The only ‘prayer request’ Jesus ever made was for labourers to go into the harvest field. And He’s calling you to be one of them.

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

Elihu suddenly spoke up in Job chapter 32. It’s apparent he had been present all along, but he held his peace because he believed Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar were older and wiser than he was. ‘I am young in years, and you are old; that is why I was fearful, not daring to tell you what I know’ (Job 32:6 NIV). After hearing the long and meaningless discourses of Job’s three older friends, Elihu suddenly felt emboldened to speak: ‘It is the spirit in a person, the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding. It is not only the old who are wise…Therefore I say: listen to me; I too will tell you what I know’ (Job 32:8-10 NIVUK). Then he spoke non-stop for the next six chapters. He no longer saw himself as a loser in the game of comparison. Feelings of inferiority are generated by comparing yourself with others. Or you go to the other extreme and finish up with a sense of superiority. That’s why you should never play the comparison game. Question: can you recall a time when you felt so inadequate that you kept quiet and refused to speak up, even though you had a worthwhile thought or idea? You must realise that it is not your ability that determines your success, but ‘the breath of the Almighty, that gives [you] understanding’. The secret of success is drawing daily on God’s enabling power. When you become persuaded of this truth, you will be able to take on new levels of risk and responsibility without fear of failure.

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

Every time you are in conflict with someone, but you go to them and seek reconciliation and forgiveness – the kingdom is breaking into this world. Every time you have a chunk of money and decide to give significantly to somebody who is hungry or homeless or poor – the kingdom is breaking into the world. Any time someone has an addiction and wants to partner with God so much that they are willing to get help from a loving community – the kingdom is breaking into the world. Every time a workaholic parent decides to stop idolising their job, rearranges their life, and begins to love and care for the family entrusted to them – the kingdom is breaking into the world. Every time you include someone who’s lonely, every time you encourage someone who’s defeated, every time you challenge somebody who’s wandering off the path, and every time you serve the needy – the kingdom of God is once more breaking into the world. Jesus taught us to pray: ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’ Notice He didn’t tell us to pray, ‘Get me out of here so I can go up there!’ His prayer was, ‘Make up there come down here. Make things run down here, in my life, the way they run up there.’ The answer to this prayer begins with you personally: your body, your mind, your appetites, etc. Then it spreads to your workplace, your family, your neighbourhood, your church, and your sphere of influence. And it all starts by asking yourself this question: ‘Where do I want to see God’s presence and power break into my world?’

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