UCB Word For Today

• A relationship governed by rules

  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.

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• God wants to work through you (3)

  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.

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• God wants to work through you (2)

  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.

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• God wants to work through you (1)

  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.

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• 7 worry-conquering Scriptures

  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.

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