UCB Word For Today

• Your mission: to serve

  Who am I? What’s my calling? The apostle Paul, who considered himself ‘not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles’ (2 Corinthians 11:5 NASB), answers simply: ‘I am Paul. My role is serving. I am a servant to the gospel and the body of Christ.’ Certain people in the early church tried to determine which of the apostles were the greatest. Some claimed Paul, and others Apollos. But Paul challenged them, ‘What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe’ (1 Corinthians 3:5 NIV). Whatever your calling, be it pastor of a megachurch or a lay member, you’re no more – and no less – than a servant. In God’s kingdom class distinctions don’t count. ‘There is neither Jew nor Greek…slave nor free…male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus’ (Galatians 3:28 NASB). We’re servants called to do the will of God, wherever He appoints us to serve. And that’s a good thing! In being a servant there’s relief from ‘the pressure to perform’. No one has the right to judge you except your Master. ‘Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls’ (Romans 14:4 NASB). We should be concerned about what pleases God, not people. He alone can evaluate our service. Jesus came to serve His Father, saying, ‘I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me’ (John 5:30 KJV). And He has also sent you to do God’s will, promising that, ‘If any man serve me, him will my Father honour’ (John 12:26 KJV).© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

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• A prayer for deliverance from guilt

  ‘Heavenly Father, although I’ve repented and genuinely regret my actions, the guilt of my sin continually torments me. The burden of it is too heavy for me to bear any longer, so I am turning to you for deliverance. Your Word declares that you are ready to forgive me (see Nehemiah 9:17), and that you have an abundance of mercy for all who call upon you (see Isaiah 55:7). The problem is, I’m having a hard time accepting your forgiveness and releasing myself from the remorse of my sin. Help me to comprehend and receive your promise that says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 KJV). You said in your Word, “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins” (Isaiah 43:25 KJV). Drawing on the power of your Spirit, I choose to no longer let thoughts of guilt and condemnation rob me of the peace and joy you offer. I stand on your Word which says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far you have removed my transgressions from me” (see Psalm 103:12). You have said, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Hebrews 10:17 NKJV). Since you have chosen not to remember it, help me to forget it and stop rehearsing it. Beginning today I declare, “The blood of Jesus Christ God’s Son cleanses me from all sin!”’ (see 1 John 1:7).© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

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• ‘Support the weak’

  When British Prime Minister William Gladstone was facing one of the greatest crises of his political life, he sat down one morning at two o’clock to write the speech he hoped would help him win a political victory in Parliament the following day. At that same hour, the mother of a dying child saw the light on in his home and knocked on his door. She asked him to come and bring a message of hope and cheer to her son. Without hesitation, Gladstone left his half-finished speech on his desk and spent the remainder of the night with the child, leading him to Christ before he died. As the morning light was breaking, he went back to his study and faced his own day with a smile of confidence, peace, and power. He said to a friend later that morning, ‘I am the happiest man in the world today.’ When asked why, he replied that the previous night he had been allowed to serve a child in the name of his Master. Later that day Gladstone made what many consider to be the greatest speech of his life. The House of Commons was won over and his cause triumphed. Were the two events related? Gladstone was convinced that they were. Before leaving the leaders of the church at Ephesus for the last time, Paul told them: ‘I have shown you in every way, by labouring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”’ © 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

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• Character is what counts

  Here is a description of Saul, Israel’s first king: ‘There was not a more handsome person…among the children of Israel’ (1 Samuel 9:2 NKJV). But his looks couldn’t compensate for his lack of character, and he died prematurely in shame and defeat. When Samuel the prophet went to the house of Jesse to anoint one of his sons as Israel’s next king, God said, ‘Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’ Many years ago a boy was born in Russia who thought himself to be so ugly, he was certain there would be no happiness for him in life. He bemoaned the fact that he had a wide nose, thick lips, small grey eyes, and big hands and feet. He was so distraught about his appearance that he asked God to work a miracle and turn him into a handsome man. He vowed that if God would do this, he would give Him all he possessed. That boy was Count Tolstoy, who became one of the world’s foremost authors, best known for his epic War and Peace. In his books he admits that through the years, he discovered that the beauty of physical appearance he had once sought was not the only beauty in life – and it was not the best beauty. Instead, Tolstoy came to regard the beauty of a strong character as having the greatest good in God’s sight. Character is not a matter of money or looks, but of doing what is right apart from money and standing up for what’s right apart from appearances.© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

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• Strengthening your marriage (2)

  Here are five more relationship lessons by Jon Gordon: 1) The more I love my wife, the more I love my life. It’s not about what she does for me. It’s not about keeping score. It’s about deciding to be selfless, love her, serve her, and be there for her. When I do, we both get better. 2) Encourage instead of competing. A lot of couples get jealous if their spouse is enjoying success, rather than encouraging them. When you support and advocate for each other, you grow individually and strengthen your team. 3) Don’t give up. Sometimes marriage is great and sometimes it isn’t. Too many people give up, thinking the grass is greener elsewhere. It isn’t. Plant yourself, nurture your relationship, invest time and energy in your spouse, and you will grow into who you’re meant to be. Marriage is where you learn to give and take and compromise, where you work on your individual issues and heal together. 4) Have a shared mission. My wife and I knew we weren’t together just for ourselves. We felt our mission was to raise champions who will make a difference in the world. We aren’t perfect parents, we have made mistakes, but our mission inspired us to give our very best – especially this past year with two teenagers and a challenging year. 5) Invite God into your marriage. Years ago when we hit a tough patch, a guy told me how he and his wife pray together every night. So, I asked God what our prayer should be. It came to me a few days later, and we have said it every night since. It has made a difference that leads to forgiveness, healing, and growth.© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

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