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Slay Your Own Giants with principles gleaned from David!
Facing Your Giants Max Lucado Max Lucado goes beyond the storytelling to offer readers concrete action steps to help slay their giants using the metaphor of the five stones David chose in his Goliath quest: The stones represent the past, prayer, priority, passion and persistence. Max Lucado’s lively language and casual style will appeal to the most reluctant readers, yet his spiritual depth will challenge and amaze.
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Index of abbreviations All scripture references are from the King James Version, unless otherwise noted. AMP Amplified Bible • NIV New International Version • NAS New American Standard NKJ New King James Version • NCV New Century Version • TM The Message • TLB The Living Bible NRS New Revised Standard Version • PHPS Phillips N.T. in Modern English • GWT God’s Word Translation TEV Today’s English Version • NEB New English Bible
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UNITED CHRISTIAN BROADCASTERS
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The giant you are fighting today is not bigger than the God who is living within you. ‘Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world’ (1 Thessolonians 4:4). Failing does not make you a failure, quitting does, not seeing beyond it does, not learning from it does, not growing stronger because of it does. Concerning the heroes of faith in Hebrews we read: ‘Out of weakness [they] were made strong’ (Hebrews 11:34). And that’s what God wants to do for you! You’re not unique, and your not alone – we all struggle on some level. Satan attacked Jesus three times in the wilderness, why? To keep Him from fulfilling His Father’s will on earth. So don’t think he’ll give you a free ride. But Jesus overcame satan using the weapons of prayer and the Word of God. You can too. So come on, learn to stand up in the power of God’s might and conquer the giant you’re facing. That’s what this book is all about. Read it often; keep it with you. Turn to it when the battle rages and you’ll discover that its timeless principles will turn your defeats into victories. Bob Gass Author of The Word for Today
All the Prayer Points throughout the
Overcoming Series have been written by Carl Brettle, UCB Prayer Mobiliser. Carl is also the editor of Prayer Magazine.
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Cut The Cord ‘ON THE DAY YOU WERE BORN YOUR CORD WAS NOT CUT...’ EZEKIEL 16:4.
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Are you still tied to the things of your past? Are you still being fed emotionally by relationships that need to be severed? You’ll only cut the cord when you realise that you can get what you need from a better source. Paul speaks of ‘...His power that is at work within us’ (Ephesians 3:20 NIV). What is that power? It’s the God-given ability to cut the cord that ties you to the old mud-holes of yesterday. If a pig and a sheep fall into the same mud, one will wallow and the other will try to get out. That’s because their natures are different. Whether you fell into the mud or were dragged back into it is not the issue. Your new nature won’t let you stay there. It’ll cry, ‘I don’t belong here! I want to get out! Help me Lord!’ ‘But I’ve really blown it this time!’ you say. Listen to these words from a man whose failures make yours look like charitable deeds: ‘When I kept it all inside ... the pressure never let up ... then I let it all out; I said, “I’ll make a clean breast of my failures to God.” Suddenly the pressure was gone - my guilt dissolved, my sin disappeared’ (Psalm 32:3-5 TM). Pronounce ‘the last rites’ over your failures, forgive those who’ve hurt you, cut the cord that connects you to the past, and start moving forward.
You’re A Work In Prog ress! ‘UNTIL WE ALL...BECOME MATURE ...’ EPHESIANS 4:13.
Birth and growth are different processes, both naturally and spiritually. There’s a big difference between being saved and being whole. One happens instantly, the other is the work of a lifetime. When God saves you, your spirit is immediately changed but your emotions, your appetites and your attitudes still need working on. In each of us there are things that need to be healed, and until they are, we struggle with them. What are those areas in your life? Are you dealing with them? Those who tell you, ‘If you were really a Christian you wouldn’t act like that,’ forget that falling down is just a part of learning to walk. You can know what to do, yet struggle to do it. Sin is not necessarily the problem; sometimes it’s how we medicate the problem. For example, we go out looking for intimacy and end up with sex, or go out looking for peace and come home with a bottle of alcohol. And all the while our real needs are never addressed. The answer cannot be found in people or things, it can only be found in a relationship with God! Real peace comes when you turn to Him in your weakness and allow Him to do for you what nobody else can. Only He can regenerate your spirit. Only He can satisfy your emotions. Only He can bring you to the place of maturity and wholeness. Why don’t you come to Him today?
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Father I come to you today with an open Heart. I admit that I am not perfect and have many failings. I don’t want to live a lie anymore where I portray myself as one thing but live a life inside me that’s quite different. Lord I want to live an honest life before You; help me come to a place of peace where secrecy and stress are things of the past, in Jesus’ Name.
Sin is not necessarily the problem; sometimes it’s how we medicate the problem. 3
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Lord I pray that You would help me to develop Godly character and start to live my life according to Your principles and not mine. Lord I often refuse help or advice because I think I know best but today I break that stubbornness in Jesus’ name and pray that I live life on Your terms and not mine. Put around me friends that build me up, not pull me down, in Jesus’ name.
A toxic relationship is like a malignant cancer cell; if left unchecked, it’ll rob you of your health, and maybe even your life. 4
Don’t Be Under mined ‘BAD COMPANY CORRUPTS GOOD CHARACTER’ 1 CORINTHIANS 15:33.
God told His people, ‘If you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble’ (Numbers 33:55 NIV). Was God being uncharitable? No, He just understood that if His people hung out with the Canaanites, they’d pick up their habits, seek their approval, live by their values and end up worshipping their gods! That’s why He laid down His law so clearly! John Maxwell says, ‘You’ll acquire the vices and virtues of your closest associates. The fragrance of their lives will pervade yours.’ He’s right! You can tell yourself that a bad relationship won’t hurt you; or that your good will rub off on them. But who are you kidding? If you put on a pair of white gloves, go into your back yard and pick up dirt, the dirt won’t get clean, but the gloves will definitely get dirty. Right? Wake up! A toxic relationship is like a malignant cancer cell; if left unchecked, it’ll rob you of your health, and maybe even your life. Miguel de Cervantes, who wrote Don Quixote, said, ‘Tell me your company, and I’ll tell you who you are.’ Take another look at the influences in your life today, for they’re doing two things: a) moulding you b) motivating you. If a constant drip can wear away a stone, then the wrong influences can undermine you little by little. But you are not a stone; you can move!
The Danger Of Little Things ‘CATCH … THE LITTLE FOXES THAT RUIN THE VINEYARDS …’ SONG OF SOLOMON 2:15.
On Colorado’s Long Peak lie the remains of a giant 400-year-old tree. Age, storms, and avalanches couldn’t bring it down. What did? A tiny beetle you could crush under your foot. It ate right through the bark and devoured its heart. Be careful; it’s the little foxes that ruin the vineyards. Little attitudes; but if you practise them often enough, they become fixed attitudes. Little indulgences; but if you give place to them long enough, they desensitise you to sin. Remember when certain things bothered you? Now you don’t give them a second thought. You’re being desensitised! Every alcoholic started by telling himself, ‘I can handle it.’ Every victim of internet pornography (and they’re getting younger every day) started with a look, got hooked on a fantasy, and ended up releasing a tiger that: a) can devour them b) will never willingly go back into its cage. Before a moral problem got out of hand in the Corinthian church, Paul hit it on the head. Listen: ‘I also received a report …One of your men is sleeping with his stepmother. And you’re so above it all that it doesn’t even worry you …You pass it off as a small thing, but it’s anything but that. Yeast, too, is a “small thing,” but it works its way through a whole batch … get rid of this “yeast”…’ (1 Corinthians 5:1-7 TM). Strong language! Why does God make such a big deal out of this anyway? Because sin hurts us, and anything that hurts one of His children, makes Him angry.
Alarm off. Kettle boiled. Prayer time. UCB on. Great day. Wake up to Robbie Frawley and the UCB UK family every weekday morning on UCB UK from 6-9am. Join us on DAB digital radio* Sky 0125 Cable 914 or online at ucbmedia.co.uk/uk *visit ucbmedia.co.uk/dab to check for DAB coverage in your area.
Robbie Frawley, The UCB TV Team UCB Presenter
In this society, a dependency upon alcohol is neither surprising nor uncommon. Many people are dissatisfied with their jobs, burdened by responsibility and bored with their lives. Often, people find that drinking is a way to escape a reality that has become completely contrary to expectation; that their standard of living has somehow got stuck on survive. Alcohol dependency or abuse is always a symptom of a deeper issue. It is not enough just to stop drinking, although that is a start! Many of us are dissatisfied with our lives because we have lost the vision of what it is to live a charismatically obedient Christian life. The spirituality of the church can seem so alien to the everyday reality of supermarkets and work places. Life can seem empty, full of endless routine and responsibility. Most people dependent on alcohol do not swig from secret bottles of vodka or drink from brown paper bags in the street. Often, alcohol dependency starts out as an innocent glass of wine in the evening, that turns into two, three and so on, until one finds it difficult to remember when they last went to bed without that amber buzz in their heads.
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l o h o Alc It is okay to admit you might have a problem, but it is also okay to admit that your current Christian life is not giving you what you need. The question to ask is what alcohol is giving you that your Christian life is not. Peace? Quietness? A good night’s sleep or a way to stop the anxiousness or pain? It is okay to admit that your vision of God or Christianity is not enough for you, is not satisfying something deep within you. It’s not about asking more from God, it’s about asking more of God. Greater miracles, the end of unfair trade laws, conversions in the work place. We lose the vision of who we are and what our lives should be like in the creative and fun loving eyes of God. God has designed us with certain skills and abilities, and when those are not being used we can become immensely frustrated, and turn to alcohol as an alternative release. The power of the Holy Spirit can break any addiction, whether that is alcohol, TV watching or football. However, it is important to recognise why we have this desire to drink and seek ways to satisfy it in a godly way instead, or else the same old frustrations will return; often more powerful than before. Alcohol doesn’t console, it doesn’t fill up anyone’s psychological gaps; all it replaces is a lack of God, and makes us forget for a short time the dissatisfactions of own lives. Tamsin Kendrick Compassion UK - www.compassion.org
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I pray today Lord that You highlight the areas of my life that need to be brought in line with your will. I desire to live a life of purpose and a life of complete fulfilment in You and pray that I can, with Your help, achieve all You have promised for me. Help me to be determined and focussed to fulfil Your high calling for my life. Amen.
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The Need To Change ‘YOU KNOW THESE THINGS – NOW DO THEM. THAT IS THE PATH OF BLESSING.’ JOHN 13:17.
There’s an old Irish proverb that says, ‘A bad habit’s like a warm bed; easy to get into, but hard to get out of.’ What are the habits you need to get into or out of? If you want to know where you’ll be a year from now, check your daily routine. Change doesn’t happen because of what you know; it happens because of what you do daily. James writes, ‘Don’t fool yourself…letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear…whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God… and sticks with it…will find delight…’ (James 1:22-25 TM). What do you want at this time? Better health? A better marriage? A better prayer life? A better income? Unless a rich relative dies or you get an e-mail from Heaven telling you otherwise, you’re going to have to: a) seek God, set down some written goals, and keep them before you constantly b) devise a step-by-step plan for reaching them c) stop time-wasting and start calling for more accountability from yourself d) push, persist and persevere! Thomas Edison said, ‘Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed up in overalls, and looks like work’ e) submit ‘all of the above’ to God for His approval, then make a start. Otherwise we’ll be having this same conversation at this time next year. Jesus said, ‘You know these things – now do them. That is the path of blessing’ (John 13:17 TLB).
Don’t Look Back ‘REMEMBER LOT’S WIFE’ LUKE 17:32.
The Sunday school teacher told her class, ‘Lot’s wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt.’ One child responded, ‘That’s nothing; my Mum was driving home yesterday, and she looked back and turned into a telegraph pole!’ Lot’s wife only appears briefly in one Scripture, so why did Jesus tell us to remember her? Two reasons: 1) She invested her life in something that had no future. John writes, ‘The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever (1 John 2:17 NIV). God tried to get Lot’s wife out of Sodom, but he couldn’t get Sodom out of her. When she thought of what she was leaving, she looked back and turned into a cold, unresponsive monument. When God says it’s time to move, don’t hesitate! Don’t become like those who once walked with Him, witnessed on the job, were shining lights in their communities, but now are cold and unresponsive. 2) Your decisions have consequences. If only she’d kept moving forward so that when her daughters got to the cave, she’d have been there to protect them. Instead, they became victims of abuse and incest. Before you lose your children, poison your marriage and tear up your life by refusing to break with your past, ‘Remember Lot’s wife.’ She didn’t make it to safety, but she did make it into Scripture long enough to warn us about three things: a) complacency b) involvement with the wrong things c) a divided heart!
The God Of Second Chances! ‘WE WORKED HARD ALL. . .NIGHT AND DID NOT CATCH A THING.’ LUKE 5:5.
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When Peter says: ‘We worked hard all night...and did not catch a thing,’ you can hear the discouragement in his voice. In spite of his skill as a fisherman, he keeps coming up empty. But all that changes when Jesus enters the picture and says, ‘Go out...deeper and let down your nets’ (v4). The result? The Bible says: ‘this time their nets were so full they began to tear!’ (v6). Maybe you are sitting where Peter sat; the outlook is bleak, your nets are empty, you have tried everything and nothing’s working, now you are ready to give up. One Christian leader writes: ‘Some people have simply stopped expecting. They have accumulated so many of life’s disappointments that they are afraid to dream, reach, stretch, or broaden their horizons. But God wants us to take hold of tomorrow; He will not allow us to live in yesterday, or cast blame on anything or anybody that restricts our tomorrows.’ God knows how hard you have worked. He sees your discouragement and today He is inviting you to go fishing again; this time with Him. If you have been wrestling with addiction, depression, tormenting memories, financial failure, or sickness, do not jump ship! The Lord of new beginnings wants to come on board. He knows exactly where the fish are biting. He should; He put them there! So before you fold up your nets and dock the boat, look up and say, ‘I’ll do as you say, Lord, and let down the nets.’ Go ahead; you will be glad you did!
Need More Self-Discipline? ‘IF YOU’RE SERIOUS ABOUT LIVING THIS NEW RESURRECTION LIFE … ACT LIKE IT’ COLOSSIANS 3:1.
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Father, let me speak with Your words not mine; let me relate to people with Your grace and serve people with Your mercy. Lord I pray that I will stop being so quick with my opinions and focus on what needs to be fixed in me rather than what needs to be done in the lives of others. Create in me a clean heart Lord and renew a right Spirit in me I pray.
When asked by a reporter who gave him the most trouble, DL Moody replied, ‘I’ve more trouble with DL Moody than any man alive.’ Sound familiar? Consider these words: ‘An enemy I had, whose face I strove to know, for hard he dogged my tracks unseen wherever I did go. My plans he balked, my aims he foiled and blocked my onward way; when for some lofty goal I toiled, he grimly told me ’nay.’ One night I seized and held him fast, from him the veil did draw; I looked upon his face at last and lo – myself I saw!’ Paul writes, ‘I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified’ (1 Corinthians 9:27 NKJ). In reading the lives of great people, you’ll discover that the first victory they won was always over themselves. They understood that their first responsibility was their own discipline and personal growth because you can’t take others further than you yourself have gone. Stephen Covey says, ‘If I try to use strategies and tactics to get people to do what I want – while my character is fundamentally flawed – in the long run I won’t succeed. My duplicity will breed distrust. Everything I do – even good human relationship techniques – will be perceived as manipulative. It makes no difference how good the rhetoric or the intentions; if there’s no trust, there’s no foundation for permanent success. Only integrity gives life to technique.’ That just about says it all, doesn’t it? 9
t a e f e d Steps to s e i c n e d n e dep Atkinson m a li il W r D By
Words such as ‘addiction’, ‘dependency’, ‘substance abuse’ and ‘life controlling habit’ are increasingly common. Their use shows us something of the difficulty that many people’s lives are in. People can become addicted to just about any substance or habit, from drugs to pornography and much more. When people enter a spiral of behaviour that leads to dependence on a substance, various harmful things happen: 1) People’s bodies become increasingly tolerant of the substance; they need a greater amount of it to achieve an equivalent ‘high.’ 2) People find that not having the substance is physically uncomfortable; they are becoming dependent. 3) People start to deceive themselves about what is happening; that they are becoming physically and perhaps psychologically addicted. 4) They lose willpower and become increasingly trapped. When the addiction is to things like pornography, people start by becoming preoccupied by it. They form a ritual pattern of increasingly compulsive sexual behaviour and sometimes sink into a spiral of despair. If you recognise these things are happening to you, you need to think about whether you need help. If someone you know is showing these signs, seek help for them. People receiving pastoral help can expect, ideally, that the person they see will: 1) Offer them assurance that God has forgiven them if they have truly put their trust in Jesus and repented of (turned from, in attitude of heart) the harmful pattern of behaviour that is gripping them. 2) Offer them real hope that with God’s help they can change. Also, depending on the circumstances, the pastoral helper might: 3) Offer to lead them in prayer for inner healing and/or deliverance. 4) Offer to help them find some kind of accountability structure, which might be one-to-one or in a group. 5) Help them to explore their personal and/or sexual history, to look for past problems that need to be resolved. For help on addictions to substances visit the www.teenchallenge.org.uk website and for addiction to pornography visit www.care.org.uk.
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Finding Freedom From The Things That Trip Us Up Breaking Everyday Addictions Dr David Hawkins Addiction is a rapidly growing problem among Christians and non-Christians alike. Even socially acceptable behaviours, such as shopping, eating, working, playing and exercising, can quietly take over. In Breaking Everyday Addictions clinical psychologist David Hawkins breaks the silence with this enlightening exposé of the addictions that control people every day. It’s loaded with practical information and will help provide readers with the tools they need to allow the healing power of Christ to permeate their lives.
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Hey, Wise Up! ‘... MAKE NO PROVISION FOR THE FLESH, TO FULFIL ITS LUSTS’ ROMANS 13:14.
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Johnny Cash sang ‘I keep a close watch on this heart of mine; I keep my eyes wide open all the time’. Good song; even better theology! Insanity is doing the crazy stuff others do, hoping for a better result. Wise up! David messed around with another man’s wife and ended up with a blighted conscience, a ruined reputation, and two shattered families. Run while you still can! Sound old fashioned? Try talking to some of the folks you thought ‘got away with it’. They paid in ways they don’t like to talk about. Such as: 1) Fear: ‘What the wicked dreads will overtake him ...’ (Proverbs 10:24 NIV). 2) Lack of confidence: ‘If our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God’ (1 John 3:21 NIV). 3) Regret: ‘...I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly’ (1 Samuel 26:21). Solomon had it all; a home that took 13 years to build, 40,000 stables for his horses, a fleet of ships, a thousand beautiful women and more money than he could spend in ten lifetimes. Yet he ended up turning his back on God and on the very advice he gave others. Why? Because he lacked personal discipline! Here’s how he sums up his life: a) ‘I denied myself nothing ...’ (Ecclesiastes 2:10 NIV) b) ‘I hated all the things I had toiled for ...’ (Ecclesiastes 2:18 NIV) c) ‘Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take warning’ (Ecclesiastes 4:13 NIV). Hey, wise up!
Lord, I Said I Wouldn’t, But I Did! ‘...I DECIDE ONE WAY, BUT THEN I ACT ANOTHER’ ROMANS 7:18.
Are you feeling discouraged, even disgusted with yourself? You said you wouldn’t, but then the enemy put the pressure on and you folded like a house of cards. You’re not alone. Paul writes, ‘...I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway...Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question? The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does...’ (Romans 7:19-25 TM). Why do we keep failing? Because flesh will always act like flesh! After a season of doing everything right, you can fall flat on your face because you ‘give place to the devil’ (Ephesians 4:27) or ‘[give] occasion to the flesh’ (Galatians 5:13). The story is told of an old Native American who, a few months after his conversion, came back to his pastor and said, ‘It’s as if I have two big dogs constantly fighting inside me.’ ‘Which one of them wins?’ the pastor asked. After thinking about it, the old Indian replied, ‘I guess the one I feed the most.’ The power to live victoriously comes from feeding your spirit and disciplining your flesh. Listen: ‘His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness ... He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires’ (2 Peter 1:3-4 NIV). Spiritual growth doesn’t just happen; you have to work at it daily.
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Lord help me be more disciplined in my Christian walk. Forgive me Lord when things are busy and I haven’t prayed or read Your Word; let that be what I cling to the busier it gets, to find strength and fulfilment there. Help me realise Lord that I don’t know best, You do. So in my times with You let me hear Your still small voice and not dismiss it, but act upon it, in Jesus’ Name.
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness...
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Help me to know Your voice, Lord, and to move away from the influences and voice of the evil one. Let the depth of our relationship bring me to a place where I know when You are speaking to me. Shape my life, Lord, that all the distractions fall away and I can focus on spending more quality time in prayer with You. Amen.
Need Guidance? God’s Got It! ‘…HIS SHEEP FOLLOW HIM BECAUSE THEY KNOW HIS VOICE’ JOHN 10:4.
E Stanley Jones tells of a missionary who got lost in the jungle. Looking around, he saw nothing but bush. Finally, he came across a village and asked one of the natives if he could lead him back to the mission station. The man agreed. ‘Thank you,’ said the missionary, ‘Which way do I go?’ The native replied, ‘Just walk.’ And so they did, hacking their way through the jungle for the next several hours. Stopping to rest, the missionary looked around again and had that same overwhelming sense of being lost. ‘Are you sure this is the way?’ he asked his native guide, ‘I don’t see a path.’ The guide replied, ‘In this jungle there is no path. I am the path!’ Feeling lost today? Pray this prayer: ‘Lord, You said, “I am the way,” so I’m turning to You for guidance. I’m afraid to trust my own instincts, for too often they’ve got me into trouble. You said Your sheep follow You because they know Your voice. Teach me to recognise it now. Keep me from making a wrong move, for I seek only to do Your will. You promised, “…along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth …”’ (Isaiah 42:16 NIV). ‘Turn on the light. Smooth out the rough spots. Point me in the right direction. I submit my way to You, trusting You to direct my steps. In Christ’s name, Amen.’
Hearing God ‘SPEAK; FOR THY SERVANT HEARETH’ 1 SAMUEL 3:10.
One day, an American Indian who was visiting New York City turned to his friend in Times Square, tilted his head and said; ‘I hear a cricket.’ ‘You’re crazy!’ replied his friend. ‘No, I hear it,’ the Cherokee answered. His friend replied, ‘It’s rush hour. The city’s full of noise, and you think you can hear a cricket? No way!’ ‘Yes,’ said the visitor, then he walked over to a big cement planter outside a building, dug into the leaves underneath it and pulled out a cricket. Turning to his friend he said, ‘It all depends on what your ears are tuned to hear. Let me show you.’ Reaching down into his pocket he pulled out a handful of change, dropped it on the pavement and immediately every head within half a block turned. ‘See what I mean?’ he said. ‘It all depends on what you’re listening for.’ The first three times that God spoke to Samuel, he thought it was Eli, the high priest, calling to him. But the fourth time he said, ‘Speak; for Thy servant heareth,’ and his life was changed forever. If you’re serious about hearing God, get rid of the distractions and set aside time to be alone with Him. Learn to be more sensitive. God will speak to you through a) your Bible b) your thoughts c) your desires d) your circumstances e) those He sends into your life. But it begins only when you pray, ‘Speak; for Thy servant heareth.’ 14
Clean-Up Time ‘...ANYONE WHO LOOKS...LUSTFULLY HAS ALREADY COMMITTED ADULTERY...IN HIS HEART’ MATTHEW 5:28.
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It happened years ago to a prominent religious figure. His addiction to pornography was exposed, twice! Afraid, ashamed and alone, he wrestled with it, preached against it and prayed over it. When did his problem begin? As a teenager. Every time he picked up another pornographic magazine he filed a mental image for the enemy to pull up in moments of temptation. Ultimately it drove him to forfeit and destroy all he held near and dear. Jesus said, ‘...anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.’ Are those words compelling enough to stop you from looking? Or are you willing to suffer the consequences of continually drinking from the well of sexual impurity? Sometimes the consequences are difficult to envision, but they’re there. They come in the form of lost opportunities for intimacy. Every lustful glance damages your marriage bond. The less you desire your mate, the more you’ll look for things in them to justify your turning away. You’ll become critical of them so that you can feel ‘entitled’ to play mind games with others who cross your path. The saddest part is you’ll never know what your marriage could have been because you chipped away at its foundation, one visual turn-on at a time. Today, turn to God in repentance. Ask Him to give you a clean heart (Psalm 51). Then go home and fulfil the command, ‘Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her’ (Ephesians 5:25 NIV).
Defences Ag ainst Lust ‘I MADE A COVENANT WITH MY EYES NOT TO LOOK LUSTFULLY’ JOB 31:1.
To win the battle against lust, you must decide once and for all to be fully committed to God. Steve Arterburn says that means establishing three perimeters of defence: 1) Your eyes. Job said, ‘I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully...’ It’s the lingering look that opens the door to trouble. Before David messed up with Bathsheba, we read that he: a) saw b) inquired c) took. Train yourself to pull your eyes away immediately. What you’re looking at isn’t yours. God says, ‘Leave it alone.’ 2) Your mind. Paul writes, ‘...take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ’ (2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV). Does your mind traffic in double entendres, daydreams, the internet, magazines, movies, and anything else that can alter your mood at a glance? Replace these things with memorised Scriptures and mental images of your best moments with your mate. It’ll work! With your transformed mind actively policing itself and capturing rogue thoughts before they capture you, your defences will begin to grow strong. 3) Your heart. Listen: ‘Above all...guard your heart... ‘ (Proverbs 4:23 NIV). Work on strengthening the bond with your mate. Begin to repay the debt you owe from the times you neither honoured nor cherished them. Decide to love, even though you don’t ‘feel’ like it and watch yourself become their biggest fan. No matter how badly you’ve failed, victory can be yours if you’re willing to humble yourself; ask for God’s help and make a covenant with your eyes, your mind and your heart, to live in purity!
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Help me Lord to stop living in denial and admit to You the area’s of my life where lust takes control. Father I want to break free of this, I want to live a clean thought life. I pray that from today Your Holy Spirit would bring a sense of conviction over me, every time I fall into this temptation, so I would look away and focus on You.
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The Amazing True Story of a Former Drug Dealer and Addict and his Miraculous Journey To Faith.
Once an Addict Barry Woodward Barry Woodward grew up in Greater Manchester, England. At the age of 16 he left school without any qualifications and was drawn into the drug scene. This led to a heroin addiction and life as a drugs supplier. For fourteen years he was totally dependant on drugs, during which time he spent a number of terms in prison. Miraculously, his life turned around completely following an amazing sequence of supernatural encounters.
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Over 8 hours of classic worship! Simply Worship Collection Various artists This great value box set, comprising ‘Simply Worship Vols 1-4’, contains 118 uplifting and reflective songs by the world’s most prominent worship leaders, featuring Robin Mark, Matt Redman, Don Moen, Darlene Zschech, Paul Wilbur and many more.
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Lord thank You for Your grace. I need help Lord to realise that You are my strength and to rely on You. Help me to know the people You have sent to help me and to build relationships with them. Father help me to draw closer to You and to praise You even in the hard times, in Jesus’ Name. Amen
‘I came across TheWord For Today. It really changed my life’ To get your FREE copy call 0845 60 40 401 or visit ucb.co.uk/wft
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It’s A Process ‘UNWRAP HIM AND LET HIM GO!’ JOHN 11:44
Whenever you accept Christ, He changes you from the inside out. But certain experiences in your past can slow you down, keep you bound, and determine how you see yourself. While the Holy Spirit does the initial work, transformation is a process. It doesn’t happen overnight; it takes time. When Jesus stood at His friend’s grave and called, ‘Lazarus, come forth’, His friend who’d been dead for four days shuffled out, still bound from head to toe like a mummy. Notice, his old grave clothes which were a major hindrance to him, didn’t just fall off the minute Jesus called him. No, Jesus told his friends ‘Unwrap him and let him go!’ and with their help Lazarus was freed to pursue a new life. The Bible says, ‘… anyone…in Christ…is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!’ (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV). When Jesus saves you, you emerge from the tomb wrapped in the grave clothes of your past. What past? a) negative influences and thought patterns b) low self-esteem c) old addictions and habits or d) destructive relationships. That’s why God sends people to love you, unwrap you and release you into your potential. It’s important that you identify these relationships and build your life around them. It’s also why you need to develop an intimate relationship with God through prayer and Bible reading. Through His Word you get an accurate picture of how He sees you. Through prayer you get to know His heart and start seeing yourself through His eyes. When that happens, you’ll never see yourself the same way again!
Worship Your Way Through ‘WHEN HE SAW JESUS...HE...WORSHIPPED HIM.’ MARK 5:6
Would you like to stop wrestling with so many issues? Then learn to worship your way through them! The Bible says that when the man with the unclean spirit ‘saw Jesus...he... worshipped Him.’ Note, this man did not get healed first and worship later. No, after he started worshipping he was set free. There’s an important principle here: Paul says, ‘At the name of Jesus every knee should bow...in heaven, and...on earth...and... confess that Jesus...is Lord...’ (Philippians 2:10-11 NKJV), because even satan has to acknowledge God’s ability and willingness to change your situation. James says,‘...Even the demons believe - and tremble!’ (James 2:19 NKJV).The Bible says, ‘No weapon forged against you will prevail...This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord...’ (Isaiah 54:17 NIV). That includes anything that would rise up to destroy you and your family; old wounds, painful memories, addictions, past sins, they must all bow in submission when the Name of Jesus is lifted up in praise. Notice, when the man from the tombs began to worship, the forces of evil cried out, ‘What business do we have with each other...Jesus...Son of the Most High God?’ (Mark 5:7 TM). The truth is satan’s hosts have nothing in common with Jesus; no association and no alliance. And the only business He has with them is to cast them out! David said, ‘...my head is lifted...above my enemies all around me...I will sing and make melody to the Lord’ (Psalm 27:6 NRS). Worship is one of the keys to your break-through. So run to Jesus today, fall at His feet and begin to worship your way through.
Living In God’s Approval ‘...WE HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY GOD...’ 1 THESSALONIANS 2:4.
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Living in the approval of God is so liberating! It frees you from ‘approval addiction’; worrying about what other people think. When you are addicted, no matter how much of your drug of choice you get, it’s never enough; and like all junkies, you go crazy when your drug is withheld. Approval addicts are always at the mercy of other people’s opinions. As a result their lives become an emotional roller coaster of highs and lows. Paul was free to speak the truth in love; to confront people, or be gentle with them. When someone told Paul they didn’t like him, he didn’t lose sleep over it. That’s because his life wasn’t built upon their approval. ‘...we have been approved by God...’ Paul didn’t go around needing to a) compare himself with others b) demonstrate his superiority c) impress or compete with others d)be the top dog or the one who’s always in charge. Living in God’s approval set him free from such ulcer-inducing anxiety, and meant he could enjoy the life God called him to live. When we’re young and insecure we tend to worry about what others think of us, but as we become more mature, we realise that most of the time they weren’t thinking about us at all. They were too busy worrying about what we thought of them! Living in God’s approval frees us from all that stress. It gives us the strength to deal with criticism and conflict, because we know our identity. And our identity is this: we are God’s redeemed children. And since we are accepted and approved by Him, what else matters?
The ‘But God’ Factor! ‘BUT GOD...HATH RAISED US UP’ EPHESIANS 2:4
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Father help me to know that You forgive me and have wiped the slate clean. Help me to not worry about what other people think of me and to live free in the knowledge that You love me. Lord show me how to rely on You wholeheartedly, casting all my worries and concerns on You and trusting in You to help me deal with the situations I find myself in. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Ultimately, there’s nothing that can fill the emptiness of the human heart; but God. There’s no solution to war, prejudice, and injustice; but God. There’s no satisfaction for the cravings of the flesh; but God. There’s no healing for the broken-hearted, lonely and desperate; but God. There’s no turning point for human depravity; but God. There’s no deliverance from addiction and heartache; but God. The ‘But God’ factor breaks every generational curse that reaches you through Adam’s sin. One Greek translation of the word spirit, is air. When you were ‘dead in trespasses and sins’ (Ephesians 2:1), God breathed divine air into you. Paul says, ‘And you [He made alive], when you were dead [slain] by [your] trespasses and sins’ (Ephesians 2:1 Amp). The truth is, you never really lived until you met the Lord! The ‘But God’ factor turns tragedy into triumph. It is the turning point in your story. Hell would be partying today, ‘but God’ chose to lavish His mercy and grace on you. Listen: ‘...though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich’ (2 Corinthians 8:9). Rich in wisdom. Rich in achievements. Rich in relationships. Rich in ‘all things’. Despite satan’s efforts to destroy, diminish, defame and discourage you, God never once took His hand off your life. He brought you to an understanding of Jesus as your Saviour and Lord; now He’s raising you up to fulfil His purposes. No matter how bad things may look today, rise up and declare ‘But God!’ 19
Romans 1:25-27: ‘They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator - who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.’ I am shocked and dismayed by the depravity of unashamed sinfulness that parades itself today. I thought that things were bad when I was in the world but the hedonism and open perversion that goes on now makes anything that I ever did, seem tame in comparison. However, sin is sin. God’s grace abounded towards me and after repenting of my sins, I am forgiven. I am truly washed in the blood of Jesus. My sins have been blotted out and I am justified in Christ. Yet, even after all this, scars can remain. It may be painful memories or damaged relationships. In my case, the consequence of my sinful lifestyle led to my need for a liver transplant in April 2000. The operation scars will remain until I am given a new and glorious resurrected body. I have a daily reminder in my body of the great grace of God that spared my life. In the verses above we clearly read that Paul, the Apostle, is saying that there is a due penalty for our sin. He talks of this in the context of homosexual relationships. Recently a huge international conference
t u o d e Lift y t i v a r of dep took place to address the need for Aids awareness. This epidemic is now possibly the earth’s single largest killer disease. Originally Aids was closely associated with homosexual acts. Now it has reached such pandemic proportions that no one is immune from this plague. Orphaned babies, whose parents had Aids, are themselves dying from the same disease. Anyone can get it. The devil has counterfeited the life of the blood with death in the blood. Praise God, the blood of Jesus is more powerful than even Aids. I have met and know people who have been healed. They have cried out to God and He has taken away their infirmities. ‘Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.’ (Isaiah 53:4-5). God loves homosexuals just as much as He loves anyone else. It is His will that no one should perish but if we choose to go our own way and do our own thing then He cannot help us. The world is careering into Hell. We must show that God’s abundant grace is for everyone. The world is becoming more aware of Aids. Can we try to make them more aware of God’s love, God’s power and His amazing grace power that is manifest in our lives through Christ Jesus our Lord? Lord Jesus, please pour your blood into the scars of this world. Amen Peter Stanway The Way Ministries - www.thewaycm.com
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Lord, help me to love at Your intended level. Let me look for the good in people and believe for the best in them. When I come across situations that cause me grief and pain, I pray that You would help me have a positive attitude and not declare defeat at the first instance. Thank You God for the wonderful opportunity I have to share my faith with others. Amen.
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Your Hand Is God’s Hand ‘NEVER WALK AWAY FROM SOMEONE WHO DESERVES HELP; YOUR HAND IS GOD’S HAND FOR THAT PERSON’ PROVERBS 3:27.
Listen to these words: ‘I’m the little boy who gives up his favourite teddy bear that a stranger may be comforted, the mother holding her child and thanking God it wasn’t him who died, the teenage girl cutting ribbons for symbols of remembrance, the fire-fighter who called in sick that day only to discover that somebody else died in my place, the volunteer searching the remains of a building in hopes of finding someone still alive, the dog-handler searching for bodies, who has to comfort my animal when only the scent of death remains. I’m the woman who gets up and goes to work every day in spite of tragedy because I have a family to feed. I’m the first passenger back on a plane, even though I’m terrified, because somebody has to be first. Who am I? I’m nobody special. I’m just doing what I can.’ One day Matthew Barnett, director of The Dream Centre in Los Angeles, found a little boy eating out of a rubbish bin. After taking him back to the centre, feeding and clothing him, the little guy looked up into Matt’s eyes and asked, ‘Hey, Mister, are you Jesus?’ The Bible answers that question in these words, ‘Never walk away from someone who deserves help; your hand is God’s hand for that person’ (Proverbs 3:27 TM). You may think you’re ‘nobody special’, but you are. Each time you reach out in love, ‘your hand is God’s hand!’
Star t Consulting ‘GOD DID THIS SO THAT MEN WOULD SEEK HIM…’ ACTS 17:27.
Palm-PCs, diaries and electronic organisers have become our slave drivers. Ask yourself, ‘Can God interrupt me? Can He get my attention, short of a catastrophe?’ Some of your greatest God experiences will happen when you’ve something else planned. Pray that you’ll be sensitive enough to realise it’s God and obey Him rather than your appointment book. If you decide to pursue your agenda instead of His, don’t be surprised when you run into a brick wall and end up asking, ‘What went wrong?’ The answer is, ‘You didn’t consult God!’ Look at Mary and Martha when Jesus visited their home in Bethany. Martha’s focus was on cooking dinner for Him; Mary’s was on soaking up every word. Both are necessary, but when forced to choose between the two, the Lord will always choose the one who sits at His feet in adoration and learns from Him. Listen to the men who’d just encountered Christ on the Emmaus Road, following His resurrection: ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us on the road…’ (Luke 24:32 NKJ). God can give you a solution ‘on the road’ that will solve a problem waiting for you at work. He can de-stress you so that you sail confidently through a test in school. He can even give you direction for your future while you’re doing mundane things around the house. All He requires is that you a) be sensitive to Him b) be available to Him c) be responsive to Him.
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When you look in the mirror what do you see? Do you see yourself as God sees you or as the world sees you? Magazines, newspapers, and television bombard us with images of people and products that will help us live up to the perceived ideal standard. They tell us: ‘If you just lose a few more pounds you’ll be happy. If you just wear this dress you’ll feel better about yourself. If you sleep with all these men you’ll find fulfilment.’ If we are not careful these can be the only voices that we listen to. What about people at work or our friends and family? Is the opinion that you have of yourself formed by what other people say about you? We can become so obsessed with other people’s judgements that we forget what God thinks of us. Opinions from our friends and loved ones are important as they often help to point us in the right direction, but if people say bad things about you enough times then before long you start to believe them. You run the risk of becoming what other people say you are rather than what God says you are. For girls in the Pat Pong district of Bangkok in Thailand this has been taken to the extreme. Here the worth of a girl is measured in terms of the income that she can earn as a prostitute. Often forced into the sex trade by families struggling to survive; these girls have no real sense of how precious they are. They think they are worth what a 24
p u g n Buildi m e e t s self e man will pay for them and nothing more. A team working in this region spends much of its time building up the self-esteem of young women by teaching them of their true worth in Christ. Team member Tittaya has a heart for these women because she nearly became one of them. Growing up in an impoverished part of Thailand, Tittaya was ignored, repeatedly told that she was a waste of space and in due course she began to think of herself in this way. However, when she met with Jesus her life was transformed. She learnt much from Psalm 139. Verse 15 and 16 state: ‘My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.’ The changes were not instant for Tittaya but as she learnt more about God she learnt more about her value to Him. Her life is now a testimony to this as she has a burning desire to release other young women from the bonds of negative opinion. She teaches them to remember that God looks inside at who you really are. He does not listen to the gossip or negativity of others. He wants you to be all that you can be. Kate Smith www.compassionuk.org
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Lord I pray that I won’t drag the past around with me any longer. No matter the hurt or pain I release it to You today. Help me Lord become the person You desire me to be, without the enemy reminding me of the failure I was. The old me is dead, the new me is flourishing in Jesus’ Name. Today is a new day, a fresh start, let me live a simple, profound and blessed life. Amen.
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Making It Happen ‘WASH THYSELF’ RUTH 3:3.
Naomi told widowed daughter-in-law Ruth to wash herself. Why? Because in order to gain favour with Boaz, she couldn’t approach him looking and smelling like Moab. She needed to wash away her past so that it didn’t threaten her future. If your life’s being polluted, it could be because you haven’t washed off where you came from. God will open doors for you, but until you’ve dealt with your past, you won’t be ready to walk through them. You can’t receive what He has for you now, if you’re still contaminated by what you went through then. Whether it takes six months or six years, wash it off; you can’t move on with God until you do! Sure, you might be academically, socially and intellectually prepared to move on; you might associate with people of influence and affluence; but none of that matters. You’ll keep losing your blessing until somebody has the nerve to tell you to wash off your past. We all know people who were delivered from things in their past but because they haven’t washed their faces, they still look like where they came from. For instance, you might be surprised to know how many married people still have several ‘partners’. We’re not talking about actual infidelity because legally they’re married to just one person, but mentally and emotionally they’re still tied to others in their past. You can’t enjoy what God has for you today, until you leave behind all your emotional baggage from yesterday. So get up and wash it off!
A Soil Analysis ‘A FARMER WENT OUT TO SOW’ MATTHEW 13:3.
The seed (God’s Word) is always productive and the Sower (the Lord) never deviates from His job either. The only variable is the soil. That ultimately determines if the seed will be productive. Here Jesus discusses three kinds of soil. Check and see which one you are: 1) Hard. In Bible times, hard-packed paths often ran alongside the farmers’ fields. Any seed falling there just shrivelled and died. When you’ve been walked on and disappointed, unless you’re careful, you can become hard; you develop a tough, impenetrable shield that makes it easy for satan to come along and steal the seed before it has a chance to grow. 2) Shallow. In Jesus’ day, most farmland in the Holy Land was just a few inches of topsoil over rock, with nothing to sustain roots. Richard Foster says: ‘Superficiality is the curse of the age. We live in a world of shallow relationships, superficial conversations, and hurried moments of prayer. We bounce from one spiritual activity to another without any real root system. ‘Know anyone like that? 3) Overgrown. This soil is so overcrowded, there’s no room for anything else. Its nutrients are sustaining the weeds. Clutter happens easily, and is dangerous, because it’s so subtle. Ever notice how often you’re bombarded with guarantees that certain things will bring you happiness? Like the car manufacturer who advertised, ‘You can’t buy happiness; but you can lease it!’ Do a soil analysis today and weed out anything that’s hindering your spiritual growth. Once your heart is tender, your devotion deep, and your life uncluttered, you’ll be amazed at what God can accomplish through you.
Find A Prayer Partner ‘PETER WAS KEPT IN PRISON, BUT THE CHURCH WAS EARNESTLY PRAYING’ ACTS 12:5.
Sometimes it’s hard to pray for yourself. That’s when you need somebody else to agree with you in prayer. Not somebody who’ll judge your situation or pray for the world at large, but somebody who knows how to intercede with God for your finances, your children or your marriage. James had just been executed and Herod was planning to kill Peter. You’d think Peter would have been up all night praying like crazy, but he wasn’t. ‘Peter was sleeping’ (v 6). Wow! Where do you get that kind of faith? Listen: ‘...the church was earnestly praying to God for him’ (Acts 12:5 NIV). Anytime you can sleep in the face of death or experience unnatural grace in the midst of chaos, it’s usually because of two things: a) you’ve learned how to hand the situation over to God b) somebody is praying for you. The church didn’t pray, ‘Lord, if Peter was really a man of God he wouldn’t be in this mess,’ or ‘Now that he’s in jail, who’s going to preach for us next Sunday?’ No, while they prayed for a breakthrough, God was at work on the other side of the city dispatching an angel to set Peter free. That’s how it works! Feel as if your prayers aren’t getting the job done? Find somebody who’ll agree with you in prayer, for Jesus said, ‘...if two of you...agree about anything...it will be done for you by My Father in heaven’ (Matthew 18:19 NIV).
Praying But Not Expecting! ‘...BECAUSE OF HER GLADNESS SHE DID NOT OPEN THE [DOOR]’ ACTS 12:14.
After the church prayed all night for Peter’s release from prison, he suddenly shows up at their door. When Rhoda tells them, ‘It’s Peter,’ they reply, ‘You’re out of your mind.’ Listen: ‘Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door...they were astonished’ (Acts 12:16 NIV).There are three important lessons here for you: 1) Don’t just ask; expect! God will astonish you by: a) His timing: ‘...before they call, I will answer ...’ (Isaiah 65:24) b) His methods: ‘...the Lord sent His angel and rescued me...’ (Acts 12:11 NIV). Stop limiting God! 2) Be alert; you might miss it. They were all praying but only Rhoda responded to Peter’s knocking at the door. And when you’ve got her spirit, you’ll respond too a) you’ll get a divine ‘intuition’ that something’s about to happen b) you’ll begin looking for the answers while others are locked into a posture of praying but not really expecting anything c) you’ll recognise the answer when others don’t d) you’ll be willing to leave the crowd in order to respond to God. 3) Open the door. Listen: ‘...because of her gladness, she did not open the [door] ...’ (Acts 12:14 NKJ). How often have you come home from church moved but not changed? You can grow old in a pew, believing but not experiencing; rejoicing, yet never receiving what God’s got for you. The word for you today is a) don’t just ask, expect b) be spiritually alert c) open the door!
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Father, help me to find someone who will stand with me in prayer, someone who shares the same desire as I do, someone who will sharpen my spiritual life and provoke me to a deeper relationship with You. Lord, help me believe today that this prayer and the other prayers I pray will be answered if they are in line with Your will, I declare Your authority in prayer today. ‘I came across TheWord For Today. It really changed my life’ To get your FREE copy call 0845 60 40 401 or visit ucb.co.uk/wft
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Never t e g r o F Deuteronomy 8:19 … If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. If something is destroyed it is smashed to pieces, it cannot function; it is ruined. Before I was born again that would be a fairly accurate description of my backslidden life. It is because of God’s mercy and His great grace that I have been saved from destruction. Vomiting into a lavatory pan then falling crumpled in a drunken heap, or becoming so sedated that life ebbs out and death seeps into the dark corner of your anguish; these are forms of counterfeit worship that are demanded by the gods of addiction, leading to implosive self-focused destruction. Perhaps you flirt with perverted promiscuity or adultery’s seduction has charmed you; maybe Mammon made you money but, whatever your god is, it will ultimately draw you to the open grave of abject misery that will surely consume you. Whatever the false god is that we serve, it will inevitably smash our lives to smithereens and leave us 28
fragmented and broken; confused, and alone clutching at dreams that have turned into nightmares. I, for one, do not want to go back there. Every day I remember what the One True God has done for me. Jesus snatched me from the jaws of certain destruction. He has restored to me the fullness of my salvation. He has clothed me and given me a sound mind. He has given me health and happiness. He gives me food every day and He has placed me in a beautiful home. He has given me family and friends. With immense gratitude and ‘jumping joy’ I remember God’s goodness every day. I take time to remember so that I don’t forget. John 10:10 … The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. Lord Jesus, thank You. Amen Peter Stanway The Way Christian Ministries - www.thewaycm.com
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Help me Lord to develop a real honest list of my bad habits and then guide me Lord to replacements for each one that will build me up in You. I know that the journey to break these habits might be hard, but You are there to help me through. In my weakness I am made strong in You, I just want to turn to You today and turn away from the things that bring me down, Amen. ‘I came across TheWord For Today. It really changed my life’ To get your FREE copy call 0845 60 40 401 or visit ucb.co.uk/wft
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Replace Bad Habits With Good Ones! ‘O GOD…GUIDE ME ON THE ROAD TO ETERNAL LIFE’ PSALM 139:23.
Any habit you keep feeding will only strengthen its grip on your life. Ask a recovering alcoholic; they only change when they ‘hit bottom’. Prodigals don’t come home until they’ve lost everything (Luke 15:32). But that doesn’t have to be your story, for your Father is waiting to welcome you back, now! Come on, you’re a child of the Most High; captivity is unnatural for you! You’ll never be free until you despise your chains. Whether you’re bound by a substance, a relationship, or a life that’s out of order, your circumstances won’t change until your mind is released from old thought patterns and renewed by God’s Word (Romans 12:2). Start by instituting some new habits, for what you do habitually, you do permanently. Begin the Bible-reading habit. Put it first on your ‘to do’ list or you’ll never do it consistently. Read aloud and you won’t get distracted so easily. ‘Those who discover these words live, really live; body and soul, they’re bursting with health’ (Proverbs 4:22 TM). Next, learn to pray. Set a special time, otherwise everything else will crowd it out. In prayer, God will tell you how He feels about things. Can you imagine having His input? Attend church regularly. Support it with your finances and develop healthy relationships. There are things God will say to you in His house that He won’t say anywhere else (Hebrews 10:25). Your daily habits are carving out an irreversible future for you. If you want to know where you’re going, take another look at your habits!
Dealing With Your Weakness ‘HE REMEMBERED THAT THEY WERE BUT FLESH…’ PSALM 78:39.
We all have weaknesses, but the ones we refuse to deal with: a) draw us magnetically toward the wrong things b) give satan a foothold, which quickly becomes a stronghold c) schedule tragedy down the line. Be warned, your weakness can emerge at any time, including your closing years! What you fail to master now will master you later. That’s why David prayed, ‘Cast me not off in …old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth’ (Psalm 71:9). The Holy Spirit will repeatedly convict you before your weakness destroys you! Jesus told Peter: ‘Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.’ (Luke 22:31-32 NIV). God will continue to use you even while your weakness is growing within you! That’s because He’s long-suffering and merciful. He provides opportunity after opportunity to reach for His help. Jesus warned Jerusalem, ‘…how often I have longed to gather your children together…but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate’ (Matthew 23:37-38 NIV). Think: when you repeatedly reject God’s mercy, what’s left? The inevitable consequences! ‘What can I do?’ you ask. Turn to God! He’s neither shocked by your weakness nor unwilling to help you. Confess your sin. Become an enemy to it. Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you. Not only can He deliver you, He can turn your greatest weakness into your greatest weapon!
How Can I Change? ‘…BE TRANSFORMED (CHANGED) BY THE [ENTIRE] RENEWAL OF YOUR MIND…‘ ROMANS 12:2.
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Are you wrestling with a certain problem, thinking, ‘If I could just get beyond this, everything would be all right?’ Sorry to disappoint you, but when you’ve conquered this particular problem, God will reveal something else that needs to be dealt with. Relax; you’re always going to be working on something! Change doesn’t come through human effort without God, frustration, self-rejection, guilt or the white-knuckling works of the flesh. No, change comes as a result of having your mind renewed daily by the Word of God. As you agree with God, believing that what He says is true, change automatically begins. You start to think differently, then talk differently and finally act differently. Be patient with yourself; it’s a process that develops in stages. Would you think there was something wrong with a child who couldn’t walk perfectly the first few tries? No, you’re delighted each time they take another step. When they fall you pick them up, comfort them, bandage them if necessary, encourage them to try again and keep working with them. Do you think God does less for His children? God’s not angry with you because you haven’t ‘arrived’; He’s pleased that you’re pressing on, trying to stay on the path. It’s God’s job to ‘… [cause (you) to…be governed by the Holy Spirit]…’ (2 Corinthians 3:8 Amp). If you could do it by yourself, you wouldn’t need God! So instead of driving yourself harder and harder, start leaning on God more and more!
Fr uitful Life ‘BY THIS MY FATHER IS GLORIFIED, THAT YOU BEAR MUCH FRUIT.’ JOHN 15:8.
Do you want to know the will of God for your life? Listen: ‘…I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain …’ (John 15:16 NKJ). ‘But what if my branch is barren and my basket is empty?’ you ask. Listen: ‘Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away’ (John 15:2 NKJ). ‘Does that mean I lose my salvation?’ you ask. No, Jesus was speaking about branches ‘in Me’, proving that it’s possible to be ‘in Christ’ yet not be fruitful or enjoy the abundant life He wants you to have. The Greek word for ‘take away’ is ‘airo’ which means ‘to lift’. New branches have a tendency to trail along the ground. But they don’t bear fruit there. When the rain comes they get muddy and mildewed, sick and barren. So, does the vinedresser throw them away? No, they’re too valuable for that. He goes through His vineyard with a bucket of water, looking for fallen branches, lifting them out of the dirt and washing them. Remember His words in John 15:3? ‘Now ye are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you’. Once they’ve been washed, He lifts them, wraps them around the trellis, ties them securely and pretty soon they’re thriving. What a picture! Whether you’ve fallen into the dirt or you’re just living beneath your potential, God won’t throw you away. No, He’ll lift you, cleanse you and help you to flourish again. Why don’t you talk to Him today?
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Lord You never promised to remove problems but You did promise to be with me through them, and bring me to a place of overcoming them. I rest in that today. I ask Lord for a fruitful life in You, that all the promises of the years gone by would visit me like old friends, to remind me of what Your desire is for my life. Build me up Lord I pray in Jesus’ Name.
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Precious Word of Truth. Hillsong TV. Abundant Life. Days of Wonder. 7th Street Theatre. And so much more‌ Tune into the new look UCB TV today for great teaching, worship and programmes for the whole family.
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reasons why you need Jesus
Jesus loves you! He desires to have a relationship with you, and to give you a life full of joy and purpose. Why do you need Him in your life?
1Because you have a past
You can’t go back, but He can. The Bible says, ‘Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever’ (Hebrews 13:8). He can walk into those places of sin and failure, wipe the slate clean and give you a new beginning.
2 Because you need a friend
Jesus knows the worst about you, yet He believes the best. Why? Because He sees you not as you are, but as you will be when He gets through with you. What a friend!
3 Because He holds the future
Who else are you going to trust? In His hands you are safe and secure – today, tomorrow, and for eternity. His Word says, ‘For I know the plans I have for you…plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray I will listen’ (Jeremiah 29:11–13 TLB).
If you’d like to begin a personal relationship with Jesus today, please pray this prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, I am sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life. I ask your forgiveness and now turn from everything which I know is wrong. Thank you for dying on the cross for me to set me free from my sins. Please come into my life and fill me with your Holy Spirit and be with me forever. Thank you Lord Jesus, Amen. If you have made this commitment and would like to make contact with a local Christian (UK and Republic of Ireland only), or if you do not feel ready to make this decision and would like further help from a local Christian, please write giving your full name, address and age group to:
3 Reasons, FREEPOST WC2947, South Croydon, CR2 8UZ No one will contact you unless you specifically request it.
Please visit ucb.co.uk/3reasons to download this advert for a friend.
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Other titles in this series Overcoming Temptation Overcoming Grief and Loss Overcoming Pride Overcoming Spirituality Overcoming Discouragement Overcoming Family issues Overcoming Debt and Finance Overcoming Work and Unemployment issues Overcoming Fear Overcoming Anger and Resentment Overcoming Materialism
UNITED CHRISTIAN BROADCASTERS
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