UCB Word For Today

Επεισόδια

• Knowing and enjoying your inheritance 03.06.2026 2λ

  We share the same inheritance as Christ! Whatever He has, we have! ‘Our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s’ (1 John 4:17 MSG). So, if we are co-heirs with Christ, why do we struggle through life? For two reasons: 1) We don’t know about our inheritance – 'The exceeding greatness of His power towards us who believe’ (Ephesians 1:19 NKJV). No one ever told us that instead of fighting for victory, we fight from a position of victory. If you have given your heart to Christ, He ‘has blessed [you] with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ’ (Ephesians 1:3 NKJV). Notice the word ‘has’. You already possess everything you need to be everything God desires. You have access to ‘every spiritual blessing’. That also means God will ‘equip you with all you need for doing his will’ (Hebrews 13:21 NLT). 2) We don’t believe in our inheritance. Imagine what would happen if a generation of Christians lived out of their inheritance. They would turn off internet porn. The lonely would find comfort in God, not in the arms of strangers. Struggling couples would spend more time in prayer and less time in anger. Children would consider it a blessing to take care of their ageing parents. ‘God’s power is very great for us who believe. That power is the same as the great strength God used to raise Christ from the dead’ (Ephesians 1:19-20 NCV). The same indwelling Spirit that raised Christ from the dead will turn every one of your ‘I can’ts’ into an ‘I can’. ‘I can do all things through Christ, because he gives me strength’ (Philippians 4:13 NCV).© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• Believe God for abundance 02.06.2026 1λ

  A young artist called her aunt one day to let her know she was leaving on a trip to a fashionable resort to try and sell her wood carvings of seabirds to the owner of a gift shop. She asked her aunt to pray that her venture would be successful. Her aunt assured her that she would pray for the largest order she had ever received! That evening, the young artist called her aunt back. Not only had the gift shop owner purchased all of her carvings, but the owner of a chain of gift shops had also ordered as many carvings as she could make! She was filled with wonder at how abundantly God had answered prayer. ‘Now,’ she said to her aunt, ‘pray that I can fill his order!’ Her aunt replied, ‘The Lord doesn’t open a door unless He expects us to walk through it successfully. When we pray for rain, don’t be surprised when you get a cloudburst!’ Are you praying for God to meet a need in your life? What answer are you expecting? Be honest. Bare minimum? Meagre-but-satisfactory? Or are you expecting an abundant, more-than-enough supply? Stand on God’s Word: ‘The LORD your God will make you abound in all the work of your hand.’ Jesus said, ‘I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly’ (John 10:10 NKJV). Paul wrote: ‘God is able to make all grace abound towards you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work’ (2 Corinthians 9:8 NKJV). So, believe God for abundance.© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• P.R.A.Y. (Pause, Reverence, Ask, Yield) 01.06.2026 2λ

  In her book 30 Days to a Stronger, More Confident You, author Deborah Smith Pegues uses the word ‘pray’ as an acronym: ‘Pause. I stop all activity and focus completely on God. Worship is total preoccupation…The greatest honour and respect we can give to anyone is our undivided attention…Reverence. I express my admiration for all His attributes…At this point, distractions start to pop up like dandelions…I will suddenly remember a task I need to put on my to-do list. I have learned to jot down the task in my journal and ignore the other issues for what they are – mere distractions that can be dealt with later. I have also learned that praying audibly helps to minimise wandering thoughts…Ask. I ask for forgiveness for my sins, making every effort to be specific. I pray for the power to live a Christian life and ask God to give me a passion for His Word and for prayer. I ask for His will to be done in every aspect of my life: spiritually, physically, financially, relationally, vocationally, and emotionally…Yield. I must subordinate my requests to God’s sovereign will, trusting that He knows what is best. I strive to maintain a “nevertheless” attitude. Therefore, I am careful to conclude my prayer by saying, “Nevertheless, not my will, Lord, but Yours be done” [see Luke 22:42]…The old adage that it is not what you know but whom you know that gives you the advantage in a situation is true – especially from a spiritual perspective. When we have a relationship with God, we understand that He is sufficient to handle any demand placed upon us.’© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• Today God is ‘with you’ 31.05.2026 1λ

  To have a personal relationship with someone, there must be two-way communication. Even the most uncommunicative spouse has to grunt every once in a while, or it isn’t a marriage – it’s a monologue. So, the Lord being with you, and you being with the Lord, takes place primarily in your mind. Two people may occupy the same room, but if one of them is sleeping or engrossed in television, they’re not really with each other. There must be interactive awareness. Now, as human beings, we don’t have ‘direct access’ to each other’s thoughts. We can use words, human touch, or hand gestures to guide another person’s thoughts. But God is infinite rather than finite, so He is able to guide our thoughts directly. He can speak to us through Scripture or through the words of another person. But He can also plant His thoughts directly in our minds. ‘We have the mind of Christ’ (1 Corinthians 2:16 NKJV). And this can happen anytime, anywhere. So, your mind is your meeting place with God! There’s much about God speaking to you that’s a mystery. There are no formulas. You cannot control God’s communication with you. You cannot force Him to speak by being more pious or more sincere or by working hard. Jesus told Nicodemus: ‘The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit’ (John 3:8 NKJV). This much you can be certain of today: God is with you, and He will speak to you if you take the time to listen.© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• Ask God for a dream 30.05.2026 2λ

  Job the patriarch said: ‘For God may speak in one way, or in another, yet man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night…while slumbering on their beds, then He opens the ears of men’ (Job 33:14-16 NKJV). A dream can be an important message from God or an answer to your prayer. God gave Paul a dream in which a man from Macedonia appeared to him saying, ‘Come over and help us’ (see Acts 16:9). And Paul went there and preached the gospel. Solomon’s reign as king of Israel begins with these words: ‘In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee’ (1 Kings 3:5 KJV). Solomon asked God for great wisdom, and God gave him wisdom, honour, and riches. Would God still speak to us today in dreams? Yes. He says: ‘I am the LORD, I change not’ (Malachi 3:6 KJV). The Hebrew word for dream is ‘chalom’. It has five meanings: 1) ‘To bind firmly.’ This pictures you being wrapped securely in God’s love. 2) ‘To be or make plump.’ In the Bible, fatness or plumpness is a picture of health, well-being, and prosperity. 3) ‘A sense of dumbness.’ When God gives you a dream, He is sharing with you information about things of which you are ignorant. 4) ‘To be in good liking.’ When God gives you a dream, He is showing favour towards you. 5) ‘To recover.’ When God gives you a dream, He is working on restoring what you have lost. So, ask God for a dream.© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• God is working in you, with you, and through you 29.05.2026 2λ

  Just before He was arrested and taken to the cross, Jesus prayed: ‘[Father], I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.’ When it comes to recognising and responding to God’s presence in our lives, Christian author, John Ortberg, says he lives by these twelve truths: 1) God is always present and active in my life, whether or not I see Him. 2) Coming to recognise and experience God’s presence is learned behaviour; I can cultivate it. 3) My task is to meet God in this moment. 4) I’m always tempted to live ‘outside’ this moment. When I do that, I lose my sense of God’s presence. 5) Sometimes God seems far away for reasons I don’t understand. Those moments, too, are opportunities to learn. 6) Whenever I fail, I can always start again right away. 7) No one knows the full extent to which a human being can experience God’s presence. 8) My desire for God ebbs and flows, but His desire for me is constant. 9) Every thought carries a ‘spiritual charge’ that moves me a little closer to or a little further from God. 10) Every aspect of my life, work, relationships, hobbies, errands – is of interest to God. 11) My path to experiencing God’s presence will not look quite like someone else’s. 12) Straining and trying too hard do not help. So, the word for today is – God is working in you, with you, and through you!© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• Go on a complaining fast 28.05.2026 2λ

  Whatever you keep doing becomes a habit. That’s why James says, ‘do not complain’. Author Jon Gordon says, ‘A complaining fast won’t just make everyone around you happier…you’ll experience more joy, peace, success and positive relationships.’ So instead of complaining when things go wrong: 1) Practise gratitude. Giving thanks for three blessings every day energises you and makes you feel happier. It’s impossible to be grateful and negative at the same time. 2) Encourage others. Instead of complaining about what people do wrong, focus on what they’re doing right. ‘Encourage the people who are afraid. Help those who are weak. Be patient with everyone’ (1 Thessalonians 5:14 NCV). It’s okay to criticise people’s weaknesses as long as you balance it with three times more praise. 3) Focus on your success. Start a success journal. Every night before you go to bed, write down something great about your day. It could be an uplifting conversation…or an accomplishment you’re proud of. There’s truth to the old saying, ‘Nothing succeeds like success.’ When you focus on success you set the stage for more to follow. 4) Learn to let go. Instead of obsessing about what you can’t change, focus on what you can influence. When you stop trying to control everything and place your life in God’s hands, things have a way of working out. 5) Use the power of prayer. Paul says, ‘Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.’ (Ephesians 6:18 NIV). Prayer reduces stress, boosts positive energy, and promotes health. When you’re under pressure, instead of complaining, plug in to God’s power and recharge your batteries. © 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• Christ can satisfy your soul 27.05.2026 1λ

  She lived in Samaria, had been married five times, and was now living with a man who was not her husband. Maybe gossipers wagged their tongues about her. How else would you explain her midday appearance at the well? Other women fill their buckets at sunrise, but this woman opted for noon, preferring the heat of the sun over the heat of their scorn. Were it not for the appearance of a stranger, her story would have been lost in the Samaritan sands. But He entered her life with a promise of living water that would quench the thirst of her soul. He wasn’t put off by her past. He told her: ‘“Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst”…The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” Then they went out of the city and came to Him…And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did”’ (John 4:13-15, 28-39 NKJV). No one else was willing to give her a chance, but Jesus gave her the chance of a lifetime. And what He did for her, He will do for you.© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• The touch of His hand 26.05.2026 1λ

  In her book A Slow and Certain Light, Elisabeth Elliott wrote: ‘When I lived in the Forest of Ecuador, I usually travelled on foot…Trails often led through streams and rivers which we had to wade, but sometimes there was a log high above the water which we had to cross. I dreaded those logs and was always tempted to take the steep, hard way down into the ravine and up the other side. But the [local guides] would say, “Just walk across, senorita,” and over they would go, light-footed and confident. I was barefoot as they were, but it was not enough. On the log, I couldn’t keep from looking down at the river below. I feared I would slip. I had never been any good at balancing myself…so my guide would stretch out a hand, and the touch of it was all I needed. I stopped worrying about slipping. I stopped looking down at the river or even the log and looked at the guide, who held my hand with only the slightest touch. When I reached the other side, I realised that if I had slipped, he would have held me. His being there, and his touch, were all I needed.’ That’s all you need too: to experience God’s presence and feel His touch. Daniel wrote: ‘The one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me. And he said…”Beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!” So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me”’ (vv. 18-19 NKJV).© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• Overcoming workaholism 25.05.2026 1λ

  One of Satan’s tactics is to take us from one extreme to the other – from laziness to workaholism. Understanding the difference between being a hard worker versus a workaholic is key. Hard workers have the wisdom to set limits on how much they will do in the course of a day. In her book 30 Days to a Stronger, More Confident You, Deborah Smith Pegues wrote: ‘I was in denial about my propensity towards workaholism until I realised that I had too many of the tell-tale symptoms: I worked late the majority of the time. Most of my conversations revolved around the issues at the office. I rarely took lunch breaks. I was always multitasking; I rarely performed any task single-mindedly. If I talked on the phone, I would also use the time to tidy the house. If I watched television, I also organised papers, and on and on it went. When I tried relaxing, I would think of all the things I should be doing. My to-do list had more items on it than I could possibly achieve during a single day. I was a slave to my overcommitted calendar; I left little or no downtime. Everybody seemed to move too slowly. I was always rushing to the next appointment. I looked forward to the accolades I received for performing well. I found little time to nurture my friendships…Today, I try to engage only in those activities I feel are part of God’s plan for my life.’ What great advice! Jesus said to His hard-working disciples: ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ Is the Lord saying the same thing to you?© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• God is ‘at work in you’ 24.05.2026 2λ

  God is at work ‘in you’. What is He working on? Your ‘will’. What does He want you to do? ‘Act according to His good purpose.’ How does He accomplish this? Through your mind: ‘Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 2:5 NKJV). God can speak to you audibly, through circumstances, or through another person. But because God can give you His thoughts or guide your thoughts, your mind is the meeting room where He will most often communicate with you. That’s why Satan will try to place evil thoughts in your mind. If he cannot succeed, he will try to fill your mind with fear and worry. If that doesn’t work, he’ll settle for having you watch hours of ‘worthless things’ on television or the internet. The psalmist prayed: ‘Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things’ (Psalm 119:37 NKJV). In order to hear from God and recognise what He’s saying to you, you must make your mind a protected environment. And one more thing: your desire to hear from God must take precedence over every other desire you have. Social reformer Dorothy Day, who did much work on behalf of the poor in the twentieth century, spoke of what she called her ‘notions’ – ideas that had the unmistakable stamp of God’s authorship in her mind. George Fox and the Quaker tradition called them ‘concerns’. Others speak of ‘promptings’ or ‘leadings’. The good news is if you truly want to hear from God, and you’re willing to prioritise your life accordingly, He’ll speak to you.© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• He’s the God of new beginnings 23.05.2026 1λ

  Our God is the God of new beginnings! The Bible says: ‘Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.’ It is never too late for a new beginning. And what’s even more remarkable is that God uses people like us to help others find a new beginning. The Bible contains many accounts of men and women who got a second chance and, by God’s grace, used it well. Like Peter, who denied Jesus but went on to become a leader in the New Testament church. Or David, who committed adultery and murder, yet his psalms are a major part of one of the most quoted books in the Bible. And what about Jonah? He got a do-over! ‘The word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time’ (Jonah 3:1 NKJV). Sin can wreck hearts, homes, plans, and people. But the good news of the gospel is that sin can never keep God from loving or reaching for us. And we should never stop loving and reaching for others. ‘If a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness’ (Galatians 6:1 NKJV). The Greek word for restore is a medical term that means ‘to set a broken bone’. When a doctor resets a broken bone, he realigns it and then puts it in a cast for about six weeks. During that time, God does the actual healing. Your job is to find broken people who need a second chance and help to restore them.© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• Know who you are 22.05.2026 1λ

  Who are you? It seems like a simple question but is often one of the most challenging to answer. To know who you are and what you stand for, to be aware of how you’re perceived by others and how you present yourself to the world, is one of the most important aspects of a well-lived life. This could be called your ‘personal brand’. Your brand consists of attributes that are present for every encounter you have with work colleagues, family, or friends. You could call them ‘deliverables’, virtues you bring to all your social and business interactions. You may take your deliverables for granted but consider writing down your own personal mission statement. What is your purpose? What are you about? What is your vision? Does your life truly reflect what’s important to you and how you want others to see you? So often, we live our lives based on what those around us think we should be or do. We follow the path we’ve seen others take, or we pursue what the media defines as success. Eventually, and sometimes surprisingly, we may find ourselves frustrated, angry, and disappointed in life. Have you ever heard business professionals lament about climbing to the top of the corporate ladder, only to find that it was leaning against the wrong building? They were so busy keeping up with what they thought they were supposed to be doing that they never stopped to ask themselves what they actually wanted to do. Be like Paul: know who you are, honour your personal brand, and say, ‘By the grace of God, I am what I am.’© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• You have full forgiveness 21.05.2026 2λ

  How many times must the apostle Paul, who was once known as Saul the persecutor of Christians, have had flashbacks to Stephen’s stoning? Or the countless other Christians he hunted down like animals? Paul was an eyewitness, which means those snapshots were sealed into his visual cortex. When he closed his eyes, those images could have haunted him for the rest of his life. By today’s standards, Saul was a terrorist – but he had an encounter with Christ that blinded him. He regained his physical sight after three days, but the grace of God enabled him to turn a blind eye to his forgiven sin forever. If God turns a blind eye to confessed sin, shouldn’t we? That doesn’t mean we deny our sin or ignore it. If you underestimate your sinfulness, you depreciate the grace of God. Paul called himself the chief of sinners (see 1 Timothy 1:15). Perhaps that’s why he appreciated the grace of God so much. The reason many of us label others by their sin is because it makes us feel better about ourselves. We think: ‘I may not be perfect, but at least I haven’t done that!’ But Paul was explicit: ‘All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23 KJV). God doesn’t grade your sins like the legal system, as indictable or summary offences. No, you are either in sin or in Christ. You’re either guilty or you are fully forgiven. Not only have your sins – past, present, and future – been atoned for, but at the point of believing faith, God forgave you and credited your account with the righteousness of Christ.© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• ‘Overnight success’ usually takes many years 20.05.2026 1λ

  Country-music star Randy Travis and his manager, Lib, remember the lean days of his career – all 3,650 of them. For ten years, Lib did whatever it took to keep her club open long enough for somebody to discover Travis’s talent. For his part, Randy sang his heart out. And when he wasn’t singing, he was frying catfish and washing dishes in the kitchen. Then it happened. His break came, and everything seemed to click for him. He had a hit called ‘On the Other Hand’, an album contract, a tour offer, and a movie deal. He was hot! Suddenly, everyone seemed to be calling him an overnight success. But Randy recalls it differently: ‘We were turned down more than once by every record label in Nashville. But I’m the kind of one to believe that if you work at something long enough, and keep believing, sooner or later it will happen.’ Randy Travis went on to become an American music legend, winning three Grammys and seven Dove Awards and being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. But it didn’t come easily or happen overnight. It happened because he worked hard, remained faithful through the tough times, and trusted God to come through for him. Jesus said: ‘Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.’ And here’s something you need to keep in mind: it will happen in God’s time, and on His schedule. Your part is to keep walking by faith and trusting Him to bring it to pass.© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• Are you washing your nets? 19.05.2026 1λ

  Why would fishermen wash nets that hadn’t been used? The answer is they were quitting because of an overnight problem. ‘We have fished all night and caught nothing’ (see v. 5). Their expectations had been destroyed. They believed that the way things were was the way they’d be. They were beaten! That’s when Jesus showed up. He came to where they were; He walked right into the middle of their disappointment with a solution. First, He asked them for their boat and used it to preach to the crowd and heal the multitudes. Child of God, turn everything over to Him – all you have, all you are, and all you’ll ever be – and let Him use you for His highest purposes. Next, He gave them a word that only faith could receive: ‘Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught’ (Luke 5:4 KJV). Can you see now why He has to wait until you’ve done everything you know to do? Only then are you ready to listen; even though His Word doesn’t seem to make sense, you’re ready to obey without question. Are you discouraged today? Is it your ministry, your marriage, your job, or your health? You may be washing your nets, but it’s not over. Who told you God wasn’t going to bless you again? Who told you He wasn’t going to bring victory out of your ashes? It’s not over until He says it’s over. If He can fill empty nets for those discouraged disciples, then you don’t have a problem He can’t take care of.© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• The worst failure…is failure to try 18.05.2026 2λ

  It’s impossible to live successfully without taking risks. Leo Buscaglia wrote: ‘To laugh is to risk appearing the fool. To weep is to risk appearing sentimental. To reach out to another is to risk involvement…To place your ideas, your dreams, before the crowd is to risk being called naïve. To love is to risk not being loved in return. To live is to risk dying. To hope is to risk despair, and to try is to risk failure. But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing…Only the person who risks is truly free.’ Franklin Roosevelt spent much of his life battling illness and was confined to a wheelchair. Yet he became one of America’s greatest presidents. He said: ‘It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.’ In The Pursuit of Excellence, Ted W. Engstrom gives this advice about the importance of trying: ‘Starting today, you can begin to enjoy using and developing your gifts…If you’ve always wanted to write, then write something, a short article, a poem, an account of your vacation. Write it as if you were going to be published; then submit it somewhere. If you’re a photographer, gather your best pictures together and submit them as entries in a contest. If you think you’re a fair tennis player or golfer, enter some tournaments and see how you do. You may not win the top prize but think how much you’ll learn and experience just by trying. The worst failure…is failure to try!’© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• The way up is down 17.05.2026 2λ

  God will not tolerate pride from anyone. If self-exalted ones refuse to humble themselves, they leave God no other choice than to do it for them. One day, pride got the better of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon: ‘As he looked out across the city, he said, “Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendour’ (Daniel 4:30 NLT). That was raw, unvarnished, arrogant pride. A year earlier, Daniel had told the king through the interpretation of his dream that he should change his ways. But he had ignored Daniel’s warning. Now God said enough was enough and interrupted his proud moment: ‘While these words were still in his mouth, a voice called down from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, this message is for you! You are no longer the ruler of this kingdom”’ (Daniel 4:31 NLT). During the next seven years, Nebuchadnezzar lost his sanity and was reduced to the status of an animal in the forests. That’s how low pride brought him! Someone once said, ‘A man wrapped up in himself makes a pretty small package.’ Only when Nebuchadnezzar humbled himself did God have mercy on him and give him back his sanity and his reign. That’s when he declared God’s sovereignty over all kings and kingdoms: ‘Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honour the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud’ (Daniel 4:37 NLT). So be humble!© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• Live like you believe it! (2) 16.05.2026 1λ

  The Archbishop of Canterbury was acquainted with an actor named Mr Butterton. One day he asked Butterton, ‘What is the reason you actors on stage can affect your congregations with the speaking of things imaginary, as if they were real, while we in church speak of things real, which our congregations only receive as if they were imaginary?’ Butterton replied, ‘We actors on stage speak of things imaginary as if they were real, and you in the pulpit speak of things real as if they were imaginary.’ The world needs Christians who speak like they believe what God said in His Word is true, and who live accordingly. When Abraham was eighty, God promised him he would father a son. Twenty years later, it hadn’t happened, but Abraham was standing firmly on God’s Word: ‘He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform’ (vv. 20-21 NKJV). William James, the first educator to offer a course in psychology, said, ‘If you want a quality, act as if you already had it.’ He also said, ‘Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.’ Saint Augustine said, ‘God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.’ If you fully grasp the truth of this, it’ll set you free from fear because that’s what God’s perfect love does (see 1 John 4:18). God can’t love you any more or any less because He already loves you unconditionally, eternally. You just need to live like His beloved.© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.
• Live like you believe it! (1) 15.05.2026 1λ

  A fascinating experiment was conducted a half century ago. Three men tested their strength on a gripping machine, with an average measure of 101 pounds of pressure. Then the participants were hypnotised, and the experimenter told them, ‘You cannot grip because you are weak.’ Under the power of suggestion, their average grip strength fell to 29 pounds of pressure. Then the experimenter said, ‘Now you can grip.’ Their average grip increased to 145 pounds of pressure. Their strength was increased fivefold when they said, ‘I can,’ versus when they said, ‘I can’t.’ It helps to think of Scripture as a script. While the reality of your circumstances often feels as if you are off script, you’ve got to take your cues from God’s Word. You’ve got to live as if you are who God says you are, you have what God says you have, and you can do what God says you can do. If you believe the enemy’s lies, you’re in deep trouble. But if you believe God’s Word, it’ll get you and keep you out of trouble. When you’re lonely, don’t forget His promise, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’ (Hebrews 13:5 NKJV). When you feel like you’ve lost your way, remember His words: ‘A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps’ (Proverbs 16:9 NKJV). When you’re battling illness, you can stand on His promise: ‘“For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds,” says the LORD’ (Jeremiah 30:17 NKJV). The word for today is – live as if you believe it!© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.