The Word for Today
With Bob Gass

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Great Relationships There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. - Proverbs 18:24 NIV

Building great relationships takes time and energy. And you only discover how valuable such relationships are when they're tested. One author writes: "Contouring your heart to beat with another requires extensive whittling, to trim away self-centeredness. It's like riding the bus; if you're going to have company you must be willing to scoot over to accommodate other people and the baggage they bring. Your actions in doing this express the importance of the other person. One relationship becomes more valuable than others because of its ability to survive and endure realignments."

The qualities we value most in a friend are two-fold:

1. The assurance that they won't bail out when the road gets rocky.
2. The knowledge that our imperfections and scars won't change their level of commitment.

Solomon said, "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother" (Pr 18:24). It's about quality, not quantity. That's why heart connections can be so much stronger than blood connections. Don't be too quick to discount someone's good qualities because they made a mistake, disappointed you or did something without thinking. You wouldn't haul your car to the junkyard because it had a faulty battery or a flat tire!

Love means risk, but the payoffs outweigh the investment. Behind every success story you'll find people who once felt so discouraged they wanted to quit, who fell and needed lifting when someone stepped in, picked them up and helped them to keep going. Life is not built on acquisitions and accomplishments, it's built on relationships. So keep yours in good shape!

SoulFood Bible Readings: Acts 22-23, Lk 9:57-62, Ps 78:1-8, Pr 16:23-24

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This message from The Word for Today came from Rhema Broadcasting Group Incorporated in association with The Vine, New Zealand. "The Word for Today"® is copyright © Bob Gass Ministries.

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The Word for Today
With Bob Gass

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Great Expectations This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down. - 1 Samuel 17:46 NIV

It's not the size of the dog in the fight; it's the size of the fight in the dog. David didn't have the rank, equipment or training, but he had the winning attitude. So great was his level of expectation that he "ran quickly toward the battle line to meet [Goliath]" (1 Sa 17:48 NIV). While Saul and his soldiers were hiding, David was running to meet the challenge. How's that for great expectations? Now we're not talking about faith in our own ability, but in "Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us" (Eph 3:20 NIV).

Martin Seligman, Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, did some research on a major life insurance company and found that sales people who expected to succeed sold twice as much as those who didn't. Researchers have discovered that there's a greater correlation between self-confidence and achievement than there is between IQ and achievement.

Know what? The God who lives within you is limited by one thing only: your inability or unwillingness to believe in yourself. The more you believe in yourself, the more you'll be able to accomplish. And if you keep believing and expecting, you'll someday find yourself doing what you once considered impossible. Why? Because "With God all things are possible" (Mt 19:26). It's said that if Michelangelo had consulted his doubts or his critics, he'd have painted the floor of the Sistine Chapel instead of the ceiling, and his work wouldn't be around for us to admire. The truth is, great results begin with great expectations!

SoulFood Bible Readings: Acts 27-28, Lk 10:13-24, Ps 78:17-31, Pr 16:26-30

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This message from The Word for Today came from Rhema Broadcasting Group Incorporated in association with The Vine, New Zealand. "The Word for Today"® is copyright © Bob Gass Ministries.

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With Bob Gass

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Wilderness Attitudes! We who...believed are able to enter...God's rest. - Hebrews 4:3 NCV

After spending half their lives in the wilderness, the Israelites blamed it on their enemies. But it was their attitude that was at fault! Because God "was...angry...they were not allowed to enter...God's rest, because they did not believe" (Heb 3:17-19 NCV). Their doubting, complaining and blame-shifting kept them stuck in the wilderness; and it'll do the same to you. It starts with feeling sorry for yourself and thinking, "If only I'd been born into a different family, had a better paying job, a more Spiritual spouse, etc., this wouldn't be happening." And from there it spirals downward into a full-blown 'pity party' where everybody else is responsible for your problems. The truth is, 99 percent of the time the solution begins with a change of attitude - in you!

Another wilderness attitude that'll keep you stuck, is insisting on doing everything your way! Stubbornness will keep you stumbling around in the wilderness, seeing the Promised Land but never reaching it. Offering a sacrifice to God before going into battle was the way to victory. Only one problem: Samuel the prophet was the only one qualified to offer such a sacrifice. But pride and stubbornness made King Saul think he could. As a result he lost his life and Israel went down in defeat. Samuel told Saul, "Because you have rejected God's word, God has rejected you as king" (See 1 Sa 15:26).

Understand this: you don't have to do anything to earn God's love, but you must obey Him in order to walk in His blessings. So, what has God told you to do? If you want victory in your battles and success in your endeavors, start doing it!

SoulFood Bible Readings: Jer 4-6, Lk 3:1-10, Ps 59:9-17, Pr 14:23-24

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With Bob Gass

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Responding Like Jesus! Pray for those who persecute you. - Matthew 5:44 NIV

A soldier made it his practice to end each day with Bible reading and prayer. As the others gathered in the barracks and retired for the night, he'd kneel by his bunk. Some of them saw this and began to mock him. But one night the abuse went beyond words. As he bowed in prayer one soldier threw his boots and hit him in the face. The others jeered, looking for a fight, but there was no retaliation. The next morning when the boot-thrower woke up he couldn't believe what he saw. There at the foot of his bed were his boots - polished and returned. Imagine shining the boots that kick you! That calls for a new level of grace. It means deciding what your response will be, before the offence comes! Some of the guys in the barracks were 'leaders', motivated by pride and insensitivity. That's how darkness responds to light. Others were 'followers' - they weren't necessarily bad, just weak and afraid to be different.

Why did Jesus pray from the cross, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do?" Because He understood that people who have been raised a particular way, who are driven by certain forces, who wrestle with unresolved issues and fears, who are programmed by an unstimulated mindset, need God. And He saw it as an opportunity to put God on display.

This requires more than church-on-Sunday religion. It calls for a Christ-like, example-setting, love-displaying response that makes others sit up and take notice. Your 'rights' and your wounded ego are not the issue - the One you represent is!

SoulFood Bible Readings: Jer 1-3, Lk 2:41-52, Ps 59:1-8, Pr 14:21-22

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Do You Have A Vision? (3) Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. - Habakkuk 2:3 TLB

When God gives you a vision - He also gives you the provision needed to fulfil it! Often He'll use something you already possess even though you don't know it, or think it's not equal to the challenge. Faced with feeding 5000 hungry people, the disciples felt totally inadequate. But Jesus said, "How many loaves do you have... Go and see" (Mk 6:38 NIV). God will open your Spiritual eyes to see what you already have - or what is within your reach. And when you recognise it, give it to Him and He will bless it, so it will be more than enough. The key to your success is found in the words "go and see".

Stop procrastinating, making excuses, feeling sorry for yourself, 'talking down' to yourself, or being intimidated by those who say you don't have what it takes. Listen to God! He has provided everything required to get you where you need to go. Paul writes, "Now glory be to God who by His mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of - infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes" (Eph 3:20 TLB). Notice the words "far more" and "His mighty power at work within us".

Look in the mirror and announce, "I am full of resources. God has given me everything I need to fulfil His plan for my life." This is not hype, pride, or mind-over-matter. It's faith speaking, it's faith connecting with God, it's faith tapping into the resources needed to do what God has called you to do!

SoulFood Bible Readings: 1 Ki 8-9, Mk 14:27-31, Ps 113, Pr 12:7-11

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This message from The Word for Today came from Rhema Broadcasting Group Incorporated in association with The Vine, New Zealand. "The Word for Today"® is copyright © Bob Gass Ministries.

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The Word for Today
With Bob Gass

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Do You Have A Vision? (2) Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. - Habakkuk 2:3 TLB

Many people wear themselves out trying to fulfil a vision God didn't give them. So where did their vision come from?

• The most dominant influences in their life.
• Their need to 'prove' something to someone.
• Their unresolved issues: trying to win a parent's love, or to demonstrate they're as talented as their brother, sister, peer, or in some cases the pastor of the bigger church across town.

Abraham learned this lesson the hard way. God promised him a son. But he got impatient, worried about getting old, took bad advice and ended up fathering Ishmael. Be careful; all your praying, planning and pushing won't turn the wrong road into the right road! Furthermore, God won't empower you to do what He put into somebody else's heart to do. That's why it's foolish to compare yourself with others. God didn't promise to give you what He gave them. You're unique. So is His plan for your life. People who make this mistake end up with a sense of failure and frustration because they're constantly measuring themselves by somebody else's assignment. If you're not 'graced' to do it, you'll wear out yourself (and everybody else). Identify the origin of your vision!

Even when your vision is of God you'll experience disappointment, discouragement and delays. The truth is, the greater your vision the greater the attack that will come against you. But when you know deep down that your vision is of God, you'll be able to persevere through the hard times, and you'll have the assurance of the Psalmist, "The Lord will work out His plans for my life" (Ps 138:8 NLT).

SoulFood Bible Readings: 1 Ki 6-7, Mk 14:20-26, Ps 108, Pr 12:1-6

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This message from The Word for Today came from Rhema Broadcasting Group Incorporated in association with The Vine, New Zealand. "The Word for Today"® is copyright © Bob Gass Ministries.

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The Word for Today
With Bob Gass

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Do You Have A Vision? (1) Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. - Habakkuk 2:3 TLB

In the early stages of pregnancy a baby is easier to lose. The same applies to your God-given vision; you need to protect it. The enemy tried to destroy Moses and Jesus before they reached their second birthday. Why? He feared their future - and he fears yours too! Furthermore, when a prospective mother is not 'showing', she has to go on the word of her physician. Getting the idea?

There are certain things you need to do in order to 'deliver' what God has promised. When your doctor says, "No smoking, drinking or eating certain foods, etc.," he's thinking about your future. "But others can do these things," you say. Yes, but they're not carrying within them what you are. The call to give birth to a vision means daring to be different, even radical. It means disconnecting from relationships that can hurt you, staying out of certain places, and reordering your priorities according to your God-given destiny, not popular consent. If you think fulfilling a vision is easy, check the price tag!

Like childbirth, it's hard, it's lonely, it's sleepless, it's appetite-changing, it's schedule-altering. It involves pain and leaves stretch marks. So before you give lip service to, or play around with God's purpose for your life, ask yourself, "Am I ready to carry this thing full term?" Visions aren't for the immature, the impatient or the faint of heart. And you can't downsize them when things get tough.

Esther's vision meant putting her life on the line and saying, "If I perish, I perish" (Es 4:16). Did she perish? No, but she had to be willing to. Are you?

SoulFood Bible Readings: Gal 5:23, Isa 40:9-11, Isa 42:1-4, Ps 18:31-35

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This message from The Word for Today came from Rhema Broadcasting Group Incorporated in association with The Vine, New Zealand. "The Word for Today"® is copyright © Bob Gass Ministries.

Used under 'limited copy' permission by:

The Word for Today
With Bob Gass

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The Spirit Of Caleb My servant Caleb has a different spirit. - Numbers 14:24 NIV

Caleb wasn't into "safe living". As a young man he came back from the Promised Land, stood with the minority and announced, "With God on our side we'll take it!" At 85, he was still slaying giants and claiming mountains. That's because he had "a different spirit". He wasn't a "go with the flow and expect the status quo" guy.

Richard Edler writes:

Safe living generally makes for regrets later on. We are all given talents and dreams. Sometimes the two don't seem to match. But usually we compromise both before ever finding out. Later on, we find ourselves looking back longingly to that time when we should have chased our true dreams and our true talents for all they were worth. Don't let yourself be pressured into thinking that your dreams or your talents aren't prudent. They were never meant to be prudent. They were meant to bring joy and fulfilment into your life.

If a caterpillar refuses to get into its cocoon it'll never transform and will be forever relegated to crawling on the ground, even though it had the potential to fly.

What do you believe God's called you to do? Do it! God's not limited by your IQ, He's limited by your "I will". The poet said: "If you think you are beaten, you are. If you think you dare not, you don't. If you'd like to win but you think you can't, it's almost certain you won't. Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man, but sooner or later the man who wins, is the man who believes he can." The spirit of Caleb is the "can do" spirit! Have you got it?

SoulFood Bible Readings: Da 1-2, Mk 6:14-22, Ps 127, Pr 10:11

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This message from The Word for Today came from Rhema Broadcasting Group Incorporated in association with The Vine, New Zealand. "The Word for Today"® is copyright © Bob Gass Ministries.

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The Word for Today
With Bob Gass

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Don't Settle For A "B" I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. - Philippians 4:13 NIV

Harvey MacKay tells the story of a professor who stood before his class of 30 senior molecular biology students. Before passing out the final exam he said, "I have been privileged to be your instructor this semester, and I know how hard you have worked to prepare for this test. I also know most of you are off to medical school or graduate school next autumn. I am well aware of how much pressure you are under to keep your grade point averages up. Because I am confident that you know this material, I am prepared to offer an automatic B to anyone who opts to skip taking the final exam." The relief was audible. A number of students jumped up from their desks, thanking the professor for the lifeline he had thrown them. "Any other takers?" he asked. "This is your last opportunity." One more student decided to go. The instructor then handed out the final exam, which consisted of two sentences. It read: "Congratulations, you have just received an A in this class. Keep believing in yourself." It was a just reward for the students who had worked hard and believed in themselves.

The Apostle Paul experienced more headaches and heartaches in a month than most of us will see in a lifetime. Yet he wrote, "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." Come on, start believing in yourself, in the Christ who lives within you, in the gifts He's placed at your disposal, and the destiny to which He's called you .

Refuse to settle for a B when God has promised and called you to an A.

SoulFood Bible Readings: Da 5-7, Mk 6:30-36, Ps 103:1-12, Pr 10:13

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This message from The Word for Today came from Rhema Broadcasting Group Incorporated in association with The Vine, New Zealand. "The Word for Today"® is copyright © Bob Gass Ministries.

Used under 'limited copy' permission by:

The Word for Today
With Bob Gass

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Forgive Because You Are Forgiven! God put His love on the line...while we were of no use whatever to Him. - Romans 5:8 TM

Telling of his experience as a Prisoner Of War, Ernest Gordon related how after work one evening a guard noticed a shovel missing. Insisting one of the prisoners had stolen it, he screamed for the guilty party to come forward. Then he prepared to kill them one by one till someone confessed. Suddenly a Scottish soldier broke rank, stood to attention and said, "I did it." The guard beat him to death on the spot. When he'd exhausted his fury the other POW's picked up their friend's body along with their tools and returned to camp. At that point the shovels were re-counted. The guard was wrong. None were missing!

What kind of person would take the blame for something he didn't do? Christ! We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for... how someone... noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put His love on the line for us by offering His son... while we were of no use whatever to Him (Ro 5:7-8 TM). Think about it, "God... piled... everything we've done wrong, on Him" (Is 53:6 TM), hence, the only "Mediator who can reconcile God and [man]... Jesus" (1 Ti 2:5 NLT). A mediator reconciles differences and negotiates agreements between two parties. At Calvary Jesus stood between God's anger and the punishment for our sins. Having lived the life we couldn't live, then taking the punishment we couldn't escape, He freely offers us redemption we couldn't afford.

Now the question is: if He so loved us, can we not love each other? Having been forgiven, can we not forgive? Having feasted at the table of mercy can we not share a few crumbs?

SoulFood Bible Readings: Ge 22:1-18, Mt 27:45-56, Ps 22, Is 53

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Used under 'limited copy' permission by:

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With Bob Gass

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Anybody Can Do It! Encourage one another. - 1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV

Chuck Swindoll writes:

The ski slopes were in perfect condition. I struck out on my first attempt at skiing with a positive attitude, thinking, 'I'm going to be the first person who learns to ski without falling down.' You've heard of the Elephant Man? On skis, I'm the rhinoceros man. It's doubtful anyone ever came down a ski slope more ways, or landed in more positions, or did more creative things in the air before landing.

Working with me that humiliating day was the world's most encouraging ski instructor (yes, I had an instructor!). Never once did she lose her cool, or laugh at me, or say 'You are absolutely impossible. I quit!' That dear, gracious lady helped me up more times than I can number. She repeated the same basics time and again - like she had never said them before. Even though I was colder than an explorer in the Antarctic, irritable, impatient, and under the snow more than I was on it, she kept offering words of reassurance.

That day God gave me a never-to-be-forgotten illustration of the value of encouragement. Had it not been for her spirit and her words, believe me, I would have hung 'em up and been back in the condo, warming my feet by the fire in less than an hour. What is true for a novice on the snow once a year is all the more true for people we meet every day. Harassed by demands and deadlines; bruised by worry, adversity and failure; broken by disillusionment and defeated by sin, they live somewhere between dull discouragement and sheer panic.

All of us need encouragement, and the beautiful part about encouragement is this: anybody can do it!

SoulFood Bible Readings: Job 32-34, Mk 1:1-8, Ps 55:12-23, Pr 8:19-21

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This message from The Word for Today came from Rhema Broadcasting Group Incorporated in association with The Vine, New Zealand. "The Word for Today"® is copyright © Bob Gass Ministries.

Used under 'limited copy' permission by:

The Word for Today
With Bob Gass

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Seeing Others The Right Way If you love someone you will... always believe in him, always expect the best of him. - 1 Corinthians 13:7 TLB

We rarely discern others accurately. Almost every conclusion we have about them is flawed and based on limited knowledge. We give up too soon because we can't see what God is looking at. Someone close to you right now has a great future - God has already determined it. In fact, if you knew their potential you would withhold your words of criticism and invest more time and energy into them. Remember Joseph? Don't make the mistake his brothers made. The person who aggravates the living daylights out of you today, could be the one you turn to for help tomorrow. So keep that in mind and treat them graciously!

Look beneath the surface. Appearances can be deceptive. Remember Ruth, the migrant labourer working in the fields for less than minimum wage? She'll become the wife of Boaz - who owns the fields! In the future she might be signing your pay cheque. So when you meet her be sure to leave "handfuls [on] purpose" to bless her (See Ruth 2:16). Take another look at the situation you don't understand. Remember Mary the mother of Jesus, looking for a place to spend the night and have her Baby? Here's the opportunity of a lifetime, don't miss it!

Why did Jesus say in the Sermon on the Mount, "Love your enemies" (Lk 6:27)? Because Saul of Tarsus (the one who's giving you so much grief at the moment), may become Paul the Apostle, bringing multitudes into the Kingdom and writing books that change lives - including yours! So ask God to help you see in others what He sees!

SoulFood Bible Readings: Ge 20-23, Mt 21:18-32, Ps 53, Pr 6:9-11

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Winter is a time for longing and expectation. The seed catalogs arrive, and we long for the perfect garden. We make huge wish lists of what we want to plant. We think about fishing.... sort through the tackle box and shop for new lures. We think about camping and long for the perfect place where we can go to escape the world, relax and commune with God.

In winter, hope springs eternal! Amid the cold and dreary winter landscape we hope for and anticipate a renewal, a rebirth.... not only in nature, but in ourselves. We may even pray for a renewal of our souls. We pray with expectation, knowing that it will come. Spring will come!!! And with it, a new beginning.

During this special Lenten season we ask you to examine the source of your hope. At Instant Shade Awning, our source of hope is Christ!

Warmest regards,

Your friends at Instant Shade Awning

Pearl Wehrman

The Word for Today
With Bob Gass

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How To Avoid Shipwreck You will guide me. - Psalm 73:24

Your life is like a voyage. If you want to avoid shipwreck read Acts 27:12-15 (NIV) and notice the following things:

1. They were dissatisfied with where they were. "Since the harbour was unsuitable... the majority decided that we should sail on." God doesn't guide us by dissatisfaction or by opinion polls; He guides us by His Spirit. When things get difficult we're called to overcome them, not try to escape them.
2. They were impatient to get to where they were going. There's not a single verse in the Bible that tells us to hurry up or we'll miss God! In the wilderness Israel learned that when the cloud moves, you move; when the cloud stops, stay where you are and wait on God.
3. They failed to heed God's Word. "But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot." Be careful, if you look hard enough you'll find someone whose opinion confirms what you want to do. And that will get you into trouble.
4. They looked to the circumstances instead of God to guide them. "When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had obtained what they wanted; so they... sailed. Before very long... The ship was caught by the storm." The idea that circumstances will always line up favourably with God's guidance is not Scriptural. Sometimes God leads you through the wilderness. And He'll never lead you anywhere that doesn't require His provision and protection. If you can get there without God - He didn't send you.

So if you want to avoid shipwreck ask God to show you the right way - which is His way!

SoulFood Bible Readings: Ex 20:7, Isa 29:22-24, Mt 6:9

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The Rubber Band Principle Straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize. - Philippians 3:13-14 NIV

All rubber bands work on the same principle - they must be stretched to be effective! Anybody who has ever achieved anything of note has been stretched to their limit. There are no exceptions. One of the most common mistakes is thinking that success in life is due to some genius or some 'special something-or-other' you don't possess. Get rid of that thinking! Success comes when you stretch to meet the challenge; failure comes when you shrink back from it. And stretching makes you vulnerable. When a rubber band is taut, it's much easier to break. Is that why you're afraid to stretch? To go where you haven't gone and try what you haven't tried? Or have you tried and been criticised? You'll always have critics. Jesus had them. And He said, "No servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also" (Jn 15:20 NIV).

Dr. Jonas Salk, who invented the polio vaccine, was continually attacked by his peers for his pioneering work in the field. He found that comments came in three stages. First they'll tell you, "It won't work!" Then when you begin to succeed they'll say, "What you're doing isn't really important!" Finally, after they see that it's important they'll say, "We knew you'd do it all along!" So don't look at the way things are and ask, why? Look at the way things could be and ask, why not?

Through the power of God's indwelling Spirit you can make a difference. Just make yourself available to God and let Him show you what He can do with your life.

SoulFood Bible Readings: Isa 34-37, Mt 12:1-21, Ps 107:1-9

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With Bob Gass

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Showing Grace (2) He gives more grace. - James 4:6

An old Quaker bought a cantankerous dairy cow and every milking session became a battle of wills. Determined to demonstrate grace under fire the old man refused to react when Bessie stomped on his foot, whipped him in the face with her tail, and knocked over the milk bucket. Finally she kicked him against the barn wall and that did it! Glowering, he growled, "Thou knowest I'm a Quaker and cannot strike thee back - but I can surely sell thee to a another farmer!"

When you are the injured party, it's hard to be gracious and finish the job at hand. That's when you need "more grace," and to keep in mind a few important principles:

• Conflicting viewpoints help you to grow. If you've ever been around teenagers you can relate. They're experts at coming up with unconventional, off-the-wall opinions that challenge you and keep you honest.

• Never resort to character assassination. Disagreeing is one thing, destroying somebody is another. Some of the most vicious personal attacks, public and private, have been waged over religion and politics. If you must fight, fight fair.

• When you lose, take it on the chin. Instead of endlessly rehearsing old grievances, "Help others with encouraging words; don't drag them down by finding fault" (Ro 14:14-19 TM).

• Sometimes it's necessary to go separate ways. When Paul and Barnabas argued over whether or not John Mark should travel with them, "There followed a sharp disagreement between them" (Acts 15:39 AMP). End of story? No, just the beginning of two different ministries!

So be gracious! What's happening to you right now may well be God's way of moving you into a new area of blessing.

SoulFood Bible Readings: Isa 11:1-10, Lk 1:39-56

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This message from The Word for Today came from Rhema Broadcasting Group Incorporated in association with The Vine, New Zealand. "The Word for Today"® is copyright © Bob Gass Ministries.

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Showing Grace (1) Let your conversation be gracious. - Colossians 4:6 NLT

Even when you try to "live at peace with everyone" (Ro 12:18 NIV):

1. Conflicts will still arise. After all, life would be boring if we all marched to the same drumbeat. That's why there are so many coffee flavours and political opinions! You don't have to concede or compromise your values, but it costs no more to be tactful and gracious than it does to be critical and caustic. And that's especially true when correction is called for.

   Paul says, "If a Christian is overcome by...sin, you who are Godly...humbly help him back onto the right path" (Gal 6:1 TLB).

2. Even Christians won't always agree. Chuck Swindoll writes: "When I was younger I couldn't understand how two people who loved the Lord and believed the Bible, could come to different conclusions. In my two-by-four thinking I was convinced that all Godly minds held to identical conclusions... I soon discovered that there weren't only various opinions, but God had the audacity to bless those who disagreed with me.... [He] isn't nearly so narrow-minded as many of His people... God's much easier to live with... tolerant... full of more grace and forgiveness than all of us."

Every perspective has some merit. When you grow up in a home that functions on a right versus wrong justice scale, the person who's 'right' gets praised while the one who's 'wrong' gets put down. And that's a pity because generally it's not an "I'm-right-and-you're-wrong" issue, as much as an "I-see-it-this-way-and-you-see-it-that-way" issue.

So before you go to war ask yourself, "What's more important, my need to correct or my need to connect? Can I let somebody else be 'right' sometimes, without injecting my opinion?"

SoulFood Bible Readings: 2 Ti 1-4, Jn 19:30-42, Ps 128, Pr 31:10-13

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Tell your friends about The Word For Today e-mail service. If you've been encouraged by The Word for Today, then your friends will be too. NZ - Click here, UK - Click here.

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This message from The Word for Today came from Rhema Broadcasting Group Incorporated in association with The Vine, New Zealand. "The Word for Today"® is copyright © Bob Gass Ministries.

Used under 'limited copy' permission by:

The Word for Today
With Bob Gass

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Your Quiet Time With God 2 O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek You. - Psalm 63:1 NIV

Stephen Olford said,

I want to hear God's voice before anyone else's in the morning. And His is the last voice I want to hear at night.

David and Daniel met with the Lord three times daily (See Ps 55:17; Da 6:10). Whatever time you set, be consistent. Put it on your calendar; make an appointment with God as you would with anyone else. And keep it. Don't stand Him up! The question is often asked, "How much time should I spend?" Here are some guidelines:

1. Don't start with a two-hour quiet time. You'll get discouraged. You'll create memories of failure rather than memories of success. You must grow in this relationship as you do in any other. So begin with a few minutes and let it grow.
2. Don't clock-watch. That'll ruin your quiet time faster than anything else. Decide what you can do in God's Word and prayer during the time you've selected; then do it! Sometimes it'll take more time than you have set aside, sometimes less. But don't keep looking at your watch.
3. Emphasise quality, not quantity. It's what you do during your quiet time - whether 15 minutes or two hours - that's important.
4. Choose a special place. "Next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the Lord" (Ge 19:27 NIV). Your special place ought to be a place where:
   • you can pray aloud without embarrassment;
   • you're comfortable. (Don't have your quiet time in bed - that's too comfortable!)
   As the days go by your special place will come to mean everything to you because of the wonderful times you have there with the Lord.

SoulFood Bible Readings: 1 Sam 27-31, John 3:1-8, Ps 110, Pr 23:6-9

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Tell your friends about The Word For Today e-mail service. If you've been encouraged by The Word for Today, then your friends will be too. NZ - Click here, UK - Click here.

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This message from The Word for Today came from Rhema Broadcasting Group Incorporated in association with The Vine, New Zealand. "The Word for Today"® is copyright © Bob Gass Ministries.

Used under 'limited copy' permission by:

The Word for Today
With Bob Gass

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Hearing From God 4 For the revelation awaits an appointed time. - Habakkuk 2:3 NIV

When God speaks to you it's not always wise to rush out and tell people. Actually, it can hurt you! When God gives you a word of direction it's often followed by a season of preparation.

Who wouldn't want to talk about the amazing experience Paul had with God on the Damascus Road? And there would be a 'right time' for doing that - but not yet. Don't go until God gives you the green light. Why?

1. Because God may need time to prepare the hearts of those He is sending you to.
2. You need time, maturing and equipping, so that the word you've received can take root and be fulfilled in the way God wants.

Paul writes, "Immediately after my calling - without consulting anyone around me and without going up to Jerusalem to confer with those who were apostles long before I was - I got away to Arabia... it was three years before I went up to Jerusalem to compare stories with Peter... Then I began my ministry" (Gal 1:16-21 TM). Paul had the wisdom to know that people would find his calling unbelievable. So he waited. He allowed God to go ahead of him and arrange the circumstances in his favour. And while he was waiting, he allowed the word he had received to grow in his heart and make changes in his life. Then, and only then, did he start doing what he was called to do. Paul didn't try to convince anybody, he let God do that. And the result? "Their response was to recognise and worship God because of me" (Gal 1:24 TM).

So don't get ahead of God's plan for your life. Be sensitive to His timing!

SoulFood Bible Readings: Amos 5:18 - 9:15, Mark 10:1-12, Ps 103:13-22, Pr 19:17

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Tell your friends about The Word For Today e-mail service. If you've been encouraged by The Word for Today, then your friends will be too. NZ - Click here, UK - Click here.

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This message from The Word for Today came from Rhema Broadcasting Group Incorporated in association with The Vine, New Zealand. "The Word for Today"® is copyright © Bob Gass Ministries.

Used under 'limited copy' permission by:

The Word for Today
With Bob Gass

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Your Quiet Time With God 1 O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek You. - Psalm 63:1 NIV

When you come to meet with God you should have an attitude of:

1. Expectancy. Expect to 'give and get' from your time together. And make it a time of intimacy. It's impossible to have a love affair in a crowd or a public place; intimacy calls for being alone with the one you love. The Bible speaks about Christ as the Groom and us as His bride. Think of the anticipation and excitement shared in such moments.
2. Reverence. Don't rush into God's presence. Prepare your heart by being still before Him and letting the quietness clear away the thoughts of the world. Remind yourself Who it is you're meeting with - God! "You are worthy...to receive glory and honour" (Rev 4:11 NIV).
3. Alertness. Get to bed early so you'll be in good shape to meet God in the morning. He deserves your full attention. Give God the best part of your day - when you are the freshest. Follow the example of Christ: "Very early in the morning...Jesus...went off to a solitary place, where He prayed" (Mk 1:35 NIV). Hudson Taylor said, "You don't tune up the instruments after the concert is over...you tune them up before you start."
4. Willingness. This attitude is crucial: you don't come to your quiet time to choose what you will or won't do, but with the purpose of doing anything and everything God wants you to do. Jesus said, "If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether My teaching comes from God" (Jn 7:17 NIV). So come to meet with the Lord, having already chosen to do His will no matter what!

SoulFood Bible Readings: 1 Sam 24-26, John 2:12-25, Ps 23, Pr 23:4-5

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Tell your friends about The Word For Today e-mail service. If you've been encouraged by The Word for Today, then your friends will be too. NZ - Click here, UK - Click here.

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This message from The Word for Today came from Rhema Broadcasting Group Incorporated in association with The Vine, New Zealand. "The Word for Today"® is copyright © Bob Gass Ministries.

Used under 'limited copy' permission by: