The Word for Today
With Bob Gass

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Take A Leap Of Faith (1) You give them something to eat. - Matthew 14:16 NKJV

Lee Brown noticed a little girl begging in her neighbourhood. Later she searched, but couldn't find her at the local school. That day Brown decided to make a difference for other kids by adopting a first-grade class in one of the city's lowest-performing schools, pledging to pay for any student wanting to attend college. Brown wasn't wealthy. She was a cotton-picker-turned-real estate agent making $45,000 a year and raising two kids; but she honoured that pledge. She has personally contributed £10,000 every year, in addition to raising donations from others. Brown's leap of faith rescued students who'd otherwise end up on the streets.

It takes courage to make a difference, especially when you can't see a way to do it. When he was in Africa, David Livingstone received a letter saying, 'We want to send helpers. Have you found a good road into your area yet?' Livingstone wrote back, 'If they only want to come when there's a good road, don't send them. I want people who'll come when there's no road!' Surrounded by 5,000 hungry people, Jesus told his disciples, 'You give them something to eat.' It seemed impossible, but when they obeyed they witnessed a miracle. One writer says, 'Christ will lead you into seemingly impossible situations... don't avoid them. That's where you'll experience God... If you attempt only things you know are possible with the resources you possess... you'll receive the credit and God will have no part in it... Have you received a word that awaits your next step of faith? Proceed, no matter now incredible it seems. You'll experience the joy of seeing God perform a miracle, and so will those around you.'

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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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Hayden Andrews

The Word for Today
With Bob Gass

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Just Do It! For he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven... by the wind... - James 1:6 NKJV

The Bible says, 'for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.' (James 1:6-8 NKJV)). This Scripture applies specifically to asking God for wisdom, then rationalising and vacillating when He gives you an answer. But the same principle applies to all of life. Have you ever seen anything more fickle than a wave? The wind that takes it one direction today, takes it in an entirely different one tomorrow. 'How does this apply to me?' you ask:

1) if you've grown up in a family where every decision was made for you 2) if you spent your life around people who made reckless decisions that left you feeling 'it's too easy to get it wrong and too hard to get it right' 3) if the bad decisions you've made in the past have sabotaged your confidence; then today's devotion is just for you!

James makes the point that none of us learn to hear from God without making mistakes. So don't be hard on yourself. Learn from your mistakes, correct the ones you can, and continue being decisive. Don't fall back into a pattern of indecision because you got it wrong a few times. Often you'll only know that you've done the right thing; when you do it! Devote a reasonable amount of time to waiting on God, and when necessary seek the counsel of others. But don't be afraid to act; make a decision and follow through with it. In other words, 'just do it!'

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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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Loving People Love one another... - John 15:12 NKJV

Loving people is only a vague concept, unless we do these five things:

1. People are insecure; give them confidence. Beneath their faade lie memories of a painful past and anxiety over what's coming their way next. Tell them God says, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you' (Hebrews 13:5 NKJV). When nothing else works, God's Word does.
2. People need to feel special; compliment them. Do it when they least expect it, and it's clear you seek nothing in return. Mary Kay Ash, founder of a major cosmetics company in the USA, said, 'Everyone has an invisible sign hanging around their neck saying, "Make me feel important!"' Notice how often God's Word tells us how much He loves us, how special we are, and His plans for us.
3. People are looking for a better tomorrow; give them hope. Let them know that when you put God in the centre of your life, your future can be better than your past. 'as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper' (2 Chronicles 26:5 NKJV).
4. People need to be understood; listen to them. The trouble is this takes more time than we're willing to give. We're in too much of a hurry to hand out advice and move on, and it doesn't work. Before people can be 'fixed,' they must feel understood.
5. People need role models; be one. Paul told the Corinthians, 'Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ' (1 Corinthians 11:1 NIV). Too often we're unaware of the example we set and the impression we're making. Like it or not, what you do, and don't do, influences others. When you leave this world, what you leave behind is your influence.

SoulFood Bible Readings: 2 Chron 22-24, John 13:31-38, Ps 118:1-9, Pr 27: 23-27

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Some of us declare that we are Christian. But not all who claim this title truly follow the guidelines and obligations that go with it. In Matthew 6:7, (NCV) Jesus tells us, "And when you pray, don't be like those people who don't know God. They continue saying things that mean nothing, thinking that God will hear them because of their many words."

• I cannot pray "Our Father", if I do not believe that I am one of God's children.
• I cannot pray "Who Art in Heaven", if all my interests concern earthly things alone.
• I cannot pray "Hallowed Be Thy Name", if I do not believe God is supreme.
• I cannot pray "Thy Kingdom Come", if I am not willing accept the reign of God.
• I cannot pray "Thy Will Be Done", if I am resentful of having God's will my life.
• I cannot pray "On Earth as It Is in Heaven", unless I believe that God is truly the sovereign ruler of everything.
• I cannot say "Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread", if I think that what I possess came by my power alone.
• I cannot pray "Forgive Us Our Sins as We Forgive Those Who Sin Against Us", if I am not truly sorry for them, and continue to harbor bad feelings against others.
 
• I cannot pray "Lead Us Not into Temptation", if I remain anywhere that I am likely to be tempted.
 
• I cannot pray "Deliver Us from Evil", if I do not put on God's armor and fight against evil myself.
 
• I cannot pray "Yours Is the Kingdom", if I do not give my King the complete obedience of a loyal subject.
 
• I cannot say "Yours Is the Power", if I believe that I can do anything on my power alone.
 
• I cannot pray "Yours Is the Glory", if I am seeking my glory alone.
 
• I cannot pray "Forever and Ever", if I only concerned about this life and not the afterlife.
 
• I cannot pray "In Jesus Name", unless I truly believe that He is the way to everlasting life.
 
• I cannot pray "Amen", unless I am totally willing to pay the price of this prayer.
 

To be a "Christian" means that you are truly blessed in God's favor, but God will not listen to your talk without you walking the walk!

Steven Coffman

The Word for Today
With Bob Gass

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Where's My Heart? Where your treasure is, there your heart will be... - Matthew 6:21 NIV

William Randolph Hearst lived in Hearst Castle. It was 90,000 square feet sitting on 265,000 acres. At one time he owned 50 miles of California coastline. And he collected 'stuff' for 88 years. He had 3500-year-old Egyptian statues, medieval Flemish tapestries, centuries-old hand-carved ceilings, and some of the greatest works of art of all time. After eight decades of collecting stuff William Hearst died. Now people go through his house by the thousands and they all say the same thing: 'Wow, he sure had a lot of stuff.'

We go through life, get stuff, then die, leaving all our stuff behind. And what happens to it? Our kids argue over it. Our kids, who haven't died yet, go through our stuff. Like vultures, they decide which stuff they want to take to their houses. They say to themselves, "Now this is my stuff," then they die and new vultures come to get it. Nations go to war over stuff, families are split apart over stuff. Husbands and wives argue more about stuff than any other single issue. Prisons are full of street thugs and CEO's who committed crimes to acquire it. Why? It's only stuff.

This is what Jesus was addressing when He said, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21 NIV). Now, having read those words, ask yourself the question, "Where's my heart?"

SoulFood Bible Readings: 1 Sam 4-7, Luke 24:13-24, Ps 68:19-35, Pr 22:6

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Frequent Encounters With God! These are the Scriptures that testify about me... - John 5:39 NIV

Here are two compelling reasons for saturating your mind in the Scriptures:

1. To know who God is. One day in school, a little girl was asked by her art teacher what she was drawing. "A picture of God," she replied. The teacher said, "But nobody's ever seen Him." Confidently the little girl replied, "They will when I'm finished!" Till Jesus came, all we had were glimpses of God. Then Jesus announced, "He that has seen me has seen the Father..." (John 14:9 KJV). If you want to know who God is, what He thinks and how He acts, start spending more time with Jesus.
2. To know who you are. When God called Moses to deliver Israel, Moses asked God two things: a) "When I... say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say... ?'... God said to Moses... 'say... I AM has sent me to you" (Exodus 3:13-14 NKJV). In order to know who you are you must know who God is; then you'll have credibility, confidence, direction and purpose b) "But suppose they will not believe me'... So the Lord said to him, 'What is that in your hand?' He said, 'A rod.' And He said, 'Cast it on the ground.' So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent" (Exodus 4:1-3 NKJV). Moses already had what he needed, he just didn't recognise it or know how to use it until God showed him. Getting the idea? In order to know who you are and who God is, you must have frequent encounters with Him.

SoulFood Bible Readings: Song of Songs 5-8, Luke 23:44-56, Ps 91, Pr 21:28-31

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Don't Keep Score Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. - Colossians 3:13 TM

Jimmy drank too much at the party and embarrassed his wife Lisa. Next morning he felt bad and asked her to forgive him. She said she would, yet she kept bringing it up. One day, in discouragement, he said, "I thought you were going to forgive and forget." She said, "I have, I just don't want you to forget that I have forgiven and forgotten." Do you forgive like that?

Keeping score only works in competitive sports; it's disastrous in relationships. There's so much good in the worst of us and so much bad in the best of us, that we'll spend much of our lives learning to forgive and forget. And forgetting is harder when the offence is great. Small offences can be forgiven quickly; big ones require a healing process. But until you make the decision to forgive, the process can't even begin. How can you "Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you"? Paul answers, "Clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others" (Col 3:12-13 NLT). To practise this kind of forgiveness you must focus on a person's worth, not their weaknesses. You must turn your heart away from what was, to what can be.

You say, "Why should I forgive and forget?" (1) Because God's Word tells you to. (2) Because you yourself will continue to need forgiveness. (3) Because you weren't built to carry the stress that goes with resentment.

SoulFood Bible Readings: Lam 1:1 - 3:39, Luke 18:31-43, Ps 84, Pr 19:11

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What's Choking You? Desires for... things... choke the Word. - Mark 4:19 NIV

In the parable of the sower Jesus said, "Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the Word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the Word, making it unfruitful" (Mark 4:18-19 NIV). Notice, the problem is not the sower or the seed, it's the soil. Jesus said they "hear the word", so we're talking about churchgoers with a pre-existing mindset that chokes every Scripture they hear, read, or try to apply. Jesus describes these thorns as: "The worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things" (Mark 4:19).

Do you remember the time when you thought the house you now live in, the career you now enjoy, and the investments you now have, would make all your worries go away? But no, the more you have, the more you have to lose, to protect, to maintain, and to worry about. That's "the deceitfulness of wealth". If your significance as a person or your sense of security is tied to anything other than your relationship with God, worry will choke the life right out of you. True happiness lies in trusting God for what you need, knowing if it's right He'll provide it, and if not He'll give you something better.

Chuck Swindoll writes, "We live among thorns because we've a quiet, respectable, secret love for them. I know. I've got the ugly scars to prove it. Each one a mute reminder of years trapped in the thicket; periodically I still have to yank a few." How about you - do you have some thorns you need to pull?

SoulFood Bible Readings: Lam 3:40 - 5:22, Luke 19:1-10, Ps 103:1-12, Pr 19:12-16

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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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Used under 'limited copy' permission by:

The Word for Today
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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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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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The Word for Today
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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The Word for Today
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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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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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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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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.

Used under 'limited copy' permission by:

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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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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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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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: