Living Today
Articles from Christian teachers and leaders. Designed to help you as you follow Jesus here in Vanuatu
Where Are Today’s Disciples?
By Tony Davenport Just days after claiming millions of uncommitted Christians are causing a “catastrophic decline in a Biblical worldview” veteran Christian researcher George Barna says that’s also led to a critical shortage of disciples. In expanding on the theme of...
The Word for Today encourages Teachers and Students
We got this encouraging testimony from Lilian who is a teacher in Vanuatu to our UCB Vanuatu team... Thank you for all that you are doing. It's touching lives. I am a teacher and I find it very helpful in helping my students know about the love of God. All the...
4 Ways to Love Better
I was recently talking with someone about some relationship struggles they were experiencing. The need for patience was what we ended up with as a critical component to loving better. It’s very interesting, that in the love chapter in 1 Corinthians, it starts with “Love is patient…”. Love in our relationships (spouse, friends, family etc), is more than just the thought. God wants us to love, not just in word, but also in deed! The good part is that God will help us love. Here are 4 habits...
Seasons
We all experience different seasons in our lives. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: 2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from...
Relationships
Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is, for the brethren to dwell together in unity. Relationships are such a part of our lives that at times we forget how important and necessary they are. Every part of our day is revolved around different forms of relationships. Imagine a life with no relationships? We would be like a person stranded on a deserted island. Yes, at first it might be alright, (especially for introverts), but after a while without any other human contact, we...
The Voice
The fundamental truth is that as “followers of Christ”, we need to know the voice of our Father BUT in a world with so many voices bombarding us all the time, this is not only hard but can be very confusing. John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow me. We have voices telling us how to do just about every part of our lives. Who to vote for, what we identify ourselves as, what is right or wrong. You name it – the voices are plentiful and loud. As believers, God...
A Fathers Heart
Despite having 21 years to prepare a father of the bride speech for my daughter wedding last week - it’s hard as a father to keep reminding yourself that “your little girl” isn’t that little anymore - she has grown up into a beautiful women. There are many great privileges a father gets to have with his daughter. Things like Blowing bubblegum bubbles A high five that stings Learning to whistle First bike ride Rollercoaster introduction Using power tools Fits of laughter and moments of tears...
The Cross at Easter
The cross is an important symbol during Easter, reminding us of the incredible sacrifice Jesus made. Despite all of our struggles and pain, the cross reminds us we are not alone in this world. We can find strength and comfort knowing that Jesus has already saved us from our sins. It’s this hope for redemption through Christ’s death on the cross that makes Easter such an integral part of Christian tradition. Stu Millar from Train to Proclaim recently shared on Vision Chrisitan Media his...
Who am I? Part 1
Ever struggled with “who you are?” You know… that voice that says you are defeated, or have nothing, or not beautiful etc. Have a read of these LIFE GIVING VERSES then remind yourself that IN CHRIST… you have everything you need. I AM - God’s child for I am born again of the incorruptible seed of the Word of God 1 Peter 1:23 Forgiven of all my sins and washed in the Blood Ephesians 1:7 / Hebrews 9:14 / Colossians 1:14 / 1 John 1:9 / 1 John 2:12 A new creature 2 Corinthians 5:17 The...
Living out Faith in a Hostile World
You don’t have to look any further than the most recent headlines to see that we live in uncertain times. Many people think the world has never been more hostile to Christians than it is now, especially since the cancel culture continues to target people who aren’t seen as politically correct. Being a Christian in a deeply secularised society is a growing challenge. Everyone’s truth seems to be accepted unless you’re a Christian. So how do we live out our faith in such a hostile world? With...
Blessed to be a Blessing
Numbers 6:24-26 says Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. If we could shrink the Earth’s population into a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look something like the following. There would be: 57 Asians, 21 Europeans, 14 from the western hemisphere, both north and south, 8 Africans 52 females; 48 males 80 living in...
When All Seems Lost
Now what? That’s something that all of us have said to ourselves at one time or another. In his new message, ‘When All Seems Lost’, Pastor Jeff Vines covers the topics of marriage and keeping relationships strong. Jeff offers encouragement for those of us who are struggling with chaos and feeling lost. God does not give His law arbitrarily. When God tells us He wants us to live in certain parameters and by certain precepts, He does it because He loves us. If He’s the creator and sustainer of...
Get alone with God (3)
‘When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfil it.’ Ecclesiastes 5:4 NIV
When the pressures in your life begin to mount, the first thing you will be tempted to drop is your time alone with God, praying and reading His Word. And what’s more, Satan knows if he can keep you from it, he has won the battle, and he will get no opposition from you. So, how can you overcome this problem?
(1) By making a covenant with God. Think about it: why do we make marriage vows? So we will think twice about breaking them! It’s the same in your devotional life: ‘When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfil it.’ (Ecclesiastes 5:4 NIV)
(2) By scheduling it. Block out time to meet with God each day, just like you would for a doctor’s appointment or a business meeting. Can you think of a more important appointment? Surely not!
(3) By being prepared for the devil’s excuses. Adopt the Scout motto: Be prepared! Dr Robert G. Lee used to say, ‘If you wake up in the morning and don’t meet the devil face on, it means you’re headed in the same direction!’
(4) By leaving your Bible open the night before to the verses you intend to read the next morning. When you wake up, it will remind you that the most important thing you have to do today is meet with God. What if you miss a day? Don’t worry—and don’t go on a guilt trip. If you miss a meal, you don’t give up eating, right? It just means you eat a little more at the next one and move on from there.
SoulFood: Eze 31–33, Matt 18:21–35, Ps 80:12–19, Pro 15:15–17
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©