The Word For Today

You were created for love, but may have learned to fear! The neurological love pathway in your brain consciously evaluates toxic thoughts, and as you choose to hand the situation over to God, you do not submit to fear. And love is the stronger of the two pathways! 'Where God's love is, there is no fear, because God's perfect love drives out fear. It is punishment that makes a person fear, so love is not made perfect in the person who fears' (1 John 4:18 NCV).

As a redeemed child of God, love is your normal default mode. You're designed for love to dominate. Regardless of the way you have chosen to react in the past, painful, toxic thoughts can be reconstructed, even toxic feelings you've been nursing for so long and are so familiar with that you think they are normal. You can analyse them and rewire them because of your brain's neuroplasticity.

The apostle Paul said: 'Do not be conformed to this world [its values and thought patterns], but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.' Will this 'renewing' happen overnight? No. Science shows that you need to practise using something at least seven times before it becomes part of you. As you keep doing this, God's Spirit will work with you, and eventually you'll be able to use this amazing love circuit of the brain to balance your reason and emotions. When you do that, you'll take a giant leap in the direction of bringing all your thoughts, which produce your emotions, under control (see 2 Corinthians 10:5).

Biblically, Egypt represents our days in bondage to sin. Then Jesus liberated us and gave us a new life. Our Promised Land isn't a physical territory; it's a spiritual reality. It's not real estate, but a real state of heart and mind. It's a life in which 'we are more than conquerors through him who loved us' (Romans 8:37 NKJV); A life in which 'we do not lose heart' (2 Corinthians 4:16 NKJV). A life in which we are 'exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation' (2 Corinthians 7:4 NKJV); we are 'anxious for nothing' (Philippians 4:6 NKJV); we are 'praying always' (Ephesians 6:18 NKJV); and a life in which we 'do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him' (Colossians 3:17 NKJV).

Max Lucado wrote: '[In Canaan]..."we win more often than we lose, forgive as quickly as we are offended, and give as abundantly as we receive. We serve out of our giftedness and delight in our assignments. We may stumble, but we do not collapse. We may struggle, but we defy despair. We boast only in Christ, trust only in God, lean wholly on his power. We enjoy abundant fruit and increasing faith." Canaan symbolises the victory we can have today, and God invites us to enter it. There is only one condition; we must turn our backs on wilderness living.'

Paul wrote: 'You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light' (1 Peter 2:9 NKJV).

What do Billy Graham, Campus Crusade for Christ founder Bill Bright, Young Life founder Jim Rayburn, and the Navigators founder Dawson Trotman have in common? The answer is a Sunday school teacher named Henrietta Mears. When Henrietta was thirty-eight years old, she moved to Hollywood, California. She taught Sunday school at First Presbyterian Church, and she eventually attracted an astounding attendance of 6,500 students. For four decades, she faithfully devoted herself to her passion of building a cradle-to-grave Sunday school. She also started a publishing company called Gospel Light and a successful conference centre called Forest Home. Additionally, she wrote a book, What the Bible Is All About, which has sold more than three million copies. It is impossible to estimate how many millions of people have heard the gospel through this woman and the Christian leaders she mentored and moulded for God. Take the ministry of just one of her students, Bill Bright. He started Campus Crusade for Christ, which at last count had 20,000 full-time staff plus 663,000 trained volunteers in 181 countries. Largely due to The Jesus Film project, Bill Bright's organisation has reached over 3.4 billion people with the gospel - half the world's population.

Now you may not influence millions, but you may influence one person who ends up influencing many others. Andrew, one of the twelve disciples, brought his brother Peter to Jesus, and Peter ended up bringing multitudes to him. You can make a difference. All you have to do is make yourself available to God.

In 1755, a twenty-three-year-old army colonel was running for a seat in the Virginia assembly, when he made an insulting remark as part of a campaign speech. It was addressed to a hot-tempered man named Payne, who responded by knocking the colonel down with a hickory stick. Soldiers rushed to the colonel's assistance, and it appeared a full-blown fight would ensue. But the would-be politician got up, dusted himself off, called off the soldiers and quietly left the scene. The next morning, the colonel wrote to Payne requesting his presence at a local tavern. Payne obliged, but he wondered what motives and demands the colonel might make - perhaps an apology or even a duel. To Payne's surprise, the colonel met him with an apology, asking forgiveness for his derogatory remarks and offering a handshake. Others may have viewed the move as politically expedient, but Colonel George Washington considered it personally imperative if he was to enjoy internal peace as he continued with his political campaign on his way to becoming America's first president.

Jesus said, 'If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Agree with your adversary quickly' (Matthew 5:23-25 NKJV). Solomon said, 'Here is how to get free. Don't be proud. Go to your neighbour' (Proverbs 6:2-3 NCV).

The word for today is: humble yourself, and try to make it right.

We are three-part beings: spirit, soul and body. When we make Jesus Lord of our lives, our spirit receives healing from spiritual death. But there are still two areas that need Jesus' healing touch: our souls (mind, emotions and will) and our physical bodies. God's word teaches us that physical health and mental health are irrevocably linked. 'For as he thinks in his heart, so is he' (Proverbs 23:7 NKJV). What we think about ourselves is inevitably what we become. Unhealthy thinking produces unhealthy living. John wrote: 'I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers' (3 John 1:2 NKJV).

For any area where our souls are sick - low self-esteem, negative thoughts, destructive habits - the word of God is the answer to nourishing us into a balanced and healthy state. The majority of Satan's attacks begin in the mind. He uses wrong thoughts and images in our minds to lead us away from God's best. The only way to counteract this is to stand on God's word and allow his healthy thoughts to permeate our thinking daily. Thoughts of fear can be replaced with thoughts of faith; thoughts of lack with thoughts of provision; thoughts of failure and depression can be replaced with thoughts of success and joy.

How does this change happen? Paul answered: 'Let the Spirit change your way of thinking and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God, and so you must please him and be truly holy' (Ephesians 4:23-24 CEV).

One day your heart will give a final pulse, and your lungs will empty a final breath. And barring the return of Jesus, you will die. The psalmist asked, 'What person alive will not die? Who can escape the grave' (Psalm 89:48 NCV)? Young and old, good and bad, rich and poor; neither gender is spared; no class is exempt. 'No one has power over the time of their death' (Ecclesiastes 8:8 NIV). The geniuses, the rich, the poor - no one outruns or outsmarts it. Julius Caesar died. Elvis died. John Kennedy died. Princess Diana died. We all will die. We won't escape death. The finest surgeon may enhance your life but can't eliminate your death. The Hebrew writer was blunt: 'People are destined to die once' (Hebrews 9:27 NIV). Exercise all you want. Eat nothing but healthy food and pop fists full of vitamins. Stay out of the sun, away from alcohol and off drugs. Do your best to stay alive, and still, you will die.

Death seems like such a dead end until we read Jesus' resurrection story: 'He is not here; for he is risen, as he said...Go quickly and tell his disciples...he is going before you into Galilee; there you will see him...So they went out quickly...to bring his disciples word...Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw him, they worshipped him' (Matthew 28:6-17 NKJV).

For the redeemed child of God, death is not the end but the beginning of a glorious life in Heaven that will have no end.