Winners

On May 15, 2023   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Romans 8: 37

But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

This verse clearly tells us that through Christ we are able to overcome all the situations of life. Not only do we conquer but we overwhelmingly conquer. We do not have to be defeated Christians. So well do I remember when in California I began to meet Christians who were healthy, wealthy and wise. Now that is exactly what I wanted to be. I was attracted to them because of their successful lifestyle. Then as I began to know them, I saw a closeness with the Lord Jesus that I didn’t even know was possible. I remember clearly one person telling me how he takes Jesus with him to business meetings. He revolutionized my thinking. His entire life was lived for Jesus and the Kingdom of God. He told me a financial goal he had. It was for he and his family to live on 10% of their income and give God 90%. Wow! And they were living good. What ground-breaking thinking. I have never recovered from my association with that man and his family and bless God I hope I never do.

If, when you read the scriptures, you believe them in your heart, then your thinking should undergo a transformation too. When we believe Christ and the scriptures, we will cease believing in the sickness and defeat of the world and begin to believe in the wonder working power of our God. We will rise above the challenges of the world and small thinking people. We shall become overwhelmingly victorious because of Him. He has already overcome everything for us. Now we must begin to believe Him at a new, more inspired level. Who are we going to choose to believe, the world or our Lord? Think about it. When you meditate on his greatness so that his truths anchor in your heart then you shall become an overwhelming conqueror too.

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Wrath or Love

On May 8, 2023   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.

As I age in the faith, I find that I am beginning to develop some intolerances. I find this interesting and comical in that some of my current positions were not previous strongholds. They have become that, however, and more.

One of the intolerances I am developing is towards those who characterize our Father as angry, judgmental and vengeful. Even people who know and quote today’s scripture sometimes confound its meaning by teaching, preaching and claiming God’s anger. Does an angry, vengeful God sacrifice His only son for miscreants? Only great love can motivate an act so profound. Can you imagine this verse reading, “For God was so angry that He gave His only Son.” Of course not.

God is love and He so loved that He created the greatest act in human history and, for that matter, in the heavens. He sacrificed His one and only for us even when we didn’t love Him. He wasn’t motivated by vengeance. He wasn’t trying to get retribution against an unruly race. He sacrificed the best He had to save the lot of us.

This position is especially enjoyed and understood by those who recognize their lives as in a fallen state. The issue becomes, at once, challenging when we become “the saved.” No longer are we “the world” and we begin to separate ourselves from those unholy heathens. That is when it is important to remind ourselves that God loves them even as He loves and forgives us.

It bothers me when I read books and hear people talk about “we and they” in such a way as to categorize sin and sinners. People have their pet sins and poster board sinners. I hear some ridiculous things and I am beginning to have less and less patience with those who pretend our beloved Father is angry so that they can cast some people into hell while ignoring the love of God, and the person in the mirror.

We can’t know what is in the heart of a person, but we can, and should, know the heart of the Father. Like Jesus, He is moved by compassion; He is motivated by love. Yes, He knows anger, as do we, but we are reminded that though we feel anger, it is no excuse to sin. It is not an excuse to act unbecomingly. Is our Father less graceful than we are instructed to be?

John 3:16 is arguably one of the best know verses in the Bible. Its theme is love, redemption and salvation. We should never use this verse as a means to judge others. To do so is, to me, sacrilege. If we learn only one lesson from the Bible, hold only one Biblical tenet in our hearts and minds, it must be this one, “God is love” (1 John 4: 8). However, that is not all the verse says. It also declares “The one who does not love does not know God.” So, describing God as angry and vengeful is a way to make God in our image. Because we don’t have love in our hearts, we turn God into a wrathful despot so that His reputation mirrors our self-image.

We must be careful in our assessment of others because that person whom we would condemn is the very one whom God loves so much that He sent Jesus to the cross. The purpose in my writing this devotional is to cause a shift in the church paradigm regarding evangelism, salvation and forgiveness. We need less focus on those whom we consider “sinners” and a great deal more attention on the Father, Son and Spirit. It is not for us to judge what is right and wrong, who is a sinner and who is a saint. Even Jesus said he didn’t come to judge (John 3: 17). Verse 17 says all I need to know because we are to walk according to Jesus’ ways. We need to receive the love of God in our own hearts and then share it with the rest of the world. For God so loved. . .

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The Widow’s Mite

On May 1, 2023   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

1 Kings 17: 8 – 16

Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” So he arose and went to Zarephath, and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks; and he called to her and said, “Please get me a little water in a jar, that I may drink.” And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread in you hand.” But she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have no bread, only a handful of flour in the bowl and a little oil in the jar; and behold, I am gathering a few sticks that I may go in and prepare for me and my son, that we may eat it and die.” Then Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go, do as you have said, but make me a little bread cake from it first, and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son. For thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain on the face of the earth.’”

This is not the story you expected when you saw the title, but you will see that this woman, like the widow in Luke 12: 44, gave all she had, the very last of her provision. The widow woman of Zarephath was in the midst of a drought and a famine. She was in hard economic times, not unlike many of us today. When the economy is bad, like it was in Zarephath, people need to hear from God.

The story actually begins with God telling Elijah to go to Zarephath because He had appointed a widow there to provide for him. When Elijah arrived in Zarephath, he found that his “provider” was so broke and destitute that she was gathering sticks to make a fire so that she could use the last handful of flour and the last bit of oil to make a bread cake for her and her son to share. Her after dinner plan was for them to lay down and die. She was done. She had no more money and no prospects. As far as she was concerned it was all over. This is to whom God sent Elijah for sustenance. Now how was the widow supposed to care for Elijah when she couldn’t even care for the needs of herself and her son? God knew that this woman needed a miracle. That is why He sent his prophet and a prophetic word to her.

I want you to notice the first thing that Elijah said to the woman when she told him she had neither meal nor oil. He said, “Do not fear.” Fear is the first thing that has to be dealt with in hard times of any kind. Often, when an angel would visit someone, the first thing the angel would say is, “Fear not.” We’ve got to get that fear out of our environment so that faith has an opportunity to work. Faith and Fear are opposites so you can’t have a faith environment where there is rampant fear. So, fear was the first thing Elijah had to deal with in order to get this woman’s miracle to her. How was she going to walk in faith and make a cake for Elijah as long as she was gripped by fear? She would have been unable. But faith took hold in her, and she did as Elijah said. And she received her miracle. Her flour bowl was constantly full as well as her jar of oil. She was, therefore, able to support Elijah as well as feed herself and her son.

The first step to your financial breakthrough is to rid yourself and your household of fear. Don’t mind what the economists and broadcast media tell you. Use the newspaper as kindling if you must. Those sources are going to be sources of fear, not faith. And where do you find faith? “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ (Romans 10: 17). You’ve got to hear God and what He says about your situation. God’s word has got to be your final authority like it was for the widow woman rather than what the media says or the way things look. Facts are situational. They can change today and no longer be the fact at all.

Second, don’t be afraid to give. Do you see that the widow’s own miracle was in her seed. God sent Elijah to her so that He could give her a miracle. She sowed the last of her flour and oil into the Kingdom of God by feeding it to God’s prophet and God made her flour bowl and oil vat bottomless. That was some well invested flour and oil!

Listen because God is calling out to his kids. God may be speaking to you right now. He wants you to be free of financial care. He desires to have your cup runneth over. Take some time to listen to God and then hearken to the voice of the Lord.

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Fire and Ashes

On April 24, 2023   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Leviticus 9: 10

On the altar he burned . . .

Recently, Father told me to take all the things I am doing and place them on the altar. In fact, He told me to write them all down on a piece of paper. Putting something on the altar is figurative, in a sense. Most of us don’t have an actual altar to put something upon, but the image of placing something on the altar is still a strong image. Writing something on a sheet of paper gives us a visual anchor to pair with our image of the altar. Paper is tangible so this helps us appreciate this action as real.

So, I took out a sheet of paper and wrote out what Father showed me. Having a list before my eyes made it easier to see what He was teaching me. I understood Him to say that everything from that list needed to go on the altar. So, I dutifully obeyed and thought that was the end of it. The following week, though, the altar, and that list, were back before my eyes.

In my devotional time, I heard within me, very distinctly, to put a match to the offering. I was actually a little surprised by this. I thought I had put those things on the altar to God which is demonstrative of me giving those things to Him, allowing Him to be Lord over each item on the list. I did it, it’s done. Not so fast grasshopper! Light the offering. Set it afire! What happens then? Well, it is a bit hard to go take something off the altar once it has been burned to ashes. And, that’s the point.

In the Old Testament, people put their offerings on the altar and then set them on fire. There were no takebacks as with children playing their games. God requires us to offer and release. I didn’t physically burn the piece of paper though you could if that helped you to have a picture of release. Instead, my sheet of paper is still on my desk where I see it and am reminded that each of those things have been given and released to Yahweh.

Whether it is your job, volunteer work or even hobbies, it is important that we put all of life’s activities in the Lord’s hands, allowing him to guide us and help us manage the expenditure of our energy. I laugh with my retired friends who now wonder how they got everything done when they were working because their time is so full now. That is how we are. We will fill every crack of time and still don’t have time for the “One Thing.” We wear ourselves out worrying about many things when, as Jesus said, there is only one thing which is needful. Don’t be an Ivey. Don’t be a Martha. Be Mary who chose to spend her time and energy, not serving Christ necessarily, but being with him. Lay down your burdens upon the altar of Christ and sit with him.

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The Established Throne

On April 17, 2023   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Isaiah 16: 5

When oppression and destruction have ceased and enemy raiders have disappeared, then David’s throne will be established by love. From that throne, a faithful king will reign, one who always does what is just and right.

This is an interesting verse because it shows an important link between two biblical principles, love and righteousness. We have talked about righteousness lately, learning that it means that things are as they should be. Really a good way to think of righteousness is that things are “right.” That is what this verse says about the faithful king, the one who reigns forever. He does things right therefore his throne is established in righteousness.

Of course, this righteous, faithful king is Jesus. He sits on the throne. What I find interesting, especially in that this is an old testament verse, is that the throne is established “by love.” Of all the ideals that Yahweh could have chosen for the founding of the everlasting throne, He chose love. Why not righteousness or justice; why not faith?

I have noticed a change in me. I remember a time when I thought the pastors who preached on love sounded like sissies. Now, I would only follow the teachings of someone who is rooted and grounded in love (Ephesians 3: 17). I have come to understand that our Father is love (1 John 4: 8).

We spend a lot of energy on a lot of emotions, but much of it is wasted. When we eventually circle back around to love we find peace. I have decided, for myself, that I am only interested in the messages that acknowledge that our Lord is seated on a throne established by love. God isn’t beating people up. He isn’t angry. Some of the preachers who yell judgment and condemnation are the very ones who quote John 3: 16 to us day and night, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.” How is it that we miss the key word, the reason God sent his only son? Love.

I don’t, and I don’t think you should, follow teachers who don’t spiritually, practically and theologically set up their abode in the doctrine of love. God established His throne, anchored it and founded it on love. That should be good news for us all. Don’t let anyone lead you down the path to an angry God because that is not Yahweh. We can never establish our destined relationship or find our destiny if we do not first understand that Father is always motivated by and moving by love. It is one thing you need to know about our Father. It is our one pursuit. To know Him is to know love.

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Being Right

On April 10, 2023   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Romans 10: 3

For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.

I’ve saved this message for the end so that in this final devotion we can see the encapsulation of Jesus’ message on righteousness and, therefore, be more able to integrate the truth of his teaching into our thoughts, hearts and practices.

I said last week that righteousness and holiness are not the same thing though they are often treated as synonyms. The actual translation of righteousness is “as it should be.” My esteemed friend, Chuck Goldberg, brought this out in our conversation on righteousness. He was saying that righteousness is nothing more, or less, than just being in our “right” place with Christ. It is allowing our lives, actions, etc. to just be as they should be. When we follow Christ and follow his teachings, things line up, and isn’t that “as it should be.”

It makes perfect sense once you can wrap your head around it. If we wish to be righteous, if we wish to practice righteousness, we only need let things align as they rightfully should. We don’t need a mallet to drive the proverbial square peg into the round hole of our existence. It is not a matter of force or will power. It is the simple BEING with Christ in his holiness. We need to relax in his presence and just follow. Unrighteousness is more often a product of our will and our mental constructs. When we try to be holy in our own strength and according to our perceptions of righteousness, we are most likely to go astray, finding ourselves in works of the flesh rather than righteousness.

In a sense, righteousness is simple, perhaps not easy always, but simple because in its most basic iteration, it is just following in Jesus’ footsteps. We don’t need to figure out much. Just put your foot where Jesus trod. Do what he did. Learn of him. Let his teachings be your path and guide.

We get ourselves in trouble when we try to make righteousness into a spiritual ritual when it is actually living and walking with Jesus. Being right is just Being with Jesus. We have created religious monuments of rites, rituals, and services. We have built mountainous doctrines in our attempts to be righteous which is amazing when we discover how simple Jesus made it.

Self-righteousness is always hard. In fact, it is impossible for us to be righteous. That is one of the reasons we needed Jesus. He just is righteous. Therefore, we only need hide ourselves in him, become intertwined with him. It was this ideal which inspired the Ivey Ministries logo. Maybe the logo can inspire you and be a reminder of the kind of relationship Jesus wants with you. The more you two intertwine, the more you will find “rightness” isn’t so farfetched an idea. Rightness (righteousness) is just being with Jesus and allowing him to influence our way of Being. Be with him, in him and be “right” with God.

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Getting it Right

On April 3, 2023   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Matthew 6: 5

Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

2 So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

5 When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

I think this is a fascinating study and I hope you are enjoying it and really thinking through it. Imagine sitting with Jesus when He began to teach on righteousness. Wouldn’t you be curious to discover his ideas on what constitutes righteousness? What would your reaction have been when he began to discuss a relationship between practicing righteousness and being rewarded by God. Would that have made you uncomfortable, as it did me. As you sat there, anticipating what Jesus would say next, what thoughts were racing through your mind?

We think of righteousness as holiness. However they are not the same. In our skewed mindset, the last thing most of us would expect Jesus characterize as a practice of righteousness would be donating money. Money is dirty, right? And we certainly think it is profane for people to suggest we give away our money. It’s not so dirty when it’s in our hands but it certainly takes on a vile stench when someone suggests we give it away. Further, to link righteousness with filthy lucre is insane, right?

Well, we should all feel a bit more comfortable today because Jesus’ second point regarding practicing righteousness was on prayer. He said that some people make pretty, public prayers just so they can be seen as spiritual. He said they lose their reward. Ooops! There goes our holiness meter again. Doesn’t Jesus know that it is sacrilegious for him to suggest that our Father will reward us for praying? I mean, isn’t that kind of repugnant to our way of thinking?

Interestingly, that is Jesus’ whole point in this New Testament teachings. His ways are not our ways. He came painting a different spiritual landscape. Almost everything he said ruffled peoples’ feathers. That much has not changed.

We are going to have one more devotion on this subject before we move on. In that one, we will learn even more about the reality of righteousness. For now, I hope we have been able to loosen some religious strongholds and see truth from Jesus’ perspective. In these few verses he showed us that practicing righteousness is as simple as giving money and praying. Second, he taught that these are to be private practices, just between us and the Father; not secretive, just private practice. There is a difference. Selah! Third, Jesus taught that the Father rewards us for practicing righteousness. Because of Jesus’ teaching, we should expect to be rewarded. Many of us might need to shake the holiness dust from our robes and put on the new garment of Jesus’ teaching. It is befuddling, I agree, but, after all, Jesus is the stumbling block and blessed is the one who does not stumble over him and his teachings.

I hope you have been challenged, but I also pray that you have found liberty so far. Where Jesus is, there is freedom. All his teaching is truth, and his truth sets us free. Let this righteousness teaching revitalize you and lift you higher.

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