Nellie and Pam

On May 5, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Joshua 14: 7      NLT

I returned and gave from my heart a good report, but my brothers who went with me frightened the people and discouraged them.

When Moses sent out the twelve men to spy out the land God was to give them, two came back with a positive report and ten delivered a negative report. You know, those stats are about right. There are way more negative Nellies than Positive Pams. What made these two, Joshua and Caleb, so different?

The answer is easy, following in their footsteps, perhaps not so much. Today’s verse is the retelling straight from the mouth of Caleb. All twelve men saw the same things, but Caleb tells us the difference. He and Joshua gave their report from their hearts. They saw the promise of God and it filled their hearts with good news. It was from their hearts that they poured out the good news about the land flowing with milk and honey. The other ten, they gave a report from their minds.

Even though all twelve saw the same abundance that Caleb saw, ten of them didn’t take it to heart. Instead, they saw with their minds and so they, imagined all the problems that could arise. When the ten reported back to Moses, they reported from their minds rather than their hearts and thus, spread a report that discouraged the people. Joshua and Caleb knew how to see with their hearts and report from their hearts which allowed them to not only see the blessing in the land, but also allowed them to see the Israelites in possession of the land. They said the land was just as God promised and encouraged the nation to go up and possess it.

There are several lessons here. First, don’t listen to the negative report. The Israelites could have possessed the land in that moment had they listened to Joshua and Caleb. Instead, they listened to the negative news. Man, turn off the negative news!!!!! It will kill you and it is daily robbing you of your promised land.

The bigger lesson though, is in putting yourself in the shoes of any one of the twelve. Who do you want to be? Are you a Nellie or a Pam? Which do you prefer to be? You do get to choose, you know? If you want to be a positive person, a person who can see and possess the promise of God, then you have to learn to see with your heart. I have an expression which I think is appropriate here. “The facts don’t count.” They really don’t. Look at the vision, the promise and ignore the obstacles. Jesus has taught us how to overcome obstacles. That’s really the easy part. The hard part is looking beyond the obstacles and seeing the land flowing with milk and honey. It is right here in front of us, you know? If you lift your eyes out of the everyday hum drum and look to the horizon with your heart, you will see the Promised Land. I promise.

What is your Promised Land? Is it healing in your body? A new car? How about paying off your mortgage? Maybe you want your child to get into a particular school or program. God has blessing upon blessing for you. Don’t look with your mind. Don’t let the facts get between you and the promise. Look with your heart at the promise of God and when you lift your eyes, you will see the land of promise. Whatever you believe in your heart, is what you will have.

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The catch

On May 4, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 21: 3 – 6

Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are also coming with you.” They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.

But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. So Jesus said to them, “Children, you do not have any fish to eat, do you?” They answered Him, “No.” And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you will find the fish.” So they cast it, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great quantity of fish.

The back story is that as far as the disciples were concerned Jesus was dead and this whole revival was a washout. Even if they believed he had arisen, they didn’t know what that meant for them. What were they to do now that the Lord was gone? So, they reverted back to what they knew. They went fishing. Fishing is what they did before they met Jesus.

The disciples fished all night and caught nothing. How exasperating that must have been. They went back to what they knew and failed miserably. The next morning as they were returning to shore, they encountered Jesus standing on the beach. They didn’t know who it was though. He called out to them telling them to cast their net on the right-hand side of the boat. Amazingly, they did as he said which resulted in a great catch.

Imagine their situation though. These fellows knew how to fish. It was their area of expertise. Here they were returning with an empty boat after a long night of fishing. What would your reaction have been if some joker on the shore who probably got a good night’s sleep told you to cast your nets yet again and specifically to cast them on a particular side of the boat? I mean who is this guy and why is he getting in their business?

As you see, they did comply, and the quantity of fish was so great that they couldn’t even haul it aboard. They had to drag the net to the shore. As soon as John saw the enormous catch he said, “It is the Lord!” (v. 7). John knew the blessing of the Lord when he saw it. He knew that catch was the manifestation of Jesus on the scene, so he knew at once who the man on the shore had to be.

What a tremendous story this is, but it also teaches us something. It represents doing things our way versus doing life according to Jesus’ instructions. I will tell you plainly, I am like the disciples. Let’s just figure out what to do and get on with it. However, if we will wait on the Lord and inquire of him, we will receive a tremendous haul rather than having to wash a bunch of nets which netted us nothing. How much energy do we throw at something only to get minimal or even no results? If we would but check in with Jesus first, we can be eating fish instead of washing empty nets.

It also seems that when we do business, ministry, or whatever according to Jesus’ leading and instructions, we get more done in less time. Those boys could have saved themselves a whole night of fishing. One gets the sense from this passage that as soon as they let down their net according to Jesus’ instructions, they immediately took in a great haul. Whatsmore, they did not have to let down their nets multiple times. Just one cast got them a catch so large that they could barely tow it to shore.

So, what sounds better to you, toil or results? Here is what I am saying to myself. Get up in the morning and read my Bible and pray first. Check in with Jesus about the day and let him guide my steps and work. Frankly, my plate is full enough that I don’t need to waste my time on useless enterprises. Jesus, just tell me what to do that I may bear fruit! Now, what do you say?

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Get Blessed

On May 3, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Exodus 22: 29             NIV

Do not hold back offerings from your granaries or your vats.

I have a couple of questions for you today. First, why did Father God command us to tithe? Second, why do we hate hearing messages about tithing? What about offerings? You see, I think those questions demonstrate how little we understand about Kingdom dynamics and Kingdom finances. There are preachers all over this country who are afraid to teach on tithing because their congregations eat them alive when they talk about giving. However, when you understand about giving to God, you realize that those preachers are almost stealing from their parishioners by not teaching tithing and offerings. So, let’s look at this and see if we can resolve some questions. Why tithe and why did Father command it here?

Do you see this verse as a command? I do. It doesn’t strike fear in our hearts as if an angry God is berating us, but it does sound like an imperative. Therefore, for me, it is enough that God said do it, but why do you think God told us to give? It’s not that He needs our money, right? I mean, after all, His streets are paved with gold. I mean, he walks on gold pavers. He doesn’t worship it like people do, so why does He want us to give? Actually, He doesn’t want us to give, He requires us to give, so let’s take a look at this.

First, is this God speaking to us, because it is important to figure out if it is God or man who gives this directive. When you are sitting in church, you might not be clear on this. Does the preacher just want to get in your pocket or is God speaking? Let’s look at the leading scripture on tithing, Malachi 3: 10, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and put Me to the test now in this,” says the Lord of armies, “if I do not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.” How do people not love this verse? I love it. Some, I guess, hear that they have to give away their money. I hear, God is blessing me until it overflows. And, what a deal, I only have to give Him back 10% of what He gave me in the first place. That is a financially sound deal. Not only that, but He actually gives me the seed to sow. I could teach on this for days, but can’t you see right here that the reason God requires the tithe is twofold? First, it is our duty to pay for the ministers. Don’t you see that? Tithing is meant to provide bread for God’s servants.

Second, God devised this means of getting the blessing to us. Essentially, He tells us that if we will provide for His ministers, He will pour out His treasury for us. Paul taught this too. He said, “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus,” (Philippians 4: 19). Why did he use the conjunction “and” here? Because of what went before, “Now that Epaphroditus has brought me your gifts, you have filled my needs,” (Philippians 4: 18 GW). You see, this is just scriptural. You provide for the ministers and God provides for you. This is how Kingdom Finances works.

Tithes and offerings are part of our covenant with God. We ask Him for a lot, and He wants us to, but we have some obligations too. The tithe is 10% of your gross income and it is to be given to the church for the support of the church and the ministers. It is not for the Humane Society or even the MS Foundation, which I support. Those are called charitable gifts and are to be encouraged. They do not, however, qualify as part of your tithe. The entire 10% of gross income goes to the church. If you are a member of a congregation, then you would sow your tithe there. Offerings, then, are a good opportunity to support the other ministries which feed you. Ministers provide a lot of content for free, but it’s not free to them. It costs much and your offerings are the means by which you honor what you feed on from them (us). It is how they feed their families and it is how you support the work of the gospel. If you are not a member of a local congregation, then you should give the 10% to the ministries which are supporting you.

We are so tight fisted and selfish that we rob ourselves. It’s crazy, but when we begin to understand God’s benevolence and how He created His Kingdom to operate, then we can live in unlimited blessing all the time. Then you won’t have to squabble with God about giving 10%. You will have more than enough for yourself, your tithe, offerings, charitable gifts and a full life. It is all in the Kingdom, just waiting for you. Open your hand. Tight fists cannot receive. Just sayin’.

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Faith Calls

On May 2, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Luke 18: 40

Jesus stopped and ordered them to bring the man to him.

A funny thing happened on the way from the showers . . .. I was at a bicycle weekend recently. My friends and I were walking back to our campsite after leaving the shower truck and walking by some lovely old homes in Edenton, NC. As we walked past one particular house, there were people sitting on the porch and somehow we began speaking with them. I noticed a crutch leaning against the house and asked to whom it belonged. A woman there said it was hers and without a moment’s hesitation I asked if I could pray for her. I didn’t know her from Adam and didn’t know what her ailment was. I just felt compelled to pray for her, so I did.

As I mounted the porch, she arose telling me she had scoliosis. Well, given one more minute I would have surmised as much for she was bent over. I prayed for her and as I prayed, I felt the Spirit moving. The woman began to pray along with me. I know something happened that day though when I left, she was not standing upright like when Jesus prayed for the woman in Luke 13: 13.

Days later I was thinking about this incident, and something struck me. The two ladies I was walking with each had a need. One has MS and the other has Celiac Disease. I did not have a compulsion to pray for them even though I camped with them all weekend, but I was compelled to pray for a woman I literally was walking by and didn’t know at all. Isn’t that interesting? What was the difference?

Faith calls. Faith pulls. Faith demands. It turns out that the woman with scoliosis, Connie, is a person of faith. In fact, she is the worship leader at her church. The spirit in her sensed the spirit in me and pulled on that anointing whereas the two women with me have no faith for healing.

This was astounding to me. As I pondered this event, I recalled James 5: 14 – 15. It reads, “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up.” The person who is sick is to call for the elders and the prayer offered in faith shall restore the one who is sick. My friends had no faith, but Connie did. Her faith reached right out to me and stopped me in my tracks the way Jesus was often arrested by faith. Isn’t that amazing?

I think too about the woman with the hemorrhage. She, literally, went and pulled on Jesus. There is a lesson here. Your faith heals. Jesus felt power go out of him. He told the woman, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well,” (Matthew 9: 22). That statement causes me to pause. We know God is the healer, but our faith must connect with that healing power and that is when the miracle happens. Even though Jesus didn’t know the woman was there, her faith reached out and took a miracle. Bless God!

Did you know that Jesus couldn’t always work miracles? Mark 6: 5 reads, “And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them,” (NLV). As crazy as this first sounds, it does make sense when you recall Revelation 12: 11, “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony.” We would think that the blood of the Lamb is sufficient to overcome all obstacles, but we would be wrong and unbiblical. This scripture is very clear in teaching that overcoming is the product of the blood and the “word of their testimony” or, in other words, the words of our mouth. This reality makes us uncomfortable for two reasons. First, it places responsibility on our shoulders when we just want Jesus to make everything alright for us. Second, it defies our theology. We have been taught God is omnipotent and we took that to mean that He acts independently of us. That just isn’t Biblically sound. There is nothing in the Bible that says that. In fact, it says just the opposite. Psalm 115: 16 says, “The heavens are the heavens of the Lord, but the earth He has given to the sons of men.” God gave us freewill, and He gave us authority and He will not usurp either.

Well, this devotional might speak to a number of different things for you today. One take away for me is that you never know when God is going to move or when and how He is going to teach you something. I would have never guessed that the blessing of the Lord would manifest while I was walking from a shower truck to my tent with a towel slung over my shoulder, but there He was. Ready to bless someone. Oh, but this touches my spirit. Paul told Timothy to be ready in season and out (2 Timothy 4: 2) and brother, I am glad I was ready. We were also taught to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5: 17). That means even when you are not at church and not dressed up.  Be ready to pray at all times.

You can see the implications for an entire message in each of those scriptures as it relates to this experience. So, be ready at any time to minister but also, stir up your faith for whatever you need. Pull on the anointing in your spiritual leaders. If you aren’t calling me or writing me, you are missing an opportunity for God to minister to your need. Be filled and overflowing in Jesus’ name.

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Unchangeable

On April 29, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Hebrews 13: 8

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever.

Jesus is good, all the time. In the verse from yesterday, we read that he went about doing good. Everywhere he went, he healed the sick. The good news is that he is the same today as he was on that day and every day he walked the earth. He is still healing. He is still setting free. He is Lord and he has arisen with healing in his wings.

Today concludes the healing series. I hope you have enjoyed this series but, more importantly, that you got something from it. I hope you shared it with others and that they received revelation from the Lord too.

You have a plethora of verses which you can continue to review as often as you wish. All these daily devotionals are archived on the Ivey Ministries website. Besides that, I hope you have retained some verses which captured your attention. If nothing grabbed you, then I strongly encourage you to review them so that you gain what the Lord intends for you.

Today’s verse reminds us that the God of the Old Testament and the God of tomorrow are the same and that the promises are for today. Healing is for today. Anyone who tells you differently is trying to steal from you. Don’t listen to them because they are not speaking Biblically. I don’t care how smart and educated they sound. You don’t need a PhD. in Biblical studies to understand today’s verse. Jesus is the same today as he was yesterday; the same as he was when he healed in the New Testament accounts. That is exactly what this verse was intended to teach us. He has not changed his mind about healing.

Feel free to write me at any time with questions or if there is something you would like to discuss. For those of you who do not own a copy of my book, this might be a good time to purchase it. It is a wonderful tool for a Bible discussion group. Click Here to go to our website to purchase your own copy.

I leave you with this, “Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers,” (3 John 1: 2).

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Be Healed

On April 28, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Acts 10: 38

You know of Jesus of Nazareth . . . and how He went about . . . healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

Today’s devotional is about Easter. Why do we celebrate Easter? Isn’t it because it is Resurrection Day? Our refrain is “He’s Alive!” So, if he is alive, is he still going about healing all who are oppressed or has he sat down on his laurels. I think both answers result in “I Am Healed,” or better still, “by His wounds [I was] healed,” (1 Peter 2: 24) because Jesus is either still going about doing good or he has sat down because “It is finished” (John 19: 30). Either way, you win!

You probably cannot appreciate how fervently I hope and pray that this series is impacting your life and health. The revelation that the Lord has provided has been astounding. We’ve seen that long before Jesus graced the earth, God declared Himself our healer. Then Jesus came and healed all who came to him. Even when they were not entitled, they pulled on that anointing within him and received. Some of them were just plain stubborn. Others, dared to hope.

God intended to spread His blessing across the earth. Initially, the blessing was sown in the Garden of Eden and that garden was supposed to expand until it covered the entire surface of the earth. Unfortunately, man’s insurrection allowed the curse to enter the earth. However, God had a plan. He sowed the blessing back into the soil of the earth when He buried His own son. Today’s verse capitalizes on that plan so perfectly in demonstrating God’s intent. Jesus went about doing good and healing all who were sick because “God was with Him.” Wow! That is remarkable. It seems, then, that “God with me” results in healing and the end of oppression and what is Jesus’ appointed name and title? Immanuel, which means God is with me.

Because Jesus is with us and because he and the Father have come to live within us, there is no good thing which is unavailable. They are good, they can only do good. When Christ is with us, there is health, healing, anointing, blessing, grace, mercy, peace and all other forms of goodness.

Jesus is still going about doing good and healing all who are oppressed. He is not dead. He is alive, praise God! The power and love which is reflected in today’s verse is still present and has no choice but to dwell in goodness. Jesus didn’t go about cursing people. He went around blessing them so if he is alive now, what is he doing? Is he without power now that he has been resurrected? I hardly think so.

Let this revelation cause joy to arise in your heart. Everywhere Jesus went, he healed. Where is Jesus right now? Is he not in your very own spirit? Have you not invited him to come live inside of you? I mean, let this truth go off in you like July 4th fireworks. This is the day of the Lord’s grace. This day he has healing in his hands. I pray you will be stubborn, confident, audacious and brave. If the Lord healed a Canaanite woman’s child and a Roman soldier’s servant, then why would he not heal you? It’s okay for you to demand your rights and stand on your promise. Be oppressed no longer. Be healed!

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Bravado

On April 27, 2022   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Hebrews 10: 35

Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.

Today we see a series within a series. Yesterday we talked about holding on to our confession of hope which built on Monday’s word of our testimony, our testimony reflecting our confidence in Christ. You will have undoubtedly noticed that I have referred you back to previous Word of the Day devotions several times. The reason is that these verses build upon one another and intertwine. Together they form a matrix of revelation and a pattern of behavior.

We began with God’s promises. Then we saw how to use those promises to affect healing in our bodies and now we have come to maintaining our stance in those promises, knowing that the blood will not fail and that He who promised is faithful. Our faith in God’s word and in His promises bolsters us and gives power to our prayers for our confidence is in Him.

As we close this series, we arrive at this point, “Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might . . . having done everything, to stand firm,” (Ephesians 6: 10, 13). This is where the rubber meets the road, as they say. Yesterday’s Word of the Day was titled Hang On! I wrote that we are in need of endurance, but when I think of the woman with the issue of blood (WOTD 4/14/22 Deliberate Faith) I think the better word is tenacity. That woman would not be denied. Or, how about the Canaanite woman who, wanting healing for her child, would not relent even when Jesus shunned her repeatedly and told her, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” He called her a dog, for goodness’ sakes! Because she was a Canaanite, she had no promise upon which to rely. She had no right to the children’s bread. None the less, she replied to Jesus, “Yes, Lord; but please help, for even the dogs feed on the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” That was a bold statement to make to the Lord. Indeed that was bravado, but she would not be denied. She was resolute, being full of confidence, not in her right, but in Jesus’ ability. She was determined and though she had no covenant upon which to stand she moved Jesus. “Then Jesus said to her, ‘O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed at once,” (See Matthew 15: 22 – 28).

Let that story minister to your heart because that woman did not have a promise to stand on, but you do. We have need of confidence so that we, too, will stand firm being unmoved by doctor’s reports, the evidence of our eyes or other people’s opinions. We’ve got to hang on even when it looks like we are denied even the crumbs from the master’s table. We do have the promises. We have the right to petition Christ. In fact, he promised, “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it,” (John 14: 14). He expects us to call upon him and to receive what we desire.

We must hang on to our confession of faith, maintaining confidence in he who promised. Don’t let anything or anyone change your mind, heart or words from agreement with the Christ. He endured torture and the cross so that we can walk in divine health. Listen to the voice of the Lord guiding you in the way you should go. Pay close attention as he leads you in dietary choices and more. He is the Lord of wholeness, not brokenness. He is the Prince of Shalom, perfect peace in heart, soul and body. “Bless the Lord, my soul, and do not forget any of His benefits,” (Psalm 103: 2).

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