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God Reveals His Mysteries

Ivey Rorie On April 8, 2014 / Word of the Day / Leave a comment

Luke 10: 21

At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I praise Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes. Yes, Father, for thus it was well-pleasing in Thy sight.”

Have you ever thought that perhaps you are not the sharpest knife in the drawer? Well, today is your day. All those folks who think they are so wise and intelligent are eating your dust because God has chosen to reveal His great and mighty wonders to those who are not so impressed with their great intellect.

Truth be told, our esteem for our brain power is a huge road block in hearing the voice of God. We can easily get so caught up in our minds and in our thoughts that the voice of God is hard to hear. We hear too much of ourselves to hear Him. The truly wise are those who have not enthroned their intellect on the shrine of their hearts and have instead learned how to have a sensitive, open heart because it is really with our hearts that we hear God. God has come and made His abode in our hearts so it is right there in our hearts that the secrets of God are going to be revealed.

The learned of Jesus’ time had a hard time receiving the truth of Messiah. Even the Apostle Paul who had the right education and was scholarly almost missed the boat entirely. God had to arrest him with an extreme encounter to open his eyes. Paul was endeavoring to serve God with all his might as he persecuted and tortured Christians. He was zealous in his service to God even though he was so far off base. As long as he served God in his mind and his intellect, he fell far from the mark. Once God showed him that his mind needed to be renewed he came to understand that we serve God out of love overflowing from our hearts rather than our minds, our intellect or our education.

Don’t get me wrong. I am all for education. Paul told Timothy to study to show himself approved (2 Timothy 2: 15). But we need to understand how minimal our intellect is in the grand scheme and realize that our hearts have much greater capacity than our brains. Look at Sister Teresa. I don’t know if she was ever acclaimed for her IQ but her heart and her devotion sure made an impression on the world. It was when the Apostle Paul fell in love with Jesus that he yielded his service and changed the course of human history.

So, don’t be too impressed with your intellect. Rather let it serve you as you study God’s Word. God is all too happy to reveal His great mysteries to you as you yield yourself to Him. You don’t have to reason out the great mysteries of life. You don’t have to figure out everything. God will just show you if you will let Him.

Jesus and the Pharisees

Ivey Rorie On April 7, 2014 / Word of the Day / Leave a comment

Luke 11: 42

But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.

Jesus exclaimed to the Pharisees that they should tithe but in so doing they should not neglect justice and the love of God. They had one part down, at least they were tithing, but they were not showing the kindness, love and mercy that God requires.

Some people say that tithing is an Old Testament idea. Apparently, they forgot to tell Jesus. He says that the Pharisees were correct in their giving of ten percent of their income but that they erred in what they withheld. Jesus told them that the love of God extends beyond the tithe. It must be expressed to our fellows through tenderness, grace, kindness and a gentle heart.

We know that Jesus had real issues with the Pharisees and I find it easy sometimes to look down my nose at them. I like to think that if I had lived in those days I would not have erred the way the Pharisees did. We are more sophisticated in our faith and in revelation knowledge, aren’t we? But then I look around and I wonder . . . are we bountiful in justice and mercy? Do we express the love of God that He has so abundantly given to us?

And what of the tithe? Statistics tell us that an extremely small percentage of American Christians tithe? This makes me wonder. If Jesus were to tarry, how will future generations perceive us? Will they say that we were much more savvy and dedicated in our faith than our predecessors? Or will they think we were the generation that served God with our lips but our hearts were far away (Matthew 15:8). Is Jesus’ blood calling us hypocrites? Do we serve him only with our mouths but not with our hearts or even our pocketbooks? Tithing should be the easy part, even the Pharisees did that. And if we have withheld our hearts and the gifts of our bounty, how can we change a generation of people?

Judgment has not been given into our hands but intercession has. We do not need a move of the Holy Spirit in order to pray for our church, land and generation. We are living in a better dispensation that the nation of Israel. We have a better covenant based on better promises and with a better mediator (Hebrews 8: 6). It seems that we ought, therefore, to be able to live a life beyond that of the Pharisees; a life of greater enlightenment and grace and of more impactful prayers since we can pray in the name of Jesus. Individually and then collectively we can become the people of God’s hand, a people after His own heart. As we allow the love of God which has been shed abroad in our hearts to bloom and swell it overflows with love for all people and generosity is a by-product of the grace that our Father has shown us. You and I can change our nation, our town and our church. When we clasp hands and faith in the name above all names, mountains must move. Let us be known as the mighty church.

Jesus, Your Brother

Ivey Rorie On April 4, 2014 / Word of the Day / Leave a comment

Luke 8: 21 NIV

He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”

Jesus taught how we can be one of his relations, or part of his family. It is a two-step process. First we must hear God’s word. Second, we must put it into practice. His brother James was listening. James later wrote, “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers, who delude themselves” (James 1: 22). He said we are supposed to “receive the word implanted” (v. 21).

First we must each ask ourselves, “Do we want to be close with Jesus, even as close as a brother?” Secondly, “What are we willing to do in order to achieve that personal closeness with him?” Frankly, not everyone is willing to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus. That’s okay, it is a personal choice but for those who do crave intimacy with the Lord Jesus he has shown the way.

Jesus put an emphasis on God’s word. He told us we must put ourselves in a position to hear God’s word. Bear in mind they didn’t have the written word in abundance like we do today. We can “hear” the word in many ways. One of those ways, I would suggest, is in reading it for ourselves. Furthermore, there is an incredible amount of free teaching available on television, radio and the internet. Many ministers even allow people to download this content to their own device. I find that remarkable. What other profession gives away their work product for free? We can hear great messages every single day.

Brother James teaches us that we are to receive this word implanted. When you hear the word, you must then receive it. Just hearing someone speak the Word of the God won’t do a thing for you if you don’t receive it. I believe James is telling us to plant the Word of God in our hearts. This principle is well taught by Jesus in Luke 8: 15 where the sower sows the word to our hearts. There are quite a few scriptures that speak about the relationship between God’s Word and our hearts. Look at Deuteronomy 6:6 for example, “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.” This is our starting place then. We can’t do God’s Word if we do not first hear it and in that hearing receive it into our hearts. This is not a brain game. It is a matter of the heart. What, then, is the condition of your heart? Is it the good soil that Jesus speaks about in Luke 8 or is it hard like the stony ground?

Fellowship with Jesus begins with God’s Word. Perhaps hearing that thrills you. I hope so. Maybe, though, you are one of those who does not want to give time and place to the Word of God. I am very sorry because there is no getting around this one. No amount of intellectualization, even, is going to provide an argument that supports that position. We must all come to a place in our lives where we are willing to let Jesus be the absolute Lord of our lives and do, therefore, what he says. Either he is Lord of our lives or he is not but if he is then we should follow his instructions and his teachings. He came to give us abundant life. That is all he is trying to do with his instruction. He is trying to bless us but in order for us to receive the greatest of gifts we are going to have to taste humility.

As you turn your face to Jesus, soften your heart and receive his word implanted therein. Then we can talk about putting it into practice. Then we probably won’t have to.

Your Divine Reputation

Ivey Rorie On April 3, 2014 / Word of the Day / Leave a comment

Deuteronomy 1: 34 – 36 NIV

When the Lord heard what you said, he was angry and solemnly swore; “Not a man of this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your forefathers, except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on, because he followed the Lord wholeheartedly.”

God spoke audibly from heaven about Jesus saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased (Matthew 3: 16). We are told of David that he was a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13: 14) and we know that Enoch walked with God (Genesis 6: 24). You can think of other great heroes of the Bible and their remarkable tales. We see how these Biblical giants are remembered. Do you remember the woman who poured the costly perfume on Jesus? She was criticized for her act but Jesus said that as long as the gospel is preached she will be remembered (Matthew 26: 13). Of Caleb it was said that “he followed the Lord wholeheartedly.” The question is, how do we wish to be remembered?

Most of us want to please the Lord and we sometimes talk about what God will say of us when we meet Him face to face. Perhaps we do not individually have the faith of Abraham or the bravado of Peter. Maybe we are not great leaders as was Moses or as trusting as David but I believe we can all attain the reputation of Caleb, that we serve the Lord wholeheartedly.

It is hard in this modern society not to be divided in attention and loyalty but I suppose every generation has had that challenge. Somehow Caleb was able to fix his heart on God and follow Him with all his heart. He was allowed to go into the Promised Land when many, many others were not. Caleb chose to believe God and to follow Him in a time when it was not popular. He was, in fact, part of a small minority. He chose, though, who he would follow and didn’t let anything dissuade him, not even the giants that were living in the Promised Land.

We too can be Calebs in our generation. We can live to God and follow wherever He leads. Is it easy? No. If it was easy the other 83% of the Israelite spies would have articulated their trust in God and followed Him into the land of promise. But just because it isn’t easy does not mean it isn’t attainable. It is a decision. Are we going to believe the 6:00 news or the Word of God? Are we going to allow the appearance of things in the earth determine in whom we believe and what we believe? Truly, the facts don’t count. What counts is our decision about who we put our trust and belief in. That’s it. Caleb chose to believe God despite all kinds of obstacles that he could see in the landscape. He believed that God would overcome every obstacle. We too, then, can be spiritual giants. We must only decide. We can give our whole heart to God and follow Him relentlessly. Abandon all your worldly beliefs and fill your heart with God’s Word until it is overflowing. Then you too will follow God wholeheartedly and be a champion residing in the Promised Land.

God is Calling Out Your Name

Ivey Rorie On April 2, 2014 / Word of the Day / Leave a comment

Isaiah 43: 1

But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!”

The voice of the Lord can be heard in the streets and the marketplace. He is calling you.

“For I have called the church. I have called every single person. You are all members and vital to the body. Do not overlook your call. I have called you by name. I have called you to myself. Arise O mighty church of the living God. I am coming soon. Arise to meet me.” The Lord God is calling out to His people. “Arise! Hearken to me as never before. Turn your heart to me and hear me for I am calling to you.”

God has called you and He is crying out to His people and to the church as a body of believers. He is sending people throughout to awaken the body. Awaken. Rub the sleep from your eyes because we are being called to greater glory in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit of the Lord. These are the days that the prophets of old longed to see. The church fell asleep; the people lost their zeal, their hunger for the Lord, but there is a great awakening. People will again yearn for their heavenly Father with a deep, almost insatiable hunger. They will be filled though. Just like Jesus fed the 5000, God will give the bread of life to all who hunger.

There is not one believer who is not known to God. No matter where you are or what you are doing God is there with you. He constantly watches over you. There is no concern that is too small for Him nor any problem that is too large for Him. He knows your name and is calling out that name. Individually and collectively you are the people of His hand. You may seem small in your own eyes but you are precious in the sight of the Lord. You think you are invisible but your God is passionately aware of every minute of your day. And you are a part of this great awakening. Your zeal for the Lord will inspire others. God will do great things in your life and others will see the hand of the Lord on you. You and your life will be a testimony to the saved and the unsaved so that all may come to a full knowledge of the Lord our Christ. Listen, God is calling you.

He Cares For You

Ivey Rorie On April 1, 2014 / Word of the Day / Leave a comment

Psalm 55: 22 NIV

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.

In all of these thousands of years God has not changed. He wanted to carry the cares of Adam but Adam wanted to be his own God. He wanted to bear the burden of the Israelites out in the desert but they would not walk in faith and trust. In today’s passage the Holy Spirit spoke through David to tell the people of that age to cast all of their care upon the Lord. God didn’t even stop there. In 1 Peter 5: 7 God instructs New Testament believers to cast “all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

God’s desire to care for His kids has never waned. Since the beginning of time He has been challenging His children to lean on Him and allow Him to carry those cares and worries. Even in this age He wants to take the worry and concerns from our shoulders.

We are suppose to not only read the Word but also do the Word. Today’s verse, especially in conjunction with 1 Peter 5: 7, is a good example of what it means to “do the Word”. We have been given something specific to do, cast all of our care upon the Lord. Therefore, in order to walk as a disciple of the Lord Jesus we must give him all of our worries and concerns. To do less is to be in disobedience. That may sound harsh but it is for your freedom that Jesus came and his purpose was to free us all from bondage. Every day you should consciously give the Lord every problem and every anxious thought. Your job is to trust the Lord; all the problems are his. Don’t take care. Don’t be careful. Be carefree in the love of Jesus and His Father. This is your right and inheritance. It is also the command of the Lord. In Jesus’ name, cast all your care.

Receiving the Promises of God

Ivey Rorie On March 31, 2014 / Word of the Day / 1 Comment

Numbers 32: 5 NIV

“If we have found favor in your eyes,” they said, “let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.”

May I give you the Ivey translation of this verse? “Oh Lord, don’t make us go into the Promised Land.” The land of promise, the land that God had already given to the Israelites and about which he had repeatedly told them ever since they left Egypt was that which lay across the river Jordan. How incredibly sad this is. God had already given them the Promised Land but two of the tribes of Jacob wanted to stop just short of the prize. How many of us also give up in sight of the reward? Lord, let us not fall short of all that you want to do in us!

The legacy of Reuben and Gad is that their line lacked the intestinal fortitude and faith to receive the promises of God. How tragic! But let us note that these two tribes made a choice. They chose not to receive the promise of the Lord. The American Heritage Dictionary defines intestinal fortitude as courage and endurance. It is not courage alone but that kind of courage that perseveres. He who perseveres will win the prize. Of course it takes courage to persist in a quest. Everyone encounters seasons of wanting to quit, to give in the challenges and struggles but the winners, the ones’ who will attain that high goal in Christ and the overflowing blessings are those who endure, who stick with it.

It is really enlightening to read the entire story including Moses’ response to their petition but this I will tell you, never in the entire dialogue was there ever any mention made or doubt expressed that the land across the Jordan was not the land of promise. Neither was there any argument that the land was, in fact, flowing with milk and honey. In fact, time and time again the land was referred to as the land flowing with milk and honey.

God has made us some promises too but receiving is a choice. Often we wonder why God’s people are not living in the fullness of the promises. In this recital of Israel’s flight from Egypt and journey to the land of promise we find our own answer. I often analogize receiving God’s promises to a refrigerator. Suppose that God promised to give you an endless supply of orange juice. Today you pray to the Lord for the orange juice He promised you but you never hear a reply nor does the orange juice materialize next to your recliner. So, tomorrow you again pray for the promised orange juice. Still, no reply, no orange juice. You keep reading in His word that He has already met all your needs and that He fulfills the desires of your heart, so where is the orange juice? Of course it turns out that God had already filled the refrigerator with orange juice. You only had to take what He had already provided. So it is with us in every area of life. God has already given you the Promised Land. He has already run the giants off and preserved the land for you. You, though, have a part to play. You must receive what God has done. You can have everything your heart desires but you have to cross the river; you have to actually get up and go to the refrigerator and receive the blessing of orange juice. The two tribes of Israel stopped short of the victory that God had already planned and provided before they ever left Egypt. Don’t do the same thing. Get your feet wet. Find the promises of God in your Bible and then walk boldly in the promise of the Lord. Invest your trust in God and His word. Believe with all your heart that God is not a liar and that He is well able to provide what He has promised. If you will do this, you will see His glory and the blessing of the Lord. Dare to believe!

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