Who Cares?

On April 21, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   1 Comment

1 Peter 5: 7

Casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.

Whenever I ask our Father what message He wants to give to His people, His answer is always the same, “Tell My people I love them.” That is the Father’s heart and that is the message He is sending today through this devotional. If you read no further, just hear, “Your Father, Yahweh, loves you!” Today the message of His love comes in the form of His care for you. There are two things I want to discuss about this verse. First, it’s just about His love. Second, I want to discuss anxiety for a moment.

God cares for you. Indeed, He cares for every single person on this planet. It doesn’t matter if you are black, white, European or Chinese. He loves you. He grieves at every single loss of life. Think of it, He knows, personally, every single person who has died of covid-19. As of this moment, 165,188 people have died from this disease. Now think how you would feel if you knew every one of those people. The reality of how many people have died is overwhelming as it is, but it would be devastating to have that many of your loved ones die before their time.

God cares for you and He loves you like He loves Jesus. You are His joy and delight. He cares about how you may be feeling at this moment. He cares that your heart grieves or that you worry. He is with you as you experience feelings of anxiety and even cabin fever. You have not had a thought or an emotion that He has not shared with you. Moreover, He longs to comfort you.

That brings up this question, “Did God send the corona virus infection into the earth?” The answer is easy, and it is an unequivocal, “No!” How could He since He is the embodiment of love? Why would He? Why would He torment Himself with over 100,000 deaths of those whom He loves? We cannot even fathom how much He loves us. His love for us is deeper than the deepest ocean, higher than the highest mountain peak. It is broader than the entire expanse of space and more intense than the brightest sun. He feels all our pain as if it is His own, because it is. So, no, our beloved Father did not send this catastrophe into the earth. He isn’t judging the earth or the people in it. In fact, the more you read the Bible the more you appreciate not only His love for us but also that He took care of the judgment problem long ago. That is the entire reason He sent Jesus into the earth. He did not send a virus; He sent a savior. That is one of the strongest theological statements I, or anyone else, has ever made. It contains the essence of volumes upon volumes of theology. He is our God and Father. Jesus is our Lord and shepherd. Would it make any sense for our God to slaughter Jesus’ sheep, the sheep for which he is responsible?

Last, I said I wanted to discuss anxiety for a moment. While some folks are enjoying a vacation at home and working on household projects, there are others who are feeling stressed and anxious. As this situation wears on, it is having an emotional impact on many people. We are directed to “cast” our anxiety and stress over to our Father. My friends, Charity Kayembe and Ann Musico have collaborated on an article which will help us do that. In the article, they explain a simple, yet effective, technique which can be used to dissipate stress. It is so easy you can use it every day. Click here to go to the IveyMinistries.org home page where you will find this article on anxiety and stress relief. Click on the picture with the frayed, ready to snap rope.

If you have never forwarded a Word of the Day to anyone, may I suggest that today is the day to change that? The article by Ann and Charity can help in this time of great need, it can even, literally, save someone’s life.

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Shekinah Glory

On April 20, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 97: 3

All around him burns a blazing glory-fire consuming all his foes.

This passage reminds me of the Shekinah Glory of God. What is that, you ask. Do you remember the burning bush? It was engulfed in flame but did not burn up and the voice of God spoke to Moses from it. Then there was the pillar of fire that the Israelites followed in the desert. In the second book of Acts, “flames or tongues of fire” appeared to the assembled (v. 3 TLB). The Shekinah Glory of the Lord is His presence and often appears as fire. In the Azusa street revival of 1906 passersby actually thought the building was on fire and alerted the fire department.

God’s presence was often experienced as fire and also represented as fire in verses like today’s. The author tells us that this “glory-fire” consumes all the enemies of God. That is in keeping with the vision God showed me recently, (See the Word of the Day for March 19, 2020). The blazing glory of God’s presence defeats all foes. I would say that includes viruses because a virus certainly works against God’s desires. It is an enemy and is burned up in the all-consuming fire of God. That fire burns out every impurity. It cleans and sanitizes like nothing else can.

Wherever there is the presence of God, there is victory. So, you can see that our job is to carry the presence of God into every corner of the earth and into every situation. We do that through prayer, through confessing Jesus and with all the words of our mouth and, importantly, through the gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12: 4 – 11). The presence of God is powerful for healing and for setting captives free. That power is resident in us, and it is what the entire world needs. Don’t criticize the Chinese for what they may have not done well. Pray the power and presence of God into China. Pray the glory fire presence of God throughout the world carrying His healing power which defeats all foes.

Let us pray for you.  Click this link to go to the Ivey Ministries prayer request page and leave us a prayer request. You may post it anonymously if you like.  

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Father

On April 17, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 16: 25, 27

But (I) will tell you plainly of the Father . . . for the Father Himself loves you.

Have you ever wondered why God, chooses to be called “Father?” I mean, He is Lord High King, God Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. Why does He call Himself Father to a bunch of rag a muffin humans? He could choose any title or name imaginable yet He chose to be a Father. Why does He ask us to love Him rather than just to serve Him?

That is an amazing question, isn’t it and an interesting perspective. I think it highlights that, above all else, God is love. He wanted a family to spend His love on. Love requires someone to share it with. Love demands acts of kindness and goodness. Wouldn’t those be a bit lost on servants? No matter how good God treated a servant, they could never rise above that station. They could never receive His intimacy. A servant doesn’t crawl up in the Father’s lap and take a nap. God wanted children He could dote on and spoil. He chose to have kids instead of slaves.

I think this question tells us more about God than many of the questions we might ask. It explains why He does many of the things He does and even how He feels. Ultimately, His desire is that all people join His family and let Him save and bless them. He is a good God and above all else He loves us. That is truly amazing and wonderful. Fill yourself with that good news today.

Do you have a need we can help with today? Write us at IveyMinistries.org.

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Corona Virus

On April 16, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

As this situation wears on, it is easy to grow weary, even for people of faith.  However, we are a body, united to stand against any foe.  And, we are standing.  Christians all over the world are praying more and stronger than ever.  Bible studies go on via videoconferencing and teleconferening.  Wisdom may require that we not congregate in person right now, but we are together in the Spirit, God’s Holy Spirit being the medium through which we are united.  The Spirit is able to be with you and in you right now even while he is in me and with me.  For those of you who are sensitive, you may even  feel that movement and unity in the Spirit.

There will be good which comes from this crisis.  I pray that many of us will move into a deeper relationship with our Father, one which continues to move forward and deeper.  I pray that, as a body, in the days to come, we remember what is so important to us now.  Politics and denominational lines have taken a backseat to faith, prayer and, above all, love.  Our hearts have grown more caring and sensitive to the needs and sufferings of others and I can only imagine how much that pleases the Father.

Ivey Ministries is pressing in with prayer and faith.  The prayer team has grown and I am so proud of them.  They are a dedicated group of people who pour out their hearts and energy in faith for people they don’t know.  Our biggest need and desire for the prayer team is for more prayer requests.  We like having a large demand put on us.  Secondly, we have capacity for more team members if anyone would like to join us.

We are adding new resources to the website, answering questions and supporting people all over the world, literally.  Please visit our website, https://iveyministries.org, to see the two visions the Lord, has given me, and to leave prayer requests.  You can also access the “Ask Ivey” section and leave me a question or read questions and responses other people have posted.  We are also adding a link on the home page to an excellent article on EFT, a simple and effective technique for dealing with stress and anxiety.  You will be able to share that article with all your friends or send them to our home page where they can access the articile and peruse other content as well.

We certainly appreciate you, our friends.  You are very important to this ministry and to me.  Though separated, we are united.  I invite your comments, messages and questions.  Though physically separated, we need not be isolated, and I need you as much as you need others right now.

Last, if there is any need or niche you think this ministry could or should fill for you and others, let us know.  We want to be here for you in a meaningful way.

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Eyes & Ears

On April 16, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

1 Peter 3: 12  (Psalm 34: 15)

For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayer.

The National Day of Prayer is coming up soon, May 7th. Why should we devote an entire day to prayer? The answer is, because Dad is listening. Moreover, He is attending our prayer. I want that, don’t you?

In the early part of this year I wrote that I believed Father was calling us into a deeper prayer life this year. Now we understand why. He was enlisting us in an attack on the coronavirus. Yahweh knew the earth was going to produce this virus and that it was going to infect the human population. So, He called His people to battle and the way we fight is by prayer.

God had His eyes upon us then and He does now. That means that He is watching over us. He is listening for our voices to be lifted in prayer, but that is not all. He is attending to our prayer. That means He is doing more than just casually listening. It means He is listening attentively, paying attention, but it implies more even than that. Like an attending physician, attending refers to the one who is caring for the sick or needy and brother are we needy.

God is listening for some faith filled prayers and then He takes those and uses them to formulate our answers. The words you speak, are the answers to my prayers. Isn’t that cool? When we all pray together, it is like a sports team working together. One of us can put a thousand to flight and two of us ten thousand so what about a hundred of us praying in agreement? This is not simple math. There is an exponential increase as we pray together. The point is we are each part of this big team. We pray and our God not only listens, but He prays with us. “At the same time the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we don’t know how to pray for what we need. But the Spirit intercedes along with our groans that cannot be expressed in words,” (Romans 8: 26). It gets better, “And He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God,” (v. 27). God, through His Spirit, helps us pray so that we pray according to the mind and will of God. It is teamwork again. We cannot get away from that principle because that is the way our Father has designed this earth to function.

I will be back on May 7th to ask you to dedicate the day to prayer. In the meantime, I hope you will begin to prepare. I also hope today’s devotional has encouraged you that our Father is attentive and cooperating with our prayers. That should inspire us to prayer. It should be an encouragement. I pray it is.

Father, take this time to touch your people. Give us a passion for prayer and confident expectation of your attentiveness. We thank you Lord.

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Whose Friend are You?

On April 15, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Proverb 18: 24

But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

One of the things this viral attack on our world, cultures and lifestyles has done is to bring people together. Though we are separated by space and don’t get to see one another, you sure do appreciate your friends and find tenderness towards people in general. Maybe you have some friendships that have been forged during this time or strengthened. You find out who provokes tenderness in your heart and whose heart is pining for you. Perhaps you have been surprised by someone who reached out to you or someone you found yourself concerned about.

Since we will be separated a bit longer, you might also ask yourself who you might like to reach out to. There has never been a time in our history where human kindness was more in need. I find we are very independent and have a hard time receiving the kindness of others even if we need it. We feel like we are imposing even to accept what was offered. None the less, it is meaningful and a little kindness goes a long way.

Right now, some people are faring quite well while others are starting to suffer from the confinement. This would be a great time to actually pick up the phone and call someone. Human contact is valuable in this time of isolation. You could even write an old fashion letter. Face time someone you think might be feeling isolated. These are good ways to exercise your Christianity and our faith is something which ought to have outward expression. Do you agree?

Be kind to one another. Make it a point to isolate physically, but reach out to others any way you can. People need people, now more than ever. Take care of yourself but take care of others too. Thomas Paine wrote, “THESE are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.” These are definitely the times which try men’s souls, but now we are being asked not only to stand by our country but by one another and those who exercise human compassion will deserve the love of man and woman for this is a crisis of the heart as well as of the body. This is your opportunity to be a hero, to fight for your fellow human beings by extending yourself. These are the days when heroes are made. Though we may not be as those brave, commendable medical providers, we can do our part by cheering someone who is going a little stir crazy in their home.  Be a hero today from the comfort of your home.

Forward this Word of the Day to a friend to let them know we all care.

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Teamwork

On April 14, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Joshua 23: 9 – 11

For the Lord has driven out great and strong nations from before you; and as for you, no man has stood before you to this day. One of your men puts to flight a thousand, for the Lord your God is He who fights for you, just as He promised you. So take diligent heed to yourselves to love the Lord your God.

I didn’t include this passage in yesterday’s devotion because it was already getting lengthy, but I felt you needed to see this for yourself and us discuss it a bit further. Truly, though, the two go hand in hand.

The key to this passage is the partnership. It is loud and strong. The quick summary is, “The Lord fights for you. Therefore, you will put thousands to flight.” If ever there was an expression of synergy, this has to be it. One of us can put to flight a thousand enemies. That is what the passage says but to read that sentence without its partners is to misunderstand scripture and to misunderstand our God.

Likewise, were we to read this passage and only hear, “For the Lord your God is He who fights for you, just as He promised you,” then we fail our faith and understanding of scripture again because it is not only that our God fights for us but that we stand in partnership with Him. Any other reading of this passage is a distortion. The loud message must be “Teamwork.” If you truly want to understand this passage, read the last sentence first. The key language is “Take diligent heed to yourselves to love the Lord your God.” That is powerful, powerful stuff!

Do you see how this ties so strongly with yesterday’s devotion on praise, worship and offerings? It is in these expressions of love for our Father that real power resides, and that partnership is utilized. We are nothing, alone. Even Jesus said he could do nothing on his own, but in our Father, we can be very effective partners. He is our source, our strength and our wisdom. You don’t want me to rely on my wisdom for the Word of the Day, do you? Of course not! These devotionals only have meaning if our Father speaks. Further, I couldn’t do this without Him anyway. I would be powerless, empty.

The challenge is for each of us to partner with Him every day, in all we do. When I worship my Lord, when I praise Him, my heart opens to Him and I am able to connect with Him more strongly than ever. Giving a donation does that for my inner self too. God doesn’t need my money, but it is a way for me to connect with His ministry that subsequently empowers my heart.

It isn’t just the warrior who puts a thousand to flight. It isn’t only Father fighting our battles for us. The reality that we are learning is that victory is in our cooperation with the Spirit of God.

I hope this blessed your heart. Email your questions, comments and prayer requests to us at https://iveyministries.org/.

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