Foundation Stone

On July 28, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   1 Comment

Isaiah 41: 10 -12

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Behold, all those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored; those who contend with you will be as nothing, and will perish. You will seek those who quarrel with you, but will not find them, those who war with you will be as nothing, and non-existent.

This is one of the scriptures that everyone should highlight in their Bibles because if you don’t need it right now, you will. It is, to me, a foundation scripture. By that I mean that it is one of the scriptures that you can build your foundation upon. Don’t you feel God’s strong right hand when you read this passage? He is with you through thick and thin and He absolutely will uphold you. You are never down and out when you have God. You may feel down. You may feel trod upon. But, you will be sustained by His strength and His love. Look to Him and focus your attention on His righteousness. As the scripture says, do not anxiously look all around you. Just look at Him and trust Him to deliver you. Keep your focus on Him and let those problems melt away under His scrutiny. He is your God. He is your strength. He is your father.

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Fear Not

On June 19, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

2 Corinthians 2: 11                     God’s Word

I don’t want Satan to outwit us. After all, we are not ignorant about Satan’s scheming.

Or are we? That is, are we ignorant about his scheming? I want to talk about Satan today. This is not to elevate him but rather to edify you.

The Apostle Peter said that Satan is “like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” and he warned us to “be of sober spirit, be on the alert” because our adversary, the devil is prowling around looking for prey (1 Peter 5: 8). Is this a scary thought? I have really been around the block on this. I used to shudder when people talked about demons and the devil. I did not want to be involved in that discussion so I ignored it, but to fail to have this discussion is to give Satan and his cohorts a free pass.

I am reminded of playing peek-a-boo with small children. When they cover their eyes, you really do cease to exist. We have tried to do the same thing with Satan. Our internal mechanism has operated to remove him from our presence by closing our eyes to his existence and/or his operation in the earth. I have noticed and increase in the avoidance of the subject of the devil and great discomfort when reference to him comes up. I even had one person tell me that there is no such thing as evil. Are you kidding me? Have you looked at the world recently? How can anyone believe there is no such thing as evil?

The truth is that this topic makes us uncomfortable. The other part of the truth is that we are afraid. Oh sure, not many of us will admit it and in truth, we may not even realize that we are being driven by fear. I want to tell you, though, that you have nothing to fear. Christ, our own beloved, is far bigger than Satan and has already defeated him. So fear not. However, be ignorant neither. We are not ostriches. There is no gain by sticking our heads in the sand and pretending there is no enemy. Your defenses are not strengthened by making believe there is no ravenous beast roaming the earth seeking those whom he may devour. We are no longer children, we don’t need to play make believe. There is a devil out there but we have the ability to deal with his schemes. That is why he must roam around seeking whom he may devour. Not everyone makes a good target for him because they are, as Peter advised, on the alert.

You will note that today I used the God’s Word translation for the verse. The New American Standard shows us that Paul’s teaching is relevant “so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.” Paul, in writing to believers in Corinth, did not want them to be ignorant and their ignorance pave the way for Satan to take advantage of them. The wise thing we can, and should do, is to be aware of our enemy, learn where and how he has influence and understand what Jesus did for us so that we do not needlessly become victims of Satan’s schemes. You have nothing to fear. Do not be afraid to accept that there is a devil in this world doing his best to upset God’s perfect plan but don’t think that you are a defenseless lamb. Far from it. Christ has laid the sword of Satan’s defeat at your feet. The defeat is already embedded in the sword. We only need to realize there is an enemy and then stoop down and lift the sword and let the gleam of Christ’s victory shine in the mirrored reflection of his glory. Oh glory, Jesus has won; he has overcome. Now it is your turn.

Learn more at www.iveyministries.org or write us at info@iveyministries.org. You may also post questions at https://iveyministries.org/ask-ivey/.

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Saved from Wrath

On May 1, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   1 Comment

1 Thessalonians 5: 9

For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

It surprises me that there is still confusion over God’s feelings towards us. Even people who have John 3: 16 memorized still talk about God’s wrath and about how He is going to pour out His wrath upon us. Well, this verse would seem to lay aside that perspective in favor of a God who loves us and intended to save us, even to save us from Wrath.

God is love (1 John 4: 8) and everything He does is from the vantage of love. Our crimes demanded punishment but because He wanted to spare us from our just due, He sent Jesus to take all of the punishment, all of the wrath upon himself. We have been pardoned. The jail cell doors are thrown open wide. We are free. We are excused from the prison cell and invited into the throne room. God saved us from the sentence levied against us by condemning Jesus. Therefore, we are no longer destined to or for wrath but rather our destinies are salvation, love, hope and peace through the grace of our Father and the triumph of Jesus’ sacrifice.

Love is in the house. Love demands kindness, not wrath. Love demands gentleness. Let’s get a revelation of our Father. He is gentle and kind, not angry. Any anger He had, He poured out on Jesus. Sometimes I think we do “Him” a disfavor by attributing the male pronoun to Him because the Bible reveals that He is male and female. Were we able to comprehend Him in His fullness, I think it would be easier for us to attribute His nurturing nature to His every thought and gesture. He is the strong warrior who protects us from the storm but He is every bit the tender soul who cuddles us in warmth and affection. He is the most emotionally expressive person you will ever meet. In fact, He is so effusive with His declarations of love that He will embarrass you.

You were not destined to endure anger or wrath. You were and are destined for greatness in Christ Jesus through the love and salvation bought for you at the cross and in truth, at the dawn of time. You are destined to sit on your heavenly parent’s knee and receive comfort and the outpouring of incomprehensible love. Receive love and abandon fear of wrath. Receive the fullness of Salvation.

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Knowing Truth

On April 17, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 8: 32

You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.

Jesus came to set us free and it is the truth which will set us free but it is not any old generic truth. First, it is in knowing that Jesus is the truth (John 14: 6). The second but equally important part of the equation is that it is the truth that you know which will set you free.

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5: 1). You see, when we do not embrace the truth, then we subject ourselves to slavery. It is true. We fall victim to events in our past, lies we have believed, daily challenges, bad habits and on and on. We find it very difficult, if not impossible to rise above these situation which do, in fact, keep us bound to a life that is less than the abundant life that Jesus came to give us. We find ourselves repeatedly, falling short of our goals and dreams with few explanations. The ultimate reason our purposes are repeatedly frustrated is that there is a truth which we have yet to lay hold of.  However, the great news of Jesus, our beloved Messiah, is that in him is the very truth which we need to experience the breakthrough which will catapult us into everything he died to give us.

You will know the truth and when you do know and, importantly, embrace the truth you shall be set free. Sometimes, though, it is quite challenging for us to embrace truth. We have been living with the lies so long that while they keep us bound, at least they are the known factor. We have grown accustomed to them. Facing the truth can be scary. My friend, Pat Richards, who is the chief Heart Physics coach at Impact Ministries (www.impactministries.com) calls this resistance. It doesn’t mean that we are not sincere in our pursuit of truth. It is just the case that as we close in on it, there is resistance in our hearts to hearing the whole truth. It’s frightening. So, we run away. We shield ourselves from the potential discomfort of facing the bare truth.

Honestly, the fear is much bigger than the reality. I am sure you know people who have never had the courage to face their realities. I find this sad because I know that what we fear is much smaller and less painful than what we make it out to be. The fear of the truth is more painful than the truth. When we finally take that courageous leap into truth the response is always the same, “Hey, that wasn’t as bad as I expected.” Being trapped in the past, in our injuries or any of the myriad of circumstances which hold us back is much more painful.

Jesus wants us all to be free. When you sense that fear of moving forward, when your reaction to a situation is overly strong, or when you keep going around the same old mountain time and time again, then that is excellent evidence that you are encountering resistance to the metamorphic truth that Jesus is attempting to reveal to you. Trust me in this, he is gentle and his yoke is light. If you will invest all of your trust in him, he will, with nurturing grace, lead you into truth. Only knowing the truth as it applies to you can set you free. The revelation of truth about someone else’s situation might inform you, even enlighten you but it will not set you free. It’s Jesus in you, in your life, in every one of your situations that frees. It is the truth about what binds and conflicts you that will break the shackles off your life.

Trust our Lord. Go into that quiet space with him and allow him to show you all truth. Allow him to nurture you into wholeness and peace. There is so much he has for you, so much he longs to do for you and with you. It is all there. Don’t let any of it pass you by. The resistance is a sign. Let it lead you into a peaceful and safe yet revelation filled time with the Lord.

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Lean on Me

On April 12, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Isaiah 41: 12

You will seek those who quarrel with you, but will not find them, those who war with you will be as nothing, and non-existent. For I am the Lord your God, who upholds your right hand, who says to you, “Do not fear, I will help you.”

How can you not love the book of Isaiah? There is so much encouragement in this book. In fact, if you haven’t read the entire 41st chapter recently, I strongly recommend it. It will lift your spirits.

One of the things I know about each of you is that there is some sort of challenge pressing on you right now. If you sit and talk with a person for even a few minutes you will often discover some area of their life which needs God’s blessed touch. Therefore, when you read this verse I want you to read the first sentence in a particular way. Do not focus only on people who quarrel with you or who are thorns in your flesh. Think also of the situations in your life right now that are trying. Your Father is every bit as cognizant of the situation as He is of the people who are bothersome.

Now, hear Him saying about that situation that He will help you. “Do not fear,” He says, because He is right there in that circumstance with you. Those challenges will be as nothing and non-existent because He is the Lord; He is your God. It is He who holds up your hand when you are too weary or even just because you are smart enough to use His strength instead of your own. Do not fear because He is going to help you with this. You are not alone. He is right beside you right now and He will not leave you. Lean on Him.

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No Fear Here

On February 8, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

1 John 4: 18

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

We have heard this verse often enough but I wonder how deeply we understand it. People don’t come to Christ because they are “afraid” of what they will have to give up. In other words, they are afraid of the punishment if they call themselves Christians and yet continue in their lifestyle. That is all backwards. God doesn’t call people to the fold in order to punish them. The weight of their sin is on them now. Jesus came and died that their sin might transfer to him. They are under the judgment of the law now. Christ came to set us all free (Galatians 5: 1).

God is love and there is no fear in love. There is no fear in God and no fear in those who are in God. You have been set free from fear and death. Moreover, you have been freed from the curse of the law. You needn’t have fear of punishment. Being in the house of God is to be in the house of liberty. Christ has freed us from the fear of judgment by shedding his blood for our sins. The question is no longer about punishment but rather reward.
“Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11: 6). God is a rewarder of those who seek Him, not a punisher. He has saved you by His grace and Jesus’ blood in order to remove you from the bane of punishment and instead put you in the house of His good mercies so that He can pour out on you the rewards of His household. Can someone shout?

What we should learn and make known is that we haven’t given up a thing to follow Jesus. We have only gained. If we clean up our act a little bit, it is because we love God and want to be with Him. He does not require us to change in order to love us. However, I want good rewards and that is motivation, and much better motivation than punishment. “For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done” (Matthew 16:27). Give me some of that! I want to see Jesus in all his father’s glory and I want to feel good about standing with him. He will love me regardless but I want to clean up and I want to follow him and I know you are the same way.

As the revelation of God’s love blossoms in our hearts, this will be our only perception. We will have no fear of any kind much less the fear of retribution from our Father. When we understand a love so deep that it is sacrificial, then there is no way we will concern even one cell of our brains with the fear of what God will do to us. He sent Jesus to save, not condemn so there is therefore no longer fear. There is no fear in love, no fear in God.

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Fearless

On May 10, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 112: 8           (NIV)

His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.

This is just one of the benefits that belong to the person who reveres the Lord. We are supposed to come into a place within our faith that we no longer fear those who strive against us. Our hope and our trust are in Him, our Lord and provider. In Him is victory. In Him is peace, the kind of peace that makes us secure regardless of the circumstances. We can come into a place wherein our thoughts of Him and our faith in Him are bigger than any other person or thing we encounter. We only have to keep our eyes glued on Him and His word and speak His words instead of the doubt of this world.

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