Name of Shame

On September 13, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Mathew 16: 23

But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”

This is an interesting passage. Jesus had just blessed Peter because Peter, in listening to the voice of God within him, received the revelation that Jesus was the Christ. Then just a couple of verses later, Jesus called him Satan. Why did he do so and what did he mean by it?

As you know, Satan was once known as Lucifer. He was the beautiful angel and his name reflected how he shone like the morning sun. Unfortunately, his beauty went to his head and he led a revolution against God. He was cast out of heaven and his name was changed to Satan.

In Hebrew, a name is not just a name. A person’s name reflects his, or her, essential character. You will have noticed many people whose names were changed, the most obvious being Peter and Paul. When Satan was cast down, he was no longer the bright, shining, beautiful angel he once was. His character overcame his appearance and his new name reflects this character. The name Satan means to be against. Some other words found in the Strong’s Concordance are: to lurk, persecute, oppose self against, to attack, accuse, to be an adversary, resist. Satan is further described by Strong as the arch enemy of good, an opponent. All these words describe Satan’s character and actions. Some are recognizable from other scriptures as in Revelation 12: 10 where he is called the accuser of the brethren. Peter warned that Satan is our adversary (1 Peter 5: 8).

So why would Jesus call Peter by this less than favorable title? Peter meant to be a blessing to Jesus but in rebuking him, Jesus said, “You are standing against me and against my purposes.” Peter would have known the meaning behind the word “satan.” Being Jewish, he understood that Jesus wasn’t renaming him but rather showing him that his ideas opposed Jesus’ purpose. Peter didn’t understand the big picture at that time and he was not on the same page with God’s interests.

Satan opposes everything about God. It is another way we know that God is good because Satan opposes everything that is good. His entire desire is to stand against anything that is Godly. He is never in agreement with God at any moment. There is no darkness in light for when the light comes, the darkness flees. There is no light in darkness. These two stand as polar opposites. Where there is opposition to God’s design, there is satanic influence, meaning against and opposing God’s plan. Peter temporarily stood against God’s plan and Jesus called him on it. Jesus showed him the way and Peter chose to follow Jesus. That is what we must all do. Choose to align yourself with God’s plan even when it does not make sense to your reasoning mind. In the end, you will see the wisdom of God’s design and you will be glad you chose “the way.”

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Take Heart

On August 28, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Luke 10: 19

Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

I have written to you recently about the authority of the church over the power of the enemy. This is a delicate and somewhat perplexing topic but by writing to you about it I hope to encourage clarity or at least inspired consideration. The problem is that as a body, we seem uncertain about our position relative to the devil. Does he have any power? Is he a defeated foe? Why is there any Biblical discussion about “the enemy” since Jesus marched into hell and took the keys from Satan?

These are all very good questions and important ones. If you actually have an enemy but are unaware that said enemy is plotting against you, then you are defenseless. If you are conscious of the enemy, is it possible to give him too much credit and subsequently fall victim to another deception, that of chasing demons? We are not naïve. We know by now, and the scriptures inform us, that there is an enemy and his name is Satan. He has been the enemy of humanity since the beginning. The real question seems to be, what power and/or influence does he wield today? The parallel question is, didn’t Jesus’ victory whip the devil forever? Good question – glad you asked.

Today’s verse encapsulates the answer. I will state it this way even though it is a bit of an overstatement, Jesus defeated the devil, but have you? What I intend to imply is that Jesus has done his part but there is still something we must do in order for his victory to be effective in our lives. Look again at today’s verse. Jesus said he has given power to us. Okay, that is easy enough to understand but why need he give power to us if he has already defeated the enemy? He said, “nothing shall by any means hurt you.” There is a huge assumption in this last statement though, the assumption being that we have employed the power he has given us.

Because of Jesus’ victory we too can stand victorious against the devil. Too many of us believe, erroneously, that Jesus’ victory gives us a free pass. That is to say, sometimes we think we do not have to do anything in order to live the triumphant life Jesus won for us. I thought the same thing as a young person. I thought being a Christian meant that I should live a, relatively, care free, trouble free life. Well, I learned better and frankly, that belief is not even scriptural. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble,” (John 16: 33). That is a clear statement of fact. However, it is not the end of the story and here is where Jesus’ triumph over Satan comes in. The end of John 16: 33 records Jesus saying, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” In other words, yes, the world will bring you trouble and you will be troubled all the days of your life UNLESS you apply Jesus’ overcoming power. Jesus said being “in him” is the victory that overcomes the world. This is the key point we must come to understand. Jesus won the victory for us but it is we who must overcome using that which he has provided. In him is peace, perfect peace. So take heart and use all that Jesus won for you.

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See the Light

On August 14, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

2 Corinthians 4: 3 – 4

If our gospel is veiled it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

There is a lot going on in these two verses. Let us take the latter point first.

When one reads this passage, thoughts of the unsaved come to mind, and that is a valid perspective. However, there are many unbelieving believers. People accept Christ as their savior but it is only then that we embark upon the journey of discovery of what it means to be in him and in his glorious victory. Therefore, we must understand that this verse is referring to each of us in certain capacities. You may absolutely believe God for physical healing and yet have small or no faith for emotional deliverance. Some people have not yet learned how to believe God for finances and others can’t seem to embrace the relationship aspects. The point is that even though we believe in Jesus, we are not always believers in everything he has accomplished for us. This is a growing and learning process, a journey.

Some of us have been blinded to certain aspects of Jesus’ overcoming victory for our lives. Who, though, has blinded us? The Apostle Paul, writing to the Corinthian believers, says that the “god of this world” is the culprit. Now here is where we sometimes run into difficulty. Paul was referring to Satan as the god of this world. Jesus is victorious; Jesus has defeated the devil but to the degree that we are blinded, Satan is still able to steal from us.

The body of Christ has really struggled with this idea. We know that Jesus overcame all the works of the devil and yet look around, do you see Jesus’ victory displayed everywhere in your life or everywhere in the world? Of course not. You see the devil’s influence very pervasively in the world. He is able to deceive and influence people. He has an army of fallen angels whose doom is assured, but who still contrive to bring destruction to the heirs of the Kingdom.

The real key to this verse is that it was written on this side of the cross. Jesus had already been taken up in glory when Paul wrote these words. He knew of the victorious Christ and yet he called Satan the god of this world. God gave the world to Adam and Eve but they gave their authority to Satan and he has been doing his best to disrupt humanity ever since. So, he is still a viable character out there. He is still influencing people, lying and blinding as much as he can. You, however, can overcome him in the name, authority and blood of Jesus. Satan can be defeated in every area of life. He has no absolute power, only stolen authority. He continues to “blind the minds,” but Jesus has come that we might have life.

Do not be afraid of the devil. Do not think you cannot overcome every trick he throws at you. However, do not be naïve. If you pretend he does not exist, has no power and no influence you will be vulnerable to every stupid little blinding lie he attempts to deceive you with. I do not want you to be afraid but I don’t want you to be blind-sided either. There is no cause for fear but do not discount the devil’s machinations. Many Christians allow themselves to be targets for Satan and his horde because they pretend he doesn’t exist or is completely without influence. Jesus has won our victory but it is we who must step into it. Satan has only the power we allow but naivety allows him freedom to roam and to interfere. The study of God’s Word will always open your eyes and the eye which God has opened the devil cannot blind. It is really that simple. God will show us all revelation and wisdom when we allow Him. He unveils the devil’s lies. You are more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus. Don’t let the devil tell you otherwise.

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Halt, Thief!

On June 28, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Proverb 6: 31

But when he is found, he must repay sevenfold.

Restitution by a thief is what is being discussed in this passage. When the thief is discovered, he must repay seven times what he stole. There is an interesting connection from the New Testament. Jesus told us that “The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy” (John 10: 10). Who is the thief? The devil, of course. He is the enemy of all who love Jesus and he would love to steal everything from you but you have the ability to stop him and even to make him repay seven times what he stole.

I wrote to you last week about how we are increasingly ignoring, or denying the existence of the devil and his minions. When we deny the existence and influence of Satan we begin to blame God for the bad things that happen. I find this tragic. Not only do we allow the devil to get off free when we hide in our denial but we don’t receive the restitution we are due. Worst of all, since we need someone to blame, we blame God. Obviously, these recriminations against God damage our relationship with Him. How can you have a close, trusting and loving relationship with someone you believe is doing you harm? Even if you try to justify the assumption that God is the one who is making bad things happen as His attempt to strengthen you, it will still destroy your relationship with Him.

I was exposed to this dangerous teaching like many of you were. I remember telling my basketball coach, “It’s too hard with God so I am going to have to be without Him.” I turned my back on God because people had me convinced that God was doing all these bad things to me. I sure wish someone had stood apart from the crowd and said, “Hey, that’s the devil who is evil doing those things, not God who is good.” I think I could have taken it from there and realized how foolish and broken my logic was.

I don’t know if people are just afraid of the devil so that is why they deny his existence or if he just has really good Public Relations people. None the less, our continual denial of his existence and his shenanigans is putting God, our beloved, right in the target sights. No one is throwing stones at Satan. They are all casting stones at God, the one who loved us so much that He sent His only child to die a horribly cruel death so that we might be saved. When you state it that way, it really defies logic but that is what so many of us do without really considering.

Look, you don’t have to be afraid of the devil. You’ve got Jesus and his victory. All you have to do is catch the thief. He has to pay back seven times if you will catch him instead of blaming God. God is the one who will make him pay restitution because He is a righteous God. There are any number of weapons Jesus has provided for you, all of them effective. Praise music, reading your Bible out loud to the devil (he loves that), giving money to a ministry (one of my personal favorites), prayer and more. Just remind the devil of the blood of Jesus. Figuratively, bathe your business, ministry or family in the blood. Dedicate everything in your life to Jesus, whatever the devil is torturing you with or messing with, see yourself go put it on Jesus’ altar. Then dare the devil to mess with it. Install Jesus as CEO, but really do it, not merely mouth the words. Let Jesus run your business for a couple of weeks and see if the devil doesn’t take his hands off of it.

Give over leadership of your family to Jesus. He never meant for you to be the leader of your family. That’s how it gets messed up. He wants to be head of the household. As long as you are, the devil is going to get in your stuff. Give it to Jesus. It really is his problem afterall, because he is the shepherd, not you. You are one of the flock.

Whatever area of your life is being challenged. Go put it on the altar and sprinkle Jesus blood on it. Remember, this is how Abraham became the Father of us all, by putting his son on the altar. Releasing control to Jesus is the quickest way (not the easiest mind) to get the devil out of it. Where ever there is the blood of Jesus, the devil will flee. He hates the Word, and he cannot bear even one drop of the blood.

I want you blessed and I am so tired of watching the devil steal from Christians. God has prepared a way for us and has given us all of the tools necessary. Put blame where it is due and make the devil pay; make him pay back seven times what he stole.

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Bazooka

On June 23, 2017   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

2 Corinthians 10: 4

For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.

Why is Paul talking to us about weapons of warfare after the death and resurrection of Jesus? Jesus has already won, hasn’t he? He marched in to Hades and took the keys of death and hell away from the devil. So why is Paul talking about warfare? Isn’t it done?

Well, I guess we have only to look around us to see that the war is not over. Yes, Jesus has won. He defeated the powers of hell for all time but that is almost useless if we don’t enforce it. Think of it this way. Perhaps there is a law on the books in your community. How effective is that law if it is not enforced? It is as though it doesn’t exist. You see, God gave the earth to us, therefore, we have authority in this realm. Jesus won the victory over sin, death, hell and the grave in his own flesh. He has given us this victory to employ in the earthly realm as well as in our own lives.

You have ultimate authority in your life, God does not. You can choose to go to hell if you want. Many are making that choice. God won’t stop you because He has given that right of choice, that authority to you. He has delegated His power in that area. Therefore, if Jesus’ victory is to be experienced, we must enforce it in our own lives. Failure to do so allows the devil run around free messing in people’s lives.

The Amplified version of today’s verse says that the weapons of our warfare are not physical. What are they then? They must be spiritual, wouldn’t you say? Also, I noted that he wrote about the weapons – plural. There must be more than one then. We all know about prayer and obviously that is a weapon straight from God’s arsenal. There really are many more though. Paul wanted us to be mindful of their existence, what they are and how to use them.

Don’t sit around on the couch expecting your salvation prayer to solve all of your problems. This is a process and that was only the beginning. Paul also told us to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2: 12). We have a role to play. God gives us the tools and the weapons but it is up to us to utilize them for our lives. As for me, I am choosing a spiritual bazooka. What spiritual weapon do you want?

For more about spiritual warfare and the weapons of our warfare, visit our webpage and go to the Daily Devotional page (https://iveyministries.org/word-of-the-day/). Search “spiritual warfare”.

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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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Who’s Your Daddy

On March 4, 2016   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

 John 8: 44

You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.

Putting aside for the moment all of Jesus’ vitriolic comments about lying, let’s look at an interesting little phrase in this passage. Jesus calls the devil a murderer and says that he has been a murderer since the beginning. Okay, so Jesus, who did the devil murder? Can you think of one instance, especially early on where the devil murdered anyone? I wish to suggest that Jesus was referring to the Garden of Eden.

In Genesis 2:16 – 17 God said, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.” Enter in the devil. I am sure he was able to hear what God said and plotted a way to get to God’s people. Fast forward to Genesis 3: 4; “And the serpent said to the woman, ‘You surely shall not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’” Now, how much of what the devil said was a lie? Look back at today’s verse. What did Jesus say about Satan? He said he is a liar. We have taken some of Satan’s words to be true. Eating from the tree would not make then like God, nor would it give them the complete knowledge of good and evil. How do I know? Look around you. Do you think humanity has always known right from wrong, good from evil? The real point of the story, though, is that God said that eating from the tree would cause death. Then the devil came along and twisted it and lied. He said, “You surely won’t die.” Wait a moment! God just said they would die. The devil lied to Eve and she believed him.

Jesus, thousands of years after this event, doesn’t just call Satan a liar for what he did to Eve and Adam. He also calls him a murderer because of the deception he created. Whatsmore, he says of the Jews who were attacking him that they are just like their father, the devil, and effectively calls them liars and murderers too.

Recall that this is a passage on lying. It is intriguing that in a discussion about truth, Jesus goes all the way back to the first lie. He doesn’t stop there though. He holds the devil responsible for the murder of Adam and Eve, and in fact, of all humanity. Then he convicts the Jews that were plotting against him, pronouncing them as liars and murderers. Further, their lying ways makes them, in Jesus’ eyes, sons of Satan. That is pretty steep. Jesus had tolerance for all sorts of people but he showed none for liars.

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