Devotions

he matters most

Posted on June 28, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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he matters most

Ezekiel 1:26-28 (JDV)

Ezekiel 1:26 Something like a throne with the appearance of lapis lazuli was above the expanse over their heads. On the throne, high above was someone who looked like a human.
Ezekiel 1:27 From what seemed to be his waist up, I saw a gleam like amber, with what looked like fire enclosing it all around. From what seemed to be his waist down, I also saw what looked like fire. There was a brilliant light all around him.
Ezekiel 1:28 The appearance of the brilliant light all around was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was what Yahveh’s impressive appearance looked like. When I saw it, I fell face-down and heard a voice speaking.

he matters most

Ezekiel had looked up and noticed the sky over the heads of the impressive beings. Then he looked above that and saw something even more impressive. He saw God as a reigning king, emitting brilliant light and fire.

Now, he falls down. Those amazing beings with wings and wheels were not the main show. This is the main show. This is what it is all about. We should fear God above all else. He will decide our ultimate destiny. He matters most.

LORD, we choose to fear you above all.

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over their heads

Posted on June 27, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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over their heads

Ezekiel 1:22-25 (JDV)

Ezekiel 1:22 Over the heads of the living beings the likeness of an expanse was spread out. It gleamed like awe-inspiring crystal,
Ezekiel 1:23 and under the expanse their wings extended one toward another. They each also had two wings covering their bodies.
Ezekiel 1:24 When they moved, I heard the sound of their wings like the roar of a huge torrent, like the voice of the Almighty, and a sound of tumult like the noise of an army. When they stopped, they lowered their wings.
Ezekiel 1:25 A voice came from above the expanse over their heads; when they stopped, they lowered their wings.

over their heads

If the vision of these four amazing living beings is starting to frighten you, you need to look up. Something is happening over their heads.

As amazing and terrifying as these four beings are, the vision draws our gaze to someone even more amazing and terrifying. Their wings are making a roaring sound — a sound of a tumult like the noise of an army. But we need to look up. The sovereign God who made them is in control of their power.

There are all kinds of amazing people who want to capture our attention today. There are also terrible monsters who want to frighten us, cause us to lose sleep, and even endanger our lives.

That is all the more reason for us to take our gaze off these beings and look over their heads. There is a supreme being, and only he deserves our worship, and we should fear him more that these.

LORD, we adore your perfection, and fear your power — more than any other.

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everybody’s wheels

Posted on June 26, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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everybody’s wheels

Ezekiel 1:15-21 (JDV)

Ezekiel 1:15 When I looked at the living beings, I noticed one wheel on the ground beside each of the four-faced creatures.Ezekiel 1:16 The appearance of the wheels and their craftsmanship was like the gleam of beryl, and all four had the same likeness. Their appearance and craftsmanship was like a wheel within a wheel. Ezekiel 1:17 When they moved, they went in any of the four directions, without turning as they moved.Ezekiel 1:18 Their rims were tall and awe-inspiring. Each of their four rims were full of eyes all around. Ezekiel 1:19 When the living beings moved, the wheels moved beside them, and when the creatures rose from the land, the wheels also rose. Ezekiel 1:20 Wherever the wind would go, the creatures went in the direction the wind was moving. The wheels rose alongside them, because the wind of the living beings was in the wheels.Ezekiel 1:21 When the creatures moved, the wheels moved; when the creatures stopped, the wheels stopped; and when the creatures rose from the land, the wheels rose alongside them, because the wind of the living beings was in the wheels.

everybody’s wheels

A wheel is a wonderful thing. It is a human invention that made so many great things possible. Even today, when someone comes up with a great idea, it is compared to the invention of the wheel. The wheel is a symbol of mobility and ingenuity.

The wheels that Ezekiel saw represented the choices made by all living beings. They moved wherever they chose to move, and their wheels obeyed them.

The coming fire of judgment upon all the living beings will not be indiscriminate. It will bring justice because God sees all and knows all.

LORD, may all our choices correspond to your desire, so that we can live without fear of your coming judgment.

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a coming storm wind

Posted on June 25, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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Photo by Ralph W. lambrecht on Pexels.com

a coming storm wind

Ezekiel 1:4-14 (JDV)

Ezekiel 1:4 I looked, and noticed a storm wind coming from the north, a huge cloud with fire flashing back and forth and brilliant light all around it. In the center of the fire, there was a gleam like amber. Ezekiel 1:5 The likeness of four living beings came from it, and this was their appearance: They looked something like a human,Ezekiel 1:6 but each of them had four faces and four wings.Ezekiel 1:7 Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the hooves of a calf, sparkling like the gleam of polished bronze. Ezekiel 1:8 They had human hands under their wings on their four sides. All four of them had faces and wings. Ezekiel 1:9 Their wings were touching. The creatures did not turn as they moved; each one went straight ahead. Ezekiel 1:10 Their faces looked something like the face of a human, and each of the four had the face of a lion on the right, the face of an ox on the left, and the face of an eagle. Ezekiel 1:11 That is what their faces were like. Their wings were spread upward; each had two wings touching that of another and two wings covering its body. Ezekiel 1:12 Each creature went straight ahead. Wherever the wind would go, they went without turning as they moved. Ezekiel 1:13 The likeness of the living beings was like the appearance of blazing coals of fire or like torches. Fire was moving back and forth between the living beings; it was bright, with lightning coming out of it. Ezekiel 1:14 The creatures were darting back and forth like flashes of lightning.

a coming storm wind

What could the vision of these four living beings represent? Notice that they came from an approaching storm wind. In Jeremiah, a storm wind was a symbol of judgment (Jeremiah 22:22).

The four faces were faces of those beings who were supreme over the four realms of creation. The lion reigned over the wild land creatures, the ox over the domestic, the eagle over the sky creatures, the human reigned over them all.

Also, the storm wind brought with it fire and lightning. Later in Ezekiel, Yahveh instructs the prophet to burn some of his shaved hairs, telling him that a fire will spread to all the house of Israel and that he will execute judgment among them while the nations watch (Ezekiel 5:1-8).

This inaugural vision demonstrates our God’s sovereignty over all, and his coming judgment upon all.

LORD, give us the wisdom to submit to your sovereignty, and so be prepared for your day of judgment.

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testifying to his touch

Posted on June 24, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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testifying to his touch

Ezekiel 1:1-3 (JDV)

Ezekiel 1:1 It happened in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, while I was among the exiles by the Chebar Canal, the sky was opened and I saw visions from God.
Ezekiel 1:2 On the fifth day of the month – it was the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile –
Ezekiel 1:3 the word of Yahveh came directly to the priest Ezekiel son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the Chebar Canal. Yahveh’s hand was on him there.

testifying to his touch

Ezekiel was there when it happened. He remembered the year, month and day. He remembered who was with him when the sky opened and he began to see visions from God. Someone else described the event as the word of Yahveh coming directly to him, and Yahveh’s hand being upon him there.

We thus have two witnesses to the miraculous life of this prophet. The prophet himself describes his inauguration into this spiritual ministry, and someone else confirms it.

What is your testimony? How has the Lord touched your life? Where were you when it happened? Put together your testimony and share it with others. He will use them to confirm your experience, and both your testimony and theirs will give him glory.

LORD, thank you for touching our lives. Help us to testify to your touch.

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I left Trophimus sick

Posted on June 23, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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I left Trophimus sick

2 Timothy 4:19-22 (JDV)

2 Timothy 4:19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.
2 Timothy 4:20 Erastus has remained at Corinth; I left Trophimus sick at Miletus.
2 Timothy 4:21 Make every effort to come before winter. Eubulus greets you, as do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers and sisters.
2 Timothy 4:22 The Lord be with your breath. Favor be with you all.

I left Trophimus sick

I am thankful for this honest statement from Paul to Timothy. He talks about another believer — Trophimus — who was sick, so Paul left him at Miletus to rest and recover. He wanted to heal him, but it didn’t happen.

I believe in healing, but I do not believe in guaranteed healing. Our Lord can heal anyone, and if he wants it, he can heal anyone through us. But if the healing does not happen, I am not going to second guess my faith. If I encounter a Trophimus, I will pray for his healing. But he stays sick, I will trust God to heal him when he wants to. The mission continues.

LORD, help us to heal everyone we can, and trust you with the Trophimuses.

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safely into his sky kingdom

Posted on June 22, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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safely into his sky kingdom

2 Timothy 4:9-18 (JDV)

2 Timothy 4:9 Make every effort to come to me soon,
2 Timothy 4:10 because Demas has deserted me, since he cared about this age now, and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.
2 Timothy 4:11 Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you, for he is useful to me as an assistant.
2 Timothy 4:12 I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus.
2 Timothy 4:13 When you come, bring the cloak I left in Troas with Carpus, as well as the scrolls, especially the parchments.
2 Timothy 4:14 Alexander the coppersmith did great harm to me. The Lord will repay him according to his achievements.
2 Timothy 4:15 Watch out for him yourself because he strongly opposed our words.
2 Timothy 4:16 At my first defense, no one stood by me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be counted against them.
2 Timothy 4:17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that I might fully preach the word and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.
2 Timothy 4:18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil achievement and will bring me safely into his sky kingdom. To him be the glory for ages and ages! Amen.

safely into his sky kingdom

The confidence that Paul expresses here is not what a lot of people think he is expressing. He is not saying that God is going to take him to heaven when he dies. The sky kingdom that he expects to be brought into is the one coming down from the sky at Christ’s return.

The reference to being rescued from the lion’s mouth is a clue to what he means. Daniel was the prophet whom God rescued from the lion’s mouth. Daniel saw that kingdom coming down from the sky in a vision. He prophesied that God’s kingdom would come down from the sky and take over the earth. It’s king would be given sovereignty over all the peoples, nations and language groups on the earth, and his kigdom would not be destroyed like all the other kingdoms would.

This is the sky kingdom that Paul was referring to.

May our Lord bring us all safely into his coming sky kingdom.

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safely into his sky kingdom

Posted on June 22, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

20220622

safely into his sky kingdom

2 Timothy 4:9-18 (JDV)

2 Timothy 4:9 Make every effort to come to me soon,
2 Timothy 4:10 because Demas has deserted me, since he cared about this age now, and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.
2 Timothy 4:11 Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you, for he is useful to me as an assistant.
2 Timothy 4:12 I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus.
2 Timothy 4:13 When you come, bring the cloak I left in Troas with Carpus, as well as the scrolls, especially the parchments.
2 Timothy 4:14 Alexander the coppersmith did great harm to me. The Lord will repay him according to his achievements.
2 Timothy 4:15 Watch out for him yourself because he strongly opposed our words.
2 Timothy 4:16 At my first defense, no one stood by me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be counted against them.
2 Timothy 4:17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me so that I might fully preach the word and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.
2 Timothy 4:18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil achievement and will bring me safely into his sky kingdom. To him be the glory for ages and ages! Amen.

safely into his sky kingdom

The reference to being rescued from the lion’s mouth is a clue to what he means. Daniel was the prophet whom God rescued from the lion’s mouth. Daniel saw that kingdom coming down from the sky in a vision. He prophesied that God’s kingdom would come down from the sky and take over the earth. Its king would be given sovereignty over all the peoples, nations, and language groups on the earth and his kingdom would not be destroyed like all the other kingdoms would.

This is the sky kingdom that Paul was referring to.

May our Lord bring us all safely into his coming sky kingdom.

Posted in kingdom of God, second coming | Tagged 2 Timothy 4 | Leave a comment

his return and ours

Posted on June 21, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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his return and ours

2 Timothy 4:6-8 (JDV)

2 Timothy 4:6 You see, I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the season for my return is close.
2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
2 Timothy 4:8 The crown of righteousness is reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have cared about his appearing.

his return and ours

One word is often mistranslated in the text above, and the mistranslation leads to bad theology. By translating ἀνάλυσις as “departure” common English versions give the impression that Paul is looking forward to something happening when he dies. The popular belief in an immortal soul that survives death feeds on such foolishness.

But ἀνάλυσις means return in this text. That is when Paul expects to receive the crown of righteousness, not at his death. That is when the Lord, the righteous judge will appear. Paul was saying that his death is imminent, but so is his return to life.

The verb form of ἀνάλυσις is ἀναλύω, which is translated come back in Luke’s Gospel.

“be like people waiting for their master to come back from the wedding celebration, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him” Luke 12:36 NET.

This same verb is found in Philippians 1:23, where it is also mistranslated as “depart.” But Paul is saying the same thing to the Philippians as he said to Timothy here. His desire is not to depart life but to return to life and be with Christ at his return.

When believers die, they are unconscious in the intermediate state, and their next conscious moment will be when they are woken by the Lord at his return. Thus, his return is our return. If we die before he comes, his return to the earth is our return to life. His coming — not our death — is the blessed hope (Titus 2:13).

LORD, thank you for the blessed hope of your return, and ours.

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they will veer off to myths

Posted on June 20, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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they will veer off to myths

2 Timothy 4:1-5 (JDV)

2 Timothy 4:1 I seriously warn you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and because of his appearing and his kingdom:
2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching
2 Timothy 4:3 because the season will come when people will not tolerate healthy teaching, but according to their own desires, will accumulate teachers for themselves because they are itching to hear what they want to hear.
2 Timothy 4:4 They will turn away from hearing the truth but will veer off to myths.
2 Timothy 4:5 But you, exercise self-control in everything, endure hardship, doing an evangelist’s achievement, accomplish your assistance {διακονία}.

they will veer off to myths

For some time now, Paul has been warning Timothy of the challenging seasons that are coming in the world, and the church. He had warned him that “Hard seasons {καιρός} will be present in the last days” (3:1). In today’s text, he warns that “the season will come when people will not tolerate healthy teaching, but according to their own desires, will accumulate teachers for themselves because they are itching to hear what they want to hear.”

What do the itching ears want to hear? Paul calls them myths. A myth is an explanation of what is based on appearance. A myth is not science. Science records the observable facts.

But what happens when people choose a myth to explain what is going on all around them, and then choose to label that myth as science — even though it cannot be observed. What happens when every book published and every class taught MUST include that teaching, and every opponent MUST be silenced.

We know what happens. We are living in one of the hard seasons Paul described.

Paul’s instruction for Timothy and us is endure the hardship, keep up our self-control, and keep doing what we were called to do.

Lord, give us the courage to continue in spite of the superstition that surrounds us.

Posted in heresies, teaching | Tagged 2 Timothy 4 | Leave a comment

Devotions

he matters most

over their heads

everybody’s wheels

a coming storm wind

testifying to his touch

I left Trophimus sick

safely into his sky kingdom

safely into his sky kingdom

his return and ours

they will veer off to myths

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