Devotions

contending together for the faith

Posted on January 22, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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contending together for the faith

Philippians 1:27-30 (JDV)

Philippians 1:27 Just one thing: live your lives worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm with one breath, from one throat, contending together for the faith revealed by the gospel,
Philippians 1:28 not being frightened in any way by the opponents. This is proof of destruction to them, but of your rescue – and this is from God.
Philippians 1:29 You see, it has been granted to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in him, but also to endure this for him,
Philippians 1:30 since you are having the same struggle that you saw in my case and now hear in my case.

contending together for the faith

Paul told the Philippian Christians that he only wanted one thing from them. He wanted them to live their lives worthy of the gospel of Christ. He explained that they could do so by contending together for the faith revealed by the gospel, standing firm with one breath, coming as if from one throat.

It is in the context of persecution against the gospel that the Philippians could live their lives worthy of it. Paul had already been imprisoned, so his message to the Philippians came with its own illustration. He was demonstrating the kind of courageous witness that he called the Philippian Christians to mimic.

Paul says that proclaiming the gospel in such an environment of persecution is actually a gift. Not everyone will have the privilege of witnessing to Christ in this way. It is an honor.

Also, Paul says that by declaring the gospel boldly under the fire of enemy opposition, the Philippians will be proof of something called “destruction”(1:28). He is referring to the destruction the persecutors will experience at the end of the age, when Christ returns. And the rescue that the Philippians will experience will happen then, too.

Lord, give us the courage to contend together for the faith, trusting you for our ultimate rescue and vindication.

three way gain

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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three way gain

Philippians 1:19 You see, I know this will lead to my rescue through your prayers and help from the Breath of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:20 My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be dishonored by anything, but that now as always, with all courage, Christ will be highly honored by my body, whether by life or by death.
Philippians 1:21 For me, to live is Christ and to die is a gain.
Philippians 1:22 Now if I live on in the flesh, this means fruitful achievement for me; and I don’t know which one I should choose.
Philippians 1:23 I am torn between the two. I long to return and be with Christ – which is far better –
Philippians 1:24 but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.
Philippians 1:25 Since I am persuaded of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,
Philippians 1:26 so that, because of my presence among you again, your pride in Christ Jesus may increase.

three way gain

Paul had been talking about his imprisonment, and explaining how it was working out to his gain because even the Roman soldiers guarding him were hearing the gospel. Now, he considers what might happen. The choices are two — but not the two that you might expect. Many read this passage as if Paul had adopted the pagan notion of survival at death. He did not. He believed that death is real, and that a resurrection would be necessary to live again.

No, the two real options that Paul was considering are mentioned in verse 20: “that … Christ will be highly honored by my body, whether by life or by death.” So, either Paul’s imprisonment would end with his execution, which would be gain for him because he would honor Christ as a martyr, or Paul would be released, in which case Christ would be honored by his rescue. He mentions a third option in verse 23, but “to return* and be with Christ” is not a reference to his death. Paul had told the Thessalonians that when Christ returns all believers who have died would return to life and be with him (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

I know that a lot of Christians have been taught that everyone survives death, so that death is not really death. I just challenge them to consider that such a belief is actually read into the text here. Paul knew that he really could die, but he also knew that if he did, his death would not be permanent, because he would be raised to life again when Christ comes. But he would consider such a death “gain” for him, because it would be a witness to his faith in Christ. It would be a gain for Christ, because it would honor Christ with his body. It would also be gain for the gospel, because as Tertullian put it “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church” (Apologeticus, Chapter 50).

* The Greek word ἀναλύω is only found one other place in the New Testament (Luke 12:36), where is is translated return.

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that greater power

Posted on January 20, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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that greater power

Philippians 1:12 Now I have decided for you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually advanced the gospel,
Philippians 1:13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard, and to everyone else, that my imprisonment is because I am in Christ.
Philippians 1:14 Most of the brothers have gained confidence in the Lord from my imprisonment and dare even more to speak the word fearlessly.
Philippians 1:15 Yes, some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of good intention.11
Philippians 1:16 These preach out of care, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel;
Philippians 1:17 the others proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, thinking that they will cause me trouble in my imprisonment.
Philippians 1:18 What does it matter? Only that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is proclaimed, and in this I celebrate. Yes, and I will continue to celebrate.

that greater power

David Young Jr. wrote, “Sometimes things seem to go from bad to worse. Out of the frying pan and into the fire kind of bad. Yet, have you ever stopped to consider that God may be using some of what we find as “bad” to proclaim his glory? It is all too easy to just see the events before us and not consider that greater power of God who does the miraculous.”*

Paul understood that the very thing that was most wrong about his life at the moment was actually being used by God to do something right: to advance the gospel. He could have become bitter and disillusioned, and I am sure he felt that way at times. But he held to a strong trust in God’s sovereignty, a tenacious belief in God’s control over everything.

Thank you Lord, for that greater power, at work even in the bad things that happen.

* * Maranatha Daily Devotional “God Cares for his Own” Wednesday, January 20, 2016.

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only get better

Posted on January 19, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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only get better

Philippians 1:6-11 (JDV)

Philippians 1:6 I have confidence in this, that he who started a good achievement in you will keep perfecting it until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:7 In fact, it is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart, and you are all partners with me in favor, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.
Philippians 1:8 You see, God is my attestor, how deeply I miss all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:9 And I pray this: that your care will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment,
Philippians 1:10 so that you may evaluate the things that are superior and may be pure and blameless in the day of Christ,
Philippians 1:11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

only get better

Paul’s is confident that the Philippian congregations will only get better. The fact that they have stayed true to him, supporting him even after he was imprisoned — showed that they had not given up on the gospel which Paul was called to defend and confirm.

His prayer for them is that they would keep on growing in knowledge and discernment, even if he would not be available to teach them. He did not take purity and blamelessness for granted. He prayed earnestly for the Philippians to get pure and stay pure. That was the only way to be filled with the fruit of righteousness.

Lord, we make it our aim to keep true to the gospel, to keep growing in knowledge, and to get pure and stay pure. If we must change, we vow to only get better.

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partnership in the gospel

Posted on January 18, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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partnership in the gospel

Philippians 1:1-5 (JDV)

Philippians 1:1 Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus: To all the devotees in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and assistants.
Philippians 1:2 Favor to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:3 I give thanks to my God every time someone mentions you,
Philippians 1:4 always praying joyfully for all of you in my every prayer,
Philippians 1:5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

partnership in the gospel

Paul and Timothy were writing a missionary newsletter to their supporting congregations in Philippi. Paul begins their newsletter with prayer that God would continue to favor those believers and give them peace, and he thanks God every time someone mentions these dear people. Why? Because they are supporting the work of spreading the gospel through his missionary team.

By supporting missionaries, believers are partnering in their mission. Without those who go, people will not hear the gospel. Without those who send and support, missionaries cannot go.

Lord, thank you for all the sending congregations who partner with missionaries in the gospel.

Posted in giving, gospel, missions, money, partnership, Uncategorized | Tagged Philippians 1 | Leave a comment

no sequel

Posted on January 17, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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no sequel

Jeremiah 52:31-34 (JDV)

Jeremiah 52:31 On the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month of the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Judah’s King Jehoiachin, King Evil-merodach of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, pardoned King Jehoiachin of Judah and took him out from prison.
Jeremiah 52:32 He spoke kindly to him and set his throne above the thrones of the kings who were with him in Babylon.
Jeremiah 52:33 So Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes, and he dined regularly in the presence of the king of Babylon for the rest of his life.
Jeremiah 52:34 As for his provision, a regular provision was given to him by the king of Babylon, something for each day until the day of his death, for the rest of his life.

no sequel

Jeremiah concludes his book by recounting some of the historical events, including the fall of Jerusalem and the deporting and deaths of many of its leaders. The book begs for a sequel, but we do not get one. The people of God must wait for the seventy years of exile to be completed, and trust that the LORD will make good his promises. Sometimes we do not get the happy ending we long for in this life. We can take comfort from the fact that our LORD has plans for us that will be fulfilled long after we die. Nothing can separate us from his love.

LORD, give us patience to wait with confidence.

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Words from the Collector

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Finding Gold in Genesis

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stripped city

Posted on January 16, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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stripped city

Jeremiah 52:12-30 (JDV)

Jeremiah 52:12 On the tenth day of the fifth month – which was during the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon – Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guards, entered Jerusalem as the representative of the king of Babylon.
Jeremiah 52:13 He burned Yahveh’s temple, the king’s palace, all the houses of Jerusalem; he burned down all the great houses.
Jeremiah 52:14 The whole Chaldean army with the captain of the guards tore down all the walls surrounding Jerusalem.
Jeremiah 52:15 Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guards, deported some of the poorest of the people, as well as the rest of the people who remained in the city, the deserters who had defected to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the craftsmen.
Jeremiah 52:16 But Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guards, left some of the poorest of the land to be vintners and farmers.
Jeremiah 52:17 Now the Chaldeans broke into pieces the bronze pillars for Yahveh’s temple and the water carts and the bronze basin that were in Yahveh’s temple, and they carried all that bronze to Babylon.
Jeremiah 52:18 They also took the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, sprinkling basins, dishes, and all the bronze articles used in the temple service.
Jeremiah 52:19 The captain of the guards took away the bowls, fire-pans, sprinkling basins, pots, lamp-stands, pans, and drink offering bowls – whatever was gold or silver.
Jeremiah 52:20 As for the two pillars, the one basin, with the twelve bronze oxen under it, and the water carts that King Solomon had made for Yahveh’s temple, the weight of the bronze of all these articles was not countable.
Jeremiah 52:21 One pillar was 27 feet tall, had a circumference of 18 feet, was hollow – four fingers thick –
Jeremiah 52:22 and had a bronze capital on top of it. One capital, encircled by bronze grating and pomegranates, stood 7 1/2 feet high. The second pillar was the same, with pomegranates.
Jeremiah 52:23 Each capital had ninety-six pomegranates on the winds. All the pomegranates around the grating numbered one hundred.
Jeremiah 52:24 The captain of the guards also took away Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest of the second rank, and the three doorkeepers.
Jeremiah 52:25 From the city he took a court official who had been appointed over the warriors; seven trusted royal aides found in the city; the secretary of the commander of the army, who enlisted the people of the land for military duty; and sixty men from the common people who were found within the city.
Jeremiah 52:26 Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guards, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.
Jeremiah 52:27 The king of Babylon put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah went into exile from its land.
Jeremiah 52:28 These are the people Nebuchadnezzar deported: in the seventh year, 3,023 Jews;
Jeremiah 52:29 in his eighteenth year, 832 people from Jerusalem;
Jeremiah 52:30 in Nebuchadnezzar’s twenty-third year, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guards, deported 745 Jews. Altogether, 4,600 people were deported.

stripped city

The devastation of Jerusalem was unthinkable. It’s buildings and temple courts were stripped bare, its citizens deported, its officials captured and killed.

The chronicler of this disaster writes as though he is weeping at his parchment. Yes, it was allowed by God, but that does not mean that the Babylonian empire could escape justice when it was time to pay for what they did.

There are many injustices taking place all around us this day, and God’s Holy Spirit is aware of them all. Nothing is hidden from Him. Nothing will escape his judgment.

If you are experiencing injustice, betrayal, abandonment, abuse — you can be sure that our Lord knows it.

Lord, we choose to trust you through the times of injustice, and hope for restoration in the future.

e-books by Jefferson Vann

Another Bible Commentary

A devotional commentary on every passage in the Bible (based on the English Standard Version –ESV).

655 pages Price: $4.99, US.

an Advent Christian systematic theology

881 pages Price: $4.99, US.

Words from the Collector

He collected everything from money to buildings to women, but he is most famous for collecting wise sayings. His name is Solomon, and one of the books we have from him is called Ecclesiastes.

This is a new translation of that Old Testament book Ecclesiastes, and a reader’s guide to its content.

65 pages $5.00 US

Finding Gold in Genesis

172 pages $ 4.99 US

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kept in Babylon

Posted on January 15, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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kept in Babylon

Jeremiah 52:1-11 (JDV)

Jeremiah 52:1 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she had been from Libnah.
Jeremiah 52:2 Zedekiah did what was evil in Yahveh’s sight just as Jehoiakim had done.
Jeremiah 52:3 Because of Yahveh’s anger, it happened in Jerusalem and Judah that he finally banished them from his presence. Then Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
Jeremiah 52:4 In the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon advanced against Jerusalem with his entire army. They laid siege to the city and built a siege wall against its circumference.
Jeremiah 52:5 The city was under siege until King Zedekiah’s eleventh year.
Jeremiah 52:6 By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that the common people had no food.
Jeremiah 52:7 Then the city was broken into, and all the warriors fled. They left the city at night by way of the city gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Chaldeans surrounded the city. They made their way along the route to the Arabah.
Jeremiah 52:8 The Chaldean army pursued the king and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. Zedekiah’s entire army left him and dispersed.
Jeremiah 52:9 The Chaldeans seized the king and brought him to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he passed sentence on him.
Jeremiah 52:10 At Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes, and he also slaughtered the Judean commanders.
Jeremiah 52:11 Then he blinded Zedekiah and bound him with bronze chains. The king of Babylon brought Zedekiah to Babylon, where he kept him in custody until the day he died.

kept in Babylon

Zedekiah’s fate was due to his failure to live up to his responsibilities as king of God’s covenant people. He witnessed the deaths of his sons, and was kept alive long enough for him to see the results of his disobedience.

Some might suggest that Zedekiah’s fate shows that God will keep the wicked burning in hell. Not so. Zedekiah did stay alive for a time, but he eventually died in Babylon, and was never restored. Likewise, we don’t know how long any individual will suffer in hell. But the goal of hell is not the suffering, it is to destroy all God’s enemies. Like Zedekiah, all the enemies of Christ will eventually die, and then the last enemy: death itself will be destroyed (1 Corinthians 15:26).

e-books by Jefferson Vann

Another Bible Commentary

A devotional commentary on every passage in the Bible (based on the English Standard Version –ESV).

655 pages Price: $4.99, US.

an Advent Christian systematic theology

881 pages Price: $4.99, US.

Words from the Collector

He collected everything from money to buildings to women, but he is most famous for collecting wise sayings. His name is Solomon, and one of the books we have from him is called Ecclesiastes.

This is a new translation of that Old Testament book Ecclesiastes, and a reader’s guide to its content.

65 pages $5.00 US

Finding Gold in Genesis

172 pages $ 4.99 US

Lord, give us the wisdom to live lives that honor you — lives that we will not regret.

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sunk to never rise

Posted on January 14, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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sunk to never rise

Jeremiah 51:59-64 (JDV)

Jeremiah 51:59 This is the wording the prophet Jeremiah used when he commanded Seraiah son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, the quartermaster, when he went to Babylon with King Zedekiah of Judah in the fourth year of Zedekiah’s reign.
Jeremiah 51:60 Jeremiah wrote on one scroll about all the disaster that would come to Babylon; all these words were written against Babylon.
Jeremiah 51:61 Jeremiah told Seraiah, “When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud.
Jeremiah 51:62 Say, ‘Yahveh, you have threatened to cut off this place so that no one will live in it – people or animals. Indeed, it will become permanently desolate.’
Jeremiah 51:63 When you have finished reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates River.
Jeremiah 51:64 Then say, ‘In the same way, Babylon will sink and never rise again because of the disaster I am bringing on her. They will grow weary.'” Up to this point are the words of Jeremiah.

sunk to never rise

We have been looking at Jeremiah’s predictions about Babylon. We have been noticing two things that are true of each of these prophecies. First, each of these predictions came true. The empire is no more, just as God predicted through Jeremiah.

Secondly, each of these prophecies about Babylon reflects an element of the New Testament teaching about the fate of the wicked at the last judgment. This is not a coincidence. The Revelation to John in the New Testament uses Babylon as a symbol of the great conspiracy of all nations against God’s Kingdom and God’s Messiah.

Yesterday’s text focused on two ways of expressing the fate of those who oppose God and his will: fire and permanent sleep. Today’s text introduces another way of expressing that fate. Babylon will be sunk like a great ship, never to rise again.

e-books by Jefferson Vann

Another Bible Commentary

A devotional commentary on every passage in the Bible (based on the English Standard Version –ESV).

655 pages Price: $4.99, US.

an Advent Christian systematic theology

881 pages Price: $4.99, US.

Words from the Collector

He collected everything from money to buildings to women, but he is most famous for collecting wise sayings. His name is Solomon, and one of the books we have from him is called Ecclesiastes.

This is a new translation of that Old Testament book Ecclesiastes, and a reader’s guide to its content.

65 pages $5.00 US

Finding Gold in Genesis

172 pages $ 4.99 US

All three of these descriptions of Babylon’s fate are indicative of the ultimate fate of the lost: permanent destruction.

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Babylon’s fate

Posted on January 13, 2021 by Jefferson Vann

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Babylon’s fate

Jeremiah 51:54-58 (JDV)

Jeremiah 51:54 A sound of a cry from Babylon! And a terrible collapse of the land of the Chaldeans!
Jeremiah 51:55 You see, Yahveh is going to devastate Babylon; he will silence her mighty voice. Their waves roar like a huge torrent; the tumult of their voice resounds,
Jeremiah 51:56 because a destroyer is coming against her, against Babylon. Her warriors will be captured, their bows shattered, because Yahveh is a God of retribution; he will certainly repay.
Jeremiah 51:57 I will make her princes and sages drunk, along with her governors, officials, and warriors. Then they will fall asleep permanently and not wake up. This is the King’s declaration; Yahveh of Armies is his name.
Jeremiah 51:58 This is what Yahveh of Armies says: Babylon’s thick walls will be totally demolished, and her high gates set ablaze. The peoples will have labored for nothing; the nations will worn themselves out only to feed the fire.

Babylon’s fate

Once again, Jeremiah declares to Babylon that a permanent sleep awaits them (see verse 39). But he also says that its people and nations will have worn itself out, only to feed the fire. Normally, we don’t talk about sleeping and fire at the same time. But in this case, both are symbols of the complete destruction that Babylon would experience. They would be annihilated as a result of God’s judgment for their sins.

The final judgment will be like that for all those who reject Jesus. There is only one hell, and is not a place where people will have the luxury of consciousness. It is a place where the torment is real, because those who experience it are being consumed by fire. Its result will be permanent destruction.

Lord, we cling to you, and trust your grace to keep us from Babylon’s fate.

e-books by Jefferson Vann

Another Bible Commentary

A devotional commentary on every passage in the Bible (based on the English Standard Version –ESV).

655 pages Price: $4.99, US.

an Advent Christian systematic theology

881 pages Price: $4.99, US.

Words from the Collector

He collected everything from money to buildings to women, but he is most famous for collecting wise sayings. His name is Solomon, and one of the books we have from him is called Ecclesiastes.

This is a new translation of that Old Testament book Ecclesiastes, and a reader’s guide to its content.

65 pages $5.00 US

Finding Gold in Genesis

172 pages $ 4.99 US

Posted in destruction in hell, sleep of death | Tagged Jeremiah 51 | Leave a comment

Devotions

contending together for the faith

three way gain

three way gain

that greater power

only get better

partnership in the gospel

no sequel

no sequel

no sequel

stripped city

stripped city

stripped city

kept in Babylon

kept in Babylon

kept in Babylon

sunk to never rise

sunk to never rise

sunk to never rise

Babylon’s fate

Babylon’s fate

Babylon’s fate

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