a God thing

Posted on July 15, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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a God thing

Acts 2:14-41 (JDV)

Acts 2:14 Peter stood up with the Eleven, lifted up his voice, and proclaimed to them: “Fellow Jews and all you residents of Jerusalem, let me explain this to you and pay attention to my words.
Acts 2:15 You see, these people are not drunk, as you assume, since it’s only nine in the morning.
Acts 2:16 Instead, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
Acts 2:17 And it will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Breath on all people; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.
Acts 2:18 I will even pour out my Breath on my slaves in those days, both men and women and they will prophesy.
Acts 2:19 I will give marvels in the sky above and signs on the land below: blood and fire and a cloud of smoke.
Acts 2:20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
Acts 2:21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be rescued.
Acts 2:22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to these words: This Jesus of Nazareth was a man supported with evidence to you by God with miracles, marvels, and signs that God did among you through him, just as you yourselves know.
Acts 2:23 Although he was given over according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, with lawless hands you took him out – fastening him to a cross.
Acts 2:24 God got him up, removing the birth pangs of death, since he was incapable of being held in its grasp.
Acts 2:25 You see, David says about him: I saw the Lord ever before me; because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Acts 2:26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices. Moreover, my flesh will rest in hope,
Acts 2:27 because you will not leave my throat behind in Hades nor allow your devout one to see decay.
Acts 2:28 You have revealed the paths of life to me; you will fill me with gladness in your presence.
Acts 2:29 “Brothers and sisters, I can confidently speak to you about the patriarch David: He is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
Acts 2:30 Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn an oath to him to seat the product of his loins on his throne.
Acts 2:31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Messiah: He was not left behind in Hades, and his flesh did not experience decay.
Acts 2:32 “God got this Jesus up; we are all testifiers of this.
Acts 2:33 Therefore, since he has been exalted to the right hand of God and has received from the Father the promised Sacred Breath, he has poured out what you both see and hear.
Acts 2:34 You see, it was not David who ascended into the sky, but he himself says: The Lord declared to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand
Acts 2:35 until I make your enemies your footstool.’
Acts 2:36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
Acts 2:37 When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the missionaries: “Brothers, what should we do?”
Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Seriously change your mind and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your mistakes, and you will receive the gift of the Sacred Breath.
Acts 2:39 For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call for.”
Acts 2:40 With many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, “Be rescued from this corrupt generation!”
Acts 2:41 So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand throats were added to them.

a God thing

As I said yesterday, the speaking in tongues part of the miracle of Pentecost was the window dressing. It was the mass evangelism that was the major miracle. Peter’s first job as evangelist was to show that this amazing incident was not the result of an alcoholic binge. The people were not intoxicated. It was a God thing.

But how do you know if a religious experience you are having is a God thing, or something else? This passage gives us some clues to look for.

First, the Bible had predicted the event (16-21).

Second, Jesus Christ was the reason for the event (22-36).

Third, personal repentance was a result of the event (37-38).

Finally, church growth was a result of the event (39-41).

Lord, give us the discernment to recognize when you are doing something, and the courage to make ourselves part of what you are doing.

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window dressing

Posted on July 14, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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window dressing

Acts 2:1-13 (JDV)

Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost was in progress, they were all together at the same place.
Acts 2:2 Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from the sky, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
Acts 2:3 They saw tongues like fire that divided up and sat on each one of them.
Acts 2:4 Then they were all filled with the Sacred Breath and began to speak with other languages, as the Breath enabled them.
Acts 2:5 Now there were Jews residing in Jerusalem, devout people from every nation under the sky.
Acts 2:6 When this sound happened, a crowd came together and was in uproar because each one heard them speaking in his own dialect.
Acts 2:7 They were astounded and amazed, saying, “Notice, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans?
Acts 2:8 How is it that each of us can hear them in our own native dialect?
Acts 2:9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who reside in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
Acts 2:10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts),
Acts 2:11 Cretans and Arabs – we hear them declaring the magnificent acts of God in our own languages.”
Acts 2:12 They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
Acts 2:13 But some sneered and said, “They’re drunk on new wine.”

window dressing

Lots of people think that if we just open ourselves up to let God speak through us in unknown languages we will have an outbreak of evangelism and revival just like what happened here. But the rest of the book of Acts does not confirm that assumption. It was not the speaking in tongues in particular that was the lasting miracle of Pentecost. It was the response to Peter’s gospel message. The speaking in tongues was the window dressing that drew the crowds to the store window.

Notice the process as Luke describes it in the context.

First, the believers united in prayer as they waited on God to move (1:1-14)

Second, the believers made sure they had adequate leadership for the coming increase in their numbers (1:15-26).

Third, God made the move by his miraculous provision!

Jesus had told his disciples that he would make them fishers of men. He showed them how it was done. It would involve a long time of waiting and trusting, and preparing for the catch, then in a burst of movement, the net would drop down where he indicated — and then the big catch. That is exactly what happened at Pentecost.

Lord, get us ready for the next big catch!

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filling the void

Posted on July 13, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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filling the void

Acts 1:12-26 (JDV)

Acts 1:12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem – a Sabbath day’s trip away.
Acts 1:13 When they arrived, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.
Acts 1:14 They all stayed busily engaged with the same passion in prayer, along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
Acts 1:15 In those days Peter got up among the brothers – the number named who were together was about a hundred and twenty – and said:
Acts 1:16 “Men, brothers, it was necessary that the Scripture be fulfilled that the Sacred Breath through the mouth of David foretold about Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus
Acts 1:17 since he was included in our number and shared in this assistance.”
Acts 1:18 Now this man acquired a field with his unrighteous wages. He fell headfirst, his body burst open and his organs spilled out.
Acts 1:19 This became known to all the residents of Jerusalem, so that in their own dialect that field is called Hakeldama (that is, Plot of Blood).
Acts 1:20 “You see, it is written in the Book of Psalms: Let his residence become unpopulated; let no one live in it; and Let someone else take his position as overseer.
Acts 1:21 “That is why, from among the men who have accompanied us during the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us –
Acts 1:22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day he was picked up from us – from among these, it is necessary that one become a testifier with us of his resurrection.”
Acts 1:23 So they proposed two: Joseph, called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias.
Acts 1:24 Then they prayed, “You, Lord, who know every heart; show which of these two you have selected
Acts 1:25 to take the place in this missions assistance that Judas bypassed to go to his own place.”
Acts 1:26 Then they cast lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias and he was added to the eleven missionaries.

filling the void

How does a congregation or ministry fill the void when they need new leadership? There are some insights we can glean from this text:

First, bathe the process of seeking new leadership in prayer. Don’t just hope for the best, pray for God’s best (13-14).

Secondly, look for candidates who meet the scriptural qualifications (20, 25).

Thirdly, ask God for guidance in making the right choice, then make the choice, trusting that God has answered your prayer. (23-26).

Lord, send us leaders who will help us love and serve you.

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focus

Posted on July 12, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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focus

Acts 1:6-11 (JDV)

Acts 1:6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?”
Acts 1:7 But he said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own right.
Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Sacred Breath has come on you, and you will be my testifiers in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the land.”
Acts 1:9 After he had said this, he was lifted up as they were watching, and a cloud took him up away from their sight.
Acts 1:10 While he was going, they were gazing into the sky, they noticed that two men in shining clothes had stood by them.
Acts 1:11 And these said, ” Galilean men, why have you stood looking up into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been picked up from you into the sky, will come in the same way that you have seen him going into the sky.”

focus

I have a pair of glasses, and I use them to see more clearly. I’m okay when I am looking at a book, or a computer screen, but when I try to see into the distance, everything is out of focus. It’s really important that I wear my glasses when I’m driving — otherwise I am liable to miss something important.

The believers in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus’ ascension were getting out of focus.

First, they started focusing on where they were in prophetic history. They asked the Lord whether theirs was the time of full messianic expectation. That is logical, because they had discovered that Jesus was the Messiah. They naturally thought that the next thing to happen in history was the overthrow of Rome and the establishment of the messianic kingdom.

But Jesus told them that they were out of focus. They were concentrating on the wrong expectation.

Later, after Jesus ascended, the two divine messengers pointed out to the believers that they were out of focus again. They were so busy sky-gazing that they were wasting time. The messengers told them that Christ was going to come again, visibly and gloriously, just like he ascended. But that second coming was not supposed to be their focus either!

The proper focus for believers today is the mission we were called to complete. We need to get our eyes off the sky, and focus on reaching all the nations on the land. There is work to do, so we have to stay focused.

Lord, we get out of focus so easily. Wake us up, and turn us back to the mission you called us to complete.

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three foundations for gospel ministry

Posted on July 11, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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three foundations for gospel ministry

Acts 1:1-5 (JDV)

Acts 1:1 I constructed the first guidebook, Theophilus, to all that Jesus began to do and teach
Acts 1:2 up to the day he was picked up, after he had given instructions through the Sacred Breath to the missionaries he had selected.
Acts 1:3 After he had endured his crucifixion, he also presented himself alive to them by many convincing validating evidences, appearing to them over a period of forty days and telling the things about the kingdom of God.
Acts 1:4 While he was sharing salt with them, he directed them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard about from me;
Acts 1:5 because John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Sacred Breath in a few days.”

three foundations for gospel ministry

There are three foundations for gospel ministry, and these three foundations correspond to the three members of the divine trinity.

First, there is the Father’s promise (4). The reason the Father promised that the Holy Spirit would come to the church on Pentecost is that he had a plan, and his plan required that his people share the message about his Son with the power of his Holy Spirit.

Secondly, there is the Son’s incomplete work. Note that Luke says his first book was about all that Jesus began to do and teach (1). The Gospel of Luke records the completion of some of Jesus’ work. He completed the work of dying on the cross as our substitute and Savior. He completed the work of proving that his resurrection was genuine. He completed the work of teaching all we need to know about the kingdom of God — present and future. We have those teachings in the Gospels.

Thirdly, there is one work that Jesus left undone. He intentionally left that work for us — his church. That is the work of making disciples of all nations. It is the work of being testifiers for him (1:8).

That is why there is a third foundation for gospel ministry. That foundation is the empowerment that came to us when the Holy Spirit came down at Pentecost. Jesus instructed his church to wait for the Holy Spirit to come.

He did not come to reconcile us to the Father. God had already reconciled us by his grace.
He did not come to sacrifice his life for our sins. Jesus had done that by his death on the cross.
The Holy Spirit came to turn Christ’s church into gospel evangelists!

Holy Spirit, we invite you to do a work in our lives that enables us to proclaim the gospel of Christ, and lead our community to him.

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this extraordinary man

Posted on July 10, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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this extraordinary man

Deuteronomy 34:8-12 (JDV)

Deuteronomy 34:8 The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses finished.
Deuteronomy 34:9 Joshua son of Nun was filled with the breath of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites obeyed him and did as Yahveh had commanded Moses.
Deuteronomy 34:10 No prophet has arisen again in Israel like Moses, whom Yahveh knew face to face.
Deuteronomy 34:11 He was unparalleled for all the signs and wonders Yahveh sent him to do against the land of Egypt – to Pharaoh, to all his officials, and to all his land,
Deuteronomy 34:12 and for all the mighty acts of power and terrifying deeds that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.

this extraordinary man

This is the end of the fifth book of the Old Testament attributed to Moses. The majority of three of those books is all about the life of this extraordinary man, and what God did through him.

Joshua was obeyed because he focused on the commands that God had given Moses.
Moses was unparalleled because of the amazing conversations he had with God.
Moses was empowered because of the missions he was commissioned to undertake among the Egyptians and Israelites.

Lord, thank you for the life of this extraordinary man. Send us more men and women who will make a difference for you like he did.

how to make a difference

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living long and strong

Posted on July 9, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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living long and strong

Deuteronomy 34:5-7 (JDV)

Deuteronomy 34:5 So Moses the servant of Yahveh died there in the land of Moab, according to Yahveh’s word.
Deuteronomy 34:6 He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab facing Beth-peor, and no one to this day knows where his grave is.
Deuteronomy 34:7 Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died; his eyes were not weak, and his vitality had not run away from him.

living long and strong

A few months ago, my wife’s mother died, a wonderful strong woman who had outlasted several husbands raised six children. I think about her today as I read these words about Moses. He died at a very old age, but the biblical author explains that his death was “according to Yahveh’s word” — not due to weakness or loss of vitality.

We should all seek to take care of ourselves, taking every measure we can to see that our lives are not cut short due to carelessness. Our sky Father wants us to live long and fruitful lives — lives that reflect his power.

Lord, may we live to reflect your power, and die according to your word.

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preview at Pisgah

Posted on July 8, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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preview at Pisgah

Deuteronomy 34:1-4 (JDV)

Deuteronomy 34:1 Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which faces Jericho, and Yahveh showed him all the land: Gilead as far as Dan,
Deuteronomy 34:2 all of Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea,
Deuteronomy 34:3 the Negev, and the plain in the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar.
Deuteronomy 34:4 Yahveh then spoke to him, and this is what he said: “This is the land I promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your own eyes, but you will not cross into it.”

preview at Pisgah

Moses spent the last third of his life aiming for the promised land, and he reached its border. He was able to see it from atop Pisgah, but he was not able to enter it. Was his life a failure? Certainly not. In many ways, our lives mirror Moses. The best we can hope for is getting closer to God during this life. We never reach our ultimate destination. Like the sacred ones mentioned by the author of Hebrews, we die in faith “without receiving the things promised” (Hebrews 11:13).

Many believe that they will reach the promised land at death, but the Bible teaches that we will all reach it together when our Lord comes back to earth. Like Moses, we can reach the border just before we die, but that only means we can have the blessing of seeing our permanent destiny, but until Christ returns, none of us will enter it. God’s plan is that we will all be “made perfect together” (Hebrews 11:40).

Lord, give us the faith to reach our Pisgah in this life, and to trust you for the resurrection to follow.

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everywhere, but not everything

Posted on July 7, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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everywhere, but not everything

Deuteronomy 33:26-29 (JDV)

Deuteronomy 33:26 There is none like the God of Jeshurun, who rides the sky as your partner, the clouds in his majesty.
Deuteronomy 33:27 The God of old is your dwelling place, and underneath are the permanent arms. He drives out the enemy before you and commands, “Exterminate!”
Deuteronomy 33:28 So Israel dwells securely; Jacob lives untroubled in a land of grain and new wine; even his skies drip with dew.
Deuteronomy 33:29 How happy you are, Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by Yahveh? He is the shield that protects you, the sword you boast in. Your enemies will cringe before you, and you will tread on their backs.

everywhere, but not everything

Moses taught that God is everywhere, but he is not everything. He rides the sky above and brings security in the land below. He’s the house you dwell in and the arms and shield and sword that protect you from harm. But God does not have this relationship universally. Israel has enemies, and God will drive out those enemies. Those enemies will fear the Israelites, and serve them, because of God’s particular relationship with Israel, through the covenant.

It is comforting as a Christian to know that God is everywhere I go. But is also comforting to know that I have a relationship with him through Christ that is unique. No other gods can give me that.

Thank you God, that you are everywhere, but not everything.

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oil foot bath

Posted on July 6, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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oil foot bath

Deuteronomy 33:22-25 (JDV)

Deuteronomy 33:22 He said about Dan: Dan is a young lion, leaping out of Bashan.
Deuteronomy 33:23 He said about Naphtali: Naphtali, enjoying approval, full of Yahveh’s empowerment, take possession of it west and the south.
Deuteronomy 33:24 He said about Asher: May Asher be the most empowered of the sons; may he be the most favored among his brothers and dip his foot in olive oil.
Deuteronomy 33:25 May the bolts of your gate be iron and bronze, and your strength last as long as you live.

oil foot bath

Oil was used as a means of cleansing and protecting the head and feet. But it was used sparingly. If anyone had enough oil that they dared to dip their feet into it, it would have been considered either a huge waste, or a sign of extreme wealth. Moses’ prediction that Asher would dip his foot in olive oil suggested a future of untold wealth.

God wants to bless those who are in covenant with him, and his resources are unlimited. But not everyone that he blesses will end up with an oil foot bath. His grace is sufficient.

Lord, we trust you and thank you for the blessing you have appointed for us.

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