reason to rejoice

Posted on March 11, 2017 by Jefferson Vann

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WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE DEMONS DO NOT SUBMIT?

Luke 10:17-20

Luk 10:17 Then the seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name!”
Luk 10:18 That was when he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
Luk 10:19 Notice, I have given you the right to tread on snakes and scorpions and on the full force of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you.
Luk 10:20 Yet, do not keep rejoicing that the spirits submit to you, but keep rejoicing that your names stand written in heaven.”

reason to rejoice

The seventy‑two came back overflowing with joy. They had spoken the name of Jesus, and the demons had obeyed them. They had stepped into villages as lambs, and yet the wolves had fled. It felt like victory—real, tangible, unmistakable victory. And when they told Jesus, He responded with that mysterious line: “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”

Was He recalling the primordial fall of the enemy, the moment Isaiah poetically describes? Perhaps. Or He may have been saying something even more immediate: Every time you proclaim the gospel, every time a demon flees, every time a heart turns toward God, Satan falls again. His kingdom collapses in flashes—lightning strikes of grace—wherever the gospel is preached.

But Jesus quickly redirected their joy. He did not deny their success; He reframed it. Ministry victories are real, but they are not the foundation of our joy. Success is sweet, but it is not secure. Some days the demons flee. Other days they seem to laugh in our faces. Some towns welcome the message. Others reject it. Some prayers are answered with power. Others seem to echo unanswered.

If our joy rests on our ministry outcomes, it will rise and fall with every season.

So Jesus gives them—and us—a deeper anchor:
“Rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Rejoice in what God has done for you, not in what you manage to accomplish for Him. Rejoice in grace, not performance. Rejoice in your eternal standing, not your temporary success rate.

These are healing words for every missionary, every pastor, every evangelist, every believer who has ever poured out their heart and seen little fruit. Jesus is saying: Your failures do not define you. Your successes do not sustain you. Your identity is secure because your name is written in heaven.

So we pray:
LORD, we stand with You, regardless of our success or failure at defeating Satan. Our confidence is in our eternal destiny, not our present ability.

Posted in authority, deliverance, encouragement, Satan | Tagged | Leave a comment

condemned cities

Posted on March 10, 2017 by Jefferson Vann

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ARE YOU LISTENING TODAY?

Luke 10:13-16

Luk 10:13 “Tragedy has come to you, Chorazin! Tragedy has come to you, Bethsaida! Because if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago; They would have sat in sackcloth and ashes.
Luk 10:14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgement than for you!
Luk 10:15 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to the sky? No, you will be thrown down to Hades!
Luk 10:16 “The one who listens to you listens to me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”

condemned cities

Jesus’ words to these ancient cities cut straight to the heart of a spiritual danger that is still alive today. Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum were not judged because they lacked religious heritage. They had plenty of that. They were not condemned because they had no exposure to God’s work. They had seen more miracles, heard more teaching, and witnessed more of Jesus’ ministry than almost any other towns in Galilee.

Their problem was indifference.

They were proud of their past, proud of their traditions, proud of their spiritual pedigree. But when the living Word of God stood in their streets, when the kingdom of God came near in the flesh, they shrugged. They treated Jesus’ messengers—and Jesus Himself—with a kind of polite dismissal. They did not oppose Him violently; they simply did not listen. And that quiet refusal was enough to seal their fate.

Jesus teaches us here that the true measure of a city, a nation, a family, or a person is not heritage, not history, not reputation, but responsiveness. Greatness in God’s eyes is found in the willingness to hear His word when it comes—especially when it comes through His messengers. A glorious past cannot compensate for a hardened present. A rich tradition cannot replace a listening heart.

This is a warning for all of us. It is possible to be so proud of where we have been that we become blind to what God is saying now. It is possible to cling so tightly to our spiritual history that we miss the living voice of Christ calling us forward. The past is a gift, but it is not a refuge. God speaks in the present, and He expects His people to listen in the present.

So we pray:
Lord, may we never be so blinded by our past that we refuse to listen to Your word in the present.

Posted in dependence upon God, discernment, discipleship, pride, Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

when the kingdom comes

Posted on March 9, 2017 by Jefferson Vann

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WHAT DO YOU BRING WITH YOU?

Luke 10:8-12

Luk 10:8 Whenever you enter a town and the people welcome you, eat what is presented to you.
Luk 10:9 Heal the sick in that town and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come upon you!’
Luk 10:10 But whenever you enter a town and the people do not welcome you, go into its streets and say,
Luk 10:11 ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we shake off against you. Nevertheless know this: The kingdom of God did come.’
Luk 10:12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town!

when the kingdom comes

You’re drawing out something essential in Jesus’ teaching here—something we often miss because we tend to collapse “kingdom” into a single meaning. But Jesus uses the word with a beautiful double depth.

In the ultimate sense, the kingdom of God comes when Christ Himself returns in glory. That is the day when every knee bows, every nation is judged, and every wrong is set right. That is the kingdom in its fullness—visible, undeniable, and final.

But Jesus also speaks of the kingdom coming in a present, active sense. Every time one of His followers enters a new town, a new home, a new conversation carrying His message, the kingdom arrives in seed form. It is not the final harvest, but it is the first fruits. The presence of a kingdom‑citizen is the presence of the King’s authority, the King’s compassion, and the King’s invitation.

That’s why Jesus can say that the kingdom “has come near” to any town where His messengers proclaim the gospel and bring healing. The kingdom touches that place through their presence. But if that town rejects the message, the kingdom still came—it simply was not received. And when the kingdom comes in its final form, those who rejected its earlier arrival will face a judgment far more severe than Sodom’s. Sodom never rejected the Son of God. These towns did.

This is the sober edge of Jesus’ teaching:
The same kingdom that brings healing today will bring judgment tomorrow.
The same message that saves those who receive it will condemn those who refuse it.
The same King who sends His workers now will return as Judge then.

And yet, the invitation remains wide open. The kingdom still comes through ordinary believers stepping into ordinary places with extraordinary news. Your town, your family, your nation—they encounter the kingdom when you carry Christ’s presence into them.

So we pray:
LORD, use us to bring the kingdom to our towns, families, and nations. Make our lives places where Your reign becomes visible, and prepare the world for the day when Your kingdom comes in fullness.

Posted in evangelism, gospel, kingdom of God, second coming | Tagged | Leave a comment

like lambs

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Jefferson Vann

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HE SENT US OUT, HE WILL NOT GIVE US UP.

Luke 10:3-7

Luk 10:3 Go! Notice I am sending you out like lambs surrounded by wolves.
Luk 10:4 Do not carry a money bag, luggage, or extra sandals, and announce yourselves to no one on the road.
Luk 10:5 Whenever you enter a house, first say, ‘May peace be on this house!’
Luk 10:6 And if a peace-loving person is there, your peace will stay on him, but if not, it will return to you.
Luk 10:7 Stay in that same house, eating and drinking what they give you, because the worker deserves his pay. Do not move around from house to house.

like lambs

A baby lamb really is the perfect picture for what Jesus was trying to teach. A lamb is soft, vulnerable, dependent, and entirely unable to protect itself. No one looks at a lamb and imagines it surviving alone in the wild. And that is precisely why Jesus chose the image. He wanted His disciples to understand that He was not sending them out as warriors, manipulators, or power‑brokers. He was sending them out as lambs—gentle, honest, undefended, and utterly dependent on their Shepherd.

But He was not abandoning them. A lamb may be weak, but a lamb with a shepherd is safe. Jesus promised that there would be “people of peace”—men and women whose hearts were already being stirred by God—who would welcome them, feed them, and receive their message. Their task was not to force themselves on anyone, nor to pressure or guilt people into supporting them. They were not to act like wolves, devouring resources or manipulating emotions. They were to receive only what was freely given, and to move on when hospitality was not offered.

In other words, the kingdom advances through trust, not coercion. Through gentleness, not aggression. Through dependence on God, not dependence on clever fundraising or guilt‑driven tactics. Jesus still wants lamb‑hearted workers—people who trust Him enough to go, and trust Him enough to let Him provide.

And that is the heart of your reflection. Ministry is not sustained by our strength, our strategies, or our self‑reliance. It is sustained by the Shepherd who sends us. He knows the wolves. He knows the dangers. He knows the needs. And He goes with us.

So we pray:
LORD, help us to trust You to provide for Your ministry through us. Make us lambs in Your service—gentle, faithful, and confident in the care of our Shepherd.

Posted in ministry, protection, providence, trust | Tagged | Leave a comment

the workers are scarce

Posted on March 7, 2017 by Jefferson Vann

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KEEP PRAYING FOR MISSIONARIES

Luke 10:1-2

Luk 10:1 After that, the Lord designated seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him two by two into every town and place where he himself was about to go.
Luk 10:2 He told them, “The harvest is bountiful, but the workers are scarce. Since this is so, keep asking the Lord of the harvest to keep sending out workers into his harvest.

The workers are scarce

When Jesus looked at the seventy‑two He had just commissioned, He didn’t see an abundance of workers—He saw the beginning of something far larger. Even with dozens of missionaries heading out two by two, the harvest still dwarfed the workforce. Jesus wasn’t thinking about one region, one generation, or one denomination. He saw the global, centuries‑long harvest of His kingdom, stretching far beyond what any group of disciples could handle on their own.

That’s why He said the workers were few. Not because none were willing, but because the mission was—and still is—so vast. The need always exceeds the number of laborers. The opportunities always outpace the personnel. The fields always ripen faster than the workers can gather.

And His instructions remain the same:
Pray. Ask. Keep asking. Keep praying.
Not for strategies, not for funding, not for safety—though those matter. His first command is to pray for workers. Pray that God would stir hearts, awaken callings, and send people into the places where the gospel has not yet taken root.

You’re right to notice how easy it is for churches and denominations to drift from that command. We mourn shrinking missionary rosters, but we rarely ask whether we have stopped praying the prayer Jesus told us to pray. We lament the lack of workers, but we often stop asking the Lord of the harvest to send them. And when we stop asking, we should not be surprised when fewer are sent.

But Jesus’ promise still stands:
If we keep seeking, He will keep sending.
If we keep praying, He will keep calling.
If we keep supporting, He will keep raising up laborers for His fields.

The harvest is still plentiful. The workers are still few. And the Lord is still listening for the prayers He commanded us to pray.

So we pray:
LORD, forgive us for failing to keep asking for workers in Your harvest. Flood Your fields with those whose hearts burn for the harvest You see.

Posted in commitment, missions | Tagged | Leave a comment

wanting to follow

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Jefferson Vann

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IS SOMETHING HOLDING YOU BACK?

Luke 9:57-62

Luk 9:57 As they were walking along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
Luk 9:58 Jesus said to him, “Foxes have dens and the birds in the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
Luk 9:59 Jesus said to another, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
Luk 9:60 But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead ones bury their own dead, but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
Luk 9:61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say goodbye to my family.”
Luk 9:62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

wanting to follow

Luke shows us a moment when Jesus was surrounded by eager volunteers—people who genuinely wanted to follow Him, but only on their own terms. Three different individuals approached Him along the road, each offering allegiance, yet each revealing a condition that held them back.

The first man sounded wholehearted: “I will follow you wherever you go.” But Jesus saw beneath the enthusiasm. The man assumed Jesus was heading toward influence, success, and recognition. He did not yet understand that the path of the Messiah led downward—to rejection, suffering, and a cross. His commitment was sincere, but it was built on ambition, not surrender.

The second man wanted to follow Jesus, but after he fulfilled a family obligation. His request sounded reasonable, even noble. Yet Jesus exposed the deeper issue: he wanted discipleship to fit neatly around his existing priorities. He wanted to follow—but not yet.

The third man also wanted to follow, but he wanted to say goodbye to his family first. Again, a reasonable request. But Jesus knew that his heart was divided. He wanted Christ, but he also wanted the comfort of home, the approval of others, the security of the familiar. His allegiance was real, but conditional.

These three encounters reveal something uncomfortable about the human heart. Many of us want to follow Jesus—someday. Once life settles down. Once responsibilities lighten. Once we feel more prepared, more stable, more spiritual. But that day never comes, because the delay itself reveals the problem. Discipleship cannot be postponed until everything else is in order. Following Jesus is the order that reshapes everything else.

Jesus does not reject these would‑be followers because their desires were wrong. He challenges them because their conditions revealed that He was not yet their first priority. And until He is first, He is not truly followed at all.

Perhaps you feel the pull of discipleship but also feel the tug of competing commitments. Jesus’ words remind us that conditional allegiance is not allegiance. The kingdom is entered by those who say yes now, not later.

So we pray:
LORD, release us from all forms of conditional allegiance. Make our hearts ready to follow You first, fully, and without delay.

Posted in ambition, discipleship | Tagged | Leave a comment

the bad Samaritans

Posted on March 5, 2017 by Jefferson Vann

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OUR LOVE NEEDS TO BE AS BLIND AS HIS

Luke 9:51-56

Luk 9:51 Then when the days drew near for him to be taken up, Jesus set out resolutely to go to Jerusalem.
Luk 9:52 He sent messengers on ahead of him. As they went along, they entered a Samaritan village to make things ready in advance for him,
Luk 9:53 but the villagers refused to welcome him, because he was determined to go to Jerusalem.
Luk 9:54 Now when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call fire to come down from the sky and consume them?”
Luk 9:55 But Jesus turned and reprimanded them,
Luk 9:56 and they went on to another village.

the bad Samaritans

The Samaritan village’s rejection of Jesus was not a polite refusal—it was rooted in ethnic hostility. They turned Him away because He was a Jew heading toward Jerusalem. Their prejudice ran deep, and it shaped their response to the very One who had come to save them. Luke makes it clear: these were not “good Samaritans” in the moral sense. They were acting out of bigotry, drawing hard lines between “us” and “them,” and Jesus fell on the wrong side of their boundary.

James and John saw this insult and reacted the way many of us would: with anger, with a desire for justice, even with a desire for punishment. They wanted to call down fire from heaven—an Elijah‑style judgment on people who had rejected the Lord’s Messiah. But Jesus rebuked them. He would not let His disciples use divine power to settle human grudges. He would not let them weaponize heaven against people who simply did not want Him.

This moment reveals something essential about life in God’s kingdom. Our calling is not to punish those who hate us, reject us, or misunderstand us. Our calling is to keep moving, to keep seeking those who will listen, to keep proclaiming good news because God loves the world—even the parts of it that do not love Him back. Jesus did not force Himself on the Samaritan village. He simply went on to the next one. The limit to His ministry was set by their refusal, not by His resentment.

And that is the posture He expects from us. As far as it depends on us, the world should not be divided into factions. The gospel is not a tribal possession. It is not the property of one ethnicity, one tradition, or one group. The kingdom Jesus brings is meant to gather, not scatter; to reconcile, not divide. When we allow racism, prejudice, or cultural pride to shape our attitudes toward others, we betray the very message we claim to carry.

Jesus calls us to a love that is blind to human boundaries—a love that sees every person as someone made in God’s image, someone worth pursuing, someone worth blessing.

So we pray:
LORD, forgive us for our racism and bigotry. May our love and concern be as blind, generous, and boundary‑breaking as Yours.

Posted in love, prejudice, witness | Tagged | 1 Comment

rival respect

Posted on March 4, 2017 by Jefferson Vann

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THE CHURCH IS A FRANCHISE, NOT AN EXCLUSIVE CLUB

Luke 9:49-50

Luk 9:49 John answered, “Master, we saw someone expelling demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he is not a disciple along with us.”
Luk 9:50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, because whoever is not against you is for you.”

rival respect

The disciples had been personally called by Jesus, personally trained by Him, and personally sent out in His name. It’s no surprise that they assumed this gave them exclusive rights to His authority. In their minds, they were the inner circle—the ones with the official badge, the ones who had earned the right to speak and act in His name. So when they saw someone else casting out demons by invoking Jesus’ authority, their instinct was to shut it down. They weren’t questioning the man’s sincerity; they were questioning his legitimacy.

But Jesus corrected them gently and firmly. His kingdom was never meant to be a private club. His mission was never restricted to a handful of chosen insiders. The twelve were called, yes—but they were not the only ones called. Jesus had many followers, many servants, many voices. The Spirit was already at work beyond the boundaries the disciples had drawn. The “franchise,” as you put it, was always meant to expand.

This moment exposes a temptation that still lingers in the church today. We can easily slip into thinking that our group, our denomination, our tradition, or our way of doing ministry is the “real” one. We assume that others who worship differently, organize differently, or emphasize different aspects of the faith must be less faithful or less legitimate. But Jesus refuses to let His disciples think that way. If someone is truly acting in His name—if they are drawing people toward Him rather than away—then they are part of His work, even if they are not part of our circle.

This doesn’t mean every teaching is equally true or every practice equally wise. It does mean that the kingdom of God is far bigger than our preferences, our backgrounds, and our traditions. The Spirit has been raising up faithful believers in places we would never expect, using methods we would never choose, and blessing communities we might never understand. Jesus calls us to recognize His work wherever it appears, even when it doesn’t look like our own.

So we pray:
LORD, show us how to respect and appreciate other Christians from backgrounds different from our own. Teach us to celebrate Your work in all its diversity, and to recognize that anyone who truly serves in Your name is our brother or sister.

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someone else’s child

Posted on March 3, 2017 by Jefferson Vann

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WHO DO YOU VALUE?

Luke 9:46-48

Luk 9:46 Now an argument started among the disciples as to which of them might be the greatest.
Luk 9:47 But when Jesus recognised their innermost thoughts, he took a child, had him stand by his side,
Luk 9:48 and said to them, “Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me, because the one who is least among you all is the one who is great.”

someone else’s child

Earlier in the chapter, Luke tells the story of a father pleading for his only son—a child tormented by a demon, trapped in suffering no parent could ignore. Others may have felt sympathy, but this man felt something deeper: urgent, personal compassion. The boy was his. His pain was not theoretical; it was a wound in the father’s own heart.

Now Jesus takes another child—someone else’s child—and places that little one beside Himself. Then He tells His disciples that true greatness in His kingdom is measured not by power, status, or accomplishment, but by how they welcome someone like this. Not their own child. Not someone who can repay them. Not someone impressive. Someone small. Someone overlooked. Someone the world considers insignificant.

Jesus is not merely teaching humility; He is reshaping their entire value system. In a culture where children had no social standing, Jesus elevates them as the standard by which greatness is measured. He is saying, in effect: If you want to know how much of My heart you carry, look at how you treat the least valued person in the room. The disciples had been arguing about who among them was the greatest. Jesus answers by pointing to a child and saying, “Start here.”

This is the kingdom’s upside‑down logic. Greatness is not found in being admired, but in noticing the unnoticed. It is not found in gaining influence, but in giving honor. It is not found in protecting our own, but in valuing those who belong to no one. Jesus wants His followers to see people the way He sees them—each one bearing the image of God, each one infinitely precious, each one worth our attention and compassion.

And this is where the earlier story and this moment connect. The father loved his son because he was his. Jesus calls us to love others because they are His.

So we pray:
LORD, give us Your eyes, to see the value of every soul. To love everyone—from the least to the greatest.

Posted in children, compassion, consideration of others, discipleship | Leave a comment

afraid to ask

Posted on March 2, 2017 by Jefferson Vann

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TRUST HIM WHEN YOU CANNOT EXPLAIN HIS PLAN

Luke 9:42-45

Luk 9:42 As the boy was approaching, the demon threw him to the ground and shook him with convulsions. But Jesus reprimanded the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.
Luk 9:43 Then they were all stunned by the mighty power of God. But while the entire crowd was amazed at everything Jesus was doing, he said to his disciples,
Luk 9:44 “Take these words to heart, because the Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men.”
Luk 9:45 But they did not understand this statement; its meaning had been hidden from them, so that they could not grasp it. Yet they were afraid to ask him about this statement.

afraid to ask

The deliverance of this boy was the kind of moment everyone could rejoice in—everyone except the demon who had tormented him. A father’s long agony was finally relieved, a child was restored, and the crowd witnessed the compassion and authority of Jesus in action. It was a moment of pure goodness, the kind of moment that makes faith feel simple and joyful.

But right on the heels of that celebration, Jesus spoke words the disciples had no category for. He told them again that He would be betrayed, handed over, and killed. They could accept His power. They could accept His compassion. They could even accept His identity as Messiah. But betrayal? Suffering? Death? That did not fit into their understanding of God’s plan. They were afraid to ask Him what He meant, because the truth felt too heavy to face.

We are not so different. We love the parts of God’s plan that feel like deliverance—healing, restoration, answered prayer, moments of joy. But there are other parts of His plan that unsettle us, confuse us, or even frighten us. There are seasons when God’s purposes seem hidden behind pain or disappointment. There are moments when we, like the disciples, would rather not ask the hard questions because we are afraid of the answers.

Yet the same Jesus who cast out the demon is the Jesus who walked toward the cross. The same God who rescues also refines. His plan for the world is wonderful, but it is not always comfortable. And even His own people sometimes struggle to understand the path He chooses.

The disciples eventually learned that the cross was not a contradiction of God’s goodness but the deepest expression of it. In time, we learn the same. The parts of God’s plan that confuse us today may one day become the very things that reveal His wisdom and love most clearly.

So we pray:
LORD, give us the courage to trust Your plan, even when we are confused about why some things happen.

Posted in courage, discernment, plan of God, trust | Tagged | Leave a comment