the replaced gospel

Posted on December 21, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky devotions pics September 2016 (7)

Luke 3:1-6

Luk 3:1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of the emperor Tiberius, Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,
Luk 3:2 in the time of the high priest Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert.
Luk 3:3 And he went into all the surrounding region of the Jordan, preaching a baptism signifying repentance for the forgiveness of sins,
Luk 3:4 Just like it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,
“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight!
Luk 3:5 Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be leveled, and the crooked will become straight, and the rough road smooth,
Luk 3:6 and all flesh will see the salvation from God.'”

the replaced gospel

John’s message in the Judean wilderness sounds jarring to modern ears precisely because it has not been shaped by the assumptions that often guide contemporary evangelism. When you listen closely to what he proclaimed, you discover that his entire orientation is different. He is not inviting people to make a personal spiritual decision so they can secure a place in heaven after death. He is announcing that God Himself is drawing near, that His arrival is imminent, and that Israel must be made ready to receive Him. Repentance, in John’s preaching, is not a strategy for self‑preservation; it is an act of preparation for the Lord’s return.

Much of today’s evangelistic language blends biblical truth with motivations the Scriptures never use. The call to repent is absolutely biblical. The prophets, Jesus, the apostles—all summon people to turn from sin. But the reason often given in popular preaching has shifted. When repentance is framed primarily as the ticket to heaven, the center of gravity moves from God’s coming reign to our personal afterlife. The focus becomes escaping judgment rather than welcoming the King. John’s message refuses that shift. He does not say, “Repent so you can go to God.” He says, in effect, “Repent because God is coming to you.”

For John, the wilderness was a staging ground for the Lord’s arrival. Every heart was a road that needed clearing. Every life was a landscape that needed leveling. Repentance was the way to make room for the Holy One who was stepping onto the stage of history. The Messiah was not inviting people to ascend to a distant heaven; He was bringing heaven’s rule to earth. To repent was to align oneself with that coming kingdom, to welcome its justice, its purity, its authority, and its joy.

This orientation changes everything. Instead of viewing repentance as a private spiritual transaction, we begin to see it as readiness—readiness for the restoration of all things, readiness for the renewal of creation, readiness for the King who will set the world right. John’s message presses us to ask not, “How do I get to heaven?” but, “How do I prepare my life for the One who is returning to reign?”

LORD, teach us to live with that same expectancy, to turn from anything that resists Your rule, and to prepare our hearts for Your return and the restoration You will bring.

Posted in evangelism, John the Baptist, second coming | Tagged | Leave a comment

when our commitments clash

Posted on December 20, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky devotions pics December 2016 (20)

Luke 2:48-52

Luk 2:48 And when they saw him, they were stunned and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you done this to us? Look, your father and I have been searching for you anxiously!”
Luk 2:49 But he said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that it was necessary for me to be doing the things of my Father?”
Luk 2:50 And they did not understand the statement that he spoke to them.
Luk 2:51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was submitting to them. And his mother treasured all these things in her heart.
Luk 2:52 And Jesus was advancing in wisdom and stature and in favour with God and people.

when our commitments clash

Joseph and Mary had lost track of Jesus, and it took them days of anxious searching before they finally found Him. When they did, He was in the temple courts—right at the heart of Israel’s worship—engaged in deep conversation with the teachers of Scripture. He was listening, asking questions, responding thoughtfully. He was exactly where His Father’s business was being done. Yet His parents did not expect to find Him there. They had looked everywhere else first.

Luke uses this moment to highlight a tension that every believer eventually faces: the need to balance our commitments to God with our responsibilities toward others. Jesus was fully devoted to His Father, yet He did not use that devotion as an excuse to neglect His earthly obligations. After this incident, Luke tells us that Jesus returned to Nazareth with His parents and continued to submit to them. He grew in wisdom, in physical maturity, in favor with God, and in favor with people. He found the balance that allowed Him to live faithfully in both realms—honoring God without dishonoring the people God had placed in His life.

We need that same balance. Our relationship with God must remain our first loyalty, the anchor that shapes every other commitment. But that loyalty does not free us from the responsibilities we have toward family, friends, coworkers, and community. In fact, a healthy relationship with God usually strengthens our relationships with others. It makes us more patient, more gracious, more dependable, more peaceful. Only in rare moments—when obedience to God and the expectations of others collide—must we choose the harder path of disappointing people in order to remain faithful to Him. But even then, the goal is not conflict; it is integrity.

Most of the time, walking closely with God will lead to peace with others. It will help us grow in wisdom, in maturity, and in favor—not because we are trying to impress anyone, but because God’s presence shapes us into people who bless those around us.

LORD, as far as possible, keep us advancing in our relationships with others as well as with yourself.

Posted in balance, commitment, discipleship, relationship with God | Tagged | Leave a comment

finding Jesus among the teachers

Posted on December 19, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky devotions pics December 2016 (19)

Luke 2:42-47

Luk 2:42 And when he was twelve years of age, they went up according to the custom of the feast.
Luk 2:43 And after the days were completed, while they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. And his parents were not aware.
Luk 2:44 since they believed him to be in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey on. Then they began searching for him among the relatives and acquaintances,
Luk 2:45 and after not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him.
Luk 2:46 And after three days this happened: they found him in the temple area, sitting in the middle of the teachers and listening to them and asking them things.
Luk 2:47 And everyone who heard him was amazed at the insight reflected in his answers.

finding Jesus among the teachers

They were people who had devoted their entire lives to studying, memorizing, and wrestling with the truths of God’s word, and Jesus respected that. Even as a boy, He chose to sit among them—listening carefully, asking thoughtful questions, and responding with insight far beyond His years. He honored their calling as teachers of Israel by engaging them seriously. When His parents finally found Him, they were surprised to discover Him there, doing exactly that. They had not expected Him to seek out the teachers of Scripture as the place where He most naturally belonged.

Our society often shares that same surprise. Many people today do not expect to find Jesus in the realm of doctrine or teaching. They look for Him in emotional experiences, in symbolic rituals, in activism, in art, or in moments of personal inspiration. Those things can be meaningful, but they are not the primary place where Christ reveals Himself. As a result, many spend years searching for Jesus in all the wrong places—just as Mary and Joseph searched everywhere except the temple.

But if we dare to follow Jesus’ own example, we discover a shortcut. We find Him where He has always made Himself known: in the Scriptures, and among those who faithfully teach them. Pick up your Bible and begin reading with an open heart. Go to church and listen as the gospel is taught and explained. Sit among the teachers—not because they are perfect, but because Christ delights to make Himself known through His word. He is not hiding. He is not distant. He is present in the very places where He promised to be found.

If you want to encounter Jesus, you do not need to chase an experience. You need only to seek Him where He has revealed Himself. The boy in the temple is the same Lord who still speaks through Scripture today.

LORD, give us the courage to seek Jesus among the teachers of the gospel.

Posted in Bible, bible study, church, discipleship, gospel, Jesus Christ, theology, Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

whole health

Posted on December 18, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky devotions pics December 2016 (18)

Luke 2:39-41

Luk 2:39 And when they had completed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.
Luk 2:40 And the child continued growing and becoming strong, filled with wisdom, and the favour of God was upon him.
Luk 2:41 And his parents went every year to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover.

whole health

Luke’s brief description of Jesus’ childhood is more than a passing comment—it is a window into the kind of wholeness God desires for every human life. Many physicians today, especially those working in integrative or family medicine, are rediscovering what Dr. Luke already understood: true health is never one‑dimensional. Luke portrays Jesus growing in a steady, balanced way. His body was becoming strong; His mind and inner life were developing; His relationship with God was deepening. Physical strength, emotional maturity, and spiritual vitality were not competing priorities for Him—they were woven together into a single, healthy life.

Luke’s wording suggests a process, not a sudden leap. Jesus grew. He developed. He advanced. Nothing about His humanity was rushed or artificial. He experienced the same gradual strengthening that every child does, but He did so in a way that honored the full range of what it means to be human. His physical health mattered. His intellectual and psychological formation mattered. His spiritual life mattered. And Luke holds these together as a unified picture of flourishing.

This is a helpful grid for us as well. We often treat body, mind, and spirit as separate compartments, tending to one while neglecting the others. We may focus on physical fitness while ignoring emotional strain. Or we may cultivate spiritual practices while overlooking the needs of our bodies. Or we may invest in mental growth while starving our souls. Luke’s portrait of Jesus gently challenges that fragmentation. If the Son of God grew in a holistic way, then surely we are invited to pursue the same kind of balance.

Evaluating our health through Luke’s lens means asking deeper questions. Are we caring for our bodies in ways that honor the God who created them? Are we nurturing our minds, emotions, and relationships so that we grow in wisdom and resilience? Are we tending our spiritual lives so that God’s favor rests on us—not as a reward, but as the natural fruit of walking with Him? Body, mind, and spirit all matter to God. They should matter to us as well.

LORD, make us healthy and strong in every way that matters.

Posted in balance, growth, maturity | Tagged | Leave a comment

Anna’s day

Posted on December 17, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky devotions pics December 2016 (17)

Luke 2:36-38

Luk 2:36 And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher (she was advanced with many days, having lived with a husband seven years from her virginity,
Luk 2:37 and herself eighty-four years as a widow) who did not leave from the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers.
Luk 2:38 And at the same hour she approached them. She began to give thanks to God, and to speak about him to all those who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Anna’s day

Some of the details Luke gives about Anna could easily have caused people in her world to overlook her. She was elderly in a culture that prized youth. She was a woman in a society where public religious authority was almost always male. She was called a prophetess, a title that might have made some suspicious or dismissive. She was from the tribe of Asher, not Levi, so she had no official priestly lineage. And she was a widow—dependent, vulnerable, and without the social standing that came from having a husband or children to speak for her.

But the Lord did not overlook her. None of those details diminished her value in His eyes. None of them disqualified her from His purposes. Anna was precious to Him, and her ministry mattered deeply. She prayed, she fasted, she waited, she watched. She lived in the temple courts with a heart tuned to God’s voice. And when the moment finally came—when the Messiah arrived—she was ready. Her day came, and she stepped into it with joy, proclaiming the Redeemer to all who longed for God’s salvation.

If you wrestle with doubts about yourself or your ministry, Anna’s story speaks directly to that struggle. You may feel too old or too young, too hidden or too ordinary, too limited or too overlooked. You may feel like your gifts don’t fit the mold or your circumstances make you less useful. But God does not measure you the way others do. He does not disregard you. He sees your faithfulness, your waiting, your prayers, your quiet obedience. And He has a purpose for you.

If you cannot yet see that purpose clearly, it may simply be because your moment has not arrived. Anna waited decades before her calling blossomed into public significance. Yet her long faithfulness was not wasted time—it was preparation. Your waiting may be the same. Be patient. Keep serving in the ways you can. Keep showing up. Keep trusting His timing. When your day comes, you will be ready.

LORD, give us the patience of the prophetess.

Posted in Anna, commitment, ministry, patience | Tagged | Leave a comment

a sign being argued against

Posted on December 16, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky devotions pics December 2016 (16)

Luke 2:33-35

Luk 2:33 And his father and mother were stunned at what was said about him.
Luk 2:34 And Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “Behold, this one laid here will cause either the fall or the resurrection of many in Israel, and his presence is a sign that is being argued against —
Luk 2:35 and a sword will pierce your own soul also, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed!”

a sign being argued against

Simeon’s prophecy reveals the side of the story the angels did not announce. The angels spoke of joy, peace, and goodwill—real gifts, overflowing gifts—but Simeon saw that the coming of Christ would also divide humanity. He would be the source of salvation, yet His presence would expose the deepest loyalties of the human heart. Christ would bring joy to the world, but He would also bring a sword—not a sword of violence, but a sword of discernment. His life, His teaching, His authority, and His cross would reveal who truly belonged to the Lord and who only claimed to.

Simeon said that Jesus would be a “sign spoken against,” a sign that would uncover the hidden thoughts of many. In other words, Christ would force a choice. His light would not only comfort; it would confront. His grace would not only heal; it would expose. His truth would not only guide; it would divide. Some would rise because of Him, finding life and hope. Others would fall, rejecting the One sent to save them. The same child who brought peace to shepherds would bring conflict to the hearts of those who resisted God’s call.

For generations, our societies have embraced the joy of Christmas—the lights, the music, the warmth, the nostalgia. But many have resisted the revelation behind it. They welcome the sentiment but avoid the surrender. They enjoy the celebration but ignore the claim Christ makes on every life. And now, in many places, the sign of Christ is being spoken against again. His name is debated, His authority questioned, His message dismissed. The world is once more dividing around Him.

Simeon’s prophecy presses the question on us: whose side are we on? Not in a political sense, not in a cultural sense, but in the deepest spiritual sense. Do we stand with the One who reveals our hearts and calls us to follow Him, even when that means standing apart from the crowd? Do we embrace the joy of His coming while also accepting the cost of His lordship?

Christ still reveals. Christ still divides. Christ still calls. And the courage to stand with Him is as necessary now as it was in Simeon’s day.

LORD, give us the courage to commit to Christ, regardless of who we might have to oppose.

Posted in Christmas, commitment, Jesus Christ, loyalty | Tagged | Leave a comment

revelation and glory

Posted on December 15, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky devotions pics December 2016 (15)

Luke 2:25-32

Luk 2:25 And notice, there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this righteous and devout man was looking forward to the encouragement of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
Luk 2:26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he was not going to see death before he would see the Lord’s Christ.
Luk 2:27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus so that they could do for him according to what was traditional under the law,
Luk 2:28 he cradled him in his arms and praised God and said,
Luk 2:29 “Now dismiss your slave in peace, Lord, according to your word.
Luk 2:30 Because my eyes have seen your salvation
Luk 2:31 that you have prepared in the presence of all the peoples,
Luk 2:32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory to your people Israel.”

revelation and glory

Light does two things at once. It reveals what is hidden by illuminating everything it touches, and it also dazzles the eye with its own brilliance. Simeon understood that Christ would do both as the Light of God. When he held the infant Jesus in his arms, he saw more than a child. He saw the One who would uncover the truth of God’s love for the nations and the One who would display the glory of God among His own people.

Jesus would be a light for revelation to the Gentiles. In Him, those who had lived outside the covenant promises would finally see God’s heart clearly. His compassion, His teaching, His welcome of outsiders, His willingness to cross boundaries—these would reveal a God who was not tribal or distant, but a God who loved the world. Christ’s light would expose the depth of God’s mercy, making visible what had long been hidden in shadows.

But Jesus would also be the glory of Israel. He would live the life the law described, fulfilling every command, every expectation, every hope. His obedience would not be a display of rigid rule-keeping but a radiant expression of God’s character. In Him, Israel would see what humanity was always meant to be—faithful, righteous, wholehearted. And through His perfect life, He would rescue His people not by demanding more from them, but by giving Himself for them. Grace would shine where failure once stood.

Simeon saw all of this in the child he held. He saw a light that would reveal and a light that would dazzle. A light that would expose God’s love to the nations and a light that would display God’s glory to Israel. A light that would guide, confront, comfort, and save.

And that same light still shines. Christ continues to reveal God’s heart to those who feel far away, and He continues to display God’s glory to those who seek Him. His light exposes our need and meets it with grace. It shows us who God is and who we can become through Him.

LORD, thank you for your love and your salvation.

Posted in glory, Jesus Christ | Tagged | Leave a comment

dedicating new life

Posted on December 14, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky devotions pics December 2016 (14)

Luke 2:21-24

Luk 2:21 And when eight days were completed , he was curcumcised, and was named Jesus, what the angel had called him before he was conceived in the womb.
Luk 2:22 And when the days of their purification were completed according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present to the Lord
Luk 2:23 just like what is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb will be called holy to the Lord”
Luk 2:24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what was communicated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

dedicating new life

In Israel’s story, every firstborn male belonged to the Lord in a special way. Long before the tribe of Levi was set apart for temple service, God had claimed the firstborn as His own—both as a reminder of the Passover rescue and as a sign that every new generation was a gift entrusted to Him. Even after the Levites took on the formal priestly role, families still honored this ancient truth through the offering that Mary and Joseph brought for Jesus. Their participation wasn’t a mere ritual; it was a declaration that this child—like every firstborn son in Israel—was holy to the Lord.

This offering was also a celebration of new life. It acknowledged that children are not possessions to be shaped according to our ambitions, but gifts entrusted to us by God. Presenting a child before the Lord was a way of saying, “This life comes from You, belongs to You, and will be raised under Your word.” Mary and Joseph, though holding the very Son of God in their arms, still entered into this act of dedication. They honored the pattern God had woven into Israel’s story, even as Jesus Himself would fulfill and transform it.

There is something deeply human and deeply hopeful in this moment. Parents standing before God with gratitude. A newborn held up as a sign of promise. A family acknowledging that their child’s future rests not only in their hands but in God’s faithful care. It is a reminder that every child—whether firstborn or not—is a testimony to God’s ongoing work in the world.

And this truth still speaks today. When we thank God for our children, we are recognizing that their lives are sacred gifts. When we dedicate them to Him, we are entrusting their futures to His wisdom, His protection, and His purposes. We are acknowledging that the story He is writing in them is larger than anything we could script on our own.

LORD, thank you for our children. We dedicate them all to you.

Posted in children, commitment, Jesus Christ | Tagged | Leave a comment

reacting to a Christmas miracle

Posted on December 13, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky devotions pics December 2016 (13)

Luke 2:18-20

Luk 2:18 And everyone who heard it was stunned at what had been said to them by the shepherds.
Luk 2:19 But Mary treasured up all these words, contemplating them in her heart.
Luk 2:20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen. It was just like it had been told to them.

reacting to a Christmas miracle

Luke’s account highlights three distinct reactions to what happened in Bethlehem, and each one helps us understand the heart of the Christmas story. The miracle was not in the mechanics of Jesus’ birth. As far as Scripture tells us, His birth unfolded in the ordinary way every child enters the world. What made the moment miraculous was who this child was—the eternal Word taking on flesh, the Son of God stepping into human history.

Mary responded with quiet depth. She listened to the shepherds’ report, recognized it as another confirmation of what God had already spoken to her, and treasured their words in her heart. Her reaction was contemplative, reflective, the response of someone who understands that God’s work often unfolds slowly, layer by layer, and must be pondered rather than rushed past.

The shepherds responded with exuberant praise. They had seen the angels, heard the announcement, and then found the child exactly as they had been told. Their experience matched the message, and that alignment filled them with joy. They returned to their fields glorifying God, convinced that what they had witnessed was true.

The people who heard the shepherds’ testimony reacted differently. They were amazed—stunned, bewildered, caught off guard. Nothing like this had ever happened to them. Their reaction was not yet faith, not yet understanding, but the shock of encountering something far beyond their expectations.

These three responses still echo today. Not every Christmas comes wrapped in wonder. Some years feel ordinary, predictable, even quiet. You may not receive a miracle. You may not feel a burst of angelic glory. But you still have the opportunity to reflect on the miracle that matters most—the incarnation, the moment when the eternal Son became human and lived among us. That miracle does not fade with time. It does not depend on our circumstances. It invites a response every year, every season, every day.

So how will you respond? Will you ponder like Mary, praise like the shepherds, or simply stand amazed like the crowds? The invitation remains open: reflect on the One who became one of us so that He could rescue us.

LORD, thank you for becoming one of us, so that you could rescue us.

Posted in Christmas, Jesus Christ, miracles | Tagged | 1 Comment

so we can see

Posted on December 12, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

marmsky devotions pics December 2016 (12)

Luke 2:15-17

Luk 2:15 And it happened that when the angels had gone away from them into the sky, the shepherds started saying to one another, “Let us pass through Bethlehem now, so we can see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has revealed to us!”
Luk 2:16 And they went quickly and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger.
Luk 2:17 And after seeing them, they made known the statement that had been told to them about this child.

so we can see

Luke’s sequence is deliberate, almost like he is inviting us to watch faith unfold step by step. First, the angel announces the good news: the Messiah has been born in Bethlehem. That revelation is clear, authoritative, and trustworthy. But the shepherds do not stop at hearing the message. They respond with a desire to experience it personally. They say, in effect, “Let’s go. Let’s see this thing the Lord has made known to us.” Their belief in the angel’s words does not make them passive; it stirs them to seek Jesus for themselves.

When they arrive in Bethlehem and see the child lying in the manger exactly as the angel described, their faith deepens. What they heard becomes what they have now witnessed. And once they have seen for themselves, they cannot keep silent. They begin telling others everything that had been revealed to them. Revelation leads to seeking, seeking leads to encounter, and encounter leads to proclamation. Luke wants Theophilus to see that this is the natural rhythm of genuine faith.

Luke also wrote his Gospel so that Theophilus would “know for certain” the truth about Jesus. The shepherds believed the angel, but they still wanted to go and see. Theophilus believed the message, but he still needed clarity and confirmation. And we, too, are invited into that same pattern. We read the Scriptures, we hear the message, and we believe it—but belief is meant to draw us toward Jesus Himself. The gospel is not merely information to accept; it is a Person to seek.

Have you believed the word you have read? Then follow the shepherds’ example. Seek Jesus yourself. He is no longer an infant in Bethlehem; He is the risen Lord in heaven. Yet He is not distant. Those who seek Him with sincerity find Him. And here is the holy warning: finding Jesus for yourself will change you. Once He becomes more than a story on a page—once His presence becomes real to you—the good news will no longer be something you simply admire. It will become something you must share. Encounter leads to transformation, and transformation leads to witness.

LORD, we believe. Strengthen our faith with a living experience of Your presence, and send us out to share the good news with others.

Posted in angels, Bible, Christmas, evangelism, faith | Tagged | Leave a comment