trusting Jesus in the storm

Posted on February 11, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 8:23-27

23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.

24 And see, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered by the waves; but he was asleep.

25 So they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are dying.”

26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

27 And the men were shocked, saying, “What kind of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

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trusting Jesus in the storm

The disciples trusted Jesus enough to obey him when he told them to cross the lake, but when the storm came, they were not sure his presence was enough.

We should be careful about criticizing the disciples for this, because it is going to happen to us as well. Storms will come, and Jesus will seem to be sleeping. We will probably panic and pray for help. Like the disciples, we are not doubting that Jesus is with us. We just pay too much attention to the storm, and not enough to the fact of his presence.

LORD, help us to pay more attention to who you are than in what we are experiencing.

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Property in Canaan

Posted on February 10, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Genesis 23:1-20

Sarah lived 127 years; these were the years of the life of Sarah.

2 And Sarah died at Kiriath-arba (also known as Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah, to cry over her loss.

3 And Abraham rose up from before his dead and said to the Hittites,

4 “I am a traveler and foreigner among you; give me some property among you for a burying place, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”

5 The Hittites answered Abraham,

6 “Hear us, my lord; you are a prince from God among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will hold back from you his tomb to hinder you from burying your dead.”

7 Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites, the people of that land.

8 And he said to them, “If you are willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and entreat for me Ephron the son of Zohar,

9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns; it is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in your presence as property for a burying place.” 10 Now Ephron was sitting among those Hittites, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the other Hittites, of all who went in at the gate of his city,

11 “No, my lord, hear me: I will give you the field, and I will give you the cave that is in it. In the sight of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.”

12 Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land.

13 And he said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, “But if you will, hear me: I will give the price of the field. Accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there.”

14 Ephron answered Abraham,

15 “My lord, listen to me: a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”

16 Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the other Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants.

17 So the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was to the east of Mamre, the field with the cave that was in it and all the trees that were in the field, throughout its whole area, was sold

18 to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate of his city as witnesses.

19 After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah east of Mamre (also known as, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.

20 The field and the cave that is in it were sold to Abraham as property for a burying place by the Hittites.

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Property in Canaan

Princess Sarah falls asleep in the LORD, and Abraham, whom the Hittites call a “prince of God” negotiates with them a burying place. He wanted the field of Ephron, son of Zohar. He purchased the field and the cave of Machpelah on it. It would be the only property in Canaan that Abraham would own. It would serve as a guarantee of the greater inheritance. The rest of the land promised would be received by his descendants.

This land Abraham bought would serve later as a burial ground and resting place for Abraham himself, Isaac, Jacob, Rebekah and Leah as well. Like Sarah here, their story does not end with their being transported somewhere else at death. The patriarchs did not see death as their salvation. At death, they sleep in the dust of the earth and – like us – await their Savior who will come down and rescue them from death by raising them to eternal life.

LORD, come quickly and rescue us from the enemy, death. Many of your saints await you and what you promised – eternal life.

Posted in Abraham, second coming, sleep of death | Tagged | 1 Comment

The Sky Kingdom is going nowhere

Posted on February 9, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 8:18-22

18 After Jesus saw a large crowd around him, he ordered his disciples to go over to the other side of the lake.

19 And one scribe approached and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

20 but Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes to go to, and birds of the air have nests to go to, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

21 Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go home until it is time to bury my father.”

22 And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let the dead go to bury their own dead.” _________________________________________

The Sky Kingdom is going nowhere

The scribe was too eager to follow Jesus, because he thought Jesus and his disciples were going someplace special. No, they were just going to the other side of the lake, to minister to the needs of more regular people. Ministry never goes beyond that. Even if the Lord sends you to speak to kings, it is still going nowhere in particular. It is just following Jesus to another nowhere.

One of the larger group of the disciples (not the twelve) told Jesus that he would catch up to him after he took care of his family responsibilities. Apparently, his father was ill, and would soon die. But Jesus saw into the request. He saw that the man was prioritizing something else besides the kingdom. So, Jesus told him to follow him now instead of later. The dead he left behind would take care of their dead.

The kingdom business may not give you any clout, but it is important. Jesus calls us to commit to his kingdom, and go nowhere with him. Now is the time.

LORD, give us the wisdom to prioritize following you, in spite of where it takes us.

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Unthinkable and Impossible

Posted on February 8, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Genesis 22:14-24

14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The LORD will see to it”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the LORD it shall be seen to.”

15 And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from the sky

16 and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not held back your only son,

17 Blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your offspring like the stars of the sky and like the sand upon the beach. And your offspring will possess the gate of his enemies,

18 and because of your offspring all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”

19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they set out together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba.

20 Now after these things it was told to Abraham, “See, Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor:

21 Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram,

22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.”

23 ( Bethuel fathered Rebekah.) These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother.

24 His concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

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Unthinkable and Impossible

Abraham is a perfect example of saving faith because his faith was more than mere intellectual assent. He trusted God and he obeyed his command. His faith strapped his son to an altar and picked up a knife. By doing so, he was acting out a scene in a drama, a scene that was written long before his time, a scene that would be fulfilled in history when God himself would send his only Son to be sacrificed on a cross. But Abraham did not know that. All Abraham knew was that God commanded him to do the unthinkable, and he was prepared to do it, because he trusted God. God would see to it.

This is the kind of faith God has chosen to bless. If you ever struggle with why you keep getting into impossible situations, that could be the reason. The LORD could be challenging you to stay committed to him when the reasonable thing to do would be to pack up your stuff and go back home.

LORD, give us the faith that trusts and obeys in unthinkable and impossible situations.

Posted in Abraham, faith, obedience, trust | Tagged | 1 Comment

The Sky Kingdom is ministry to the hurting

Posted on February 7, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 8:14-17

14 And when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever.

15 He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve him.

16 That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he expelled the spirits with a command and healed all who were sick.

17 This was to fulfill what was predicted by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”

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The Sky Kingdom is ministry to the hurting

Isaiah had predicted that Jesus would take our illnesses and pains upon himself. He did that ultimately on the cross, but he first began doing that by his healing and deliverance ministry. Hurting people were not a distraction for him. He came to heal and deliver us all. Our hurts matter to him.

He would empower his disciples to heal and deliver as they preached his gospel as well.[1] They were not always able to heal, but they tried.[2] Those blessed with citizenship in the kingdom from the sky are invested in helping the hurting. It is what we do.

LORD, help us to help the hurting in your name. Where there is illness, give us your healing touch. Where there is demonic invasion, give us your delivering word.

[1] Matthew 10:1, 8.

[2] Matthew 17:16.

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Substitute

Posted on February 6, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Genesis 22:1-13

And it was some time after these things. Then God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”

2 So he said, “Now take your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

3 So Abraham got up early in the morning, tying his pack to his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and started out for the place of which God had told him.

4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from a distance.

5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and return to you.”

6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together.

7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”

8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.

9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.

10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.

11 But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”

12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not held back your only son, from me.”

13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and see, behind him was a ram, caught in a bush by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.

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Substitute

Abraham had just “lost” his older son, Ishmael, because God had commanded him to send the boy and his mother away. Ishmael could not remain in the household because he represented Adam, God’s first creation, but not his only Son. So now Abraham is left with “his only son, Isaac”. The LORD commands him to take Isaac to the land of Moriah and slaughter him, and burn him as an offering. Abraham obeyed, perhaps thinking that God was going to raise Isaac from the dead. Abraham had told his servants that God would provide a sacrifice. God did provide a ram, caught in the bush by his horns. He provided a substitute. Generations later, God provided a substitute: his only Son for Abraham and all his children.

LORD, thank you for providing for our greatest need: a substitute to die for our sins – your only Son, Jesus.

Posted in Abraham, Jesus Christ | Tagged | 1 Comment

The Sky Kingdom and those who deserve it

Posted on February 5, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 8:5-13

5 When he entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him, asking earnestly for his help,

6 “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terrible pain.”

7 So Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

8 But the centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof, just give the command, and my servant will be healed.

9 For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

10 When Jesus heard this, he was shocked and said to those who followed him, “Honestly, I tell you, I have not found such faith as this in any Israelite.

11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom from the sky,

12 while the sons who should be in that kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

13 And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; it will be done for you as you have believed.” And that very instant his servant was healed. _________________________________________

The Sky Kingdom and those who deserve it

Jesus expressed the same willingness to heal the centurion’s servant as he has the man with leprosy. But the centurion did not need Jesus to follow him home. He knew that Jesus had authority over that paralysis. He knew all Jesus had to do was command it to leave. That knowledge is what we call faith.

Jesus was shocked to find faith here – in the heart of an enemy soldier. He told his followers that there would be many like this, coming from the east and west, who would be there when his sky kingdom comes down. They are foreigners with faith. Because they have faith in him, they will have a place in his future kingdom. But those who think they have a right to that kingdom by birth will be thrown out, experiencing sorrowful regret and anger at their loss.

LORD, we believe you have the right to decide what happens to us. We trust in your grace, not in our rights. Just give the command.

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Token

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Genesis 21:22-34

22 At that time Abimelech through Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do.

23 Now therefore swear to me by God that you will not deal deceptively with me or with my descendants or with my posterity, but as I have dealt kindly with you, so you will deal with me and with the land where you have travelled.”

24 And Abraham said, “I do swear.”

25 When Abraham later complained to Abimelech about a well of water that Abimelech’s servants had seized,

26 Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, and I have not learned about it until today.”

27 So Abraham took some sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a covenant.

28 Abraham set seven ewe lambs of his flock apart.

29 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What is the purpose of these seven ewe lambs that you have set apart?”

30 He said, “These seven ewe lambs you will obtain from my hand, that this gift may be a witness for me that I dug this well.”

31 Therefore that place was called Beersheba, because there both of them swore an oath.

32 So they made a covenant at Beersheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army rose up and returned to the land of the Philistines.

33 It was there in Beersheba that Abraham planted a tamarisk tree and called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God.

34 And Abraham traveled many days in the land of the Philistines. _________________________________________

Token

It was just a well. But this well belonged to Abraham. His people had dug it. It was theirs. Abraham was prepared to dispute ownership of the well, and willing to pay a witness price to Abimelech to verify that ownership. Why was this well so important to him? It was on land which the LORD had promised him and his descendants. The well served as a token of the full promise. Abraham was not ready to wage war to take the whole land. It was not the LORD’s timing for that. That would be the life’s project of one of Abraham’s descendants: Joshua. But Abraham was prepared to do what it took to secure the well. It served as a reminder of what is to come.

Fast-forward to Joshua’s time, and his people saw the well at Beersheba as a sort of bookmark in the land. It was like a flag, signifying something of them in this place. Because of the well at Beersheba, this was not foreign soil.

The LORD has given you a token of your future inheritance. The Holy Spirit inside you reminds you of that future. Because He is here with you, the promises of God are not foreign soil.

LORD, thank you for your Holy Spirit, and the promise that He represents.

Posted in Abraham, future, Holy Spirit | Tagged | 1 Comment

The Sky Kingdom and the purpose for healing

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 8:2-4

2 And see, a man with leprosy came to him and was kneeling before him, saying, “Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean.”

3 And Jesus reached out his hand and touched him, saying, “I do want to; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

4 And Jesus said to him, “Make sure that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” _________________________________________

The Sky Kingdom and the purpose for healing

Jesus heals today, and he does it for the same reasons that he did it when he walked around in Palestine. He heals because he wants us to be clean. He does not desire us to suffer the impurity, pain and shame of illness or injury. He cares about those who are hurting.

He also heals because he wants to restore us to God’s original plan for our lives, which is disrupted by sin and its consequences. He wants to restore us to our communities and families. He told the man who had been isolated by leprosy to go to his priest and get certified as cleansed. That was the only way for him to be reintroduced to his synagogue – to be restored to his community.

He also heals as a witness to his existence and power. The man who had so obviously been afflicted with a destructive disease became evidence of who and what Jesus is. You and I are evidence as well. Our past lives are evidence of our brokenness. Our restoration is evidence of our healer.

LORD, give us the faith to be healed, cleansed and restored, and my our healing serve to honor you, testifying of your existence and grace.

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Saving Ishmael

Posted on February 2, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Genesis 21:14-21

14 So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she left and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.

15 After the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the shrubs.

16 Then she went and sat down across from him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, “Let me not watch the child die.” And as she sat opposite him, she raised her voice and wept.

17 And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid, because God has heard the voice of the boy where he is.

18 Get up! Lift up the boy, and hold him firmly with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”

19 Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

20 And God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert archer.

21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

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Saving Ishmael

How did this story get back to Abraham? We do not know that it did, but somehow it made its way into the Hebrew tradition, and was recorded by Moses. It speaks of a God who listens to the prayers of those in distress, no matter who they are.

Does God hear the prayers of those outside his covenant community? He saved Ishmael, in spite of his knowledge that Ishmael’s people would become enemies of Isaac’s people. God loves the world. He is under no obligation to save anyone of any nation. But he cares. He wants us to care for people too, not just those who are on our side – but even those who violently oppose us.

LORD, give us your compassion for those who are in trouble.

Posted in grace, prayer | Tagged | 1 Comment