Return and submit

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Genesis 16:7 – 17:4

7 The angel of the LORD found Hagar by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur.

8 And he said, “Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She answered, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.”

9 The angel of the LORD said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.”

10 The angel of the LORD also said to her, “I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered by reason of their greatness.”

11 And the angel of the LORD said to her, “Behold, you are pregnant and will give birth to a son. You will call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has listened to your affliction.

12 He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he shall dwell as enemy of all his kinsmen.”

13 So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who always sees me.”

14 Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; it is located between Kadesh and Bered.

15 And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.

16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael for Abram.

17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared again to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be irreproachable,

2 so that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.”

3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him,

4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you will be the father of numerous nations. _________________________________________

Return and submit

The LORD’s message to Hagar was not one that any of us like to hear. He knew that she was in an unbearable situation, and that it was not all her fault. Sarai had asked her to marry Abram, and had hoped that she would give birth to the son she longed for. She did it, and then things got bad. So, she decided to run. It was maybe not the best choice – since it meant leaving Abram too, but she had made it of her own free will. Now, God meets her, and tells her to go back to the situation she had just escaped from. He tells her to return and submit to Sarai. He lets her know that he knows her situation, and that he is going to fulfil his promise to her – not by allowing her to escape it – but by walking with her as she experiences it.

Perhaps the LORD’s present plan for you is going to involve an unbearable situation. Consider the possibility that he may ask you not to escape it, but to allow him to turn it into a blessing.

LORD, give us wisdom to know when you want us to run, and when you want us to stay and submit, and trust.

Posted in contentment, dependence upon God, Hagar, obedience, submission, suffering | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Sky Kingdom forgiveness

Posted on January 12, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 6:10-15

10 May your kingdom come, your desire become reality, as it is in the sky, so let it be on land.

11 Today, give us the bread we need for today,

12 and forgive us for what we owe you, just as we also have forgiven others what they owe us.

13 And do not bring us into temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.

14 Because if you forgive others when they have violated your rights, your Father from the sky will also forgive you,

15 but if you do not forgive others when they have violated your rights, neither will your Father forgive you when you have violated his commands.

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Sky Kingdom forgiveness

Prayer is not about getting what you want. The only material thing that Jesus instructs us to ask for is the bread we need to survive.

Mostly, prayer is about living out the principles of the future sky kingdom in the present. One of those principles is forgiveness. People are going to violate your rights. They are going to owe you. Prayer time is an opportunity to forgive them. Not doing so will block your prayer life because it affects your relationship with your Father. He has forgiven you by his grace. Now, he expects you to return the favor, and forgive those who have wronged you.

LORD, may our prayers reflect your grace in the lives of others.

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Planning for the future

Posted on January 11, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Genesis 15:14 – 16:6

14 But I will bring judgment on the nation that they are enslaved in, and after that they will come out with great property.

15 As for yourself, you will go to where your fathers are in peace; you will be buried having a good gray head.

16 And they will come back here in the fourth generation, because the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”

17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, see, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.

18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I promise this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates,

19 the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,

20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,

21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”

16:1 Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar.

2 And Sarai said to Abram, “see now, the LORD has kept me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; maybe I will get children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

3 So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife.

4 And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with disrespect on her mistress.

5 And Sarai said to Abram, “This is your fault! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with disrespect. May the LORD judge between you and me!”

6 But Abram said to Sarai, “see, your servant is in your power; do to her what you want.” Then Sarai treated her harshly, and she escaped from her.

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Planning for the future

The LORD had promised Abram that a child would come from his own body, so it seemed reasonable to listen to Sarai’s plan. He should have waited and trusted. We tend to make plans and then expect God to bless them, and sometimes he does. But sometimes he allows us to reap the consequences of our impatience. Sarai’s solution turned out to bring terrible consequences on her family and Hagar’s as well. It also affected the relationship she had with Abram. We should be very cautious when making plans.

LORD, give us the insight to know when to plan, and when to wait for your plans to become evident.

Posted in Abraham, dependence upon God, discernment, future | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Sky Kingdom prayer

Posted on January 10, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 6:5-9

5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the actors. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be watched by others. Honestly, I tell you, they have already received their wages.

6 But when you pray, go into your room alone and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will pay you back.

7 “And when you pray, do not pile up repetitions like the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of the volume of their many words.

8 Do not be like them, for your Father already knows what you need before you ask him.

9 So pray like this: “Our Father in the sky, may your name be honored, not ours.” _________________________________________

Sky Kingdom prayer

Jesus highlighted two bad examples of prayer before he got around to explaining how his sky kingdom disciples should pray. First, he pointed them to the religious professionals among the Jews who prayed openly so others could watch and admire their spirituality. These were the actors. The only thing they should expect to get from their prayers is the “attaboys” from those watching. Nothing they say is going to impress their creator.

Secondly, he pointed to the pagan Gentiles who think they can manipulate God by repeating spells and ceremonial power words over and over again. No, God does not care for that kind of prayer either. Jesus defined what real prayer is by addressing the motive. Real prayer does not honor the ones praying or the prayers being prayed. It always starts with honoring God for who he is.

LORD, we seek to honor you for who you are.

Posted in animism, discipleship, hypocrisy, praise | Tagged | Leave a comment

Fear of the future

Posted on January 9, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Genesis 15:1-13

1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not fear the future, Abram, I am your present shield; your future wages will be very great.”

2 But Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I remain childless, and the heir of my household is Eliezer of Damascus?”

3 And Abram said, “See, you have given me no offspring, and only a member of my household staff will be my heir.”

4 And see, the word of the LORD came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.”

5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward the sky, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

6 And he believed the LORD, and the LORD counted it to him as righteousness.

7 And he said to him, “I am the LORD who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”

8 But he said, “O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall possess it?”

9 He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”

10 And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half.

11 And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

12 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him.

13 Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be strangers in a land that is not theirs and will be slaves there, and they will be oppressed for four hundred years.

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Fear of the future

The LORD tells Abram good news and bad news and then more good news. The first good news is that he will have a real heir. The bad news is that all his riches and fame is going to go away for centuries. His descendants are going to be slaves in a foreign land. His deep sleep and experience of great darkness is symbolic of the fact that he will be dead, and unconscious of it. The sleep of death is a blessing in this dark world. No one wants to watch as all his descendants are oppressed and enslaved.

LORD, thank you for keeping us from seeing the darkness ahead. We trust you to bring us back into the light when your timing is right.

Posted in Abraham, future, sleep of death | Tagged | 1 Comment

Sky Kingdom charity

Posted on January 8, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 6:1-4

6:1 “But be careful that when you display your righteousness before other people, you do not do it in order to be seen by them, for then you will earn no wages from your Father who is in the sky.

2 “For example, when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, like the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their wages.

3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will give it back to you.

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Sky Kingdom charity

The special kingdom coming down from the sky has its own policy for charitable giving. First, giving must be to the needy – those who do not have the means to repay us. It is not an investment with strings attached. Secondly, it must be done without fanfare. No one should imagine that we are giving in order to be praised for the gift. Our gifts must be motivated by our relationship with our Father. Thirdly, our giving is based on trust that the same Father who enables us to give will himself give it back so that we can keep on giving. Our charity comes from trust in our Provider.

LORD, make us into generous people who make a difference in the lives of the needy, and trust you to make up for what we give away.

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God Most High

Posted on January 7, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Genesis 14:10 -24

10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into the pits, and the rest escaped to the hill country.

11 So the enemy took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and left.

12 They also abducted Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, who was dwelling in Sodom, and his possessions, when they left.

13 Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and of Aner. They were partners of Abram.

14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he led forth his army, born in his household, 318 of them, and went to find them as far as Dan.

15 And he strategically arranged his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and chased them to Hobah, north of Damascus.

16 Then he brought back all the property, and also brought back his relative Lot with his property, and the women and the other people.

17 After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (also known as the King’s Valley).

18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.)

19 And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, owner of sky and land;

20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

21 And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the souls, but take the property for yourself.”

22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the LORD, God Most High, owner of sky and land,

23 promising that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, so that you should not say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’

24 I will take nothing but what the young men have already eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share.” _________________________________________

God Most High

Abram was known for his relationship with the Most High God. He formed a partnership with the nations around him in order to rescue Lot, but he was careful not to make that partnership the thing that defined him. It is essential that disciples of Christ guard their reputations and loyalties as well. The LORD who owns the sky and the land is the only permanent partner we need.

LORD, make us people who are known for our relationship with you.

Posted in Abraham, commitment, integrity, loyalty, relationship with God | Tagged | 1 Comment

Doing more

Posted on January 6, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 5:43-48

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You should love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

45 so that you may show that you are just like your Father who is in the sky. For he makes his sun rise on both the evil and on the good, and sends rain on both the just and on the unjust.

46 For if you only love those who presently love you, what wages are you earning? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?

47 And if you show hospitality to only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the other nations do that?

48 You therefore must be spiritually mature, as your heavenly Father is spiritually mature. _________________________________________

Doing more

Those who dare to be part of the special kingdom coming down from the sky are spiritually mature like their Father in the sky. They don’t just do what is expected. They do more, because more is needed to fix this broken world. They love like their Father loves. He sends his sunshine and rain on the whole land, blessing good nations and bad with them. His mature ones are his special nation. They cannot act like the other nations (Gentiles). They have to be different.

LORD, make us into the mature people who are fit for your special nation, coming down from the sky.

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The promise of permanence

Posted on January 5, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Genesis 13:14 – 14:9

14 The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, to the north and south and east and west,

15 because all the land that you now see I am promising to you and to your offspring permanently.

16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the land, so that if one can calculate the amount of dust there is in the land, your offspring also can be calculated.

17 Get up, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I am promising it to you.”

18 So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to worship the LORD.

14:1 During the reigns of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim,

2 these kings made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (also known as Zoar).

3 And all these joined forces in the Valley of Siddim ( that is, the Salt Sea).

4 Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

5 In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim,

6 and the Horites in their hill country of Seir as far as El-paran on the border of the wilderness.

7 Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh) and defeated all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who were dwelling in Hazazon-tamar.

8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (also known as Zoar) went out, and they joined battle in the Valley of Siddim

9 with Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar, four kings against five. _________________________________________

The promise of permanence

For nomads, a promise of a permanent possession is hard to believe. Abram could not cash in on that promise, but he could be faithful to it. He went and looked at the land. He will also join in the battle that is raging amidst the present kings who control it. Since he knows God’s promise is sure, he will look for ways to possess what he is promised.

LORD, make us a people who live by your promises.

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Getting even

Posted on January 4, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 5:38-42

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye in exchange for an eye and a tooth in exchange for a tooth.’

39 But I tell you, Do not retaliate when evil happens. Instead, when someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other cheek as well.

40 And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.

41 And if someone forces you to go out of your way one mile, go with him two miles.

42 Give to the one who asks you for something, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

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Getting even

People who do not know God and have no relationship with him are forced to bring about their own justice. Christians do not have to be that way because we know and trust the LORD, and expect eternal justice from him. Consequently, when something evil happens –and it will – we can forgive those responsible. We are not under obligation to get even. Even when people take advantage of us, we are under no obligation to make things right. Our Savior will. By giving more than what is expected, going farther than the required mile, we show that we trust our Savior and depend on him.

LORD, forgive us for seeking retaliation instead of living in trust of your faithfulness.

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