Worship as a response for deliverance

Posted on December 14, 2013 by Jefferson Vann

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Genesis 8:10-22

10 He waited another seven days, and again he sent out the dove from the ark.

11 And the dove came back to him in the evening, and see, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah understood that the waters had subsided from the land.

12 Then he waited another seven days and sent out the dove, and she did not return to him anymore.

13 In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the land. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and see, the face of the ground was dry.

14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the land had dried out. 15 Then God said to Noah,

16 “Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. 17 Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh- birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the land- that they may swarm on the land, and be fruitful and multiply on the land.”

18 So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him.

19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the land, went in groups from the ark.

20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

21 And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. 22 While the land remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”

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Worship as a response for deliverance

Noah and his family were rescued from the consequences of their own generation’s sinfulness. Out of gratitude, they worshipped by offering up the sacrifices. The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma of the animal flesh burning – (sorry vegetarians). He vowed to let the land continue as long as it lasts. He will never again strike the land with a curse or a devastating flood. If anyone ever asks why God does not intervene when things get really terrifying on this planet, that is why. He has vowed to let this world stay its course. He will enjoy the worship of those he rescues. He will hold back his wrath until the end of the age.

LORD, thank you for your patience with this dark world.

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A light in a dark place

Posted on December 13, 2013 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 4:13-17

13 And upon leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,

14 in order that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

15 “Land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, toward of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles-

16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light, and for those living in the place and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.”

17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom from the sky has approached.”

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A light in a dark place

Jesus was a light in a dark place. He showed the light of God’s kingdom in a place known for following Satan’s kingdom. When he lived in Capernaum, the land of Zebulun and Naphtali saw God at work. He, himself, was the approaching of the kingdom from heaven. He fulfilled Isaiah’s prediction.

Later, he would call on his followers to continue spreading the light of his kingdom in the dark places they lived in, and the dark places he would send them to. His intention is to spread the light of the gospel and overcome death and darkness with it.

LORD, shine through us, and may our roughness never dull the glow. Shine through us, and may the world around us somehow come to know – that you are the light that will overcome their darkness.

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The Long Wait

Posted on December 12, 2013 by Jefferson Vann

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Genesis 7:21 – 8:9

21 And all flesh died that moved on the land, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the land, and all humanity.

22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of life who were on the dry land died.

23 He wiped out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the sky. They were wiped out from the land. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark.

24 And the water remained on the land 150 days.

8:1 But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the land, and the waters began to dry.

2 The fountains of the deep and the windows of the sky were closed, the rain from the sky was restrained,

3 and the waters receded from the land continually. At the end of 150 days the waters had gone down,

4 and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.

5 And the waters continued to go down until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.

6 At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made

7 and sent out a raven. It went back and forth until the waters were dried up from the land.

8 Then he sent out a dove from him, to see if the waters had receded from the face of the ground.

9 But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned for him to the ark, for the water was still on the face of the whole land. So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him.

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The Long Wait

Even after the flooding stopped, there was still a long wait for the water to recede. The judgment was so immense that it would take a long while before there was anything normal again. It gave Noah and his family plenty of time to reflect on the significance of what they endured.

LORD, forgive us for being impatient with your rescue.

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no short cuts

Posted on December 11, 2013 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 4:8-12

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.

9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”

10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘ You shall worship the Lord your God and you shall serve him only.'”

11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

12 And after hearing that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. _________________________________________

no short cuts

Satan had first thought he could exploit Jesus’ hunger, but he discovered that Jesus wanted to obey God’s word more than eat.

Next, Satan had thought he could exploit Jesus’ dependence upon the word of God, but he discovered that Jesus would not be fooled by a misquote.

Here, the tempter thought he could get Jesus to sidestep the hard parts and go straight to God’s ultimate will. Jesus knew he would some day rule the nations. Satan offered him that without the cross. The only catch – Jesus would get the kingdoms through worshipping Satan. He sent the tempter packing.

Jesus, give us the wisdom to follow your will all the way, and not to take shortcuts.

Posted in discernment, kingdom of God, obedience, temptation | Tagged | 1 Comment

Death and Resurrection

Posted on December 10, 2013 by Jefferson Vann

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Genesis 7:8-20

8 Among clean animals, and among animals that are not clean, and among birds, and among everything that creeps on the ground,

9 in pairs, male and female, they went into the ark with Noah, as God had commanded Noah.

10 And after seven days the waters of the flood came upon the land.

11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the sky were opened.

12 And rain fell upon the land forty days and forty nights.

13 On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark,

14 they and every beast, according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the land, according to its kind, and every bird, according to its kind, every winged being.

15 They went into the ark with Noah, in pairs of all flesh in which there was the breath of life.

16 And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the LORD shut the door behind him.

17 The flood continued forty days on the land. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the land.

18 The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the land, and the ark floated on the face of the water.

19 And the water prevailed so mightily on the land that all the high mountains under the whole sky were covered.

20 The water prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep. _________________________________________

Death and Resurrection

For Christians, baptism is a symbol of death of the old person, and the promise of renewed, resurrected life. The first universal judgment upon humanity seems to prefigure this. The world needed to die in order for God’s new world to come about. God chose to bring this death by immersing the world in water. Only what God had decided to preserve would remain to be part of the new world. God chose to rescue Noah and his family. Noah means “rest.” His name points to the sleep of death. But it also speaks of the promise that the one who provided a death to sin also provides a resurrection unto eternal life.

LORD, thank you for the promise of rescue.

Posted in baptism, deliverance, eternal life, judgment, Noah, resurrection | Tagged | 1 Comment

The tempter

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 4:1-7

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.

2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”

4 But he answered, “It is written, “‘ Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple

6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘ He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will hold you up, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'”

7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not test the Lord your God.'” _________________________________________

The tempter

Satan first thought to find some weakness in Jesus that he could exploit. After Jesus had fasted for over a month, he thought he had found the weakness. Jesus was really hungry, and he could have justified performing the miracle, but the suggestion came at the prompting of Satan. Jesus would break his fast, but only at the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Neither time nor hunger was to be the determining factor. Jesus would wait for God’s word.

So, the next thing Satan does is exploit that dependence upon the word of God. He quotes a Scripture out of its context, to see whether Jesus would fall for that trap. Lots of people are convinced to do the wrong thing by the misquoting of Scripture. Jesus refused again. He knew that putting himself in danger in order to force God to act was testing God.

Jesus, give us your wisdom to wait until your word clears the way for us to act.

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Rescue Requires a Clean Sacrifice

Posted on December 8, 2013 by Jefferson Vann

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Genesis 6:18 – 7:7

18 Now I will build my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.

19 And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every type into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female.

20 Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground, according to its kind, two of every type shall come in to you in order to keep them alive.

21 Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up. It shall serve as food for you and for them.”

22 Noah did so; he did all that God commanded him.

7:1 Then the LORD said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your house, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation.

2 Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate, and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate,

3 and seven pairs of the birds of the sky also, male and female, to keep their offspring alive on the face of all the land.

4 For in seven days I will send rain on the land forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.”

5 And Noah did all that the LORD had commanded him.

6 Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the land.

7 And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood.

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Rescue Requires a Clean Sacrifice

Which was it – two of each kind or seven pairs? It was seven pairs of all the animals that were clean – that is, fit to eat or sacrifice. There was already an understanding of what animals are considered clean. This was long before the distinction was codified in the Law of Moses. Perhaps the distinction can be traced back to Abel, who gave from among his flock. Either way, the new earth was going to require sacrifice. The destruction of sinners alone is not enough for an atonement. In the same way, the hope of a new relationship with God for eternity is based not on the eradication of evil alone. Saving Noah’s house meant more than protecting them from the raging waters. It mean establishing a relationship through a covenant based on the blood sacrifice of the innocent.

LORD, thank you for the sacrifice of your Son, the only innocent one, for our sakes.

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The symbol and the task

Posted on December 7, 2013 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 3:13-17

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, at the Jordon, to be baptized by him.

14 John attempted to prevent him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?”

15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John agreed.

16 And when Jesus was baptized, while he went up from the water, see, the sky was opened, and the Spirit of God was descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;

17 and see, a voice from the sky says, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

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The symbol and the task

Even John the Baptizer did not quite get it when Jesus asked to be baptized. He knew that baptism did not save anyone from their sins – it wasn’t that. But he did understand that baptism was a symbol of repentance, and he knew that Jesus did not need to repent. So, for John, everybody else was a candidate for baptism except Jesus. That’s why he did a double take when the Messiah himself was standing before him asking for a dunking. Jesus explained to John that his baptism was not to be a sign to God, but a sign from God. By submitting to the symbol, Christ was saying, “I accept the task that this symbol points to.” That task was his crucifixion and death.

By his statement identifying Jesus as his beloved Son, the Father’s voice from heaven also identified this coming task as the Messiah’s role.

By our water baptism, we both identify with Christ’s death and resurrection for us (1 Peter 3:21), and our death to sin (Romans 6:3-4).

Jesus, thank you for taking upon yourself the water baptism, and the cross that it symbolized for you.

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God’s Judgment

Posted on December 6, 2013 by Jefferson Vann

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Genesis 6:5-17

5 The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the land, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

6 And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the land, and it grieved him to his heart.

7 So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the sky, for I am sorry that I have made them.”

8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

9 These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.

10 And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11 Now the land was corrupt in God’s sight, and the land was filled with violence.

12 And God saw the land, and see, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way in the land.

13 And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the land is filled with violence through them. See, I will destroy them with the land.

14 Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch.

15 This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits.

16 Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks.

17 For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the land to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under the sky. Everything that is on the land shall die. _________________________________________

God’s Judgment

The flood was a real event, but it also prefigured God’s eternal judgment. It was the sin of humanity that forced a holy God to bring judgment upon the whole land. Those he chose to save by his grace were rescued by the love of that same God. Those who were not rescued were destroyed. They were not kept alive somewhere for God to torment for eternity. The purpose of their destruction was not the judgment itself. The purpose was to make way for those saved by grace to experience a new earth.

LORD, thank you for your grace, giving us hope for new life, and your rescue from eternal destruction.

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Water or Fire?

Posted on December 5, 2013 by Jefferson Vann

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Matthew 3:7-12

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for the baptism ritual, he said to them, “You children of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8 Produce fruit to prove your repentance.

9 And do not think, saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.

10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 “I baptize you with water to show repentance, but he who is coming after me is stronger than I am, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn up with unstoppable fire.” _________________________________________

Water or Fire?

John’s message was simple: repent for real and be part of a Holy Spirit revival, or face destruction by unstoppable fire. God is winnowing his field and he is looking for real fruit, not just pretense. That chaff (the outer layer which has no product) is going to be destroyed. Baptism in water was a sign that a person had repented from his unfruitful behavior, and pledged to produce real fruit for the kingdom. Of course, it was possible for the hypocrites to be baptized as well. John would have none of that. He stopped the Pharisees and Sadducees from just joining the show. He was interested in real change, not just adding to his membership list. Real repentance is not about getting wet. It is about turning from wrong to right, snakes to saints.

LORD, forgive us for just wanting to be part of the show. Make us genuine. Produce your fruit in our lives.

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