Jefferson Vann

salvation from a smile

20200830

salvation from a smile

Psalm 67:1-7 CSB

Psalm 67:1 [For the choir director: with stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.] May God be gracious to us and bless us; may he make his face shine upon us Selah
Psalm 67:2 so that your way may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.
Psalm 67:3 Let the peoples praise you, God; let all the peoples praise you.
Psalm 67:4 Let the nations rejoice and shout for joy, for you judge the peoples with fairness and lead the nations on earth. Selah
Psalm 67:5 Let the peoples praise you, God, let all the peoples praise you.
Psalm 67:6 The earth has produced its harvest; God, our God, blesses us.
Psalm 67:7 God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him.

This psalm begins with an adaptation of the famous Aaronic Blessing from Numbers 6:24-26:

“The LORD bless you, and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.”

It is a prayer for God to smile upon a people.

I want to reflect upon the psalm today, and I want to do so by asking three questions:

The first question is “What does it mean to pray for God to smile on us?”

It means God’s grace. If something comes from grace, then we cannot get it any other way. We cannot work our way into God’s smile. Lot’s of people think that they can, but it does not happen that way. The psalmist didn’t say, “Hold on, Lord, wait till we obey your commandments, and then we can expect your smile.” No, the smile comes first, then the obedience. That is why a lot of people will never come to faith. They want to work their way there.

So, a prayer for God’s smile is a prayer of repentance. It sees God’s frown on our sin, and it asks for forgiveness, so that we can experience his smile instead.

Praying for God’s smile means praying for God’s blessing: his empowerment. This is the opposite of a curse. A curse is the loss of protection, resulting in something terrible happening. A blessing is empowerment, resulting in something wonderful happening.

The Israelites knew all about blessings and curses because they included both in their visual aid on Mount Gerazim and Mout Ebal. They were holding themselves accountable to keep their covenant with God by pronouncing blessings on those who obeyed, and curses on those who disobeyed.

Or to put it another way, God would smile on those who followed his way, and he would frown on those who rejected and abandoned his way.

Praying for God’s smile means praying for the ability to please God. It is not a pompous prayer that says “God, look at how good we are.” No, it is the desparate prayer of a people who know they are not good enough. They are not fortunate enough to always walk in God’s way, so they do not always please him. But they want to.

Brothers and sisters, we should want to please God. If we have not because we ask not, then we cannot afford to avoid asking for the ability to please God. But what does it mean to please God?

We please God when we walk in his way. When Penny and I hiked the big hike in 2018, we were constantly reminded to stay on the trail, not to wander off. Wandering off could be dangerous for us, and it might cause confusion for others, because they might be tempted to follow our path instead of the actual trail.

We please God when we trust in his Son. 1 John 5:11 says that “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.” There is no way to please God if you do not trust in Jesus. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Him.

The second question is “Why should we pray for God to smile on us?”

We should pray this because we need his deliverance. Deliverance and salvation are the same thing. It is odd that so many people are willing to ask God to save them, but then are reluctant to let God change them. That is like asking someone to rescue you from drowning, but insisting on staying in the water. God wants to be more than our fire insurance for eternity. He wants to deliver us from the mess we are in, and we need him to do that.

We should pray for God to smile on us because we need his power. Like the apostle Paul in Romans 7, we often find ourselves wanting to do the right thing, but doing the wrong thing. We should pray for God to smile on us because with his smile, comes his power. With his smile, comes his miracles. With his smile, comes his godliness

We should pray for God to smile on us because the nations need our witness.

I chose this psalm for today’s message because it reflects the mission of the people of God. The people of Israel were not just saved so that God could love them and bless them alone. They were intended to draw the other nations to him. Note verse 2: “so that your way may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.”

We believers in Jesus Christ have the very same mission. Jesus commanded us to make disciples of all nations. He told the apostles that the Holy Spirit would come upon them, and they would be his witnesses “both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

The third question is “Why should we expect God to smile on us?”

We should expect God to smile on us because he promises to answer our prayers.

Jesus said “what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:9-11).

Our prayers are not answered on the basis of our worthiness, but on God’s willingness. If we pray for God to smile on us in order for us to reach the nations with the gospel, God will move heaven and earth to answer that prayer.

We should expect God to smile on us because God wants the praise of all nations. Note verse 3: “Let the peoples praise you, God; let all the peoples praise you.” Human beings were created to reflect God’s goodness back to him, and one of the ways we can do this is by praise.

You and I can come together and praise God because of his goodness to us. But we can also spread that praise like a contagious virus. We can infect others because in each heart there is a God-shaped void, an empty place that can only be filled by a relationship with our creator.

But unfortunately we have been treating praise like the COVID-19 virus. We isolate ourselves from others when we do it, and we muffle our praise. It’s hard to sing in these masks!

We should expect God to smile on us because God wants to make his way known. God’s plan of salvation is his way, and he wants that plan known all over the earth (note verse 2). His smile empowers us to be different, and that difference is supposed to draw others to us, so that we can explain why we are different.

We should expect God to smile on us because God wants to produce a harvest. The result that God is looking for is mentioned in verse 7: “all the ends of the earth will fear him.” That ties back into Acts 1:8. The Holy Spirit is given to us as a blessing — a smile from God, so that God can produce a harvest of new believers through us.

Lord, smile on us, and bring the nations to you.

fighting the temptations of fatherhood

Genesis 48:1-16 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

1 Some time after this, Joseph was told, “Your father is weaker.” So he set out with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed. 3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me. 4 He said to me, ‘I will make you fruitful and numerous; I will make many nations come from you, and I will give this land as a permanent possession to your future descendants.’ 5 Your two sons born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt are now mine. Ephraim and Manasseh belong to me just as Reuben and Simeon do. 6 Children born to you after them will be yours and will be recorded under the names of their brothers with regard to their inheritance. 7 When I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died along the way, some distance from Ephrath in the land of Canaan. I buried her there along the way to Ephrath” (that is, Bethlehem). 8 When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” 9 And Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons God has given me here.” So Israel said, “Bring them to me and I will bless them.” 10 Now his eyesight was poor because of old age; he could hardly see. Joseph brought them to him, and he kissed and embraced them. 11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, but now God has even let me see your offspring.” 12 Then Joseph took them from his father’s knees and bowed with his face to the ground. 13 Then Joseph took them both—with his right hand Ephraim toward Israel’s left, and with his left hand Manasseh toward Israel’s right—and brought them to Israel. 14 But Israel stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger, and crossing his hands, put his left on Manasseh’s head, although Manasseh was the firstborn. 15 Then he blessed Joseph and said: The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, 16 the angel who has redeemed me from all harm— may he bless these boys. And may they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow to be numerous within the land.

What do we know about Jacob?

He was the grandson of Abraham, the second son of Isaac. He spent most of his life fighting. He fought his twin brother — Esau — even in the uterus of his mother. His name in Hebrew — Ya’akov — apparently means he who grasps the heel. He and his mother were convinced that he was supposed to get the family blessing, and conspired to trick their father into giving it. That didn’t sit very well with Esau, so to avoid more conflict, Jacob left home, and set off for Haran. On the way he sees Jacob’s ladder. He works for his uncle Laban for seven years to marry Rachel, but is cheated and gets her sister instead, so he has to work another seven years. He fights an angel. It was in this altercation that Jacob gets an injury that will be his identifying mark– a fighting injury — a limp.

Now, I chose Jacob because this passage seems to indicate some of his inner struggles, and these are the same kinds of things that many Christian fathers struggle with today.

First, fight the temptation to hide our weakness.

My father was apparently a very strong man when he was young, but I never knew him then. In my teen and adult years, he struggled with emphysema. He tried not to let it show. No father wants to appear weak in front of his children.

I think Jacob had come to grips with the temptation to hide his weakness. There was lots to hide. But Jacob was still learning that his weakness was an avenue of blessing. Like Paul, he was coming to a place in his life when he could say “whenever I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).

Our children don’t need Mr. Perfect. It’s better if they see Mr. Real. They are going to have weaknesses as well. We would do well to demonstrate reliance on God instead of self-reliance.

Secondly, fight the temptation to hide our faith.

Of all the events of Jacob’s life, he chooses to highlight a personal encounter with God, and a covenant similar to the one God had made with Abraham. I think it bears mentioning that this testimony that Jacob makes is not politically correct for the time and place that Jacob lived. He and his family are living in Egypt. But he testifies that God had given him the promised land. It would be centuries before the Israelites actually go there.

One of the best things that we can do for our children is declare your faith in Almighty God and his promises to us in Christ. Jesus says he is going to make all things new. That means that all losses are temporary. We will be tempted to hide our faith, because it will be challenged. Fight that temptation.

Thirdly, fight the temptation to hide our emotions.

Jacob’s love for Rachel was never a secret.

One of the best things we can do for our children is to show your love for their mothers. Children need to learn faithfulness, and a father’s love for his wife is a powerful teacher. When I was a boy, there were times when I angered my dad, and I was not too sure of his love for me, but I never doubted his love for my mother.

Finally, fight the temptation to hide our influence.

Even now, in one of the last acts recorded of Jacob’s life, he insists on having a say in the lives of his two grandsons. Joseph thinks he is just making a mistake when he crosses his hands and places his right hand on the head of Ephraim and not Manasseh. But Jacob knows.

Sometimes our culture glorifies and magnifies youth. One of the results of that is that we lose the valuable insight we can get from our elders. It can also intimidate our elders into hiding their influence — assuming that nobody really cares what we think. We are tempted to confine ourselves to golf courses or nursing homes.

The Proverbs (4:1) tells children to “listen … to a father’s instruction, and pay attention so that you may gain discernment.” The book teaches us to respect gray hair, comparing it to “a crown of glory” (16:31).

Jesus tells us all that we are meant to have an influence, like light shining in the darkness. We influence people that we have a relationship with. Fatherhood is one of those influence relationships.

Conclusion

So, to sum up this little message today, let me just encourage all those who still have fathers, appreciate them. They are a gift from God. In fact, even if our fathers is gone, we can still thank God for them. I still do. For those of us who are fathers, or father-figures — step up to the plate! It is now our time for our light of influence to shine. And, happy Father’s Day.

[This message was preached at a virtual service for Windsor Congregational Church, Windsor, Massachusetts, June 21st 2020].

Immanuel – part 2

201912151030 Immanuel - part 2 (Matthew 1 18-25)

201912151030

Immanuel – part 2

Matthew 1:18-25 (CSB)

18 The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant from the Holy Spirit.

19 So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.

20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

23 See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.”

24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her

25 but did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. And he named him Jesus.

I want to begin with a recap of what we saw in Isaiah 7, the story of Ahaz.

That story contains the prophecy that God gave king Ahaz – the prophecy of an unmarried woman who would give birth to a child whom she would nickname Immanuel.

God had given Ahaz a choice. Ahaz could have obeyed God by refusing to seek help from Assyria, and trusted God to rescue the nation of Judah himself. Ahaz chose to ignore God’s offer of help, and disobey him. God still gave the sign. That sign was the nickname that this young woman gave to her child. The sign – the name Immanuel – became a symbol of God’s plan to rescue his people another way, at a different time.

Now let me restate this. God gave Ahaz a choice to make, and he made his choice, but it was the wrong choice. Then, God intervened again and offered to prove that Ahaz could trust him by granting him a supernatural sign. Ahaz refused to ask for a sign, but God gave the sign anyway, not specifically to Ahaz, but to his dynasty – the house of David. So, we have three elements to the story of Isaiah 7: a human choice, divine intervention, and a supernatural sign.

It just so happens that those same three elements are part of today’s story, which takes place seven centuries later.

JOSEPH MAKES THE WRONG CHOICE

Matthew 1:18 The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant from the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 1:19 So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.

The Christmas story begins with the discovery of an unwanted pregnancy. In this culture today, if someone discovers an unwanted pregnancy, the choice seems to be between letting the child be born, or terminating the pregnancy.

But Joseph’s choice was not to abort the child. He knew that he had been responsible toward Mary, so he concluded that Mary must not have been faithful to him. But since he did not want to shame her, he decided divorce was his only option. In his culture, engagement was legally binding, so he decided to divorce her secretly.

The reason Joseph felt this was his only option was that he did not know the whole story.

Many times in our lives, we are going to be faced with decisions that are crucial and significant, but we will not have all the pertinent information we need to make the right choice. That is why we need to regularly seek God’s guidance through prayer. We also should be careful not to make judgments based on mere appearance.

Now, I am highlighting the fact that there are some major similarities between the stories in Isaiah 7 and Matthew 1, but there are also some glaring differences. Ahaz and Joseph are both prepared to make wrong choices, but that is where there is a change.

GOD INTERVENES, SO THAT HIS WILL IS ACCOMPLISHED.

Matthew 1:20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 1:21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Matthew 1:24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her

Matthew 1:25 but did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. And he named him Jesus.

God had sent a prophet to Ahaz, and Ahaz chose to ignore Isaiah, and make the wrong choice anyway. But God himself appears as an angel to Joseph in a dream. It is vitally important for the history and salvation of humanity that Joseph not make the wrong choice.

This is divine intervention. I find it interesting that the message God gives to Joseph starts out the same way his message to Ahaz did. God had told Isaiah to tell Ahaz:

“Calm down and be quiet. Don’t be afraid or cowardly because of these two smoldering sticks, the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram, and the son of Remaliah” (Isaiah 7:4 CSB).

The Lord tells Joseph in the dream “don’t be afraid.” This is something that God has to keep saying to us when he intervenes in our lives because when stuff happens to us, anxiety is our first response.

God chose to send his Son into a family that was this close to disintegrating before it even began. There was an unwanted pregnancy, a difficult trip to Bethlehem at the worst possible time. There was no place to stay. There was an evil king who wanted to kill the child. All of these things had to weigh heavily on the hearts of Mary and Joseph. They would have been tempted to give up on their marriage, on their faith, and write themselves off as hopeless.

But what I see in this story is that it is just at that point when the anxiety level was the highest that God intervened. He didn’t fix all their problems but he did remind them that they were in his will and encouraged them not to be afraid but to trust in him.

If you have lived any time at all, you have experienced times like that. Some of you are probably going through such times right now. What does it take to get through times like that? We are stronger than we think we are, so it really doesn’t take a miracle to get us through our tough times.

But it does take a message from God, assuring us that he’s got this. God told Joseph that Mary’s pregnancy is not in conflict with his plan; Mary’s pregnancy is God’s plan. Of course, we can understand that today. We have the advantage of 2000 years of hindsight. But for Mary and Joseph, they had to trust God and not give in to fear.

JESUS HIMSELF BECAME THE SUPERNATURAL SIGN TO ISRAEL AND TO US.

Matthew 1:22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

Matthew 1:23 See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.”

There are some similarities and differences between this part of the story and Isaiah 7 as well. I want to draw attention to one of the differences.

In Isaiah’s story, the supernatural sign was the name Immanuel. It was apparently a nickname that this young woman would give her baby boy. It was a sign given not to Ahaz alone, but to his dynasty, the house of David. That sign basically said that Ahaz gave up on his God, but his God has not given upon his family. One day, God was going to rescue Judah, and he’s going to do it through another descendant of David.

We know today that the descendant of David who would rescue his people was Jesus. In fact, in the Matthew passage, it is Jesus himself who is the supernatural sign, not his name.

Matthew declares that Jesus’ virginal conception was the ultimate fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. In Isaiah’s prediction, the birth of the child was to be natural, but the name the mother gave him was the supernatural sign.

When Matthew records the Isaiah 7:14 prophecy, he changes the pronoun.

“a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14 NASB).

“the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” (Matthew 1:23 NASB).

Immanuel was not going to be his parents’ nickname for Jesus. It was going to be his nation’s title.

Joseph was not told to name the child Immanuel. He was to be named Jesus, because he was God’s chosen savior. But his nation would come to recognize him as the sign of Immanuel – the sign that their God had not deserted them. God was still with them in the person of his Son.

The gospel message to you and me today is that Jesus can also be our Immanuel. This same Jesus who was born supernaturally came to die a death he didn’t deserve so that we can have a chance to live an eternal life that we do not deserve.

Jesus’ resurrection proves that God accepted that substitutionary death. And Jesus promises to come again and give us eternal life. Until then, Jesus being our Immanuel means this:

Jesus is with us “always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20 NASB).

This message was preached by Jeff on Sunday, December 15th, at Lone Star Advent Christian Church in Clifton Forge, Virginia.

The video stream of the service can be watched here.

Immanuel – part 1

immanuel - part 1 - 01

Isaiah 7:10-17 (CSB)

10 Then the Lord spoke again to Ahaz:

11 “Ask for a sign from the Lord your God—it can be as deep as Sheol or as high as heaven.”

12 But Ahaz replied, “I will not ask. I will not test the Lord.”

13 Isaiah said, “Listen, house of David! Is it not enough for you to try the patience of men? Will you also try the patience of my God?

14 Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: See, the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.

15 By the time he learns to reject what is bad and choose what is good, he will be eating curds and honey.

16 For before the boy knows to reject what is bad and choose what is good, the land of the two kings you dread will be abandoned.

17 The Lord will bring on you, your people, and your father’s house such a time as has never been since Ephraim separated from Judah: He will bring the king of Assyria.”

This time of year lots of people are thinking about the Christmas traditions. It gives us an opportunity to meditate on the gospel story behind those traditions. This year, I want us to think about one of the prophesied nicknames of Jesus: Immanuel. This passage is the first time in the Bible that name is mentioned, but the idea can be traced throughout the Bible. What does it mean for God to be with someone?

Adam & Eve’s Immanuel

“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. So the Lord God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”” (Genesis 3:8-9). Imagine what it was like for God to personally visit you every evening! But as soon as they sinned, they could not bear that presence!

Noah & his family’s Immanuel

Gen 6:3 And the Lord said, “My Spirit will not remain with mankind forever, because they are corrupt. Their days will be 120 years.” (Genesis 6:3).

Imagine what it was like for this family to be singled out for preservation of all the families of the earth! God was with everyone up to a point, but he would stay with Noah and his family.

Joseph’s Immanuel

“The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master. (Genesis 39:2). “But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him. He granted him favor with the prison warden. ” (Genesis 39:21).

Imagine the horror of being betrayed and abandoned by your family, and your employer, and losing your freedom and hope. But Joseph had a secret that kept him from despairing in the midst of that trial. The Lord was with him.

Moses and Joshua’s Immanuel

“the Lord your God will be with you, as he was with Moses” (Joshua 1:17). “And the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land” (Joshua 6:27).

Image the tremendous responsibility of leading an entire nation. But Moses and Joshua had a secret that kept them strong. The Lord was with them.

the judges’ Immanuel

“Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for the Israelites, the Lord was with him and saved the people from the power of their enemies while the judge was still alive.” (Judges 2:18)

Imagine having the responsibility not just to lead a nation, but to rescue it from the consequences of its failures and wrong choices! But the judges had a secret that gave them all the strength they needed – even the strength of Samson! It wasn’t their hair. That secret was that the Lord was with them.

David’s Immanuel

“Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me…” (Psalm 23:4) “Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with David but had left Saul.” (1 Samuel 18:12)

For David, having God with him was a mixed blessing. It meant fellowship with God, and God’s presence when he went through the darkest valley. But it also meant that king Saul would be jealous of him and hate him. But God’s presence helped him through all the ordeals he would face as God’s chosen king.

AHAZ could have had an Immanuel!

Isaiah 7:10 Then the Lord spoke again to Ahaz:

The first time God spoke to Ahaz, he tried to get him to calm down and not to fear getting invaded by Syria and Israel, because he said it ain’t going to happen. He tried to get Ahaz to stand firm in his faith and trust God to deliver him and his nation. But Ahaz did not trust God. He had already decided that he could be rescued by an alliance with Assyria instead.

Isaiah 7:11 “Ask for a sign from the Lord your God – it can be as deep as Sheol or as high as heaven.” The prophet said, Hey Ahaz, this is your lucky day. God wants to give you a sign, and you get to choose what it is. You want God to raise someone from the dead, just ask. You want God to send an angel down from the sky, just ask.

Isaiah 7:12 But Ahaz replied, “I will not ask. I will not test the Lord.”

This makes Ahaz sound so humble and pious, but he was not. Ahaz was not a righteous king. He was an idolater. In fact, he had even sacrificed his own sons to Moloch. The reason Ahaz didn’t want to ask God is that Ahaz had rebelled against God. He wanted to be a success without God’s help.

Isaiah 7:13 Isaiah said, “Listen, house of David! Is it not enough for you to try the patience of men? Will you also try the patience of my God?

Isaiah had previously gone to Ahaz and assured him that his immediate neighbors to the north would not be able to overthrow him. But Ahaz ignored that assurance from Isaiah, so he tried the patience of the man – Isaiah. But Now Isaiah is speaking for God himself, and Ahaz still refuses. He is trying the patience of God.

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: See, the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.

We Christians are used to taking this verse out of this context. We tend to only think about it as Christmastime, and only in the context of the birth of Jesus. I want to talk about Immanuel in its Christmas context next week. This week, I want us to think about it in its Ahaz context. Who is the virgin that Isaiah mentioned to Ahaz? She had to be a young woman of marriageable age, and someone who is known by both Ahaz and Isaiah. The two most possible options are a young woman in Ahaz’s harem who will bear Ahaz a son, or a new bride for Isaiah. I think the second option has the most scriptural support. If you go on and read chapters 8 and 9 of Isaiah, it seems like those chapters continue the Immanuel prophecy, and that the son that Isaiah predicts in chapter 7 is Maher-shalal-hash-baz. That’s the name his father gives him, and Immanuel was probably a nickname that his mother gave him.

Isaiah 7:15 By the time he learns to reject what is bad and choose what is good, he will be eating curds and honey. Isaiah 7:16 For before the boy knows to reject what is bad and choose what is good, the land of the two kings you dread will be abandoned.

God’s word to Ahaz was that in the few years it takes for a young boy to grow to his age of accountability, Israel and Syria are not going to be the immediate threat that they are now. Something is going to change.

Isaiah 7:17 The Lord will bring on you, your people, and your father’s house such a time as has never been since Ephraim separated from Judah: He will bring the king of Assyria.”

What is going to happen instead is the superpower of Assyria is going to lay waste those lands to the north, and lay siege to Judah itself. Things are going to get so bad that the only things left to eat will be curds and honey – because all the crops will be gone. By the time mommy’s little Immanuel was ready for his Bar-Mitzvah, that had happened. God wanted to be Immanuel to Ahaz, but Ahaz refused to ask.

Is God with you? Have you invited the Lord into your heart? Let’s sing O Little Town of Bethlehem, and let’s make its final verse our prayer. O holy Child of Bethlehem Descend to us, we pray Cast out our sin and enter in Be born to us today We hear the Christmas angels The great glad tidings tell O come to us, abide with us Our Lord Emmanuel.

This message was preached by Jeff on Sunday, December 8th, at Lone Star Advent Christian Church in Clifton Forge, Virginia.

The video stream of the service is available here.

memories of Mama

Irene Vann memorial (1)

I want to tell a story on my Mama. It happened back when I was a young boy going to church in that building right over there. The preacher was preaching, and I was sitting in my spot on the front row listening. But in the middle of the message, I discovered that I had to go to the bathroom. My plan was to slip through the center aisle and scoot to the back, then make my way to the men’s restroom without much of a fuss. That was the plan. Unfortunately, my school/church shoes that I was wearing had seen better days. So, the preacher was preaching, but when I was halfway back up the aisle, he stopped. The soles on my shoes had come loose, so I was flapping. It sounded like I was wearing swim fins. When the preacher stopped preaching, everybody started looking at me, then everybody looked at Mama. She turned bright red with embarrassment. My Mama took raising us five children personally and seriously. You had better believe that the next Sunday I had a brand new pair of church shoes on!

There was another incident that took place back in the seventies, and it was not comical. We were home at our place down the road next to the chicken houses. Mom got a call on the phone. She went to the wall and picked the phone up, because that’s what you did back then. She calmly listened, hung up the phone, and then said to my Dad “Come on Buck, Gary’s been in a wreck.” Mom and Dad were out of the house in an instant, and the rest of us kids could do nothing but bawl our eyes out and pray.

My brother Gary was sixteen. I remember the day of Gary’s funeral. I was looking for Mama, but it was hard to find her because there were so many good people like y’all loving on her and paying attention to her. When the crowd broke, I saw her. I remember thinking “Why does Mom look so different?” I had never seen her old before. The years were not kind to her. She had to bury four of us. That’s not right.

When fate hands you that kind of a life, you have a choice to make. My Mama chose not to close up, or wallow in self-pity or escape into self-destruction. That was not her way. Instead, she chose to pour herself into us. She invested herself in us.

Mama gave me life twice. She gave birth to me, and raised me, but she also invested in my spiritual life. She gave me my first Bible, and my second Bible. She sent me to Christian conferences and camps. She encouraged me to join clubs where I could learn about public speaking. She didn’t send me to church, she brought me to church. When I started preaching, she was always in the audience. And when I wanted to go to college, she and Dad sacrificed to send me. You can’t repay something like that, and Mom never asked me to. To her, it was just being Mama.

Now, all I have is memories of her. But I cherish those memories. She was – and will remain a blessing to me. And some day soon our Lord Jesus Christ is going to return, and the first thing on his list will be raising his dead. I’m going to get my Mama back. So I don’t have to grieve like those who have no hope. No, the appropriate response is a prayer of gratitude.

FATHER GOD, giver of every good and perfect gift – thank you that Irene Vann loved us, and gave of herself for 88 years to demonstrate that love. She followed the pattern set by your Son, who came into this world not to be served but to serve. Thank you for the gift of Irene Vann.

(For anyone interested in the photo memorial that was presented at the reception after Mom’s funeral, it is available here).