'Keep your head in all situations' and don't follow your 'itching ears.' 2 Timothy 4:1-5 (NIV) In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2  Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage — with great patience and careful instruction. 3  For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5  But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 29: The Marks of the True Church We believe that we ought to discern diligently and very carefully, by the Word of God, what is the true church— for all sects in the world today claim for themselves the name of “the church.” We are not speaking here of the company of hypocrites who are mixed among the good in the church and who nonetheless are not part of it, even though they are physically there. But we are speaking of distinguishing the body and fellowship of the true church from all sects that call themselves “the church.” The true church can be recognized if it has the following marks: The church engages in the pure preaching of the gospel; it makes use of the pure administration of the sacraments as Christ instituted them; it practices church discipline for correcting faults. In short, it governs itself according to the pure Word of God, rejecting all things contrary to it and holding Jesus Christ as the only Head. By these marks one can be assured of recognizing the true church— and no one ought to be separated from it Summary The epistles (letters) that Paul wrote to Timothy and Titus are called the Pastorals in the New Testament because they contain Paul's advice and instructions for the elders and deacons charged with overseeing Christ's church. This second letter to Timothy is likely the last letter Paul ever wrote. At this point he's old, tired, and near death as he awaits his execution in a frigid, dark dungeon. But you can still feel the Spirit inspired fire in his words as he summarizes Timothy's primary job description as a leader in his local church. A pastor's job description is only three words: PREACH THE WORD. Preaching is often reduced to a twenty minute 'set' in between a string of high octane songs that starts with a folksy, humorous introduction, a verse or two of the Bible (often ripped from its context), and a practical application designed to give you some positive vibes to begin the week. This isn't at all what Paul is instructing Timothy and the pastors who will follow him. Paul writes that preaching must be rooted, from start to finish, in "the Word," which has a double meaning. Certainly it means scripture itself, but the Greek word logos is also used as a name for Jesus (John 1:1, 14). So the instruction here is to preach the Bible with every passage pointing to its fulfillment in Christ. Such preaching must and will encourage. The Bible is full of genuine and lasting encouragement, far deeper than the 'positive vibes' it's often reduced to. But notice the two actions that precede the word encourage in v2. Preachers are to correct and rebuke people; that is, call out their sin and point them to repentance and forgiveness in Christ. Dig Deeper Today we're considering the first, and arguably the most important mark of the true church: "the pure preaching of the gospel." I say most important, because if this task is done well, the other two marks will more or less fall into place. But this simple three word job description is given in the context of a warning. People's 'itching ears' won't want to hear solid biblical preaching, Paul writes. They will continually gather around them teachers that will stick to the positive vibes of encouragement, uncoupled from the correcting and rebuking that is part of genuine biblical preaching. Certainly this phenomenon is easy to see in our twenty-first century North American church. Even though Paul's instructions in these pastoral letters is geared toward the church leaders God has ordained, they have application for all Christians, not just pastors, elders and deacons. First, make sure you're located in what our Confession describes as a true church, which purely preaches the full counsel of God's Word. Secondly, pray often for your church's leaders, that they would have the courage and strength to do the hard (and often unpopular) work of correcting, rebuking and encouraging the Lord's sheep. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father and Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that both you and your church's leaders will "keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry." A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Timothy 2

Jesus is NOT all about tolerance & unconditional love! Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 (NIV) 24  Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25  But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26  When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 27  “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ 28  “ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 29  “ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30  Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ ” -- 36  Then he [Jesus] left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 37  He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38  The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, 39  and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 40  “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41  The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42  They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43  Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 29: The Marks of the True Church We believe that we ought to discern diligently and very carefully, by the Word of God, what is the true church— for all sects in the world today claim for themselves the name of “the church.” We are not speaking here of the company of hypocrites who are mixed among the good in the church and who nonetheless are not part of it, even though they are physically there. But we are speaking of distinguishing the body and fellowship of the true church from all sects that call themselves “the church.” The true church can be recognized if it has the following marks: The church engages in the pure preaching of the gospel; it makes use of the pure administration of the sacraments as Christ instituted them; it practices church discipline for correcting faults. In short, it governs itself according to the pure Word of God, rejecting all things contrary to it and holding Jesus Christ as the only Head. By these marks one can be assured of recognizing the true church— and no one ought to be separated from it Summary Weeds continually remind us that this world isn't the way it's supposed to be. You likely resonate with the farm workers in Jesus' parable who feel upset and disappointed that the field they planted with top-quality seed is now full of weeds. The field owner quickly clarifies that nothing is wrong with the seed they planted; the weeds resulted from sabotage. The hardworking servants (another quality many of you can identify with) eagerly want to solve the problem by pulling out the weeds, but the owner slows them down. He points out that the weeds aren't obviously different from the wheat plants, so there's a risk of losing yield if genuine wheat is accidentally pulled up along with the weeds. The owner declares that the weeds and wheat should grow together until harvest, but he has a plan. Right before harvest, when the differences between the wheat and weeds become more evident, the workers will pull up the weeds, tie them in bundles, and throw them into the fire. Then, they will bring the valuable wheat into the barn. Dig Deeper The moment the crowds leave, the disciples press in on Jesus. They're stumped about the story he told about the wheat and weeds. What does it mean? Jesus explains to them that the enemy has supplanted the Church with people who look like Christians, talk like Christians, and even act like Christians (and sometimes even better than Christians), but who are not genuine Christians. They're weeds amongst the wheat. But because these weeds are so insidiously similar to the wheat, trying to pull them out early in the season would inevitably harm the wheat. Be careful with this teaching, however; Some weeds are so big and ugly and so obviously not wheat that they can and must be immediately eradicated before they multiply and choke out the wheat altogether. Jesus' teaching here is in no way conflicting with the practice of good church discipline. What Jesus reminds us of here is that we can be patient with one another. You don't need to prove beyond all doubt that the faith of those around you each Lord's Day is genuine, nor do you need to fear that you'll be 'pulled' during those seasons of life when your faith isn't as strong as it should be. But before finishing today, take a moment to dwell Jesus' scary words in v40-42. We hear so often from our society, and even some quarters of the church, that Jesus is all about peace, love and tolerance for all. But His words of warning in these verses shatter that misconception. The Son of Man will send out His angels to "weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Ultimately, Jesus has no patience for weeds. Pray that those who belong to the true Church will stay strong until harvest! AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who planted us to "shine like the sun in the kingdom of our Father;" A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your 'wheat like attributes' will be so strong that nobody ever mistakes you for a weed; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Timothy 1

Not all 'churches' are true churches. Jeremiah 7:1-8 (NIV) This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2  “Stand at the gate of the LORD’s house and there proclaim this message: “ ‘Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the LORD. 3  This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. 4  Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!” 5  If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, 6  if you do not oppress the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, 7  then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your ancestors for ever and ever. 8  But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 29: The Marks of the True Church We believe that we ought to discern diligently and very carefully, by the Word of God, what is the true church— for all sects in the world today claim for themselves the name of “the church.” We are not speaking here of the company of hypocrites who are mixed among the good in the church and who nonetheless are not part of it, even though they are physically there. But we are speaking of distinguishing the body and fellowship of the true church from all sects that call themselves “the church.” The true church can be recognized if it has the following marks: The church engages in the pure preaching of the gospel; it makes use of the pure administration of the sacraments as Christ instituted them; it practices church discipline for correcting faults. In short, it governs itself according to the pure Word of God, rejecting all things contrary to it and holding Jesus Christ as the only Head. By these marks one can be assured of recognizing the true church— and no one ought to be separated from it Summary Jeremiah had one of the toughest callings from God of anyone in the Bible. Time after time, he was commanded to speak out with a message from God in ways that ruffled the feathers of men who could make Jeremiah's life quite difficult. Here God sends him to the "gate of the LORD's house." But Jeremiah wasn't there as part of the welcoming committee, rather he was there to denounce the 'worshippers' who had come. Jeremiah lived in a time when temple worship was at the center of his society. People continued going through the religious hoops that the Law demanded, but yet their lives were nowhere close to reflecting the godly actions that ought to define a person who truly fears the LORD. In other words, these hypocrites thought they could live in whatever self centered and sinful manner they pleased, as long as they checked off the box that said they went to the temple of the LORD. Worse yet, the powers that be were telling the people exactly what they wanted to hear, showering them with "deceptive words" (the passage uses that phrase twice, in v4 & 8) designed to make them think that God was on their side and that He was accepting their worthless worship and didn't really care about their sinful abuses. Dig Deeper The message God had Jeremiah proclaim to those who showed up at the temple was simple. Just participating in empty rituals, no matter how sincere they may of looked, or how official they seemed, doesn't constitute true "temple worship," even if the rituals were being performed at the actual Temple in Jerusalem! The message God gave Jeremiah thousands of years ago remains just as relevant today. Just because a group calls itself a 'church' doesn't make it part of the Holy Catholic Church that we looked at a couple of weeks ago. We live in communities with dozens, or maybe even hundreds of places that claim to be a church, but which ones really are? When our Confession was written 5 centuries ago, the Holy Catholic Church was a hot mess. All sorts of groups had splintered away from the corrupted Roman Church and formed their own 'churches.' Some of these churches were good and legitimate, even if they differed on a doctrinal point or two. Others were completely out of bounds and tolerated all sorts of sin. A standard needed to be set in order to define what a true church actually is, which is exactly what Article 29 of our Confession does. Sadly, so many of the 'churches' in our communities have turned away from Biblical truth and must be avoided. However, just because a church is different from yours doesn't mean it's not a true church. As we read through the Bible this week, we'll be reminded of the 'marks of a true church' according to the ultimate authority: the Word of God. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who calls us to reform our ways and actions according to His Word; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that the Lord will grant you wisdom so that you "do not trust in deceptive words;" A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Timothy 6

If you're not eagerly anticipating gathered worship, something's wrong. Psalm 122 (NIV) A song of ascents. Of David. 1  I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” 2  Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem. 3  Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together. 4  That is where the tribes go up— the tribes of the Lord— to praise the name of the Lord  according to the statute given to Israel. 5  There stand the thrones for judgment, the thrones of the house of David. 6  Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure. 7  May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.” 8  For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.” 9  For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 28: The Obligations of Church Members We believe that since this holy assembly and congregation is the gathering of those who are saved and there is no salvation apart from it, no one ought to withdraw from it, content to be by himself, regardless of his status or condition. But all people are obliged to join and unite with it, keeping the unity of the church by submitting to its instruction and discipline, by bending their necks under the yoke of Jesus Christ, and by serving to build up one another, according to the gifts God has given them as members of each other in the same body. And to preserve this unity more effectively, it is the duty of all believers, according to God’s Word, to separate themselves from those who do not belong to the church, in order to join this assembly wherever God has established it, even if civil authorities and royal decrees forbid and death and physical punishment result. And so, all who withdraw from the church or do not join it act contrary to God’s ordinance. Summary For the past two weeks, we've been coming to understand the " obligations of church members" as we've worked our way through this 28th article of our Confession. Certainly the word 'obligation' is a good word to describe the duty we have as people who belong in life and in death, and in body & in soul to our faithful Savior, to "submit to instruction and discipline, bend our necks under His yoke, and build one another up. Yet the word 'obligation' does have a negative connotation to it, as if being part of the Church is a burden to bear. David reminds us here in this 122nd psalm that quite the opposite is true, writing "I was glad when they said to me, 'let us go to the house of the LORD.'" Joining with the Lord's saints and coming into His presence is one of life's greatest privileges! It's the ultimate opportunity to fully experience what it means to be an image bearer of God as we listen to Him speak to us, and then respond in prayer and praises. Psalm 122 is part of a grouping of fifteen psalms known as the Psalms of Ascent. These were the short songs that pilgrims coming to worship in the Jerusalem temple would have sung on their journey. You can still sense the eager anticipation that they sung these Psalms with! Dig Deeper You're likely reading this on a Friday, near the close of another work week, as you look forward to the weekend. What is it that you're eagerly anticipating over these next couple of days? Probably some yard work, a home improvement project, watching your kids or grandkids play a ballgame, or maybe a get together with friends or family? All of those are certainly good things that God has given us to enjoy. But where does "going to the house of the LORD" fit into your priority list? Has that been something you've eagerly anticipated for days now by humming psalms to yourself as you've delighted and meditated upon the law of the Lord (Psalm 1)? Or has it slipped down a peg or two in importance? You'll likely be bouncing from one thing to the other all weekend (often times weekends seem busier than the work week!). Is going to church just another thing you have to 'get to,' that is, if you have the time? And how about evening worship? Do you think of that as optional extra credit? Or maybe you dread the prospect altogether and only show up if something special is going on. If you're not eagerly looking forward to gathered corporate worship each Lord's Day, something's wrong and you need to fix it right away. What changes need to occur to make you desire to be there the way the psalmists do in these Psalms of Ascent? If your ideas for changes are good and profitable for all, share them with your pastor or elders! They'd love to hear them! Your perspective is important and may be being missed. But more likely, the busyness and temptations of the world have crept in and bit by bit robbed you of your love and desire to worship God alongside His people. So if you truly rejoice with those who are going to the house of the LORD, be thankful! But if not, pray that the Spirit will rekindle that desire within you. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who invites us into His house; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that anything that impedes your desire to go to the Lord's house will be cast aside; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Timothy 5

You have no right to separate yourself from the gift Jesus gave you: His Church. Ephesians 4:11-16 (NIV) 11  So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12  to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13  until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14  Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15  Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16  From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 28: The Obligations of Church Members We believe that since this holy assembly and congregation is the gathering of those who are saved and there is no salvation apart from it, no one ought to withdraw from it, content to be by himself, regardless of his status or condition. But all people are obliged to join and unite with it, keeping the unity of the church by submitting to its instruction and discipline, by bending their necks under the yoke of Jesus Christ, and by serving to build up one another, according to the gifts God has given them as members of each other in the same body. And to preserve this unity more effectively, it is the duty of all believers, according to God’s Word, to separate themselves from those who do not belong to the church, in order to join this assembly wherever God has established it, even if civil authorities and royal decrees forbid and death and physical punishment result. And so, all who withdraw from the church or do not join it act contrary to God’s ordinance. Summary If you were to stand at the church doors after a service and ask people what it is that Christ gave us, hopefully most people would mention forgiveness, perfect righteousness, or something along those lines. And yes, that's absolutely true! The fact that we are washed clean in the blood of Christ and are now at peace with the Father having been given His perfect righteousness is the very heart of the gospel! But here in Ephesians, we read of a gift that most of us likely would forget to include if asked. "Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers..." (v11). In other words, one of the biggest gifts Christ gave us is the holy catholic Church! This gift is eminently useful and practical. It's meant "to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up." But this gift is temporary. We only need to use it " until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ" (v12-13). But until Christ returns or calls us home, we'll always need what He provides through His Church as we, both collectively and individually, wage war against sin. Therefore the Church is indispensable in the sanctification process. It's through the ministry of the Church that you "will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ" (v15) and are built up "in love, as each part does its work" (v16). Dig Deeper It's become fashionable for some to claim that they love Jesus, but not the Church. They look at the Church with all its warts and problems and sanctimoniously decide that they don't want to be a part of it. Such an attitude is not Biblical and has no place among true Christians. It's an insult to the very One who gave the Church to us. Today's passage clearly explains the result of separating oneself from the Church. These people are "infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming." It's only those who are "equipped" by Christ's ecclesiastical gift who "will no longer be" stuck in this precarious position (v14). The Church, which is itself a "gathering" of those who are at the same time sinners and saints (Luther's famous quote in Latin is simul justus et peccator ), does often reek of the lingering sins of its saints, and sadly it does sometimes hurt those it's been given to help. But yet it is Christ's gift to us, and as such He has an expectation that those He came to save make themselves part of it. The Church "grows and builds itself up in love," only when "each part does its work" (v16). So as we learned a couple of days ago , find true and lasting rest as you take Christ's yoke upon yourself and do your part in building up and being built. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who has gathered His people in His Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for the church He's given to you, and pray that you will do the work that you've been called and equipped to do; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Corinthians 13

By God's grace, you're different than the world. So separate yourself from it. Exodus 34:1-16 (NIV) CONTEXT: After a long time, Moses had returned to Israel carrying two tablets of Law, written with God's own finger. But he smashed the tablets in anger when he saw the Israelites 'worshipping' a golden calf. The LORD said to Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. 2  Be ready in the morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai. Present yourself to me there on top of the mountain. 3  No one is to come with you or be seen anywhere on the mountain; not even the flocks and herds may graze in front of the mountain.” 4  So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the LORD had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. 5  Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. 6  And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7  maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.” 8  Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped. 9  “Lord,” he said, “if I have found favor in your eyes, then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance.” 10  Then the LORD said: “I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the LORD, will do for you. 11  Obey what I command you today. I will drive out before you the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 12  Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snare among you. 13  Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles. s 14  Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. 15  “Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices. 16  And when you choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will lead your sons to do the same. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 28: The Obligations of Church Members We believe that since this holy assembly and congregation is the gathering of those who are saved and there is no salvation apart from it, no one ought to withdraw from it, content to be by himself, regardless of his status or condition. But all people are obliged to join and unite with it, keeping the unity of the church by submitting to its instruction and discipline, by bending their necks under the yoke of Jesus Christ, and by serving to build up one another, according to the gifts God has given them as members of each other in the same body. And to preserve this unity more effectively, it is the duty of all believers, according to God’s Word, to separate themselves from those who do not belong to the church, in order to join this assembly wherever God has established it, even if civil authorities and royal decrees forbid and death and physical punishment result. And so, all who withdraw from the church or do not join it act contrary to God’s ordinance. Summary Once again, God called the representative of His sinful people back up the mountain to meet with Him, and once again the holiness of God is made evident. No one - neither man or beast - could be anywhere near Mount Sinai when God's presence descended upon it. The primary definition of holiness is separated , and our Holy God must be totally separate from sinful people. As the LORD makes Himself known to Moses, He announces both His mercy and justice: He is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Yet, the LORD says, speaking of Himself in the second person, He does not leave the guilty unpunished. In fact, the punishment for one will extend to subsequent generations. The Israelites definitely deserve the latter half of that arrangement. Their story is one of constant rebellion and back talk, culminating with their replacement of their invisible God with a very visible image of a calf, before which they bowed down and then "got up to indulge in revelry" ( Exodus 32:6 ). But yet these are not ordinary sinners. They're God's covenant people, and although He's justifiably furious with them for their sin, but rather than giving them the punishment they deserve, God renews His covenant promises to them (v10). Dig Deeper It's v12-16 that catch our attention today. Although there's hundreds, if not thousands of daily devotionals like this one published on the internet, my guess is that very few, if any, have focused on Exodus 34:12-16 for their daily inspiration. These verses are not popular, and some of the most popular evangelical speakers declare that Christians ought to "unhitch" themselves from these type of Old Testament passages. But you must pay attention to God's commands here, because as a Christian, you too are part of God's covenant people. You have a special relationship to Him that others do not. Through Christ, you have been made holy , so therefore you must be separate from the pagan world around you. Certainly your circumstances are far different from those of these Israelites making their way through the desert. You're not likely going to be tempted to enter into national treaties and you're no longer called to smash sacred stones. But as a member of Christ's church and a covenant child of God, the principles God set down for His people then remain just as relevant for you today as they did then. You must, as our Confession puts it, "separate yourself from those who do not belong to the church in order to join" the Church. Know that this will be massively unpopular, and in our secular society that's becoming increasingly hostile to Christianity, it may even be deemed illegal. Yet, be reminded that you have confessed to do so "even if civil authorities and royal decrees forbid and death and physical punishment result." AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that the Spirit will help you identify areas of your life that need more separation from the world; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Timothy 3

Separating from the world isn't popular, but God has always commanded it for good reason. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (NIV) 14  Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15  What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16  What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”  [Lev 26:12; Jer 32:38; Eze 37:27; Rev 21:3] 17  Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”  [Isaiah 52:11, Ezekiel 20:34, 41] 18  And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” [Ex 4:22; 2 Sa 7:14; 1 Ch 17:13; Isa 43:6] Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 28: The Obligations of Church Members We believe that since this holy assembly and congregation is the gathering of those who are saved and there is no salvation apart from it, no one ought to withdraw from it, content to be by himself, regardless of his status or condition. But all people are obliged to join and unite with it, keeping the unity of the church by submitting to its instruction and discipline, by bending their necks under the yoke of Jesus Christ, and by serving to build up one another, according to the gifts God has given them as members of each other in the same body. And to preserve this unity more effectively, it is the duty of all believers, according to God’s Word, to separate themselves from those who do not belong to the church, in order to join this assembly wherever God has established it, even if civil authorities and royal decrees forbid and death and physical punishment result. And so, all who withdraw from the church or do not join it act contrary to God’s ordinance. Summary Chances are you're doing more thinking about being 'yoked' this week than what you've thought about in a long time. Yesterday, we read of Jesus' invitation to find true and lasting rest by being yoked to Him ; that is, pulling in the same direction as Him by doing the eternal work of the Kingdom of God as a member of His Church. Now today we're reading about the danger of being yoked to unbelievers, or as the NET Bible puts it , "do not become partners with those who do not believe..." Another way they suggest translating it is "Do not be mismatched ." When two people are yoked together, they must go in the same direction, and too often it's the unbeliever who pulls the Christian off course. Paul explains this in the verses that follow, setting things like righteousness, light, and Jesus in opposition to unrighteousness, darkness, and Belial (another name for Satan). The most fundamental definition of what it means to be a regenerated Christian is that you've been made different than they people you work with and who live around you. This certainly doesn't mean you must have absolutely nothing to do with non-believers. Paul admits this would be impossible in 1 Corinthians 5:9-10. You still have to show up to work with them, live next door to them, and interact with them in the community. Jesus does call you to be a light in the darkness in those situations. What you're being warned of here, however, is just how easily and quickly the darkness can drag you back into it. Dig Deeper Often times Christians yoke themselves to non-believers (either as business partners, deep friendships, or even in marriage) with the best of intentions, thinking that their witness will win the person over to Christ. And, praise God, sometimes it does! But such a strategy is most often contrary to God's will for His people, and His people have often paid a high price for ignoring God's command to separate themselves from the world. In our short passage today, Paul cites no less than three Old Testament passages in which God commanded His people to be separate and different than their pagan neighbors. The Old Testament is full of examples of how God's covenant people would slowly begin to mingle with outsiders before quickly being consumed into full idolatry. But you might think you're different; that somehow you're stronger in your faith than generation after generation of faithful people who've been given this command, and you can remain committed to Christ even while being continually surrounded by those who have no regard for Him. If that's the case, go back and read about how strong and dangerous Sarx is (your old sinful nature) . When you yoke yourself to an unbeliever, you're immediately have two pulling you away from Christ: the unbeliever and Sarx. This is why our Confession echoes scripture's call for you to "separate yourself from those who do not belong to the church." This concept is deeply unpopular amongst most evangelicals today, but be sure to heed what God has consistently commanded His people all throughout history. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who is our God, and we are His people; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the strength and faith to be different and resist the temptation to join the worldly; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Timothy 2

You can discover your Spiritual gifts today and immediately use them tomorrow. Romans 12:3-8 (NIV) 3  For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4  For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5  so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6  We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7  if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8  if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 28: The Obligations of Church Members We believe that since this holy assembly and congregation is the gathering of those who are saved and there is no salvation apart from it, no one ought to withdraw from it, content to be by himself, regardless of his status or condition. But all people are obliged to join and unite with it, keeping the unity of the church by submitting to its instruction and discipline, by bending their necks under the yoke of Jesus Christ, and by serving to build up one another, according to the gifts God has given them as members of each other in the same body. And to preserve this unity more effectively, it is the duty of all believers, according to God’s Word, to separate themselves from those who do not belong to the church, in order to join this assembly wherever God has established it, even if civil authorities and royal decrees forbid and death and physical punishment result. And so, all who withdraw from the church or do not join it act contrary to God’s ordinance. Summary Today's Summary & Dig Deeper are a reprint from May 24, 2023 Throughout his letters, Paul often uses the image of the body as an analogy for the Church. It's amazing just how many systems within your body need to be working well and in harmony with other internal systems in order for you to be healthy. So it is, Paul writes, with the Church. As Americans , we're a fiercely independent bunch (as are most of the Candadiens reading this), which in many realms of society is a good thing. We know that society as a whole does better when each individual looks out for his own interests rather than depending on more socialistic systems. But this passage commands us to shelve that individualistic attitude when it comes to the Church. In the Church, "each member belongs to all the others." This means that the particular gifts that the Holy Spirit has given you do not belong just to you. As we 've noted before , these gifts you've been given come with strings attached. Not only are you obligated to utilize them to build up the church, but you must use them to benefit your fellow church members. The final two verses of today's passage form a comprehensive but not exhaustive catalog of gifts, as well as a repeated command to utilize what you've been given. Notice how the final few commands include an adverb to add emphasis that your gift sharing efforts must be more than mediocre. Give generously.  Lead diligently . Show mercy cheerfully. Dig Deeper When we cleaned our truck repair shop out years ago before selling it, we found all sorts of things in the warehouse that we forgot we had. What made that especially painful was the realization that we had bought that same part several times over at tremendous cost when we had a dozen of them in storage. What a waste! As we've mentioned before, you can't use what you don't know you have. You've been given a gift that Christ not only expects you to use, but in a sense depends on you to use it to build His Church. Your fellow members are being shortchanged if you're not sharing your gift with them. And you can't do any of this if you don't know what your gifts are! What a waste! We have a resource available to help you identify your gifts and become the productive body part that God created you to be. It's a large catalog of different gifts, many of which you probably didn't even know were Spiritual gifts. This resource can be found at wgtncrc.org/gifts . AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who has distributed faith and spiritual gifts to each of His children; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for the gifts He's given you, and pray that you'll know what they are, how to use them and that you'll use them cheerfully! A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Timothy 1

Find true & lasting rest by serving and submitting to your church. Matthew 11:25-30 (NIV) 20  Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. -- 25  At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26  Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. 27  “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 28: The Obligations of Church Members We believe that since this holy assembly and congregation is the gathering of those who are saved and there is no salvation apart from it, no one ought to withdraw from it, content to be by himself, regardless of his status or condition. But all people are obliged to join and unite with it, keeping the unity of the church by submitting to its instruction and discipline, by bending their necks under the yoke of Jesus Christ, and by serving to build up one another, according to the gifts God has given them as members of each other in the same body. And to preserve this unity more effectively, it is the duty of all believers, according to God’s Word, to separate themselves from those who do not belong to the church, in order to join this assembly wherever God has established it, even if civil authorities and royal decrees forbid and death and physical punishment result. And so, all who withdraw from the church or do not join it act contrary to God’s ordinance. Summary Jesus is often portrayed as the ultimate example of acceptance and tolerance. So maybe you found it surprising in our opening verse today to read about Jesus denouncing those whom He had performed so many miracles for. The word that Matthew used here to describe Jesus' actions is translated elsewhere as mock, revile, insult, criticize, and even disgrace . These are not normally actions people associate with Jesus. So what could have elicited such a strong reaction from Him? Matthew informs us that it was because so many who had witnessed Jesus' miracles "did not repent ." After seeing first hand the power of the Son of God and hearing with their own ears Jesus preach of God's grace, they didn't change their thinking , which is what the word repent means . This is the context that underlies Jesus' famous invitation to all those who are weary and burdened to come to Him and find the one thing people crave the most: rest . But the prescription Jesus gives for finding this coveted rest is surprising as well: it comes by "taking His yoke upon" yourself and " learning from Him." Being yoked and learning aren't the words most people associate with rest . Perhaps this is why so many people - maybe even you - feel so worn out and tired all the time, because we're doing things so wrong trying to find rest. Here Jesus reminds you that when you truly repent - that is, change your thinking not just about sin, but also about life in general - and live the way your Creator designed you, You "will find [true & lasting] rest for your soul. Dig Deeper You're likely reading this a few days after Labor Day, which for most signals the end of the summer vacation season. Hopefully you were able to get away for awhile and find some good R&R (rest and relaxation). The question is, how long will it be before the crushing realities of school, harvest, increased meetings and weekly activities, and everything else that comes barreling at you in this busier time of year, sap whatever strength you regained from your 'relaxing' summer vacation? So it ought to catch your attention that Jesus offers you true and lasting rest. You already know how difficult it is to find rest in life even though everybody seems to be looking for it, so it shouldn't surprise you that it comes in a way so different than you might expect. Our Confession summarizes Jesus' teaching here by showing that the more you submit to the Church's teaching and instruction, bend your neck under the yoke of Christ, and serve others by building them up, the more you will experience this true rest and peace that Jesus offers. As your Church begins another year of classes, Bible studies, and committee work, the most common excuse people will give is that they don't have the time or energy to participate or help out because they're too tired trying to keep up with their other endeavors. But don't think that you'll find more rest by sitting these things out, because now you know that the opposite is true. The more you submit and serve your local church, the more true and lasting rest you'll experience. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, whom we come to know as Christ reveals Him to us; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the wisdom to listen to Jesus' teaching on how to find rest rather than what the world convinces you of; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Corinthians 13

Separating yourself from the Church is a dangerous thing! Numbers 16:1-32 (NIV) Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—became insolent 2  and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council. 3  They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the LORD’s assembly?” 4  When Moses heard this, he fell facedown. 5  Then he said to Korah and all his followers: “In the morning the LORD will show who belongs to him and who is holy, and he will have that person come near him. The man he chooses, he will cause to come near him... 8  Moses also said to Korah, “Now listen, you Levites! 9  Isn’t it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the Israelite community and brought you near himself to do the work at the LORD’s tabernacle and to stand before the community and minister to them? 10  He has brought you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too. 11  It is against the LORD that you and all your followers have banded together. Who is Aaron that you should grumble against him?” -- 19  When Korah had gathered all his followers in opposition to them at the entrance to the tent of meeting, the glory of the LORD appeared to the entire assembly. 20  The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 21  “Separate yourselves from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.” 22  But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and cried out, “O God, the God who gives breath to all living things, will you be angry with the entire assembly when only one man sins?” 23  Then the LORD said to Moses, 24  “Say to the assembly, ‘Move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.’ ” 25  Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. 26  He warned the assembly, “Move back from the tents of these wicked men! Do not touch anything belonging to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins.” 27  So they moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram had come out and were standing with their wives, children and little ones at the entrances to their tents. 28  Then Moses said, “This is how you will know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things and that it was not my idea: 29  If these men die a natural death and suffer the fate of all mankind, then the LORD has not sent me. 30  But if the LORD brings about something totally new, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them, with everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the realm of the dead, then you will know that these men have treated the LORD with contempt.” 31  As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart 32  and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions. 33  They went down alive into the realm of the dead, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 28: The Obligations of Church Members We believe that since this holy assembly and congregation is the gathering of those who are saved and there is no salvation apart from it, no one ought to withdraw from it, content to be by himself, regardless of his status or condition. But all people are obliged to join and unite with it, keeping the unity of the church by submitting to its instruction and discipline, by bending their necks under the yoke of Jesus Christ, and by serving to build up one another, according to the gifts God has given them as members of each other in the same body. And to preserve this unity more effectively, it is the duty of all believers, according to God’s Word, to separate themselves from those who do not belong to the church, in order to join this assembly wherever God has established it, even if civil authorities and royal decrees forbid and death and physical punishment result. And so, all who withdraw from the church or do not join it act contrary to God’s ordinance. Summary Although today's passage is longer than normal, the gist of it is short and simple: Korah is upset with how the 'church' is being run by Moses, whom God appointed to oversee it (remember, the word 'church' represents God's people in all times and places , so even the Israelites wandering in the desert on the way to the Promised Land are part of the Church). So Korah whips up his own family and a few other clans into a frenzy and rebelliously confronts Moses. Look at Moses' reaction in v4: he falls facedown. Even a baseless accusation that a man of God has been derelict stings a true minister to the core, and Moses' gut reaction is to appeal to the LORD in prayer. But God makes it clear that Korah's rebellion has nothing to do with Moses; it was an outright revolt against the LORD Himself, and against His design for the church at that time. Ultimately, Korah put his own supposed 'rights', desires and ambitions ahead of the LORD's. And while the circumstances vary greatly, Korah's pattern has been countlessly repeated over and over again throughout the Church's history. Dig Deeper By God's grace it's not very often that the earth opens up and swallows those who set themselves against His Church. Although it seems extreme, understand what Korah and his cohorts got is exactly what you and I deserve for our sinful rebellion. God takes His Church and the instructions He's given to us very seriously. Certainly the instructions God gave to the Church on our side of the cross are very different than what He'd given to His covenant people as they moved from slavery to the Promised Land (the same journey you're on, by the way), but yet the core of God's expectations remain the same. That core is summarized in Lord's Day 35 of the Heidelberg Catechism as it unpacks the second commandment: God's people must not "worship Him in any other way than He has commanded in His Word." If you're normal, you probably have a whole list of complaints and things your church could do better. That's ok, and even good when you patiently and properly bring them forward. But when your church is faithfully living out God's instructions, be reminded what a dangerous thing it is to stand against her. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who governs His Church according to His Word; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for your church, that it would follow God's commands for it; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Corinthians 12