If you want to understand grace, start in the beginning. BibleHub.com Genesis 1:27-3:22 (ESV) 1:27  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 1:31  And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. 2:9  And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 2:15  The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16  And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17  but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” 3:6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 3:22  Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23  therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24  He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Article 1 - God's right to condemn all people Since all people have sinned in Adam and have come under the sentence of the curse and eternal death, God would have done no one an injustice if it had been his will to leave the entire ­human race in sin and under the curse, and to condemn them on account of their sin. As the apostle says: “The whole world is liable to the condemnation of God” (Rom. 3:19), “All have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23), and “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). Summary Certainly we do not understand the Bible to tell us that man evolved from a lower life form into the thinking, rational creatures we know ourselves to be today. Quite the opposite, in fact. We read that God created man - both men and women - in His own image. But at the same time, we read of a definite process by which man's relationship with God evolved - or better yet, de-volved. God's final act on day six of creation was to add His own signature, so to speak, by creating man, and having finished creation, God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. Very good, but not yet finished. God's relationship with His image bearer was far different than it was with any other aspect of creation: God entered into a covenantal relationship with Adam. The first thing God did with Adam was explain the parameters of this relationship. God's expected Adam to work the garden and keep it holy . This holiness would be signified by obedience to a simple command to not eat from a specific tree. The reward for this obedience is inferred: access to the other tree God mentioned, the tree of life , whose fruit would have given man eternal life. Of course, you already know how things ended up working out, which triggered the second clause in God's covenantal parameter. So on the very day they ate the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve faced death. God's placed His most powerful angel with a flaming sword that turned every way to guard [keep] the way to the tree of life. Dig Deeper One of the most fundamental aspects of God's character is His immutability - He does not ever change. This ought to be of great comfort to you, knowing that He will keep every promise He's made in His Word. But God's propensity to keep His Word isn't always good news. It also means He must uphold His threat to Adam: man shall surely die. Obviously Adam and Eve did not physically drop dead the very day that they ate the forbidden fruit. But since they did not fulfill their covenantal obligation to obey, they immediately lost their covenantal right to eternal life, and in that way death was immediate since they no longer had access to the tree of life. But all of this bad news sets the stage for the Good News! This is what makes Jesus Christ so significant. He's not just the Son of God - which certainly is significant in and of itself - but He's also fully man. And since He's the only man not infected with Adam's sin, He was eligible to represent man and fulfill our covenantal obligations with our Father! Because He did, the Bible ends with man having access to that which he forfeited in the beginning: the ever producing tree of life that we read about last week . We'll spend the rest of this year unpacking how God made this possible for you as we read the Bible together each day. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, in whose image we are created; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will do what it is you were created to do: to work and keep your life holy; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 1

Parables are shocking stories with spiritual meanings. scripture-images.com Luke 15:11-17 (NIV) 11  Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12  The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13  “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14  After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15  So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16  He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Article 1 - God's right to condemn all people Since all people have sinned in Adam and have come under the sentence of the curse and eternal death, God would have done no one an injustice if it had been his will to leave the entire ­human race in sin and under the curse, and to condemn them on account of their sin. As the apostle says: “The whole world is liable to the condemnation of God” (Rom. 3:19), “All have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23, NABRE), and “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). Summary Often times 'parables' get defined as 'earthly stories with heavenly meanings.' That's not a terrible definition, but perhaps they're better understood as ' shocking stories with spiritual meanings.' Jesus included shocking elements in these stories intended to stun His listeners and grab their attention. This first half of one of Jesus' most famous parables gives two good examples of details that would have shocked those first century "tax collectors and sinners who all gathered around to hear Jesus" respond to the Pharisees who scolded Jesus for having fellowship with such sinners (v1-2). Jesus begins the parable with the younger son's shocking demand that his father fork over half of his estate. In a sense, the young man told his father to drop dead so he could spend his money. No matter how sinful your audience is, that's a surprising way to begin a story! The next big shock, perhaps even more so than the first, came when when the now destitute son not only needed to get a job feeding pigs, but when he actually craved the pigs' food. The Jews listening to Jesus couldn't conceive of a more disgusting, unclean animal than pigs. For a prodigious Jewish man (where we get the word 'prodigal') to lower himself so far was Jesus' shocking way of demonstrating what it meant for the man to be in need. Dig Deeper We call this confession the Canons of Dordt because it was put together by a gathering (called a synod) of churches in the Dutch city of Dordrecht way back in 1619. Since English tongues have difficulty properly pronouncing Dordrecht , it's been shortened to 'Dordt' (some people make it even simpler and just spell it the way it sounds: Dort ). But even though the synod that formulated these canons was held in Holland, the document was written in Latin, not Dutch. Obviously we're using a modern English translation as we use the Canons for our Bible reading guide this year. But there was one word that captured my attention in today's portion that was different than what I expected. Did you catch it too? The Canons cited Romans 3:23, which isn't surprising because it's such a foundational verse which we'll look at often this year. But the modern editors simply translated these passages as they were included in the original Latin, so they rendered the verse All have sinned and are deprived  of the glory of God , rather than the more familiar fallen short of the glory of God , which almost every English Bible translation uses. But the original Greek word Paul used lends itself to the understanding that we've deprived ourselves of God's glory in our sin. And that's exactly how Jesus used the very same word as well in the parable of the Prodigal Son: he was in need . Yes, for sure we've fallen short of God's glory in our sin. That's a good translation and we'll stick to it. But the result of this fall is that man is now deprived / in need of God's glory which you were created to reflect. We didn't read it today, but of course you know the shocking end of Jesus' parable. The father welcomes his deprived son back and restores the glory he was meant to have. And so it is with your Father when you repent as well. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, whose glory our sin deprives us of; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will reflect the glory your Father has restored to you through Christ; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 2

You can make aggressive demands of the God who unconditionally chose you. biblehub.com Psalm 143 (NIV) A psalm of David. 1  LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. 2  Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. 3  The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in the darkness like those long dead. 4  So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed. 5  I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. 6  I spread out my hands to you; I thirst for you like a parched land. 7  Answer me quickly, LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. 8  Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. 9  Rescue me from my enemies, LORD, for I hide myself in you. 10  Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. 11  For your name’s sake, LORD, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. 12  In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Article 1 - God's right to condemn all people Since all people have sinned in Adam and have come under the sentence of the curse and eternal death, God would have done no one an injustice if it had been his will to leave the entire ­human race in sin and under the curse, and to condemn them on account of their sin. As the apostle says: “The whole world is liable to the condemnation of God” (Rom. 3:19), “All have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23, NABRE), and “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). Summary It's been often said that the Psalter is the prayer book of the Bible, and Psalm 143 is a good example of why it is, and it serves as a guide for how you can pray as well. The angst David cries out to God with is palpable. We don't know the specifics of the burden pressing down on David as he prayed these words, but that's a blessing, since otherwise we might feel like our needs should rise to some level of significance before we could pray the way David does here. This psalm also helps us see that not every prayer must fit into the AAA format that so many other Biblical prayers do. Although David appeals to God's faithfulness and righteousness, he really doesn't formally a cknowledge who God is in this prayer, either at the beginning or elsewhere. Instead, he just cries out to the LORD, and begs Him to listen. Look at how aggressively David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, addresses the LORD: He demands that God hear, listen, answer, not hide and destroy all of my foes. If it weren't for psalms like this one, we might think it sinful to give such bold instructions to God, but David here helps us to see that not only may we do so, but that we're actually invited to do so. The reason David could pray this way at times was because he knew the LORD so well. In so many other Psalms, David does nothing but acknowledge God's attributes in praise and worship. David would never consider theology to be dry, dull or boring; rather, David's solid theology deepened His relationship with God in such a way that David could cry out to Him as David dwelled in the darkness, thirsting for God like a parched land. Dig Deeper It's David's understanding of himself that grabs our attention today. David asks God to not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. David here understands the reality of our sinful condition, and that all that anybody deserves from God is judgment . That's what makes this doctrine of unconditional grace so amazing! It means exactly what it says: The grace God extends to you is in no way conditioned upon your actions or behavior. If it was, none of us would qualify for it. God's grace to you is purely the product of His unfailing love. Remember, whenever you see that phrase in your English Bible (sometimes it's rendered steadfast love ) it's translating the Hebrew word ḥěʹ·sěḏ , which is the love that God has covenantally (legally) obligated Himself to. In other words, God's electing love in your life is unconditional as it relates to your actions, but is instead fully conditioned upon the covenant He has entered into to be your God. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who has obligated Himself to us in His ḥěʹ·sěḏ and has unconditionally chosen us to belong to Him; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray the words of v10: Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 3

Your salvation is deeply rooted in God's covenant love for you! Bible.com Zephaniah 3:14-17 (NIV) 14  Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem 15  The LORD has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. 16  On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. 17  The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election 1 - God's right to condemn all people 2 - God shows His sovereign love in the sending of Jesus Christ. But this is how God showed his love:   he sent his only begotten Son  into the world, so that whoever believes in him  should not perish  but have eternal life Summary We had the privilege of working our way through the minor prophets in our church in the weeks preceding Christmas. We don't turn to these books enough (I'll bet many of us forgot there was a book of the Bible named Zephaniah before it popped up today). We don't read the prophets often because they seem so intimidating and mean. After all, in Malachi God told His people that He would smear the dung of their sacrifices on their faces , and He orders the prophet Hosea to marry a promiscuous, adulterous woman to represent the infidelity of His people. This seems to feed right into the misconception that so many people have that the God of the Old Testament is an angry old man, while Jesus, the God of the New Testament, is kind, tolerant, and just wants us all to be happy. The prophets certainly do represent the righteous judgment and indingation of our Creator, but they also show God's immense mercy and covenant faithfulness to His people. Today's passage from Zephaniah is just one of dozens of prophetic passages that convey God's deep love for His people using rich and flowing poetic language. In a very real sense, the prophets served as God's process servers; that is, they served people notice of God's covenant lawsuit against them. The people of Israel rejected these prophets, because just like us, they didn't want to be confronted with their sinfulness. Since the people refused to listen, they missed out on hearing of God's deep love for them and they sealed their fate. Don't make their same mistake! Dig Deeper Notice in Zephaniah's passage how the call to be glad and rejoice with all your heart is predicated on significantly changed circumstances: The LORD has taken away your punishment, and that in the LORD's great love, He will no longer rebuke you. If the people had just listened to the prophet, they would realize that the punishment they deserved for their sin would be commuted! This passage makes it seem like somehow God's love overpowered His justice, and as a result the people would be let off the hook and their sins would go unpunished. It wouldn't be until centuries after Zephaniah that God's plan would be fully revealed. The sins would be punished, but that justice would be meted out on His Son on our behalf. As you begin to understand God's election in your life, remember that the Canons properly root it in God's everlasting covenant love for you, not in any endearing qualities you may have on your own. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, the Mighty Warrior who saves; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that as you do your work today that your hands would not hang limp , but would be raised in praise to the God who loves you; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 4

Find life in which everything is as it should be. Revelation 22:1-5 (NIV) Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2  down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3  No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4  They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5  There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article   37: The Last Judgment (Part 2) The evil ones will be convicted by the witness of their own consciences, and shall be made immortal— but only to be tormented in the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. In contrast, the faithful and elect will be crowned with glory and honor. The Son of God will “confess their names” before God his Father and the holy and elect angels; all tears will be “wiped from their eyes”; and their cause— at present condemned as heretical and evil by many judges and civil officers— will be acknowledged as the “cause of the Son of God.” And as a gracious reward the Lord will make them possess a glory such as the heart of man could never imagine. So we look forward to that great day with longing in order to enjoy fully the promises of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Help share & promote the 2025 Bible reading plan based on the Canons of Dordt Summary So much about both John's gospel and this revelation given to him are now fulfilled in what he now describes to us. John records Jesus offering the Samaritan woman living water (John 4:10) and then later on he tells of Jesus standing up in the middle of temple courtyard on the most important day of a festival and loudly said whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them (John 7:39, quoting Isaiah 58:11). And now, right in the middle of the great and glorious city of God that descended from heaven, runs the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal. The source of this river, and indeed the very source of eternal life itself, is none other than the throne of God and the Lamb. This river, as many rivers do, irrigates the trees alongside it. But the trees John sees are no ordinary trees. This river feeds a very specific and important tree; a tree we read about in the opening pages of scripture - the tree of life , which is the very tree God placed His mightiest angel to guard so that Adam could not take hold of it . But now it's easily accessible by all of God's saints. Unlike conventional trees, which have one location, and at best bear one crop of fruit per year, this tree of life stands on each side of the river, bearing twelve crops of fruit, continually yielding its fruit every month, bringing healing to the nations (ethnos). Dig Deeper This river of the water of life , as awesome and amazing as it is, is not even the most significant aspect of what's revealed to John. That honor is found in v3 - no longer will there be any curse. What good would a river of life be if the everlasting life it provided was subjected to the ongoing curse brought about by sin? That's exactly why God guarded Adam from taking hold of it in the garden! But since Christ's atonement ended the curse, the separation necessary between sinful man and our holy God has been eliminated. His throne will be right there in their midst, in the city. We, His servants , will serve Him (the word serve can also be translated worship ). Best of all, we will see His face ; the same face that He's turned toward His covenant people in blessing, but yet which we're unable to fully see until we live in His presence in this new and holy city. The light of God's glorious face will be so sufficient that the sun will no longer be necessary, for the Lord God will give us light! It's here in the never ending blessing of God's Holy City on earth that we will reign for ever and ever! So we end our year together in the Belgic Confession the way that John ends scripture: Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen (v20-21). Help share & promote the 2025 Bible reading plan based on the Canons of Dordt AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, from whose throne flows the water of life everlasting; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Echo John's closing prayer: erchou, Kurio Iēsou - Come, Lord Jesus! A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Revelation 22

Achieve victory in 2025 by grounding your life in God's unchanging character. Revelation 21:5-11, 22-27 (NIV) 5  He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6  He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7  Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8  But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” 9  One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10  And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11  It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. -- 22  I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23  The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24  The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25  On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26  The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27  Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article   37: The Last Judgment (Part 2) The evil ones will be convicted by the witness of their own consciences, and shall be made immortal— but only to be tormented in the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. In contrast, the faithful and elect will be crowned with glory and honor. The Son of God will “confess their names” before God his Father and the holy and elect angels; all tears will be “wiped from their eyes”; and their cause— at present condemned as heretical and evil by many judges and civil officers— will be acknowledged as the “cause of the Son of God.” And as a gracious reward the Lord will make them possess a glory such as the heart of man could never imagine. So we look forward to that great day with longing in order to enjoy fully the promises of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Help share & promote the 2025 Bible reading plan based on the Canons of Dordt Summary It's easy to miss it in the midst of John's best efforts to describe the fantastic beauty of the new heaven and earth, but right here at the beginning of our passage, we're given tremendous insight into the character and attributes of our Triune God: He's seated on the throne , fully sovereign and in control of all that comes to pass; All is done ; Everything that God set out to accomplish will be completed when He makes all things new; He is the Alpha and the Omega - the first and last letter of the Greek alphabet, symbolizing the Beginning and the End . This is the second of three times John records this in Revelation, and very consistent with the famous phrase with which John opens his gospel; He gives the water of life without cost to those who are thirsty ; He relates to us, His people, both paternally and covenantly. He will be our God, and we will be His children; He Himself will be the temple for His people; His glory is brighter than the light of the sun. Until this point, no man had ever been able to survive full exposure to God's glory, but in the new heavens & earth, we will live each day by its unfiltered light; The names of His children are written in His book of life , signifying those who will enter into the Holy City. They are the ones who, by God's grace, are victorious and will inherit all this. Dig Deeper How would you describe the indescribable? That's the challenge John once again finds himself tasked with in conveying the details of the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God . John does the best he can, comparing it to the most beautiful jewels and gems that were known at the time. But it's the way the angel with John describes this city that intrigues us today. He refers to it as the bride, the wife of the Lamb. This isn't the first time the Bible has mentioned the bride of Christ, but here it expands the image. Not only is the Church the bride of Christ, but it's also a city . "Apocalyptic metaphors are mixed and show little inclination to conform to any literalistic system of interpretation" ( Mounce ). Notice in this chapter how the bride of Christ - that is, the Church - is set against the harlot of Babylon, whose followers will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur . If you're wondering why it is that you ought to keep a healthy separation between you and the people of this world, let that be a good reminder! As a city , the bride of Christ "is the community of men who have fellowship with God. Nothing in the entire universe is as glorious as this fellowship with God, so that He tabernacles with us and we are His own. Moreover, as the symbol of the Holy City so clearly indicates, this communion is holy and lasting and it is enjoyed by a countless multitude... The Church of the future is described here, and also the Church of the present, mainly as a shadow of what is to come" ( Hendriksen ). Help share & promote the 2025 Bible reading plan based on the Canons of Dordt AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that as you look forward to a new year, you will strive for victory - overcoming sin and death in Christ alone; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Revelation 21

This Christmas, look forward to Jesus making all things new. Revelation 21:1–5 (ESV) 20:14  Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15  Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. 21   Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” 5  And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article   37: The Last Judgment (Part 2) The evil ones will be convicted by the witness of their own consciences, and shall be made immortal— but only to be tormented in the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. In contrast, the faithful and elect will be crowned with glory and honor. The Son of God will “confess their names” before God his Father and the holy and elect angels; all tears will be “wiped from their eyes”; and their cause— at present condemned as heretical and evil by many judges and civil officers— will be acknowledged as the “cause of the Son of God.” And as a gracious reward the Lord will make them possess a glory such as the heart of man could never imagine. So we look forward to that great day with longing in order to enjoy fully the promises of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Help share & promote the 2025 Bible reading plan based on the Canons of Dordt Summary As John's vision of the future draws near to its completion, the scene he sees goes from one extreme to the other. After witnessing death and Hades thrown into the lake of fire, along with anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life , John sees that every reality we've ever known - all of what was included in the first heaven and earth - no longer exist! In its place were a new heaven and new earth . It seems like there ought to be a grander name for this coming reality, but then again, what words could we use to adequately capture the splendor and goodness John describes? John's utilization of adjectives increases, however, to describe what he sees next. He calls it the Holy City, the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God . Just the fact that an entire city descends down ought to give you enough amazement to chew on all day, but John's not finished. The scene, John writes, is like a bride, beautifully dressed for her husband . Any groom or father of the bride can appreciate the words John conveys this vision to us with! As beautiful as this city is, the aesthetics are nowhere close to the best thing about it. It's the proximity of God's dwelling place. Finally, after 1,185 chapters (Genesis 3 - Revelation 20) spanning thousands of years, things are once again the way they're supposed to be: God's dwelling place is now with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. Dig Deeper We have so much curiosity and so many questions about what life will be like in this new reality; everything from whether or not we'll recognize one another and maintain the same relationships to wondering what we'll do for tens of thousands of years. Our current mindset is focused on overcoming adversity, so it's hard to imagine anything different. But John really doesn't tell us anything about what life will be like. All he passes along is what life in the new heavens and earth will not be like: death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore . John simply reports what he's been told by the One who was seated on the throne: "Behold, I am making all things new." You're likely reading this on or around the 2,024th celebration Christmas day. You might be trying to count uncountable blessings in your life or trying to forget pain and disappointments that you've been counting for too many years. No matter where you find yourself now, thank God that when all things are made new, you will be found with Him! Help share & promote the 2025 Bible reading plan based on the Canons of Dordt AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who will wipe every tear from our eyes. A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will remember in the midst of either pain or gladness that you're a citizen of this new world to come; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Revelation 20

You're invited to the ultimate victory celebration! Isaiah 2:2 In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Isaiah 25:6-9 6  On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest of wines. 7  On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The LORD has spoken. 9  In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article   37: The Last Judgment (Part 2) The evil ones will be convicted by the witness of their own consciences, and shall be made immortal— but only to be tormented in the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. In contrast, the faithful and elect will be crowned with glory and honor. The Son of God will “confess their names” before God his Father and the holy and elect angels; all tears will be “wiped from their eyes”; and their cause— at present condemned as heretical and evil by many judges and civil officers— will be acknowledged as the “cause of the Son of God.” And as a gracious reward the Lord will make them possess a glory such as the heart of man could never imagine. So we look forward to that great day with longing in order to enjoy fully the promises of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Help share & promote the 2025 Bible reading plan based on the Canons of Dordt Summary God often associates Himself with mountains (but don't worry... He still loves us flatlanders too!). He introduced Himself to His people from Mt. Sinai. His temple was built on the mountain that Jerusalem sits on. His Son, our Savior, was transfigured upon a mountain and went on to atone for our sins on a mountain. The prophets often refer to God's enigmatic dwelling on earth as Mount Zion "where Yahweh lives with his faithful people in the absence of sin and danger” ( Lexham Bible Dictionary ). So it's no surprise that as God reveals messages of hope to his prophet Isaiah, that it's set on a mountain. Already in chapter two, Isaiah reported that not only will the mountain of the LORD's temple be established as the highest of mountains, but that all nations will stream to it. It's on this highest mountain , Isaiah goes on to report in chapter 25, that the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples , using similar imagery to the table prepared in the presence of our enemies, which David famously told of in the 23rd Psalm. Isaiah describes the LORD's mountain as a place of shalom, in which everything is the way it's supposed to be. The banquet that the LORD has set out celebrates victory, and not just any victory, but the victory to end all battles. For it's on His mountain that the LORD destroys the shroud that covers all nations; He will swallow up death forever. Those who find themselves atop the LORD's mountain experience not just a change in elevation, but a complete transformation, for the Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth . Dig Deeper We get a clue in v9 as to who it is that ascends the LORD's mountain; it is those who had trusted in Him . It's the people who, even when covered in the shroud of death, with tears streaming down their faces , had put their full faith and trust in the LORD. It's the people who, even as the nations considered God's people disgraced , will fully rejoice and be glad in His salvation. In other words, it includes the people who right now, at the end of the year of our Lord, 2024, who faithfully cling to Christ despite all of the temptation and distractions that surround them. Does this include you? Although today's passage comes near the middle of your printed Bible, it certainly is eschatological in nature - that is, it tells of end times. And Isaiah puts a stamp of certainty on this end-time prophecy. Just as certainly as the LORD spoke the universe into existence in the beginning , so will His victorious mountaintop presence be certain at the end. Isaiah grounds this certainty with the short line at the end of v8 - The LORD has spoken! AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who will call His faithful from every nation into His presence on Zion, the highest of mountains; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that God will continue to strengthen us for that day, even as we now live in the plains (both literally and figuratively); A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Revelation 19 Help share & promote the 2025 Bible reading plan based on the Canons of Dordt

Things don't end well for those set against our newborn King. Revelation 18:21-19:2 (NIV) 21  Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. 22  The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No worker of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again. 23  The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world’s important people. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. 24  In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people, of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.” 19 After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, 2 for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.” Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article   37: The Last Judgment (Part 2) The evil ones will be convicted by the witness of their own consciences, and shall be made immortal— but only to be tormented in the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. In contrast, the faithful and elect will be crowned with glory and honor. The Son of God will “confess their names” before God his Father and the holy and elect angels; all tears will be “wiped from their eyes”; and their cause— at present condemned as heretical and evil by many judges and civil officers— will be acknowledged as the “cause of the Son of God.” And as a gracious reward the Lord will make them possess a glory such as the heart of man could never imagine. So we look forward to that great day with longing in order to enjoy fully the promises of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Help share & promote the 2025 Bible reading plan based on the Canons of Dordt Summary Imagine both the sight and the sound of a massive boulder crashing into the sea. All at once, tons of water would be displaced, splashing high into the sky, the sea opening up and then just as instantly caving back into place as the boulder instantly disappeared beneath the waves, never to be seen again. It's with this same level of violence that the angel reports Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again . Babylon here represents much more than just the Ancient Near Eastern city where Daniel was thrown in with the lions and his friends faced the fiery furnace. All throughout the Bible, Babylon represents everything in the world that stands in rebellion against its Creator. The angel's song is steeped in the finality of it all: no more music, work, light, or love. It's people, once so haughty and proud, who slaughtered the prophets and God's saints, will never be heard again . The metaphor of the sinking rock is appropriate. In all of Revelation's fantastic imagery, all those opposed to God meet their doom quickly once God's patience runs out. Although the kings of the earth spend lots of time and resources assembling their armies, the battles end in their defeat almost as quickly as they begin. It will all be so instant. Dig Deeper 2025 will mark 80 years since the Allies erupted in unbridled celebration when the Empire of Japan surrendered, ending World War II. Even though victory came at the terrible cost inflicted upon the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the rest of the world rejoiced in relief, knowing that on balance, more lives would be saved with the conclusion of hostilities. Fresher in our minds is the killing of Osama bin Laden last decade. None of us are bloodthirsty people, but you likely celebrated the news, knowing that not only could he never unleash terror again, but that ultimately he got what he had coming. Take a moment to think about Babylon's tragedy. It was part of God's creation, just like you. The city was filled with people who made music, work their trade, married and carried on business. And in an instant, it all came to a crashing end. But after a second or two of silence there came the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: HALLELUJAH! It's natural for you to be sympathetic to the plight of the world around you which will face this tragic end. But then remember there are only two sides to this great cosmic conflict: either a person is for God or against Him, and those who are against Him are a corruption upon the earth. Let your sympathy drive you to share the truth of the Christmas miracle with those who will otherwise perish, even as you set your heart to celebrate that salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are His judgments. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who will avenge the blood of His servants; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will live in the tension of sympathizing for the lost citizens of Babylon even as you celebrate the coming victory of our newborn King; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Revelation 18 Help share & promote the 2025 Bible reading plan based on the Canons of Dordt

All will be made immortal, but it will be quite different for those who repent now. Luke 16:19-31 (NIV) 19  “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20  At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21  and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22  “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23  In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24  So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ 25  “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26  And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ 27  “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28  for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29  “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ 30  “ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31  “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ” Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article   37: The Last Judgment (Part 2) The evil ones will be convicted by the witness of their own consciences, and shall be made immortal— but only to be tormented in the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. In contrast, the faithful and elect will be crowned with glory and honor. The Son of God will “confess their names” before God his Father and the holy and elect angels; all tears will be “wiped from their eyes”; and their cause— at present condemned as heretical and evil by many judges and civil officers— will be acknowledged as the “cause of the Son of God.” And as a gracious reward the Lord will make them possess a glory such as the heart of man could never imagine. So we look forward to that great day with longing in order to enjoy fully the promises of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Help share & promote the 2025 Bible reading plan based on the Canons of Dordt Summary We need to lead off with a disclaimer about today's passage. The number one consideration for properly interpreting any passage of scripture is to understand the context which it comes in. This story about the rich man and Lazarus is just that - a story. More specifically, it's a parable. Parables are more than just 'earthly stories with heavenly meanings.' A better way of thinking of them is as 'shocking stories with spiritual meanings.' That's exactly what Jesus does as he tells this story. It's part of a series of examples Jesus was using to shock His primary audience - the Pharisees - into changing their thinking. And this story contains some big shockers: first of all, notice the rich man doesn't get a name, but the poor beggar does. Secondly, it's the powerful member of the establishment who ends up in Hades, while the 'riffraff' Lazarus ends up in heaven. Third, the rich man ends up in Hades even though he had Moses and the Prophets . It's those points that would have shocked the Pharisees, not the details about what life would be like either in heaven or hell. Jesus' purpose in this parable is to explain that being a wealthy member of the establishment didn't result in a ticket to heaven. Dig Deeper Even though Jesus' point in this parable isn't to shed light on what the afterlife will be like, we can still take away a few very generalized ideas. The first takeaway is that there is, in fact, life after death. As our Confession puts it, all people shall be made immortal, but the way the evil ones will experience immortality will be significantly different than those who are in Christ. Jesus captures this reality in His parable as well: the rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day , experiences torment and agony, while the poor beggar is carried to Abraham's side . Jesus also describes a great chasm between Abraham and the rich man in Hades, which is uncrossable. Interestingly, Jesus never uses the term 'heaven' in this parable. But don't let that bother you; Remember, sharing eschatological (end time) details is not Jesus' primary purpose in this parable. The Bible is frustratingly vague when it does come to specific details about the life to come. That's because the Bible's primary point is the same as Jesus' parable here: that you must be convinced to repent here and now by the One who rises from the dead . By the time you attain immortality , it will be too late. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who has prepared an everlasting fire for the devil and his angels; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will repent and warn others now, while there's still an opportunity to do so; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Revelation 17 Help share & promote the 2025 Bible reading plan based on the Canons of Dordt