ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Hebrews 13

Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 99 Q.

Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 91 Q. Dig Deeper The second half of Q&A 91 deals with things that may seem like good works but are forms of

Society will not be truly civil until it realizes what God told Noah. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 105 Q. What is God’s will for you in the sixth commandment? A. I am not to belittle, insult, hate, or kill my neighbor— not by my thoughts, my words, my look or gesture, and certainly not by actual deeds— and I am not to be party to this in others; rather, I am to put away all desire for revenge. I am not to harm or recklessly endanger myself either. Prevention of murder is also why government is armed with the sword. Summary In many ways our passage today parallels the opening chapters of the Bible. God gave Adam dominion over the earth and commanded him to be fruitful and multiply. In the same way, God announces to Noah that from that day forward the animals would fear man, and he's given the same command to increase greatly upon the earth that Adam had been given. But the situational difference between God's initial mandate and His command to Noah is stark: even though God had cleansed the world of sin's worst effects through the great flood, sin is still present in human nature. Death, the ultimate consequence of sin, would remain a reality. But death does not operate with impunity. God "will surely demand an accounting" each time man's blood is spilled, even from animals, and especially from other men. It would be hundreds of years yet before God gave His full law through Moses, but the one stipulation He wants to make immediately clear is that murderers must face the ultimate consequence. God told Noah, and also now tells us, that when a human is killed, it's not just an ordinary creature that has its life snuffed out. Understand that your life has value not just because you're a awesome person, but because you are made in the image of God Himself. Therefore the civil consequence of murder must be swift and severe: God Himself demands capital punishment, a regulation given for all people living in all times. Dig Deeper A society that practices capital punishment might meet the letter of the law God set forth upon renewing life on earth through Noah's family, but simply executing convicted murderers is a long way from the ideal that God set forth. Plenty of corrupt governments have been very good at avenging killers, but yet placed little value on human life. A government willing to kill its own citizens, even if they are guilty, but which does not recognize God's image as the basis for human value is a massively dangerous entity, as history has shown repeatedly. We live in a society that has devalued human life because it no longer recognizes God, so how could society possible recognize the intrinsic value that God's image gives to mankind? Abortion, euthanasia and licentious living that ignores the life shortening effects of unhealthy food, drink and bad habits are all symptoms of our disassociation of mankind as the image bearer of a holy, righteous creator God. Man has become nothing more than an expendable animal that can be eradicated when it's considered inconvenient; ironically even the animals are often given more value than mankind! Simply executing more convicted murders will not solve this most serious of problems. Society must regain a fear of God, and a realization that His image in each and every person has all surpassing value. Restoring this reality is not a task you can delegate to the government or other civil leaders. Rather you must communicate what God has shown you to be true to your friends and family who have forgotten. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father who has put His image upon each one of us; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will see God's image in every person you see, and that you will effectively communicate this truth to those you influence; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 John 5

As a Christian, there are times when you're commanded be intolerant. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 82 Q. Are those to be admitted to the Lord’s Supper who show by what they say and do that they are unbelieving and ungodly? A. No, that would dishonor God’s covenant and bring down God’s anger upon the entire congregation. Therefore, according to the instruction of Christ and his apostles, the Christian church is duty-bound to exclude such people, by the official use of the keys of the kingdom, until they reform their lives. Summary Paul opened chapter three with the words "always be peaceable and gentle to everyone (v2)," so it seems shocking to read what we just did in v10, that there will be times that we must "have nothing to do" with a person. It might be less surprising if Paul was warning Christians to keep their distance from pagan people outside of the church, but he's not! He's referring to people within the church, who constantly and divisively stir the pot with controversies, arguments and quarrels. Paul adds in 'genealogies' too, referring to men who demanded more authority in the church because they could trace their lineage way back into Old Testament times. One of the big benefits of being part of a local congregation is being surrounded with fellow Christians who keep one another accountable. It often seems awkward to call out sins in others, especially when we know we have our own weaknesses, but it not only is a command we've been given to do, but a comfort to know we can trust our fellow members to call us back when we step too far out of line. "Warn a divisive person once," Paul instructs. That first 'warning' will likely be a gentle, yet firm encouragement. The person may not realize that their actions are hurting others, and may even be grateful for the advice. But if the divisive behavior continues, Paul says, "warn them the second time." In Matthew 18:15-18, Jesus illustrates how this process is to work. Whereas the first warning may be personal and informal, the second warning involves more people, such as the elders from the church. If both warnings go unheeded, both Jesus and Paul agree. Be done with them. Put them out. Jesus says, "treat them as you would a pagan or tax collector (Mt 18:17)." Paul writes, "have nothing to do with them." Dig Deeper These words seem harsh, and even un-Christian to our ears which have been conditioned by our hyper-tolerant society. Certainly we must distinguish between 'divisive' people and those who are just saying things that we might not want to hear but need to, and even those who are just plain annoying. But people who are "warped and sinful" are like a contagious disease that if left unabated will soon infect the entire church (2 Tim 2:16-17). They must be put out, for their own good (see and 1 Cor. 5:4-5 and 1 Tim 1:18-20), but especially for the good of the church. One of the primary marks of the true church is the practice of church discipline. This is a slow, deliberate process involving the processes we read about here in Titus 3. The goal of church discipline is always to bring the sinner to repentance and restoration, but the ultimate conclusion for those who stubbornly remain in their sin is excommunication, which literally means to be put out from communion, both in terms of the fellowship of the church and away from the Lord's Table. We'll end our discussion of the sacraments in the same way we began it over a month and a half ago: sacraments are signs and seals of what Christ has done for us. Those who will not submit themselves to Christ's Church have no business being sealed in the benefits He's won for it. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who lovingly disciplines His children to save them from eternal condemnation; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you take all of the Bible's warnings against sin seriously; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 23

God grants you salvation apart from the sacraments, but He commands your participation in them. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 78 Q. Are the bread and wine changed into the real body and blood of Christ? A. No. Just as the water of baptism is not changed into Christ’s blood and does not itself wash away sins but is simply God’s sign and assurance, so too the bread of the Lord’s Supper is not changed into the actual body of Christ even though it is called the body of Christ in keeping with the nature and language of sacraments. Summary We've been talking about the sacraments for several weeks now as we work our way through the catechism, and you might be wondering why it is that as we spend a year studying the core doctrines of Christianity, so much time is dedicated to understanding baptism and communion. When looking at the first century churches written to in the New Testament, the it quickly becomes clear that sacraments have always been a massively important topic for God's people, and that misunderstandings about the sacraments resulted in serious problems for these early churches. God had instituted two sacraments for Israel which form the basis for the Christian church's sacraments: the Passover commemorated the bloody sacrifice necessary to save God's people which we now celebrate in the Lord's Supper, and circumcision was a physical mark identifying those who were included in God's covenant promises which has been replaced with baptism. But a serious misunderstanding of what these sacraments were and how they worked threatened the unity of the early church. In their minds, circumcision was the reason for their salvation, and not simply a sign and assurance of it. This is one of the reasons Paul makes clear in Romans 4 that God had granted Abraham righteousness through faith before he was circumcised, not because he was circumcised. Abraham received circumcision, writes Paul, "as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith." Dig Deeper Throughout church history there has always been those who have wanted to ascribe mystical power to the sacraments the Bible commands. Applying water to a person would immediately grant salvation, and the elements of the Lord's Supper mysteriously would become the actual body and blood of Jesus as words of consecration were spoken over them. On the opposite end of the spectrum lies the temptation to disregard the sacraments as an optional activity, or to celebrate them in such an irreverent way that strips them of any meaning at all. This is why it's necessary for us to spend so much time be reminded of exactly what they are and how they're to be administered. They are not magic pills that somehow convey God's grace upon whoever participates in them. But yet your participation in them is commanded of you, and as we'll see next week, doing so improperly may bring down God's anger upon the entire congregation. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who grants us the perfect righteousness we need to be in relationship with Him; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for His gift of the sacraments, and pray that you'll understand them correctly as He's presented them in His Word; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 14

There are only two types of people in the world: blessed & cursed. Which one are you? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 10 Q. Will God permit such disobedience and rebellion to go unpunished? A. Certainly not. He is terribly angry about the sin we are born with as well as the sins we personally commit. As a just judge he punishes them now and in eternity. He has declared: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Summary We gladly confess that our only comfort is that we belong to the Lord, but this comfort carries with it an obligation. The people of Israel were just coming to this conclusion as well in our passage today. They'd recently been freed from their slavery in Egypt, but even though they were now free, they were not independent. Having been freed from Pharaoh meant that they now belonged to the one who freed them: the Lord. God makes clear the obligation their freedom bound them to in v9-10: Keep silence and hear, O Israel: this day you have become the people of the Lord your God. You shall therefore obey the voice of the Lord your God, keeping his commandments and his statutes, which I command you today. God then commands that as His people cross the Jordan and enter the promised land, that they must be reminded of God's law in the way God most often prescribes: they must hear it proclaimed in a loud voice (v14). Twelve prohibitions are to be announced to the people, and they must affirm each one with a vow we rarely think twice about saying: the simple word Amen, which means may it be so. Crossing these twelve commands, each of which has a myriad of implications, would result in the strongest punishment possible: a divine curse. Dig Deeper In our passage today, notice that the word cursed is passive. This means that disobeying God's commands doesn't mean that you will be punished in the future, but that sin changes the relationship you are currently in with God. To be cursed is to be estranged from God. So often we turn to the Bible for a quick pick-me-up or a reminder of God's love and providence for us, so it might seem jarring to you to hear these stark words God wants proclaimed in a loud voice. But it's important for you to be reminded often of the cursed condition you've put yourself in by breaking God's commands, especially since you've so often responded with the promise of "Amen" when you've heard God's law read! It's not until you fully understand the magnitude of the curse that you'll fully appreciate how massive God's grace is: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” - Galatians 3:13 AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Holy Father, who blesses those who obey, and declares unrepentant sinners to be cursed. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will be silent & listen to the Lord (v9) and obey His commands. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Acts 2

truth once again; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - John 9

​ Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel John 1:9-13 - The TRUE Light John 3:31-36 - Wrath Removed 6: God’s Eternal Decree Isaiah 45:21-25 - Irrevocable Ezekiel 36:24-27 - A Whole New Reality Romans 9: Authority & Presence Article 9: Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith John 10:22-30 - Listen Up! 14 - Christmas in March Galatians 4:1-7 - From Slave to Son Isaiah 53:6 - Herd Mentality 1 Peter 2:9- Today: Hebrews 9

The kingdom of God is near. Is it evident in your life? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 122 Q. What does the second request mean? A. “Your kingdom come” means, Rule us by your Word and Spirit in such a way that more and more we submit to you. Keep your church strong, and add to it. Destroy the devil’s work; destroy every force which revolts against you and every conspiracy against your Word. Do this until your kingdom is so complete and perfect that in it you are all in all. Summary The baptism and testing of Jesus mark the start of his adult ministry. The message that Jesus proclaimed from the beginning was that “The time has come,” and “The kingdom of God has come near.” The kingdom had come near in the sense that Jesus had set into motion the events that would bring about the actualization of the kingdom. The coming of the kingdom is not something comparable to a spectator sport. Jesus demands a response to the kingdom. In Mark 1:15, he proclaims that we are to repent and believe the good news. The term “good news” is interchangeable with how we typically use the word “gospel”. Dig Deeper Repentance and remorse are not the same thing. Remorse is a feeling of deep regret, guilt, or shame over something that you have done. Repentance, however, is not a feeling but an action. To repent of something is to turn away from it. When you repent, you do more than feel sorrow over your sin, you commit to leaving that sin in the past. Simply put, feelings of remorse without the intent to change your actions away from sin, is not repentance. Jesus does more than just call on us to repent, he calls us to something. Jesus proclaimed that we are to believe in the gospel. So, when you turn away from your sin, you are also turning towards Jesus. This call to repentance is not a call away from a particular sin, but to turn away from all your sin. In living out this repentance, you cannot just turn away from some sins while embracing others. In the same way, believing in the gospel does not mean only believing in the parts of the gospel you most prefer. Repentance and belief in the gospel are matters of submission to God. So when you pray “your kingdom come” you are praying for God to help you submit more and more to him through repentance and believing in the gospel. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who loves us through the Son that He loves and is pleased with; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God that His kingdom is near, and pray that His kingdom will be evident in every part of your life; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 2 Peter 2