Matthew 3:13–17 (NIV) 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John Then John consented. 16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. Son”; the Son was seen in the water; and the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove Dig Deeper John When Jesus came to be baptized, John was reluctant to do so. As Jesus expressed to John, he had other reasons for being baptized.

communion, know that you are spiritually in the very presence of Jesus Christ, and that you are being joined

You are not your own. Do you find this comforting, or constricting? Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 1 Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death? A. That I am not my own, but belong— body and soul, in life and in death— to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven: in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Summary Most people would classify life and death as mutually exclusive opposites. You can't be both: you're either dead or alive. Christianity breaks down this division. Certainly there's still a big distinction between being dead and alive, but what the Catechism and the Bible want you to know is that while there's much that will change after you take your last breath, there are some significant things that won't change. First of all, your core identity won't change: So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s (v8b) Just as you belong in body and soul to your faithful Savior Jesus Christ while living, you will belong to Him in death just as you do in life. Second, your primary purpose remains the same as well: if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord (v8a). In other words, you were created and given life so that you could live to/for the Lord by using the gifts and talents you've been given to glorify Him. Although sin has marred God's image and purpose in your life, the gospel proclaims that death - the ultimate result of sin - no longer can keep you from fulfilling your primary purpose. In fact, it's through death that Christians are finally set free from sin and can begin truly living for Jesus. Dig Deeper Human beings are weird. We're full of paradoxes. On one hand, our sinful natures crave independence - especially from God. But on the other, we hate to be alone. Even the most introverted of us needs other people in our lives. That's why the opening words to the Catechism are so comforting: That you are not your own, but you belong. Certainly these words bring comfort to the part of you that needs community, but they also stand as a solemn reminder to your sinful nature that yearns for independence from God's ways, reminding you that you belong to the Lord. As you begin a new year, remember to not just live to yourself (v7), but to live for Christ. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Father in heaven, you are the Lord of life and you have conquered death ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: I pray that in all things, I would live to the Lord (v8) ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Mark 1

priority Biblia.com Romans 10:13-17 (NIV) 13 “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  14 being really sorry for your sins; the only way to come to your Father, as Jesus told His disciples in John 14, is by calling on His name.

you should go (v8); ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - John 14

The world keeps trying to drive a wedge between Jesus and the Church. Don't fall for it! Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 23 Q. What are these articles of the Christian faith? A. I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. Summary The letters that Paul wrote to Timothy and Titus are called the pastoral epistles, since Paul sent them to these two young pastors with instructions on how to build up and care for their local churches. This first letter to Timothy begins with instructions on how worship and how to identify men to lead the churches as elders and deacons. But it's in the verses we read today, which is almost at the exact center of the letter, that Paul lays the foundation for the Church: the Church is built upon a creed. A creed is a summary statement of the primary tenants of a particular belief system. There's a ton of theology packed into these two sentences: The Church is the household of God, and since the Church's main task is to proclaim God's Word, it is the "pillar and foundation of the truth." Jesus Christ is the source of all true godliness for those who are in Him; God became incarnate, and the God-Man was given the stamp of approval by the Holy Spirit; The message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is meant for the entire world; Jesus has ascended to glory! This means that a Man is presently sitting at the right hand of God working out all things for His Church. Dig Deeper Most of us in this Bible reading plan are part of Reformed churches, and one of the distinctives of Reformed churches is a strong adherence to creeds and confessions. Confessions are slightly longer documents that summarize what we believe the Bible says about important topics. The Heidelberg Catechism, which we're also reading through this year, is an example of a confession. The Belgic Confession and the Canons of Dordt are the two other confessions Reformed churches subscribe to. Many Presbyterians subscribe to the Westminster Standards, while some Lutherans hold to the Formula of Concord. Confessions, for the most part, are products of the Protestant Reformation - tools used to articulate what the Bible actually teaches about core doctrines. Creeds are much older than confessions. Adherence to creeds like the Apostle's Creed often is the determining factor as to whether a particular church can properly call itself Christian or not. There have always been some, who look at all of the strife and division in the Church and trace it to these 'man made' creeds, and self righteously declare they have no creed but Christ, as if somehow their own personal interpretations of the Bible will be more pure than declarations that have passed centuries of examination. It's true that the Apostle's Creed was written by men. We don't considered it to be inspired or give it the same authority we give to scripture. But not only is every word and phrase of our creeds and confessions meticulously based in scripture, you can see from our passage today, which is just one of dozens of similar passages in the Bible, that's God's people have always expressed their core beliefs in the form of creeds (note the different formatting of v16 - Paul was likely quoting an early creedal hymn of the church). Praise God for those who came before us and wrote the creeds to keep the Church centered on God's inerrant, infallible Word of Truth. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: The Living God, who lives in His Church, the pillar and foundation of the truth. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will know and believe the core doctrines of Christianity well. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Acts 19

Can you spot the truth in a sea of lies? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 21 Q. What is true faith? A. True faith is not only a knowledge and conviction that everything God reveals in his Word is true; it is also a deep-rooted assurance, created in me by the Holy Spirit through the gospel, that, out of sheer grace earned for us by Christ, not only others, but I too, have had my sins forgiven, have been made forever right with God, and have been granted salvation. Summary In our text today we see Jehoash, an evil king of Israel, speaking in fear to Elisha, God’s prophet of Truth. Jehoash is afraid that when prophet dies, God’s truth will die with him. But Elisha speaks the truth using visual examples, illustrating to the king that God’s truth lives on no matter who dies . Elisha teaches this truth in three ways: First, Elisha puts his hands over the king's hands, symbolizing that God’s sovereignty is over all people. Second, the arrow shot from the window declares that God’s truth goes forward into the future. And third, the strange and surprising account of the dead man who instantly comes to life after being unceremoniously dumped in a grave, in which he touches Elisha's bones. In the same way, God’s truth will always live on. But being told about God's truth is one thing; accepting it is another. Jehoash was lukewarm to the idea of God’s truth in this text (he half-heartedly tapped the arrows instead of pounding them - v18-19). Are you lukewarm to God’s truth? Do you prize God’s truth as you once did? The fact is that we often don’t prize truth until all we hear is lies masquerading as the truth. Dig Deeper True faith is knowledge and conviction that everything God reveals in his Word is true. We call this concept Sola Scriptura in Latin. Scripture alone provides all that we need to be eternally saved in the grip of God’s grace, which was provided by our Savior's sacrifice and made alive in us by the Holy Spirit. It is this conviction - that scripture is the ultimate source of truth - that the world, the devil and our own flesh attack everyday. This is often a battle you are not prepared for. It is often a battle you fret over. Today let a prophet who died thousands of years ago remind you that God's truth and victory will never cease. God's truth and victory are made evident on every page of scripture, and have been guaranteed in the death & resurrection of His Son. Continue to stand your ground on this absolute truth, even as you wait for the final movement of God’s sovereignty to come. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Almighty Father you give the gift of faith into the hearts of your children. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Teach my heart to accept your gift of faith by opening its truth in my daily life to follow your will. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Acts 16

Today: John 14

Today: John 14

The Bible doesn't tell us much about angels, but it tells us all we need to know. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 124 Q. What does the third request mean? A. “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” means, Help us and all people to reject our own wills and to obey your will without any back talk. Your will alone is good. Help us one and all to carry out the work we are called to, as willingly and faithfully as the angels in heaven. Summary Chances are your idea of what an angel is has been shaped more by culture than by the Bible. This is not only because so many books, movies and TV shows have stereotyped angels in certain ways, but also because when it comes down to it, although the Bible certainly affirms the existence of angels & demons, it doesn't really tell us much about who they are or what they do. The final stanza of Psalm 103 gives us some insight. All of our major English translations render these words slightly differently, so it's good to look at them all to get a full picture: Angels are: Mighty ones (NIV, ESV) / Mighty heroes (LEB) / Powerful warriors (NET) / Ones who excel in strength (KJV) Do the LORD's bidding & obey His word (NIV) / Do the LORD's word, obeying the voice of His word (ESV) / Do His word by obeying the sound of His word (LEB) / Carry out His decrees and obey His orders (NET) / Do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His word (KJV) Are servants (NIV, NET) / ministers (ESV, KJV) / attendants (LEB) who do the LORD's will. The author of Hebrews indicates the mission of the angelic host is to serve those who inherit salvation. That's us! What a blessing & honor to know God's entire angel army exist to serve & minister to us! Finally, Peter informs us that the angels long to look at the beauty of our salvation in Christ. Dig Deeper When you pray the words "your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven," you're asking God to equip you to carry out His work just as "willingly and faithfully as the angels in heaven." That might seem intimidating, since you don't have the same supernatural powers that the angels have. But notice that the catechism isn't calling you to do the same thing the angels do, rather it's calling you to have the same willing and faithful attitude that they have. The idea continues to persist that when we die, we get a promotion of sorts and become angels. This isn't what the Bible teaches. Even if this was the case, it wouldn't be a promotion, since you in a sense already outrank the angels. They weren't created in God's image as you have been. They were created to serve you, not vice versa! So be content with the talents and abilities you've been blessed with, but be sure to model the eager desire to "hearken unto the the voice of the LORD's word," just as the angels revealed in scripture do. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who is praised by angels, the heavenly host, and all of His works; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for the angels who serve on your behalf (though we rarely know how they do so), and pray that you'll model their eager attitude to carry out God's will; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Revelation 7