​ Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel John 1:9-13 - The TRUE Light John 3:31-36 - Wrath Removed 4:1-8 - One and the Same Romans 4:9-17 - Chicken or Egg? Authority & Presence Article 9: Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith John 10:22-30 - Listen Up! 2 Timothy 1:7-10 - Passive & Powered Titus 3:3-7 - Transformed Deuteronomy 9:4-6 - You're Not That Awesome 14 - Christmas in March Galatians 4:1-7 - From Slave to Son Isaiah 53:6 - Herd Mentality 1 Peter 2:9-

​ Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel John 1:9-13 - The TRUE Light John 3:31-36 - Wrath Removed 4:1-8 - One and the Same Romans 4:9-17 - Chicken or Egg? 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- (Rom. 9:20), and with the words of our Savior, “Have I no right to do what I want with my own?”

Which would you rather have: the anxiety of this world or the peace of God? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 51 Q. How does this glory of Christ our head benefit us? A. First, through his Holy Spirit he pours out his gifts from heaven upon us his members. Second, by his power he defends us and keeps us safe from all enemies. Summary This is a wonderful and familiar passage, and one that we're likely to come back to before the year is out. But for today, let's concentrate on v7: And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. The first thing that jumps out is that peace is not just a fringe benefit of Christianity, rather it's the active agent by which Jesus preserves you in your faith. What a comforting thought, knowing that our risen Savior has control over all things, and that He's continually "defending us and keeping us safe from all enemies," as our catechism stated. This guarding that Christ does on your behalf has two aspects. First, it's defensive; just as the guards at Buckingham palace keep the riffraff out, so to Jesus keeps the wolves in this world from harming you. As you increase your knowledge, understanding and trust in Jesus, he tunes your mind to recognize truth and reject falsehood. Secondly, Christ guards you in such a way that keeps you from escaping. This sounds dark and ominous, but it's really quite the opposite. Our old sinful nature wants nothing more than to get as far away from God as possible (an impossible quest, since God is everywhere as we were recently reminded), but Christ helps you overcome that nagging temptation by "guarding your heart." He does this in conjunction with the Holy Spirit by causing your regenerated heart to long to be closer to Him. As Jesus said in John 10:28, no one - not even Sarx, your nagging sinful nature, can snatch you out of His hand! Dig Deeper This means, as we see so often in God's Word, that you must make every effort to follow the instructions that come in v6 - instead of stewing in anxiety, in every situation you face present your needs to God in prayer with thanksgiving. What a thought that even though the glorified Christ guards you omnipotently from heaven He does so in such a way that utilizes your action. Certainly Christ will guard you despite your own passivity, but if you truly want to trade your anxiety for the peace of God, the only way to do it is to continually live in God's presence, bringing your needs to Him while you simultaneously thank God for all that He's given you. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the great and holy God, is near. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Do not be anxious about anything; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Matthew 25

​ Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel John 1:9-13 - The TRUE Light John 3:31-36 - Wrath Removed 4:1-8 - One and the Same Romans 4:9-17 - Chicken or Egg? 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- our assurance Isaiah 57:14-21 - God's Second Residence 2 Peter 1:3-10 - Make Every Effort Isaiah 42:1-9

God knows what you know whether you know it or not. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 102 Q. May we swear by saints or other creatures? A. No. A legitimate oath means calling upon God as the one who knows my heart to witness to my truthfulness and to punish me if I swear falsely. No creature is worthy of such honor Summary One of the key characteristics that you have as an image bearer of God is your ability to make plans for the future. Certainly animals have an instinct - especially around this time of the year - to begin squirreling away resources for the coming winter, but as a human being you can do much more by developing hopes and dreams for things that will make your life better. But like everything else related to your human nature, this God given ability to desire improvement has been wrecked by sin. Maybe you started off asking God to help you accomplish something, but after days, weeks, years or even decades of waiting, you've given up on Him and have set out on your own. Maybe what you want is incompatible with what God has ordained, but it doesn't matter, since "all of the ways of man are pure in his own eyes." This passage makes it clear that no matter how hard you attempt to camouflage and hide your ideas from God, He knows your true desires: your "motives are weighed by God." These verses here in Proverbs are a textbook example of the need to align your life plans with God's will: Commit your work to the LORD and your plans will be established (v3); The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps (v9); Dig Deeper When you take an oath, you are calling God as a witness to testify that what you've just reported is the full truth, or that it is your sincere desire to do all that you can to fulfill a promise you've just made. There's no higher authority you can call in to validate your claims than God Almighty. But take caution in doing this! The testimony you are swearing to may seem "pure in your own eyes" and convincing to everyone else, but God knows the truth. To use God as a character witness to make a lie seem more believable is the height of arrogance, and as v5 says, "everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD; be assured, he will not go unpunished." You make more oaths than you think. Certainly the times you'll testify under oath or make vows to your spouse are limited, but how many dozens or even hundreds of times have you stood up and promised in God's name to help raise a newly baptized child to know Christ? And how many thousands of times have you ended a prayer with the oath in Jesus' name, amen ('amen' literally means let what has just been said be true or be done)? As a Christian, you are always under oath; even more so, you are in Christ. So keep all of your ways - your work, your plans, your dreams - committed to the Lord and aligned with His Word. In doing so God will bring the proper answer from your tongue (v1) whether you're formally under oath or not. When your ways are consistent with His ways, all of God's answers to you will be 'amen' in Christ! AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who weighs our motives and and detests arrogance; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Timothy 3

​ Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel John 1:9-13 - The TRUE Light John 3:31-36 - Wrath Removed 9:15-21 - God's Mercy, Not Your Effort 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - Love The Truth Psalm 81 - Call To Worship 4:1-8 - One and the Same Romans 4:9-17 - Chicken or Egg? 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-

Jesus was not just a prophet in the line of prophets, but He's the chief prophet of God Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 31 Q. Why is he called “Christ,” meaning “anointed”? A. Because he has been ordained by God the Father and has been anointed with the Holy Spirit to be: our chief prophet and teacher who perfectly reveals to us the secret counsel and will of God for our deliverance; our only high priest who has set us free by the one sacrifice of his body, and who continually pleads our cause with the Father; and our eternal king who governs us by his Word and Spirit, and who guards us and keeps us in the freedom he has won for us. Summary Jesus’s earthly life is usually described as His time of humiliation until His resurrection and ascension to heaven, which is then His exaltation. The transfiguration was a unique moment when a few of Jesus’s disciples glimpsed His divine glory. It is also a confirmation of His office as the chief prophet of God. Mark mentions in verse 2 that “after six days,” the transfiguration occurred. Six days prior, Jesus was with His disciples in Caesarea Philippi, and Peter had testified that Jesus is the Christ (Mark 8:29). Then, on this mountain, Peter, James, and John saw Jesus speaking with two prominent Old Testament prophets, Moses and Elijah. Plus, Jesus radiates such a pure light, reminiscent of Moses’ encounter with meeting the Lord on the mountain. It's recorded in Exodus that “When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him (34:30).” Next, a cloud overshadowed them, just like the pillar cloud would descend over the tabernacle in the Israelites’ time in the wilderness to show God’s presence. All these elements on the mountain point to the fulfillment of Jesus as the Messiah. The voice in the cloud confirms He speaks for God, “This is my beloved Son, listen to him.” This is divine approval that Jesus, the Son of God, would declare the Word of God to His people, fulfilling His office as a prophet. At the close of this event, the other prophets disappear, and only Jesus is in front of them. Jesus was not only a prophet but the chief prophet and the one the other prophets prophesied of and pointed to (cf. Deut 18:15; Mal. 4:5). Dig Deeper Jesus would confirm His prophetic message throughout His ministry by performing miracles, making predictions of things to come, and preaching and teaching with authority. As we learned yesterday, He did not just quote Scripture but was an embodiment of it and fulfillment before their eyes. As He states within the sermon of the mount in Matthew 5:17, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” The way Jesus spoke was different from an ordinary teacher or prophet. Taken at His Word, He cannot merely be another prophet in a line of religious prophets or a great moral teacher. Even today, the Father’s voice calls us to listen to what Jesus says throughout Scripture. As Heidelberg Catechism QA31 notes, He perfectly reveals God’s secret counsel and will for our deliverance to us. He shows us the power of God to save: “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17).” The plan to rescue His people was made visible and fulfilled through the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the prophet representing God to His people and God for His people. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Jesus is our chief prophet and teacher, the Word who became flesh who revealed the glory of God full of grace and truth (John 1:14) ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Jesus, as a prophet, spoke words of warning and promise. Listen to Him in whatever He tells you in His Word. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Hebrews 13

For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. 9  Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Articles 1-9 Article 1: God’s Right to Condemn ​ Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel John 1:9-13 - The TRUE Light John 3:31-36 - Wrath Removed 4:1-8 - One and the Same Romans 4:9-17 - Chicken or Egg? Authority & Presence Article 9: Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith John 10:22-30 - Listen Up!

​ Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel John 1:9-13 - The TRUE Light John 3:31-36 - Wrath Removed 4:1-8 - One and the Same Romans 4:9-17 - Chicken or Egg? Authority & Presence Article 9: Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith John 10:22-30 - Listen Up! 2 Timothy 1:7-10 - Passive & Powered Titus 3:3-7 - Transformed Deuteronomy 9:4-6 - You're Not That Awesome 14 - Christmas in March Galatians 4:1-7 - From Slave to Son Isaiah 53:6 - Herd Mentality 1 Peter 2:9-

​ Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel John 1:9-13 - The TRUE Light John 3:31-36 - Wrath Removed 4:1-8 - One and the Same Romans 4:9-17 - Chicken or Egg? Authority & Presence Article 9: Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith John 10:22-30 - Listen Up! 2 Timothy 1:7-10 - Passive & Powered Titus 3:3-7 - Transformed Deuteronomy 9:4-6 - You're Not That Awesome 14 - Christmas in March Galatians 4:1-7 - From Slave to Son Isaiah 53:6 - Herd Mentality 1 Peter 2:9-