-29 - Many Schemes Ephesians 2:8 - The Gift of God Philippians 1:27-30 - Granted Psalm 95 - The LORD New Reality Romans 9:15-21 - God's Mercy, Not Your Effort 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - Love The Truth Psalm 81 - Call To Worship ​ Article 7: Election Ephesians 1:3-6 - Before the Foundation Deuteronomy 7:1-10 Deuteronomy 29:29 - The Secret Things Psalm 96 - Soli Deo Gloria Article 2: The Satisfaction Made by 2 ).

In chapter 2, he proclaims a more distant yet terrifying day of judgment. (Joel 2:11b). to curses, but returning to their covenant-Lord would only serve to their benefit (see Deuteronomy 28 know this because of how God's character is described throughout Scripture, including here in Joel 2:

we have only done our duty.’ ” Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 24 : The Sanctification of Sinners (Part 2) Our good works, proceeding from the good root of faith, are (Matt. 5:48, Leviticus 19:2, Deuteronomy 18:13). As Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from Today: 1 Corinthians 2

A psalm. 1  You, Lord, showed favor to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob. 2  You forgave Article 3: The Preaching of the Gospel 1 Timothy 2:1-7 - God Our Savior Isaiah 52.7 - Good News! -29 - Many Schemes Ephesians 2:8 - The Gift of God Philippians 1:27-30 - Granted Psalm 95 - The LORD New Reality Romans 9:15-21 - God's Mercy, Not Your Effort 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - Love The Truth Psalm 81 - Call To Worship ​ Article 7: Election Ephesians 1:3-6 - Before the Foundation Deuteronomy 7:1-10

BibleHub.com Jeremiah 18:1-10 (NIV) 18 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2  “Go :15-20 - Not A Tame Lion Genesis 2:15-17 - Or Else Luke 15:11-16 - Prodigious Deprivation Psalm 143 - -29 - Many Schemes Ephesians 2:8 - The Gift of God Philippians 1:27-30 - Granted Psalm 95 - The LORD New Reality Romans 9:15-21 - God's Mercy, Not Your Effort 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - Love The Truth Psalm 81 - Call To Worship ​ Article 7: Election Ephesians 1:3-6 - Before the Foundation Deuteronomy 7:1-10

Jesus died to set you free from the Devil's tyranny! Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 34 Q. Why do you call Jesus “our Lord”? A. Because— not with gold or silver, but with his precious blood— he has set us free from sin and from the tyranny of the devil, and has bought us, body and soul, to be his very own. Summary Hebrews has become one of my favorite books because of its in-depth focus on the high priesthood of Jesus. It may not get the love that Romans does, but Hebrews shows how Jesus fulfilled the requirements found in the law of Moses. The point of the Old Testament law is to show us our sin (Rom. 7:7). Unfortunately, the law cannot free us from sin. While it tells us what our sin is, and to keep ourselves from sinning, the law cannot save us. Jesus took on flesh and blood, he shared in our humanity, so that he could break the power of sin and death. Jesus took on flesh so that he could fulfill the law and truly set us free. Dig Deeper We know that we cannot buy or earn our way into heaven. You cannot keep the law perfectly, and there is nothing you can do to save yourself. It is beyond your control. The only way to be saved from your sins is by the precious blood of Jesus. Salvation is found in Christ alone. Jesus died so that you could live. Through his death and resurrection Jesus defeated sin and death. He truly sets you free. When you become a child of God, you no longer live in the guilt of your sin. The sin that you have committed is forgiven in Jesus... it is wiped clean, when you repent. That sin that has held you back, that tells you that you are not enough, has been taken by Jesus and it is no longer yours to bear. That is why salvation in Jesus is incredibly freeing. That sin you committed five years ago that you still think about from time to time, it is no longer yours to bear. Once you repent of your sin, Jesus forgives you. You do not need to live in shame or guilt. You are forgiven! Not only that, but you need not fear death. As a child of God, you have been promised everlasting life. You know that death is not the end. Jesus died so that you could live. You will get to live with God in heaven for eternity. What a gift! You call Jesus 'Lord' because with his precious blood he has set you free. You are free in Jesus. Praise be to God. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Holy God who gives us freedom; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Help me to let go of the guilt and shame of my sin, so that I can live in the freedom you have given me ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - James 1

His disciples came to him, 2  and he began to teach them. -29 - Many Schemes Ephesians 2:8 - The Gift of God Philippians 1:27-30 - Granted Psalm 95 - The LORD New Reality Romans 9:15-21 - God's Mercy, Not Your Effort 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - Love The Truth Psalm 81 - Call To Worship ​ Article 7: Election Ephesians 1:3-6 - Before the Foundation Deuteronomy 7:1-10 63:1, Isaiah 55:1-2, contrasted in Amos 8:11-14).

The Bible's absolute, authoritative truth is exactly what you need in this deceptive world. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 3: The Written Word of God We confess that this Word of God was not sent nor delivered by the will of men, but that holy men of God spoke, being moved by the Holy Spirit, as Peter says. Afterwards our God— because of the special care he has for us and our salvation— commanded his servants, the prophets and apostles, to commit this revealed Word to writing. He himself wrote with his own finger the two tables of the law. Therefore we call such writings holy and divine Scriptures. Summary You've likely be told dozens, if not hundreds or even thousands of times that you need to read your Bible and stay rooted in scripture. It's not unfair to ask why, though. Why is it that reading a bunch of ancient words, written by men who lived in vastly different cultures with really weird customs, why should this be a central part of your daily routine? Paul tells you exactly why in this short passage. The primary purpose of Scripture is to "make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." Certainly God's self-revelation - both His book of creation, and the clearer and fuller revelation in His written Word - teach us all sorts of things about Him and how to best navigate this world He's created, but the primary purpose of it all is so that you might understand how it is you are saved through Christ alone. These words that are to be the mainstay of your life are not ordinary words. Millions of pages have been written over the course of history, some better than others. But the words of Scripture stand alone in that they are the very words of God, breathed out by the Holy Spirit through ordinary men comprised of vastly different cultures and personalities. Because its divine origin makes Scripture so much different than anything else ever written, it is the world's only source of authoritative, objective truth. Certainly God's Word brings you grace, mercy and peace, but it also uncomfortably prods you at times. It's designed to teach, rebuke and correct you. Most of us don't like experiencing rebuke and correction, or even being taught for that matter. But this "training in righteousness" is exactly what you need as the Spirit sanctifies you into the righteous person God has declared you to be. Dig Deeper We're entering a phase of history that will likely be far more hostile to Christianity than it's been for several generations. Although you and I probably won't be risking our lives to profess Christ like our brothers and sisters in some parts of the world, verse 13 accurately describes our society: "Evildoers and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." Today's opening verse seems like something that applies to Christians in far off countries more so than it does to us, but as our society devloves, it will become much easier to personally understand that "everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (v12)." You need to prepare yourself to stand firm in the midst of this persecution. The key to doing so is "continuing in what you have learned and become convinced of..." Do this by staying rooted in the Holy Scriptures, which, like Timothy, many of us have known from infancy (v13-14). Understand that you must know scripture well not just so that you can survive in a world that's hostile to Christianity, but so that you can thrive in it! Let the Bible teach, rebuke, correct and train you so that "you may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (v17)." AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father in heaven, who breathed out the words of Scripture through His Holy Spirit; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the strength and resolve to "continue in what you have learned and become convinced of" in this increasingly hostile world; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Acts 4

When God says "you would do well to pay attention," you probably should. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 3: The Written Word of God We confess that this Word of God was not sent nor delivered by the will of men, but that holy men of God spoke, being moved by the Holy Spirit, as Peter says. Afterwards our God— because of the special care he has for us and our salvation— commanded his servants, the prophets and apostles, to commit this revealed Word to writing. He himself wrote with his own finger the two tables of the law. Therefore we call such writings holy and divine Scriptures. Summary "Cleverly devised stories." The Greek word that this phrase translates is where we get the English word 'sophistry.' What a perfect way to explain what the Bible would be if its primary claim that it is the very Word of God were not true. These cleverly devised stories, even if totally fabricated, would still be the most amazing work of literature ever produced, in that the Bible combines dozens of writings from men who lived in vastly different ages, cultures and languages; yet its message remains consistent and is without contradiction. But of course the Bible is not just a collection of stories and myths. Peter was an eyewitness to the life, death and resurrection of Christ. He heard the very voice of God expressing His pleasure and love for His Son. Peter would go to his death testifying to the veracity of his claims, as would many of the other New Testament writers. But here Peter says in a sense, don't take my word for it! Rather than trying to unhitch Christianity from the embarrassing baggage of the Old Testament (as some modern day evangelicals think of it), Peter doubles down on it. He writes that the "prophetic message" (what we call the Old Testament) is "something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as a light shining in a dark place... (v20)" In other words, every word of the Old Testament is shining its light on what would be revealed in the gospels and explained in the epistles: salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone. Dig Deeper The Bible isn't authoritative simply because its words are consistent, inerrant (without error), and infallible (it doesn't fail to convey God's truth). The Bible is authoritative because it's God's Word. As Peter says, the scriptures aren't just "cleverly devised stories," rather, the men who wrote it "spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." These men wrote of their own experiences, and their unique voices and personalities come through in the expressions and various writing styles they used, and while it's true to say that the Bible is comprised of the words of Moses, David, Peter, Paul and others, it's much more accurate to describe every syllable as the very Word of God, since the Holy Spirit was speaking through each of these men's voices (more on that later). These words are unlike anything else ever written, which is why as a Christian, you are called to dedicate so much of your time and energy to know and understand them. Unfortunately, you can't expect society to help reinforce Biblical truth anymore as it once did in Western Civilization. You must do this hard work of learning this sometimes difficult truth yourself so that you can teach it to those whom God has given you responsibility over. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: God our Father, whose voice rings out through His Word from the Majestic Glory (v17); ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for His Word, and pray for the strength and desire to "pay attention to it (v19);" ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 16

control of their own bodies to the other only makes sense in the context of what Paul wrote to the Ephesians