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

1 Peter 1:1–2 (NIV) Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen according to the In the church of God the list is as follows: In the Old Testament, the five books of Moses— Genesis,

Good sermons will always revolve around the elements Peter uses here in Acts 2.

Mark mentions in verse 2 that “after six days,” the transfiguration occurred. Deut 18:15; Mal. 4:5).

ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 2 Timothy 3

be transformed by it; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 2

ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 2 Corinthians 6

It would be nice to see, hear and even touch Jesus, but He's doing something even better for you right now. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 47 Q. But isn’t Christ with us until the end of the world as he promised us? A. Christ is truly human and truly God. In his human nature Christ is not now on earth; but in his divinity, majesty, grace, and Spirit he is not absent from us for a moment. Summary John's favorite term for the Christians he writes to - not just 2,000 years ago, but now - is children. Certainly John isn't referring to our age here, but as one Bible dictionary puts it, he means "a person of any age for whom there is a special relationship of endearment." But referring to us as children works on many levels. Not only are we often immature and prone to disobedience and rebellion, but just like little, dependant children, we hate the feeling of being abandoned or alone. And we often do feel that way, don't we, especially when the guilt sets in after we sin. Jesus seems so far away then. It's hard enough that we're asked to believe in a Savior we've never seen with our eyes or heard with our ears. It's easy to think that following Jesus would be so much easier if He would have just stayed right here with us instead of going back up into heaven. But John reminds us here that Jesus didn't just ascend into heaven to rule over all things (although He does), but He ascended to heaven so that He could advocate for you! Even - especially! - when you sin, Jesus stands between you and our Holy Father so that as God looks at you, He first sees Christ - the atoning sacrifice for your all of your sin. It's easy to think that this would all be so much easier to understand if we could just see Jesus, standing ahead of us with His nail scarred hands, defending His children before God the Father. But you can't see this, at least not yet. That day will come (John tells us about that in another book he wrote called Revelation). Yet you can know that this is true, and John tells you how in v5-6. If you want to "know that you are in Him," then you "must walk as Jesus walked (ESV)." But again, you're not called to walk alone. In drawing on other scripture passages, today's catechism reminds you that in His divinity, majesty, grace and Spirit, Jesus is never absent from you for even a moment. Dig Deeper Jesus doesn't just stand before the Father as some sort of idealized, theoretical concept of perfection. No, right now, at this very moment, Jesus stands in heaven in a human body. He experienced all this world could throw at Him - trials, temptations, sickness, grief, loss, abandonment, despair, and so much more - yet through it all never once took His eyes off of His Father. He is, as John describes in v1, the Righteous One. The fact that there's a human body in heaven advocating for us - not just on the outskirts, but sitting at God's right hand - is a guarantee that all those who've put their faith and trust in Christ will one day also fully realize with all five of our senses the love and perfections of our Father. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who sits on the throne with our advocate at His right hand; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your love for God will be made complete as you obey His Word. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Matthew 19

wrong to say this, for the Bible often equates Jesus with forgiveness (Matt. 26:28, Luke 24:47, Acts 2: 38, Acts 10:43, Acts 13:38, Eph. 1:7, Col. 1:13-14, 1 John 2:12, just to name a few).

Romans 2:5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against Romans 2:8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be