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

Ascension Day usually doesn't get the fanfare of Christmas or Easter, but it should! Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 46 Q. What do you mean by saying, “He ascended to heaven”? A. That Christ, while his disciples watched, was lifted up from the earth to heaven and will be there for our good until he comes again to judge the living and the dead Summary The book of Acts is really a continuation of Luke's gospel, which is an investigative report Luke wrote for Theophilus. Since that Greek name literally means 'One who loves God,' it's hard to know if Theophilus was a real man or if Luke uses a pen name to reference all who love God and want to learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ. In any event, whereas Luke's first account covered Jesus' life, death and resurrection, this second report, inspired by the Holy Spirit, picks up at one of the most triumphant moments in history. Jesus is alive and reunited with His disciples (Luke notes in v3 that he gave 'many convincing proofs that he was alive'), and the disciples are likely eager to see Jesus establish the Kingdom of God. Sure enough, Jesus gathers them around and gives them instructions, but they're not what the disciples were expecting. Stay and wait, Jesus told them. Wait for how long, the disciples cried out. When, Jesus? When will you restore the kingdom to Israel? If ever Jesus displayed patience, it was here. After everything He had taught them, especially the last week of His life; after everything He demonstrated in His death, with the darkness for three hours in the afternoon and the torn curtain in the temple; after astounding all who saw Him alive after He was most certainly dead; after all that and more the disciples still think Jesus had done all of that just to make things the way they used to be in the good 'ol days when King David was on the throne. Don't worry about what, when and where, Jesus told them. You just witness to what you've seen and heard. And with that, almost anticlimactically, He was taken up and gone; hidden by a cloud. But Luke's new book is about the beginning of the Church, not the end of the gospel. Just as they did when Jesus was born, albeit it a bit less gloriously, angels come down to fill in the details. Stop staring into the sky, they told the stunned disciples. Just as you Jesus just was lifted up into heaven, He's going to come back. Dig Deeper As Reformed Christians, we don't pay as much attention to the Christian calendar the way our Anglican and Lutheran brothers and sisters do, although we gladly participate in Christmas festivities, as well as having a somber holy week service leading up to a joyous Resurrection Day celebration. But most Christians aren't even aware of a third observance that is nearly just as theologically important as what Jesus' birth and resurrection were: Ascension Day. As we continue our year long tour of the reasons for our only comfort, we'll spend this week understanding how amazing it is that at this very moment, there's a human body sitting at God's right hand, working out all things for God's covenant people. Ascension Day is coming on May 18. If your own congregation isn't able to have a special worship service to celebrate that, be sure to join up for the night with one that does! AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who welcomed His triumphant Son, the God-Man, back into heaven to sit at His right hand; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Ask God to empower you with the Holy Spirit to witness to all you've seen and heard regarding Jesus Christ. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Matthew 18

If you fail to warn others, their sin becomes your sin. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 99 Q. What is God’s will for us in the third commandment? A. That we neither blaspheme nor misuse the name of God by cursing, perjury, or unnecessary oaths, nor share in such horrible sins by being silent bystanders. In a word, it requires that we use the holy name of God only with reverence and awe, so that we may properly confess him, pray to him, and praise him in everything we do and say. Summary The prophet Ezekiel here is giving an account of God’s calling him to be a watchman for the people of Israel. A watchman was an individual who kept a lookout over the entrance of the city, announcing the arrival of messengers and warning of impending attacks on the city. The role of a watchman was an important one; they were there to protect the city. A watchman who failed to give warning of an attack would bear indirect responsibility for those who died. As a watchman appointed by God for the people of Israel, it was Ezekiel’s responsibility to deliver messages which he received from God to the people. Ezekiel was warned that his calling was to do more than just declare condemnation on the wicked, he was to first speak out and dissuade the people from their wicked ways. To fail to encourage his fellow Israelites to give up their sinful ways would leave Ezekiel accountable for their blood. If Ezekiel was faithful in warning others about these dangers and they ignored his warning, the fault would not lie with him. However, to do nothing, to not warn of the dangers of wicked living would leave Ezekiel liable. Dig Deeper Sometimes, as Ezekiel was warned, you can find yourself in violation of God’s law not because of what you have done, but for what you have left undone. One of the ways you can dishonor the name of God is by standing idly by while someone defames the name of God. Arguably, one of the most common curse words spoken in the English language is the misuse of the name of God. The use of terms such as “Jesus”, “Jesus Christ”, or “Oh My God” in a derogatory way is rampant in western media and the broader culture. And unfortunately, this misuse of the name of God can cause others to likewise share in the defaming of the name of our Lord. Many who misuse the name of God in this manner do not understand the defamatory nature of using the name of the Almighty in this way. This is where a gentle reminder can make a difference in someone’s life. Perhaps that person does not care about the misuse of the name of God; if that is the case then the fault of their actions does not lie with you. However, to not share the truth of their actions with someone who does not understand the defamatory nature of their misuse of the name of God would leave you with some level of accountability for their breaking of the third commandment. As you do your best to follow God’s law out of gratitude for all that Christ has done for you, remember to also be a help to those who are seeking to do the same. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the great judge who calls us to warn of His impending wrath; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the wisdom and courage to not only live and speak righteously on your own, but to gently call those around you out of their sinful language; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 2 Corinthians 12

Deut 18:15; Mal. 4:5). ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Hebrews 13

What's the difference between trusting God and testing God? 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 As is his habit, Satan shows up at Jesus' weakest moment, after He's been alone and fasting for 40 days. Three times the tempter plays on Jesus' ego and emotions; the first two come across as a dare for Jesus to prove His identity (If you're the Son of God...) and the final attempt picks at what would have been a massively strong desire for Jesus to just be finished with His mission and return home, having regained "the kingdoms of this world and their splendor." Certainly we have lots of lessons to learn from these interactions - especially to maintain self-vigilance when we're tired and weak, and to stand firmly on God's Word, as Jesus does all three times. But today we're going to focus on the middle temptation: for Jesus to put God's promise of omnipotent protection to the test. Notice how this temptation is framed. In the first and final temptations, Satan tries to exploit Jesus' human weakness, to satisfy His hunger and then His ego. But in this middle round, Satan tempts Jesus by giving Him the opportunity to prove that what the Bible says is true, quoting Psalm 91's promise that angels would catch Jesus if He jumped from the high point they stood upon. But Jesus resolutely resists. He knew what we need to know now: that when people say things we instinctively know is wrong, it probably is, no matter how many Bible verses they attempt to justify their position with (every heresy ever uttered began with a Bible passage that was manipulated to mean something it doesn't). Jesus quotes a verse from Deuteronomy that you need to memorize also. You must certainly trust the Lord, but: do not put the Lord your God to the test (Matt. 4:7, Deut 6:16). Dig Deeper Thomas Jackson was a Confederate general in the Civil War. Like many of his colleagues, he was a godly man, even if he ultimately took what we now consider to be the wrong side in that conflict. He earned his nickname "Stonewall" for his resolute ability to stand like a stone wall in the face of the enemy. He said that his trust in God's providence allowed him to "feel as safe in battle as I do in bed, since I know that God has fixed the time of my death." This steadfastness allowed him to sit up straight upon his horse even as bullets and cannonballs whizzed by him in battle after battle. Was Stonewall Jackson 'testing' God? Remember, God uses ordinary means like safety equipment to work His will out! Shouldn't Jackson have availed himself of some armor or taken a safer tactical position? Maybe, or maybe not. I encourage you to learn more about this great man and decide for yourself (ironically, the enemy never hit Stonewall Jackson. He was felled by friendly fire and died several days later). The point here is that you must not recklessly endanger any life, including your own. To do so is to break the sixth commandment and commit murder. There's a fine line between trusting and testing God, but you have a responsibility to know where that line is and keep yourself from crossing it. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father who has promised to protect us and who will never allow anything outside of His will to harm you; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for His providential protection in your life, and ask Him to embed His Word into you to keep you safe as Jesus did; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 John 4

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

Romans 9:10-24 (NIV) CONTEXT: We began this passage yesterday. are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. 9  son.” 10 Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac. 11 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom

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

God is the one solid rock in the sea of ignorance surrounding you. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 95 Q. What is idolatry? A. Idolatry is having or inventing something in which one trusts in place of or alongside of the only true God, who has revealed himself in his Word. Summary God sounds appropriately intimidating as He booms out the claims He makes in the first commandment, to not have any gods before Him, and here in Isaiah where mockingly calls out anyone or anything that could possibly dare to challenge His supremacy. God defines Himself as the first and last, different than anything else, and the one who has existed for all of eternity past, but yet knows what the future holds just as clearly. God is often referred to as 'holy,' a familiar word that most people misunderstand. 'Holy' means much more than 'perfectly righteousness.' Passages like this one in Isaiah that portray God as being entirely 'other,' and entirely above all things, do a good job of explaining the concept of holiness. The first thing many people associate 'idols' with are artistically formed statues, both large and small. Certainly that was the prevailing idea that God was referring to as He addressed this ancient near eastern culture, calling out those 'who make idols.' But the concept of idolatry is much deeper, and is just as convicting to us as modern people who would think it quite strange to bow down to an image. Whereas God Almighty refers to Himself here as the 'Rock (v8),' the very foundation of knowledge, wisdom and power, idols represent 'blindness, ignorance and shame' that 'can profit nothing (v9-10). So although God sounds intimidating in this passage, notice that He makes this pronouncements to bring you peace! He says to you, "Do no tremble, do not be afraid (v8)." Life does not need to be a chaotic balancing act filled with uncertainty. God is calling you to firmly plant your feet on Him, the one true "Rock," who is "Israel's King and Redeemer (v6)." Dig Deeper Our catechism defines an idol as anything "in which one trusts in place of or alongside the one true God." Since God has revealed Himself in His Word, anytime people change, add or subtract from what His Word says, they are breaking the first commandment and placing their own truth before God's. They are committing idolatry. Most of us would never dare do such a thing. But ignoring God's Word is every bit as idolatrous as changing, adding or subtracting from it, and most people, including those who identify themselves as Christians, have become completely ignorant of what the Bible says about a whole host of issues, not the least of which is who and what God is. Make sure that you are not part of the idolatrous crowd who "will be put to shame." Know your Bible. Keep reading it everyday as you are right now. Join the Lord's people every time His call to worship rings out in your church. Eagerly anticipate what God will teach you on the Lord's Day, and then spend the entire week reflecting on what you heard. This is how it is God keeps your feet fastened to Him, the solid Rock. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who is the first and the last; apart from Him there is no God; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will not succumb to idolatry by not knowing what God has revealed about Himself and His creation in His Word. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 2 Corinthians 3

The pattern of the Christian life follows the way of Christ: dying then rising. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 88 Q. What is involved in genuine repentance or conversion? A. Two things: the dying-away of the old self, and the coming-to-life of the new. Summary In the letter to the Romans, Paul argues that grace is more incredible and more abundant than the sin that it covers and forgives (cf. Rom. 5:12–21). Yet he faced opposition claiming that his gospel message would cause people to sin all the more. You may have heard the misguided phrase, “I like to sin, and God likes to forgive; so it’s a perfect relationship.” But in Romans 6, he goes on to argue that this type of thinking doesn’t align with the gospel message of Jesus Christ at all. Jesus put the power and reign of sin to death on the cross. He likens sin to an old version of yourself, which has been crucified with Christ. This means that if you're in Christ, sin has been put to death and is no longer the ruling party. Sin became the master after the Fall of Adam and Eve in the garden. But Christ has slayed the sin master, so anyone united to Him by faith has been set free. As Jesus conquered the grave and rose again, so too, Christians are raised to new life. The life enslaved by sin is the former life. The converted life now lives freely for God. Dig Deeper Weeds can get out of control around the yard and in the garden at this point each summer. If you did not address them earlier in the year, they're probably taking over the more beautiful plants and flowers and choking them out of precious sunlight and nutrients in the soil. Weeds seem like a constant battle: They must be uprooted, killed, and not left around to spawn another round of weeds. The Christian life consists of putting-to-death weed like sin, and instead promoting the growth of new life. Like weeds, sin chokes out the good life and can become a tyrant in your life. But the good news, as Paul speaks of in Romans 6, includes ending the reign of sin. The pattern of the Christian life follows the way of Christ’s life: first dying, then rising. Each day you are called to put sin to death, and to be reminded that it has been nailed to the cross. Your old self - tied to human nature corrupted by sin - is done for and instead must be exchanged for a new life connected to Christ’s resurrection. The battle may rage daily, but the final victory is won when you are baptized and united in Christ’s death and resurrection. You need to be constantly reminded of this new reality. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: The source of new life in Christ; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Consider your sins nailed and put to death on the cross, and ask God to free you from them so you can live for Him. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Corinthians 10