Photo: inhisfootstepsholyland2014.wordpress.com/ Deuteronomy 31:1–8 (NIV) CONTEXT: Last week we read remains faithful to sinners like us as well. 31 Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel: 2   Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity He doesn’t deflect the blame (as he’d done once before, back in Deut. 3:26), but nor does he completely Today: John 10

Genesis 1 (NIV) 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day. 20 And the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” 23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day. 24 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their As we take a look at Genesis 1, we read throughout that at the end of each day, “God saw that it was

that I never give false testimony against anyone, twist no one’s words, not gossip or slander, nor join (Genesis 3:1)" Simply causing man to question the validity of what God has said was effective then, and opportunities come; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - John

Psalm 78:1–8 A maskil of Asaph. 1  My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. 2  I Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1- 5 Article

Jesus Christ has been controversial since the moment He was conceived. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 35 Q. What does it mean that he “was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary”? A. That the eternal Son of God, who is and remains true and eternal God, took to himself, through the working of the Holy Spirit, from the flesh and blood of the virgin Mary, a truly human nature so that he might become David’s true descendant, like his brothers in every way except for sin. Summary Imagine how terrified Mary, probably 11 or 12 years old here, felt when Gabriel, one of God's chief angels, appeared before her. Luke, who is somewhat known for his dry sense of humor in how he reported the facts in his gospel and the book of Acts, writes that Mary was 'greatly troubled' and that she 'wondered what kind of greeting this might be.' I'll bet she wondered! My guess is that Gabriel's announcement that she was 'highly favored' and that the 'Lord is with you' didn't immediately take root in her mind. She was probably too flabbergasted for it to register. But as if those opening announcements weren't shocking enough, the next thing Gabriel said would have pushed most people completely over the edge. Mary would bear a child - but not just an ordinary child - one who would be called 'the Son of the Most High.' Somehow Mary is able to gather her wits at this point and push back on Gabriel a bit. Everything she'd been taught about the birds and the bees argued against what she was being told. She was a virgin, and this sort of thing doesn't happen to girls like her! Gabriel's reply probably made sense to him, but imagine what it would be like for Mary to hear that she would become pregnant when the power of the Holy Spirit of the Most High would overshadowed her. I wonder, did those words comfort her or terrify her more? But Gabriel still has one more shock for Mary. It turns out that barren old Aunt Elizabeth had been pregnant for six months now. Dig Deeper The doctrine of the virgin birth is one of the most doubted and disbelieved in all of Christian history. Some people have denied it because they deny all of the supernatural and miraculous claims the Bible makes, but others seem to be willing to accept many of the Bible's miracles, but draw the line at a virgin conceiving a child. No doubt young Mary struggled with these doubts as well. Think of how she must of tossed and turned at night wondering who in the world would believe her story. It was even too much for Joseph, until Gabriel showed up to set him straight at least. As we're going to see this week, the doctrine of the virgin birth is not just some Biblical oddity that you can take or leave. In fact, your entire salvation depends on this bizarre sounding account being true. Mary's resolve seems to strengthen upon hearing the last thing Gabriel said to her: For no word from God will ever fail (v37) Look at how Mary aligns her life with God's will after hearing this. "I am the Lord's servant," she said. Make sure your life models Mary's faithfulness, even when God's will seems shocking or contrary to everything you thought you knew. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, whose will often looks so different than what we expect. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray the words Mary prays upon hearing this shocking news: "May your word to me be fulfilled." ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - James 3

Romans 11:1-6 (NIV) CONTEXT: Paul is discussing why the Jewish people have rejected Christ at the end 21  ...concerning Israel Moses says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2  God did not reject Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1- 8 Article

declared you to be; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1

Acts 15:1-21 (NIV) Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2  This brought sermons, that he still expected believers to uphold the moral parts of the law (see especially James 2 for Christians to continue to keep God's moral law and to not fall into the "error of lawlessness" (2 Today: 1 Corinthians 6

1 Corinthians 14:26-33 (NIV) 26  What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. 27  If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. 28  If there is no interpreter , the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God. 29  Two or three prophets Today: John 8

Genesis 1:26–28 (ESV) 26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 Here John calls men “darkness.” Summary This is the third time now this year that we've turned to Genesis 1, and the second time that