These women faced a challenging dilemma because in Roman culture a wife was expected to adopt the religion Jesus living in a predominant pagan society or the 1st century wives of unbelieving husbands in the Roman AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: 1 Peter 3:12 - For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous

Cast all your anxiety upon God, because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6–7 (NIV) 6 Humble yourselves, therefore

Psalm 5:1–7 (NIV) For the director of music. For pipes. expectantly. 4 For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness; with you, evil people are not welcome. 5  who God is in this prayer: God hates all who do wrong, and with Him, evil people are not welcome (v4-5) (Also, for the record, David goes on in Psalm 5 to Align his life with God's will in a big way as well So technically Psalm 5 is a AAA prayer!)

Reading that reminds me of Romans 5:10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him

If that does describe you, cling to the truth in 1 Corinthians 12.

2 Corinthians 5:15-17 (NIV) 15  And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves

Ill gotten gain will spoil quickly, so build up your treasure in the Kingdom of Heaven. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 110 Q. What does God forbid in the eighth commandment? A. He forbids not only outright theft and robbery, punishable by law. But in God’s sight theft also includes cheating and swindling our neighbor by schemes made to appear legitimate, such as: inaccurate measurements of weight, size, or volume; fraudulent merchandising; counterfeit money; excessive interest; or any other means forbidden by God. In addition he forbids all greed and pointless squandering of his gifts. Summary There are many ways that someone can be guilty of theft. In today’s passage, James speaks out against wealthy landowners who fraudulently held back wages from those who labored in their fields. This action is declared to be an act of fraud, and as James warns, the cries of the harvesters who have been wronged are heard by God. This act of theft is seen as an intentional action to fraudulently grow one’s wealth at the expense of the less fortunate. The Old Covenant law made provisions for guaranteeing the timely payment of a worker’s wage. James’ warning against the withholding of wages echoes what is recorded in Deuteronomy 24:15, “15 You shall give him his wages on the same day, before the sun sets (for he is poor and counts on it), lest he cry against you to the Lord, and you be guilty of sin.” This shows how even things that stop short of theft, such as an unnecessary delay in pay, are sinful because of the harm they cause to those who are counting on those wages. Dig Deeper Just because you can get away with something does not mean you should. In fact, our actions should be directed by what is right, not what we can get away with. There are various cities around the United States who have determined to not prosecute theft under a certain dollar amount. The outcome of these policies has been an increase of shoplifting and “smash and grabs” as more people feel emboldened to commit these types of crime knowing that they will not be prosecuted. However, avoiding prosecution in the criminal justice system does not mean you have gotten away free and clear. Just as the cries of the laborers were heard by the Lord of hosts, so too are the cries of victims of theft today. As James warned those who sought ill-gotten gains during his time, when you sacrifice your morals for earthly treasures you are choosing that which will decay and perish over that which truly lasts. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: The LORD Almighty, whose ears hear those who cry out to Him; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God that you (likely) are treated honestly in your work, and pray that you will prioritize righteousness above worldly gain; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - John 2

Be strengthened in the name of Christ, the one & only source of salvation. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 29 Q. Why is the Son of God called “Jesus,” meaning “Savior”? A. Because he saves us from our sins. Salvation cannot be found in anyone else; it is futile to look for any salvation elsewhere. Summary Following the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the Disciples ventured out into the streets of Jerusalem actively preaching and healing in the name of Jesus. After healing a crippled man unable to walk since birth, Peter shared that this man was healed by the name of Jesus. This was followed by a declaration that Jesus is the Messiah, which included a critique of the Jewish rulers. These same rulers had charge of the temple and played a role in pressuring Pilate to execute Jesus. Word of this made it to the captain of the temple, who had the disciples arrested. After being held in custody overnight, they were then brought before a group of leaders from the Jewish religious council known as the Sanhedrin. In response to their questioning about what had taken place Peter does not back down from his prior declaration, despite knowing the role these men played in Jesus’ crucifixion and the danger they posed for him. Instead, Peter makes a bolder declaration in their midst: “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Not only was Peter stating outright that salvation is found in Jesus, but that salvation is ONLY found in Jesus. Dig Deeper The Book of Acts is one of my favorite books of the Bible. I have always been drawn to the fact that the miracles did not stop after the resurrection. Despite Jesus having already ascended to heaven, the Disciples were out healing the sick and making the lame walk. These miracles were a sign to the people that what the Disciples spoke of Jesus was true. These signs also protected the Disciples in this instance, for while it would have been easier to “get rid” of the Disciples, the council’s hands were tied, since the people had already seen the miracles, with thousands coming to faith in Jesus as a result. Instead this group of leaders on the council tried to compel the Disciples to stop telling people about Jesus. Despite the council being a powerful enemy to have, Peter refused. Peter had seen the risen Jesus and been filled with the Holy Spirit. He was not going to give in to the demands of the council; they could not offer him salvation. Instead, Peter held firm and trusted in Jesus, the only one who saves. You will likely never stand before a council and have to speak on behalf of your faith. However, you might be put in a position someday where you are asked to compromise on your faith and values. If that day comes, remember Peter’s example of standing firm on your faith in Jesus and his reason for doing so: “for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Almighty God, who raised Jesus from the dead; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will build your life with Christ as the cornerstone. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Hebrews 9

If even secular Uncle Sam can trust God, how much more can you? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 101 Q. But may we swear an oath in God’s name if we do it reverently? A. Yes, when the government demands it, or when necessity requires it, in order to maintain and promote truth and trustworthiness for God’s glory and our neighbor’s good. Such oaths are approved in God’s Word and were rightly used by Old and New Testament believers. Summary Our passage today comes in a context in which God's magnificent grace has been on display. God had brought His people, seventy in all, into Egypt four centuries earlier, and they had grown into a large nation. He overthrew their slave masters, and all the people had to do was watch the miracles unfold. He gave them His law, and then extended them mercy when they immediately broke it in one of the most heinous ways possible. God's grace came freely to them as it has to you, but though you've obtained it no cost, there are obligations you must fulfill as a recipient of this grace: Fear the Lord your God; Walk in obedience to Him; Love Him; Serve Him with all of your heart and soul; Observe the Lord's commands and decrees. Notice why Moses says you must keep these obligations: The heavens, earth and everything in them belong to the Lord (v14); The Lord set His affections on you and loves you (v15); He is the God of gods and the Lord of lords (v17); He defends the defenseless among us (v18); All of those things, AND: The Lord's commands and decrees have been given for your own good (v13) Dig Deeper We come to this passage today in the context of understanding when it's proper to swear an oath in the Lord's name. Granted, of all of the worries, challenges, and problems you have on your plate right now, knowing when it's ok to put your hand on the Bible and swear "So help me, God" probably isn't high on your priority list. But take a moment to just take in the fact that even our highly secularized government and society recognize the power of God's name and ask people to officially obligate themselves accordingly by swearing an oath in God's name. If Uncle Sam can trust God in this way, how much more can you? AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the God of gods and Lord of lords; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for His massive displays of grace, both in the Bible and in your own life, and pray that whether under oath or not, you will live up to His expectations; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Timothy 1

Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 127 Q.