God laughs at those who think they're stronger than His grace! worshiparts.net/psalm-2/ Psalm 2 (NIV) ¹ Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? ² The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, ³ “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.” ⁴ The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. ⁵ He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, ⁶ “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.” ⁷ I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father. ⁸ Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. ⁹ You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.” ¹⁰ Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. ¹¹ Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling. ¹² Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1- 8 Article 9: The Fulfillment of God’s Plan This plan,  arising out of God’s eternal love for the elect,  from the beginning of the world to the present time  has been powerfully carried out  and will also be carried out in the future,  the gates of hell seeking vainly to prevail against it.  As a result, the elect  are gathered into one, all in their own time,  and there is always a church of believers founded on Christ’s blood,  a church which steadfastly loves, persistently worships,  and here and in all eternity praises him as her Savior  who laid down his life for her on the cross,  as a bridegroom for his bride. Summary This summary is a re-post from November 2024 The second Psalm, along with the first, set the tone for all of the Psalms that follow them. Psalm 2 sets forth two competing realities, but it also makes clear that only one of these realities will ultimately prevail. You didn't need Psalm 2 to tell you about the existence of the first reality: that all of the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain... banding together against the the LORD and His anointed one (mā·šîaḥ ) . The kings of the earth rise up against the very God who established them (Romans 1). You didn't need Psalm 2 to tell you this because you see evidence of it everywhere you look, whether it's 'kings' operating at the local level or 'kings' who have tremendous geopolitical power. What you need Psalm 2 to be reminded of is what's in store for these wicked and corrupt rulers. You need to be reminded often that despite how much you worry about policies and proclamations that seem so backwards, the One enthroned in heaven laughs and scoffs  at them! He's not laughing because He thinks their attempts are so funny, but because He knows their rebellious efforts are so pathetic. The One enthroned in heaven  can be so confident because He knows who the true King is: the one He installed on Zion, His holy mountain , and He knows that this King  - His Son - will  break the rebellious nations with a rod of iron and will dash them to pieces like pottery.   Dig Deeper   We come to Psalm 2 in the midst of the graduation and wedding seasons. People in those stages of life usually have at least some semblance of a plan for their lives - where they want to go and what they want to do as life begins to move forward. Those of us with a bit more experience just smile and do our best to encourage, even though we know how the realities of life tend to tame robust ambitions. Sometimes we simply adapt our plans to the challenges that come; more often life events end up changing our plans altogether. One of the quiet, ever present truths of theology is the simple fact that God is not like us. Adaptation and change are so woven into our psyche, so we mistakenly conclude it must be the same for God. He's just rolling with the punches, like us, doing the best He can to hold things together according to His grand plan. But Psalm 2 and the Canons serve as a reminder of how different God is. God's plan arrives out of His eternal love for the elect... it has been powerfully carried out and will also be carried out in the future. Not even the gates of Hell can budge it off course. Subsequently, there is always a church of believers... which both here and in all eternity praises Christ as her Savior. God's grace always has been and always will be stronger than you are! AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who laughs and scoffs at those who try to thwart His plans; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that in every aspect of your life that you will take refuge in the LORD; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Ephesians 5

You've been beautifully transformed both by and for your Savior. Photo credit: Unsplash Ephesians 5:25-27 (NIV) CONTEXT: Today's passage comes in the midst of some instructions Paul lays down for Christian households - specifically for wives and husbands. Our focus today isn't so much on our domestic relationships as it is on the analogy Paul uses here for Christ's relationship to the Church. 25  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26  to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27  and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1- 8 Article 9: The Fulfillment of God’s Plan This plan,  arising out of God’s eternal love for the elect,  from the beginning of the world to the present time  has been powerfully carried out  and will also be carried out in the future,  the gates of hell seeking vainly to prevail against it.  As a result, the elect  are gathered into one, all in their own time,  and there is always a church of believers founded on Christ’s blood,  a church which steadfastly loves, persistently worships,  and here and in all eternity praises him as her Savior  who laid down his life for her on the cross,  as a bridegroom for his bride. Summary The English word 'church' has so many senses - the word could refer to either a religious institution or a building people meet in for worship, wedding ceremonies and other significant events. But the word that the Bible uses to describe the church - ekklēsia - simply means ' a gathering of people called out from their homes .' Church, then, at its deepest sense refers to the people God has called out into salvation. All throughout the Bible, the Church (God's people) is analogically referred to as a bride, a Paul does here in Ephesians. Mike McKinley helps explain the significance of this: The fact that God refers to himself as a husband tells us something important about Him and the amazing love that He has for us, but it also shows us something very important about the institution of marriage. If God is a husband, then marriage is not merely a social construct or even primarily a way for people to find companionship and start a family. Instead, marriage is fundamentally a picture of God’s love. It is a way for us to understand and display the depth and intensity of the love God has for his people.   Dig Deeper   There are two primary benefits to officiating a wedding. For one thing, I don't have to wait for my row to be dismissed before I get to walk out when the ceremony is over. But even better is getting to stand up front and observe as everyone stands and turns their attention towards the back to watch the bride and her father as they make their way up the aisle. The best part is watching the look on the groom's face as he sees his radiant bride coming toward him, without stain or wrinkle or other blemish, but holy and blameless. Most of the time, as is tradition, the first time the groom sees his bride on their wedding day is when she appears in the aisle, and what he sees is the culmination of hours of preparation and primping by bride's maids to make sure everything is just so. Grooms normally don't participate in those preparations, primarily due to our ignorance and incompetence in such practices. Grooms would just get in the way. All analogies have limitations - even Biblical analogies like this one. Whereas grooms can take no credit for the beauty of their bride, Christ takes all of the credit for the radiancy (literally: glory ) of His Bride, the Church. We know how ugly we are and how many warts we have. Yet Christ prepared and purified us in a way far beyond the capacity of any earthly bridesmaid: He gave Himself up for us to make us holy, cleansing us by the washing with water through the word, to present us to Himself as a radiant Church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who created marriage as a picture of His love for us; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will live in a way that doesn't soil the cleansing Christ has accomplished to prepare you to belong to Him; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Ephesians 5

Your significance comes from the Good Shepherd who claims you as His own. John 10:11-16 (NIV) CONTEXT: Jesus is speaking to a group of incredulous Pharisees “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12  The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13  The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14  “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me — 15  just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16  I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1-7 Article 8: The Saving Effectiveness of Christ’s Death For it was the entirely free plan and very gracious will and intention of God the Father  that the enlivening and saving effectiveness of his Son’s costly death  should work itself out in all the elect,  in order that God might grant justifying faith to them only  and thereby lead them without fail to salvation.  In other words, it was God’s will that Christ  through the blood of the cross  (by which he confirmed the new covenant)  should effectively redeem  from every people, tribe, nation, and language  all those and only those  who were chosen from eternity to salvation  and given to him by the Father;  that Christ should grant them faith (which, like the Holy Spirit’s other saving gifts, he acquired for them by his death).  It was also God’s will  that Christ should cleanse them by his blood from all their sins,  both original and actual,  whether committed before or after their coming to faith;  that he should faithfully preserve them to the very end;  and that he should finally present them to himself, a glorious people, without spot or wrinkle. Summary The shepherd motif has a rich history in Scripture, which is fitting given how familiar many of the Bible’s original readers would have been with the role and responsibilities of a shepherd. But the shepherd concept extended to more than just one who watches over a flock of sheep; both kings and sometimes even local deities were considered as shepherds over their people. So when Jesus here famously claims to be the good shepherd, He's not just equating Himself to a humble agrarian caretaker, but He's claiming to be a king. And not just a typical king; in announcing Himself He began with the theologically charged phrase I AM, which would have been understood by the Pharisees who heard it as the holy name the LORD identified Himself as when He appeared to Moses in the burning bush. Jesus included the Pharisees He spoke to in His metaphor. Whereas He is the true and good shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep, the religious establishment that the Pharisees were part of were nothing more than uncaring hired hands who abandoned their posts at the first sign of danger. In just five short words - I AM the good shepherd - Jesus claims to be the rightful protector of God's people (contrary to the current religious hired hands), the true King of Israel, and even to be God Himself!   Dig Deeper   As amazing and profound as what Jesus' claims about Himself are here, it's what He says about His sheep - that's us - that draws our attention today: 14  “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15  just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. Literally translated, Jesus said I know mine and mine know me. What's critical to understand here is that Jesus wasn't putting His emphasis on the fact that you're a sheep, but rather that you are His - that you belong to Him, the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. He didn't lay down His life for all of the sheep, just the ones that He claims as mine, the ones He would go on to describe in v29 as the sheep which my Father has given to me . So who then are the other sheep that are not of this sheep pen ? Although the Mormons like to imagine these sheep as a supposed civilization (the 'Nephites') living in North America two thousand years ago whose descendents would go on to become latter day saints , the real explanation is far simpler. You and I are the other sheep, in that we are (for the most part) gentiles and not physical descendents of Abraham that Jesus was speaking directly to. Most of us don't have much worldly significance; it often seems like we're just a random statistic in a sea of statistics. When you feel that way, remember these words of your Savior, the Good Shepherd. He says of you, you are mine! That's true significance! AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who along with His Son, the Good Shepherd, and the Holy Spirit are the Triune God; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will live with the confidence and significance of knowing that you fully belong and are protected by the Good Shepherd; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Romans 14

Chances are you're afflicted with a syndrome you didn't know you had! Romans 11:1-6 (NIV) CONTEXT: Paul is discussing why the Jewish people have rejected Christ at the end of the tenth chapter: 17  Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. 18  But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did... 19  Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? 21  ...concerning Israel Moses says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.” 11 I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2  God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: 3  “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”? 4  And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”  5  So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6  And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1- 8 Article 9: The Fulfillment of God’s Plan This plan,  arising out of God’s eternal love for the elect,  from the beginning of the world to the present time  has been powerfully carried out  and will also be carried out in the future,  the gates of hell seeking vainly to prevail against it.  As a result, the elect  are gathered into one, all in their own time,  and there is always a church of believers founded on Christ’s blood,  a church which steadfastly loves, persistently worships,  and here and in all eternity praises him as her Savior  who laid down his life for her on the cross,  as a bridegroom for his bride. Summary Paul begins chapter eleven with another of his famous rhetorical questions to help move his discussion forward. This one comes on the tail end of a series of inquiries as to why his own people - the Jews - were rejecting Christ. Faith comes through hearing, he surmised at the end of the previous chapter, so did they not hear? Paul doesn't wait long to supply the answer: of course they did! They'd been given God's law and the prophets! His final question of chapter ten identifies the issue. Paul asks, did they not understand what they'd heard ? This time the answer is a bit more drawn out. Ultimately, they didn't understand, and their lack of understanding came as a result of their disobedience and obstinance. So then, the big question at the beginning of chapter eleven is did God reject His people - the ones He foreknew? Could it be that although God had chosen them to belong to Him, He finally had enough of their stubborness and finally cut them loose? Once again Paul quickly makes the answer to his own rhetorical question firmly absolute: No! God did not reject His people!   Dig Deeper   It's called the Elijah syndrome, and people like us are especially prone to it. Most of our readers (not all!) come from solid Christian communities and remember back in the day when our pews were overflowing. Extra chairs were set up often. Potlucks and dinners dominated the calendar and enrollment in children's programs were busting at the seams. But now, decades later, many experience the opposite reality: empty pews, quiet fellowship halls and far fewer children. Like Elijah, we often silently pray Lord, are we the only ones left? Paul here reminds us that God answered Elijah's somewhat delusional prayer, telling Elijah that He had reserved for Himself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal. So too, writes Paul, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace! There was then and is now a portion of Jewish people preserved by God in the grace of Christ. You may think the Church is quickly disintegrating; your own congregation is likely smaller than it used to be and you're continually bombarded with bad news seemingly indicating the Church's demise all over North America. But come back to this passage often and revisit what both Elijah and Paul learned about God's grace, which is summarized in the Canons: God’s eternal love for the elect, from the beginning of the world to the present time, has been powerfully carried out and will also be carried out in the future... There is always a church of believers founded on Christ’s blood. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who always has and always will keep His covenant people; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Even if your own church community is a fraction of what is was, praise God for preserving you and others as a remnant chosen by grace; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Ephesians 4

Not even the gates of Hades can overcome the Church Christ is building! Matthew 16:13-20 (NIV) 13  When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14  They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15  “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16  Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17  Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18  And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it . 19  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20  Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1- 8 Article 9: The Fulfillment of God’s Plan This plan,  arising out of God’s eternal love for the elect,  from the beginning of the world to the present time  has been powerfully carried out  and will also be carried out in the future,  the gates of hell seeking vainly to prevail against it.  As a result, the elect  are gathered into one, all in their own time,  and there is always a church of believers founded on Christ’s blood,  a church which steadfastly loves, persistently worships,  and here and in all eternity praises him as her Savior  who laid down his life for her on the cross,  as a bridegroom for his bride. Summary This section is a repost from May 22, 2023 Put yourself in the place of the disciples. Everything you've heard Jesus teach on has been mind blowing and has shattered nearly every preconceived notion that they had prior to meeting Him. So every time Jesus asked a question, they probably sweat bullets hoping that Jesus wouldn't pick them to answer, because chances are they'd get it wrong. But here Jesus asks a question that's easy to answer: "who do others  say that I am?" It's always easy to report what others say, so the disciples are quick to give an answer to this first question. It's the second question that gets them. "Who do you  say that I am?" You can imagine the awkward silence that followed the question. Finally the boldest of the group spoke up, and I don't think it was with a wavering voice. Peter finally gets it: "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." Jesus rewards Peter's bravery and correct answer with a new name: Petros - the Rock. What comes next has been the subject of oceans of ink: "on this rock - petra  - I will build my church." You can see the slight difference in the Greek words. Does this mean that Simon Peter is the rock that the church is built on, or is 'this rock' that Jesus refers to a different rock - perhaps Himself? But focusing on the slight variation in wording misses the point of this passage. Don't miss Jesus' huge promise here: " I will  build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it ." Peter plays an important role for sure in church history, but clearly the foundation, architect, builder and finisher of the Church is our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ, the Son of the Living God.   Dig Deeper   Jesus makes two very resolute claims that grab our attention today. First, He establishes that not only is He the architect of His church ( ekklēsia , literally an assembly of people) but He's also the one actively building it. This is a good reminder for preachers like me. My ego puffs up as the pews fill up, and then wonders what I'm doing wrong when the numbers fall back down. But we're not the builders of Christ's church; it's neither our perceived brilliance nor obvious incompetencies at work. We must simply be faithful to how Christ has called us to care for it. Second, Jesus tells Peter, and by extension us, that not even the gates of Hades will overcome His Church. Once again, commentator NT France helps us understand what this means: The gates of Hades is a metaphor for death... The gates thus represent the imprisoning power of death: death will not be able to imprison and hold the church of the living God. The metaphor... does not encourage the suggestion of some interpreters that Hades represents not death but the demonic powers of the underworld, which are then pictured as making an eschatological [end times] assault on the church. Still less does it support the romantic imagery, sometimes derived from the traditional but incorrect translation gates of hell, of the church as a victorious army storming the citadel of the devil. The imagery is rather of death being unable to swallow up the new community which Jesus is building. It will never be destroyed. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, the Living God; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will be a faithful member of the Church that Christ continues to build; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Ephesians 2

Don't love your life so much that it distracts you from the spiritual war being fought around you. Revelation 12:7-17 (NIV) 7  Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8  But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9  The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. 10  Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. 11  They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. 12  Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” 13  When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14  The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. 15  Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16  But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17  Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1- 8 Article 9: The Fulfillment of God’s Plan This plan,  arising out of God’s eternal love for the elect,  from the beginning of the world to the present time  has been powerfully carried out  and will also be carried out in the future,  the gates of hell seeking vainly to prevail against it.  As a result, the elect  are gathered into one, all in their own time,  and there is always a church of believers founded on Christ’s blood,  a church which steadfastly loves, persistently worships,  and here and in all eternity praises him as her Savior  who laid down his life for her on the cross,  as a bridegroom for his bride. Summary The next time you encounter someone who doesn't read the Bible much because they think it's boring and irrelevant, read through Revelation 12 with them! This chapter has all of the drama and action of an epic movie! The passage opens with war breaking out in heaven. We don't know what precipitated the war, but it features two distinct groups of angels fighting one another. One group fights with the dragon - that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. The others fight on behalf of Michael, who we know from other passages of scripture is the archangel of God. This battle seems to take place either right before or soon after the creation of the earth, since the dragon and his angels lost their place in heaven, and ultimately were hurled to the earth. That's what makes this passage so relevant to you. You now live in the midst of this ongoing battle, and the dragon is all the more filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short! Having been hurled to the earth, he now sets his sights on a woman that's near and dear to you: she represents the Church . But the woman and her male child escape the serpent's reach, so the enraged dragon went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring - those who keep God's commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus. This describes you. In fact, there's nothing more relevant for you to know than that you are the target of an infuriated dragon on the warpath.   Dig Deeper   Revelation 12 doesn’t just describe an ancient cosmic battle—it unveils the spiritual reality in which the Church still lives today. What we see here isn't fiction or future prophecy, but present reality . The war didn’t end when Satan was thrown down; it escalated. And you’re on the front lines. You're a member of what's often called the Church militant - that is, the Church at present and at war. But notice what Revelation 12 also emphasizes: the victory of Christ has already been secured. Verse 11 gives the strategy and the strength of the Church militant: They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, so you need not fear. But notice what the loud voice in heaven said next: these victorious members of Christ's Church are they who did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. In other words, as a member of this Church, you must fend off the distractions of this world - which are actually attacks from the devil - and keep your eye on the prize. You may feel weak. You may be worn down. But you're not fighting alone. You are part of a church that spans continents and centuries, and the Lamb who was slain is your shield and banner. So don’t lose heart. You’re not just surviving—you’re part of God's conquering army. Hold fast. The dragon's time is short. The militant Church will soon give way to the Church Victorious. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who protects His Church by the blood of the Lamb; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you don't love your life so much that it distracts you from the spiritual war being fought around you; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Ephesians 3

God sovereignly controls the universe, but He takes delight in you. Psalm 147 1  Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him! 2  The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel. 3  He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. 4  He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. 5  Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. 6  The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground. 7  Sing to the Lord with grateful praise; make music to our God on the harp. 8  He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. 9  He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call. 10  His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior; 11  the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love. 12  Extol the Lord, Jerusalem; praise your God, Zion. 13  He strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your people within you. 14  He grants peace to your borders and satisfies you with the finest of wheat. 15  He sends his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. 16  He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes. 17  He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast? 18  He sends his word and melts them; he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow. 19  He has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel. 20  He has done this for no other nation; they do not know his laws. Praise the Lord. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1-7 Article 8: The Saving Effectiveness of Christ’s Death For it was the entirely free plan and very gracious will and intention of God the Father  that the enlivening and saving effectiveness of his Son’s costly death  should work itself out in all the elect,  in order that God might grant justifying faith to them only  and thereby lead them without fail to salvation.  In other words, it was God’s will that Christ  through the blood of the cross  (by which he confirmed the new covenant)  should effectively redeem  from every people, tribe, nation, and language  all those and only those  who were chosen from eternity to salvation  and given to him by the Father;  that Christ should grant them faith (which, like the Holy Spirit’s other saving gifts, he acquired for them by his death).  It was also God’s will  that Christ should cleanse them by his blood from all their sins,  both original and actual,  whether committed before or after their coming to faith;   that he should faithfully preserve them to the very end;  and that he should finally present them to himself, a glorious people, without spot or wrinkle. Summary Psalm 147 is the second in a set of five doxologies (words/songs of praise) that finish out the book of Psalms. The Psalm is divided into three strophes (poetic divisions) separated by calls to praise God. Each strophe unpacks various aspects of God's sovereignty - His control, authority and presence over all things. The unending scope of God's sovereignty becomes clear in this Psalm. He determines the number of stars and calls them each by name; His understanding has no limit and He sends His commands to the earth. But God's sovereignty is not just a control over the big and mighty, rather it is just as evident in the the fact that the LORD heals the broken hearted and sustains the humble. What a thought to know that the God whose mighty power directs the cosmos is the same God who gathers in the exiles of Israel and binds up their wounds! If you've ever made something - be it a work of art or a piece of furniture, or anything else that you see and use often - you know the delight your creation brings you. Think of all the amazing things God has sovereignly created and continues to sustain, and all of the beauty and majesty of His creation - how it all must bring Him delight ! Psalm 147 only mentions one thing in all of creation that the LORD delights in. It's not giant galaxies or complex molecular structures, rather it's simply those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing (covenant) love.   Dig Deeper   The LORD certainly sovereignly sustains and provides for all people and creatures (His sovereignty doesn't just govern the stars , but also provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call! ), but He goes above and beyond in what He supplies for His covenant people. For us, He has revealed His word to Jacob, His laws and decrees to Israel. It's a mystery as to why God's salvation is limited to those whom He's elected, but the Bible makes clear from start to finish the exclusive nature of those He's included in His covenant. He's done this for no other nation ; they do not know His law, the Psalmist concludes. So it is that we refer to the blood of Christ as a limited atonement , even though it is of infinite value and worth, more than sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world ( Point Two, Article Three ). Yet His atonement effectively redeems  from every people, tribe, nation, and language  all those and only those who were chosen from eternity to salvation and given to him by the Father. Ours is not the task of determining why God chose to redeem some while leaving others in their wickedness and hardness of heart ( Point One, Article 6 ). Our obligation is to simply carry out Psalm 147's imperatives for revealing His saving Word to us: Praise the LORD... Sing to the LORD with grateful praise; make music to our God on the harp... Extol the LORD... Praise the LORD! AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who delights in those who put their fear in Him; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for including you in His covenant people, and pray that you would put your hope in His unfailing (covenant) love; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Ephesians 1

You've been redeemed with people from all over the world to serve God. Faithlife.com Revelation 5:9-14 (NIV) CONTEXT: John has been taken into the heavenly throne room where God is worshiped as Creator (Revelation 4). In chapter 5, a scroll appears in God’s hand. This scroll, as William Hendricksen writes, "represents God’s eternal plan, His decree which is all-comprehensive." Only the slain Lamb—Jesus—is found worthy to open it, prompting worship from all creation. 9  And they [the four living creatures and twenty-four elders before God's throne] sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10  You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” 11  Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12  In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” 13  Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” 14  The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1-7 Article 8: The Saving Effectiveness of Christ’s Death For it was the entirely free plan and very gracious will and intention of God the Father  that the enlivening and saving effectiveness of his Son’s costly death  should work itself out in all the elect,  in order that God might grant justifying faith to them only  and thereby lead them without fail to salvation.  In other words, it was God’s will that Christ  through the blood of the cross  (by which he confirmed the new covenant)  should effectively redeem  from every people, tribe, nation, and language  all those and only those  who were chosen from eternity to salvation  and given to him by the Father;  that Christ should grant them faith (which, like the Holy Spirit’s other saving gifts, he acquired for them by his death).  It was also God’s will  that Christ should cleanse them by his blood from all their sins,  both original and actual,  whether committed before or after their coming to faith;  that he should faithfully preserve them to the very end;  and that he should finally present them to himself, a glorious people, without spot or wrinkle. Summary What a scene, in which John in a matter of moments goes from weeping in hopeless anguish that nobody can be found worthy enough to unseal the scroll containing God's comprehensive decree, which includes the salvation of His covenant people, to unbridled joy when the Lion-Lamb is found worthy. As God's throne room begins to swell with heavenly music, the words of the spirits and elders who eternally stand before the throne explain the Lamb's blood soaked worthiness. The infinite value of Christ's death, which we learned of a few weeks ago, purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. Upon this announcement, the heavenly choir grows infinitely greater. Many angels joined in, writes John, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand . The very first note they sounded must have rung out through the heavens; if they had sheet music, the first word would have been preceded with the subscript letters ff , meaning fortissimo , indicating to belt it out as loudly as possible. That word describing the Lamb can't be emphasized enough: WORTHY! Heaven celebrates as it does because finally mankind, represented here by the Lion-Lamb who is Christ, has fulfilled God's covenant requirements. This is why the slain Lamb is worthy to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!   Dig Deeper   William Hendricksen goes on to describe the relationship between this doctrine of Limited Atonement and the reception the Lamb receives before God's throne. He writes, Here very definitely the Mediator’s present rule or dominion over the universe is described as being a reward for His suffering and death. Both the particular and universal aspects of the atonement are beautifully combined. The Lamb did not purchase the salvation of every single individual. No, He paid the price for His elect, that is, for men out of every tribe and tongue, etc. Yet, on the other hand, there is nothing narrow or national about this redemption. It is world-wide in its scope and embraces every group; ethnic (tribe), linguistic (tongue), political (people), and social (nation). Together all the redeemed constitute a kingdom and priests. (See 1:6.) By means of the incense of their prayers the saints even now reign upon the earth. Once again, we're reminded that our designation of Christ's atonement as being limited only refers to its application, not to its value or glory. Take time today to thank God that He has saved people from every corner of the earth, and pray that Christ soon returns so we can hear this heavenly choir for ourselves. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever! A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will live in a manner worthy of one who's been made a kingdom and priests to serve our God ; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Romans 16

Live confidently knowing He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion. Philippians 1:1-6 (NIV) 1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: 2  Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3  I thank my God every time I remember you. 4  In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5  because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6  being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1-7 Article 8: The Saving Effectiveness of Christ’s Death For it was the entirely free plan and very gracious will and intention of God the Father  that the enlivening and saving effectiveness of his Son’s costly death  should work itself out in all the elect,  in order that God might grant justifying faith to them only  and thereby lead them without fail to salvation.  In other words, it was God’s will that Christ  through the blood of the cross  (by which he confirmed the new covenant)  should effectively redeem  from every people, tribe, nation, and language  all those and only those  who were chosen from eternity to salvation  and given to him by the Father;  that Christ should grant them faith (which, like the Holy Spirit’s other saving gifts, he acquired for them by his death).  It was also God’s will  that Christ should cleanse them by his blood from all their sins,  both original and actual,  whether committed before or after their coming to faith;  that he should faithfully preserve them to the very end;  and that he should finally present them to himself, a glorious people, without spot or wrinkle. Summary I hope you didn't blow too fast through the opening benediction. If you experience the blessing of gathering each Lord's Day with God's people to worship Him, these are words you likely hear often, and as such maybe it seems a bit stale to read the familiar words grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. But those words are anything but stale; they come as the result of all that God has done for you in Christ. They are a life giving tonic you need to hear weekly as you're reminded that despite life's storms blowing all around you, that your God extends grace and peace to you rather what your sins deserve. It must have been so difficult for Paul. He'd come into a new city like Philippi, and if, by God's grace, the people there were open to the gospel, he'd plant a church. He'd then stay with it awhile, teaching them doctrine and theology, and getting to know them at a deeply personal level. He'd build up a team of local elders and deacons, and sometimes ordain a pastor like Timothy or Titus. But then the time would come when the Spirit would call him to the next city to start the cycle again. It still hard to move from one area to another in today's day and age, but at least the connection with the previous community stays strong due to social media and the fact that your phone number travels with you. All they had two millennia ago was written correspondence like this epistle we still treasure. But correspondence took weeks or months. It's hard for us to imagine not knowing what's going on with people we love. But for all the angst and loneliness such separation caused Paul to feel, He doesn't worry. He thanks my God every time he remembered them. He filled his days and nights praying with joy because of their partnership in the gospel. And on top of it all he felt confident . He knew these Philippian people he loved were held tightly by our God and Father, and that God's grace is much stronger than they were.   Dig Deeper   Paul's confidence isn't based in an assumption that because these people were now Christians that somehow everything would instantly work out in their lives. Paul had experienced enough of life's realities first hand to know that often reality is quite the opposite of that. But Paul realizes that the Christian life is a process, and that although preachers like Paul play a critical role in the process, he didn't need to worry that because he wasn't right there in Philippi guiding each and every step that the saints there would cease their spiritual development in his absence. Paul could have this confidence because he knew that He who began the good work in each of these Philippians would carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Paul knew it was the Holy Spirit of God that regenerated each of those hearts he'd come to love, and that the Spirit would be faithful to finish the work He'd begun. The Canons here captures how a portion of this process works. Christ redeemed - that is, He purchased - God's elect from every people, tribe, nation, and language through the blood of the cross. Then Christ granted each of these people who were chosen from eternity to salvation faith (which, like the Holy Spirit’s other saving gifts, he acquired for them by his death).  This process that Paul has so much confidence in doesn't end there! He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion, as the Canons put it, as Christ faithfully preserves you to the very end; and that he should finally present you to himself, a glorious people, without spot or wrinkle. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who along with His Son, offers you His grace and peace; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will live with the confidence of knowing that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Romans 15

Jesus came to save His people from their sins. Bible.com Matthew 1:18-21 (NIV) 18  This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19  Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20  But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,  because he will save his people from their sins.” Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1-7 Article 8: The Saving Effectiveness of Christ’s Death For it was the entirely free plan and very gracious will and intention of God the Father  that the enlivening and saving effectiveness of his Son’s costly death  should work itself out in all the elect,  in order that God might grant justifying faith to them only  and thereby lead them without fail to salvation.  In other words, it was God’s will that Christ  through the blood of the cross  (by which he confirmed the new covenant)  should effectively redeem  from every people, tribe, nation, and language  all those and only those  who were chosen from eternity to salvation  and given to him by the Father;  that Christ should grant them faith (which, like the Holy Spirit’s other saving gifts, he acquired for them by his death).  It was also God’s will  that Christ should cleanse them by his blood from all their sins,  both original and actual,  whether committed before or after their coming to faith;  that he should faithfully preserve them to the very end;  and that he should finally present them to himself, a glorious people, without spot or wrinkle. Summary This isn't a Bible passage we read often in June, but one of the benefits of reading parts of the Christmas stories at other times of the year is that it can make some of the otherwise unnoticed elements a bit clearer. One of the most important aspects of Joseph's angelic dream is very evident no matter when this passage gets read: His Son would be no ordinary baby. The angel explained to him that what is conceived in Mary is from the Holy Spirit. We have the benefit of reading those words some two thousand years after that fateful night, and though the announcement doesn't hit us with the same level of shock it hit Joseph, we still can't wrap our heads around it - so imagine what it must have been like for Joseph to process it! All of us have a particular weakness the enemy targets from time to time, hoping to stir up doubt about the truth of Scripture. Maybe for you it’s the sense that the universe appears much older than Genesis suggests. Others wrestle with the account of the flood or God’s seemingly genocidal command to wipe out the Canaanites. Deep down, you know these objections don’t hold up — but they still succeed in clouding the mind now and then. But one of the steepest hills for people to climb is the idea that Jesus was born of a virgin, as the angel here describes, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit . Yet it's this very strange nature - fully God, yet fully a man born of a woman - that would be required to both pay the penalty for your sin and present on your behalf the perfect righteousness the covenant requires for you to be at peace with God.   Dig Deeper   It's the otherwise ordinary name the angel commands Joseph to give to his son that grabs our attention today. The name Yehô·šûaʿ (Joshua - transliterated into Greek as Iēsous and English as Jesus ) was every bit as common two millennia ago as the names Mike or Bob are today. So it must of really struck Joseph as odd that this one of a kind baby boy was to be given such an ordinary name! But it's the straightforward meaning of this name that has become the most familiar in all of history that made it the most appropriate name possible: He saves. Although this baby would grow up to say and do all sorts of wonderful things, His primary mission would be to accomplish salvation from sin. But there's one little pronoun in the angel's proclamation that brings us back to this morsel of the Christmas story in the first week of June. The angel of the Lord makes it clear from the very beginning that this boy who would save did not come to save everyone. He would save His people from their sins. We've been studying this doctrine of Limited Atonement for over a month now, and so far we've seen no aspect of limitation at all; quite the opposite, in fact! We've been reminded that Jesus' death is of infinite value and that it was more than sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world . Yet we refer to atonement as limited because it does not apply to all people. As we will see this week, the saving effectiveness of his Son’s costly death is limited to His people. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who by the power of the Holy Spirit, caused the divine to take the form a child in Mary's womb; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would have the faith Joseph demonstrated in accepting the angel's difficult to understand message; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Romans 13