Does reading or watching the news make you angry lately? Find out why! Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 112 Q. What is God’s will for you in the ninth commandment? A. God’s will is that I never give false testimony against anyone, twist no one’s words, not gossip or slander, nor join in condemning anyone without a hearing or without a just cause. Rather, in court and everywhere else, I should avoid lying and deceit of every kind; these are devices the devil himself uses, and they would call down on me God’s intense anger. I should love the truth, speak it candidly, and openly acknowledge it. And I should do what I can to guard and advance my neighbor’s good name. Summary This passage is the most detailed description in the Bible of who and what the devil is. Although culture often depicts him of being a cartoonish figure with a red cape & a pitchfork, Jesus paints a much darker portrait: Jesus says the devil is: A murderer from the beginning: Satan had led a rebellion in heaven and so was cast down to the earth. Certainly the devil can be thought of as murderer for introducing death to humanity, but his principle target has always been murdering Jesus Christ, the God-Man and His Church (See Revelation 12). A liar with no truth in him: Remember the first words of the devil recorded in scripture: "Did God really say... (Genesis 3:1)" Simply causing man to question the validity of what God has said was effective then, and the devil is nothing if not consistent. He knows this subtle method of planting doubt works, and he continues to use this method even today. Jesus is everything that the devil is not: Jesus gives life, the devil takes it. Jesus is the truth, the devil has no truth in him. Jesus came to restore your relationship to the Father, and the devil works tirelessly (for he knows his time is short - Rev. 12:12) to cause you to doubt the Father. Dig Deeper You don't need to scroll through the news for long for long before you come across a story that makes your blood boil because people have come to a firm conclusion that is so obviously based in lies and deceptions. You think to yourself, can't these people see just how wrong and contrary to God's truth their ideas are? The sad answer is, no, they can't. Jesus said, "Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” In other words, mankind is so corrupted by the web of deceptions the devil has spun that people will always prefer the lie rather than the truth. No matter how incredulous the idea may seem, people's primary inclination will be to reject basic truth and cling to the lie. The current ridiculousness of gender theory is a testimony to this. It's easy to let this sort of thinking make you angry, but push against that instinct. Understand that these people cannot "hear what God says," so trying to re-educate them with basic truth will never work. Rather than being angry, our hearts should be broken for all these people who separated themselves so far from God. Pray that the Holy Spirit calls them back, and be ready when He calls you to lovingly reintroduce them to their Father by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who has called you to live in all truth; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that the Holy Spirit will use you to call those whose lives are trapped in deception, and that you'll be ready when the opportunities come; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - John 8

Even the sinless Son of God was difficult to raise at times. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 104 Q. What is God’s will for you in the fifth commandment? A. That I honor, love, and be loyal to my father and mother and all those in authority over me; that I obey and submit to them, as is proper, when they correct and punish me; and also that I be patient with their failings— for through them God chooses to rule us. Summary I've never 'lost' any of my children before, but there were prolonged times where I didn't exactly know where they were. It's a very disconcerting feeling to suddenly realize the gravity of the situation when I finally notice the house has been quieter than normal and it's been quite awhile since I've seen them (especially when mom will be back at any moment and will not be happy to find out her children are unaccounted for). So I would imagine that Joseph and Mary would have gladly supplied Luke with hundreds of other anecdotes from Jesus' adolescent years besides this one which seems to picture them as incompetent parents who went an entire day before they realized they had no idea where their oldest child was, and then when they finally found him, "did not understand what he was saying to them (v50)." Mary and Joseph are just as human as the rest of us, so their instinct was to blame everybody but themselves. They were probably pretty upset with these 'brilliant' temple scholars who let this twelve year old hang around for four days without any parental consent. These same parents who witnessed the miracles on Christmas morning firsthand are now pretty upset with the same boy the angels had sung about for "treating them like this (v48)." At twelve years old, Jesus is only one year away from legally being considered an adult in this society. He's likely experiencing the same teenage angst common to boys his age, and He's just discovered His "Father's business (v49)," and He's completely fascinated by it. So Jesus likely wasn't too pleased to see mom and dad come storming into the lecture hall either (remember, it's not sinful to be upset). Dig Deeper If anything this little insight into Jesus' childhood is comforting, to know that all children - even the sinless Son of God - are difficult to raise at times, and than even the woman most highly favored by God (Luke 1:28) was flummoxed by maternal frustration. So if you ever have been or are now irritated by your kids, you're in good company. But it's the way that both Jesus and Mary react to this situation that draws our attention today. Jesus, who's just discovered His purpose, talent and passion, humbly honors these parents He's suddenly outgrown. Luke captures the moment with a perfect word: Jesus was "obedient," which literally translated means Jesus put Himself under, or submitted Himself to His parents. In other words, Jesus remained anchored to them. Mary doesn't stay angry for long either. She regains her perspective, and quietly "treasured all these things in her heart (v51)." Because He honored His parents, even in their less than stellar moments, Jesus received the blessing His Father had promised long before through Moses, that "it may go well with" those who obey the fifth commandment (Deut. 5:16). AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who calls you into His house just as He did with His Son; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for your parents, and pray that you can submit to them even when you'd rather go your own way, just as Jesus did. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 John 1

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 final promise Jesus made before dying is the most comforting of all. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 57 Q. How does “the resurrection of the body” comfort you? A. Not only my soul will be taken immediately after this life to Christ its head, but even my very flesh, raised by the power of Christ, will be reunited with my soul and made like Christ’s glorious body. Summary This is a story of two criminals, one hanging on either side of Jesus, but both looking at their present situation from vastly different perspectives. To call them 'criminals,' or even 'thieves' as the older translations put it, is an understatement. In modern parlance, these guys would be classified as terrorists or insurrectionists guilty of murdering multiple people and fomenting violence wherever they went. Regardless of how they're referred to, they represent two different types of people in this world. The one insults and belittles the Son of God hanging next to him, since God is not giving him exactly what he wants. The other better understands the reality of the situation: God is giving the both of them exactly what they deserve. It's this ability to look past the lies that come from within - an ability given by the Holy Spirit - that results in the proper attitude as he approaches his maker: This second, humbled criminal fears God. But notice this properly grounded fear of God doesn't result in terror and dread, rather it brings about one simple request to the Savior innocently suffering the same punishment as him: "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus' reply, likely coming between gasps for air as he hung, forms the foundation for one of the most comforting doctrines in the Bible. He says to this sinner turned saint, "Today you shall be with me in paradise." Dig Deeper Although this criminal's theology was spot on in his dying moments, it certainly wasn't well developed or comprehensively applied to life. He'd likely never read the Bible, and the only thing he knew about God's law was how to break it. But he obviously wasn't saved because of his lifetime of faithful service or good deeds, nor because of what he knew about the man hanging in the middle. Rather, his salvation came because of what Christ remembered of him, that he was a child of the God he ultimately came to fear, chosen before the creation of the universe to be a citizen of the Kingdom of God. Today we're focusing on the immediacy of the criminal's salvation. Because of this short conversation between two dying men, you can have absolute certainty that those you've known who placed their faith in Jesus Christ instantly were welcomed into paradise upon drawing their final breath. In addition, you can live the life of gratitude that this criminal would have most certainly lived had he been given the chance, knowing that you're last day in this life will instantly give way to your first day in eternity. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father God, who judges justly and calls all sinners to account. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will live with the assurance of and gratitude for your sure salvation. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Romans 10

Which books of the Bible are about Jesus? All of them! Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 19 Q. How do you come to know this? A. The holy gospel tells me. God himself began to reveal the gospel already in Paradise; later, he proclaimed it by the holy patriarchs and prophets, and portrayed it by the sacrifices and other ceremonies of the law; finally, he fulfilled it through his own dear Son. Summary These words of Jesus come as part of his response to those who were upset that he healed a man on the Sabbath. As Jesus pointed out to the crowd, they had been looking for salvation in the Old Testament scriptures. This was not a problem, as God’s plan of salvation can be seen throughout the Old Testament. The issue was with those who look to the words of the Old Testament for salvation while refusing to see the repeated foreshadowing of the coming of Christ. Those who search for salvation in the scriptures apart from Christ will not find it. The patriarchs and prophets of the Old Testament foretold that Jesus would come, and so it was not Jesus accusing them, but the words of Moses. Jesus does not quote a specific passage but speaks of Moses writing about him. Even so, it is easy enough to find examples in the Old Testament of Moses writing about Jesus, particularly Deuteronomy 18:15: The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen! Not only does Moses point forward to this new prophet, but also declares that the people shall listen to him. This again puts the critics in the crowd at odds not only with Jesus, but also with the words of Moses. Dig Deeper The five solas are thought of as a rallying cry of the Reformation. The first of these 5 key beliefs is sola scriptura which means 'scripture alone'. In a world that wants to turn everything into a 'gray area', sola scriptura is a reminder that the Bible alone is the source of authority for Christians. In the Bible we see God’s plan for redemption laid out. The Old Testament foreshadows the coming of Christ, the Gospels share the Good News of Jesus Christ, and the rest of the New Testament addresses how to live in light of the resurrection. The Bible is authoritative not because it teaches about Jesus, but because it is the inspired Word of God. People are imperfect, we are all prone to mistakes, including your pastor. But the Bible is the inspired Word of God, meaning that the Holy Spirit directed the writings of the authors of scripture. While the Bible has human authors, what differentiates the Word of God is the role of the Holy Spirit in the writing process. The authority we find in scripture comes not from those who wrote it, but from our God who inspired these writings. What that means for you as a believer is that you have a rule of faith to measure against. You do not need to have blind trust in what others teach because you can go to the source and read that which is true. The Bible is a wonderful gift from God; do not rely solely on the word of others when God’s Word is close at hand. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Father, you sent your Son in your name, which we read about so clearly in your Word, which is inspired by your Spirit; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that the words of Scripture would continue to come to Christ to have life. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Acts 13

Six days prior, Jesus was with His disciples in Caesarea Philippi, and Peter had testified that Jesus Deut 18:15; Mal. 4:5).

things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 certainly one (une), as one of the Old Testament's most foundational statements makes clear (Deut. 6:4) God - which is the primary theme of the entire New Testament (Matthew 25:34, James 2:5, 1 Peter 1:3-4, Galatians 4:7, Titus 3:7).

whom I trust.” 3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. 4 Verse 4 speaks of finding refuge under his wings, instilling the imagery of a baby bird being protected In Matthew 4, Satan brought Jesus to the top of the temple and challenged him to throw Himself off.

faithfulness to the house of Israel; All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 4 strange reason only gets sung as a Christmas carol even though it's actually a rendition of Psalm 98:4- Psalm 98:4-9 Joy to the World 4 Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; Break forth and sing for joy

4   But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you. 5  I wait for the LORD Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 Flee for refuge to Christ crucified: 4   But with you there is forgiveness... 5   I wait for the LORD my cry for mercy. 5  I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits and by holy exercises of godliness 4