Matthew 1:18-25 (NIV) 18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged encounter with the archangel in which he informed her that she who was 'highly favored' by God (Luke 1: 28) would be having a child out of wedlock in 8-1/2 months. both needed to be told the same exact thing by their angelic messenger: "Do not be afraid (v20, Luke 1:

Galatians 4:1-7 (NIV) ...As long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time" (1 Peter 1:3-5).

Matthew 22:1-14 (NIV) 22 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2  “The kingdom of heaven is Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1- 5 Article Paul would later write, God wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of truth ( 1 Timothy

Daniel prospered because He was fed by God rather than the world. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 79 Q. Why then does Christ call the bread his body and the cup his blood, or the new covenant in his blood? (Paul uses the words, a participation in Christ’s body and blood.) A. Christ has good reason for these words. He wants to teach us that as bread and wine nourish our temporal life, so too his crucified body and poured-out blood truly nourish our souls for eternal life. But more important, he wants to assure us, by this visible sign and pledge, that we, through the Holy Spirit’s work, share in his true body and blood as surely as our mouths receive these holy signs in his remembrance, and that all of his suffering and obedience are as definitely ours as if we personally had suffered and paid for our sins. Summary The book of Daniel begins with Israel being carried off into exile in Babylon as a result of their sin. Interestingly, it's those who are taken away from Israel who are the remnant that God will preserve, while those who are left behind will slowly fade away. Nebuchadnezzar only takes the best and brightest, and then he selects the cream of that crop to serve in his sprawling government. Daniel is part of this group of talented young men who are to not only be trained, but assimilated into Babylonian language & literature; in other words, the king wants men with a worldview like his own, so they must be indoctrinated before serving in official roles. Daniel is part of a group who, while willing to serve the king, "resolved not to defile himself" with too much Babylonian culture, especially the food. This food was the best of the best, but it was quite different than what God had commanded Israelites to eat. God wanted His covenant people to look different from the world around them, and one of the key ways of doing this was by regulating their diet. After securing permission to maintain their Kosher diet, Daniel and his friends eat only vegetables and water. But God blesses this protein light menu anyways in such a way that they "looked healthier (literally: fatter) and better nourished than the other young men who ate the royal food." Dig Deeper You probably don't think of yourself this way, but like Daniel, you are an exile. You likely haven't been physically forced from your homeland, but you are living away from your true home in the Kingdom of God. Christians are not fully at home in this world but are temporary residents, awaiting their true eternal home in the presence of God. This opening chapter in Daniel is not making the point that one style of diet is better than another, rather it reminds us that full nourishment requires more than just physical food. As creatures that are both physical and spiritual, our souls must be nourished for eternal life just as we feed our bodies three times a day (or more). If you neglect regular church attendance, you must understand that you will quickly become spiritually malnourished. You need to be fed regularly with the Word & sacraments to fully experience God's blessings as Daniel and his friends did. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who preserves and nourishes us even while we remain in exile; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for feeding you spiritually, and pray for a growing desire to consume the means of grace God provides through your local church; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 16

Encouragement comes to the informed. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NIV) 13  Brothers and sisters, we do not Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article   37: The Last Judgment (Part 1) For all those who died before that time will be raised from the earth, their spirits being joined and Sadly, though, as we read yesterday , not all people will join Christ in His Kingdom.

Romans 10:1-4 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they Today: John 16

Hebrews 5:1-10 (NIV) Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent

The climax of the Bible are the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, because they teach us about Jesus

Genesis 1:26–28 (ESV) 26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. 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

Ephesians 1:3-6 (NIV) 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us Today: Romans 1