Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire (James 1:14 ESV) James 1:13-17 Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election 1 - God's right to condemn all people 2 - God

Hebrews 11:1–3 (NIV) 11 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not

ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Corinthians 10

the invisible things of God: his eternal power and his divinity, as the apostle Paul says in Romans 1: He said, "Repent (Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:15)."

Psalm 89:34-37(NIV) A maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite. 1  I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever But it is spread and dispersed throughout the entire world, though still joined and united in heart

Paul provides his own response and summary of God’s work of redemption in Ephesians 1:3–14. The only action attributed to the recipients of this amazing grace is hearing and believing it (1:13) salvation; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will respond to the gospel like Paul in Ephesians 1:

easy to feel pessimistic about the Church, but be encouraged by God's powerful, yet gentle whisper. 1 But it is spread and dispersed throughout the entire world, though still joined and united in heart

God's name for Himself may seem simple, but it's amazingly profound. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 25 Q. Since there is but one God, why do you speak of three: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? A. Because that is how God has revealed himself in his Word: these three distinct persons are one, true, eternal God. Summary We come to the famous story of the burning bush in the context of understanding our Triune (three in one) God. Moses arrived at the burning bush from a far different context: he'd been keeping his head down, doing his job and hoping that the Egyptians wouldn't find and prosecute him for a murder he'd committed 40 years earlier. He's lived a quiet, peaceful life as a shepherd, when out of nowhere a bush erupts into a flame that doesn't fizzle out. As he approaches the burning bush, he hears: Do not come near... the place on which you are standing is holy ground! (v5) The voice proceeds to tell Moses he's been drafted to lead the massive community of Hebrews from their slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land, flowing with milk & honey. Dig Deeper It's customary for a royal figure to be announced with what's known as a heraldry, which is often a long and complicated recitation of all of that person's titles. Each of the names read off has meaning, and the more names a royal has, the more important he is. The official heraldry God gives for Himself is neither long nor complicated, yet it is immensely profound: I AM who I AM In other words, GOD IS. God is His attributes; that is, He isn't just good, rather He defines goodness. He doesn't just act lovingly, love exists because God exists. God exists in and of Himself. He had no beginning and will never end. Time itself is one of His creations, and He lives outside of and above it. He always was, is now and always will be. The concept of God being both three and one doesn't easily harmonize with our understanding of logic. But remember, logic, just like time, is God's creation. He wrote the laws of logic, but He's not obligated to conform to them as we are. None of us will ever full comprehend who and what God is. Many people reject God because they can't understand Him. But let these incomprehensible aspects of God comfort you rather than push you away. Afterall, if our God controls rather than conforms to logic, what is there that He can't control? AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Father in heaven, your name is holy and you are above all things; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will be able to fully trust God even though you don't fully understand Him. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Acts 24

Summary In Ephesians 2:1–10, Paul rehashes what we have covered so far in following the structure of As Jesus himself said from the cross, “it is finished” (John 19:30).

If you fail to warn others, their sin becomes your sin. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 99 Q. What is God’s will for us in the third commandment? A. That we neither blaspheme nor misuse the name of God by cursing, perjury, or unnecessary oaths, nor share in such horrible sins by being silent bystanders. In a word, it requires that we use the holy name of God only with reverence and awe, so that we may properly confess him, pray to him, and praise him in everything we do and say. Summary The prophet Ezekiel here is giving an account of God’s calling him to be a watchman for the people of Israel. A watchman was an individual who kept a lookout over the entrance of the city, announcing the arrival of messengers and warning of impending attacks on the city. The role of a watchman was an important one; they were there to protect the city. A watchman who failed to give warning of an attack would bear indirect responsibility for those who died. As a watchman appointed by God for the people of Israel, it was Ezekiel’s responsibility to deliver messages which he received from God to the people. Ezekiel was warned that his calling was to do more than just declare condemnation on the wicked, he was to first speak out and dissuade the people from their wicked ways. To fail to encourage his fellow Israelites to give up their sinful ways would leave Ezekiel accountable for their blood. If Ezekiel was faithful in warning others about these dangers and they ignored his warning, the fault would not lie with him. However, to do nothing, to not warn of the dangers of wicked living would leave Ezekiel liable. Dig Deeper Sometimes, as Ezekiel was warned, you can find yourself in violation of God’s law not because of what you have done, but for what you have left undone. One of the ways you can dishonor the name of God is by standing idly by while someone defames the name of God. Arguably, one of the most common curse words spoken in the English language is the misuse of the name of God. The use of terms such as “Jesus”, “Jesus Christ”, or “Oh My God” in a derogatory way is rampant in western media and the broader culture. And unfortunately, this misuse of the name of God can cause others to likewise share in the defaming of the name of our Lord. Many who misuse the name of God in this manner do not understand the defamatory nature of using the name of the Almighty in this way. This is where a gentle reminder can make a difference in someone’s life. Perhaps that person does not care about the misuse of the name of God; if that is the case then the fault of their actions does not lie with you. However, to not share the truth of their actions with someone who does not understand the defamatory nature of their misuse of the name of God would leave you with some level of accountability for their breaking of the third commandment. As you do your best to follow God’s law out of gratitude for all that Christ has done for you, remember to also be a help to those who are seeking to do the same. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the great judge who calls us to warn of His impending wrath; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the wisdom and courage to not only live and speak righteously on your own, but to gently call those around you out of their sinful language; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 2 Corinthians 12