This is why Paul finishes this passage as he does in v14-15: BELIEF IN CHRIST requires HEARING ABOUT

and the Son, but remember that every word you read in the Bible was breathed out by the Holy Spirit (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

Isaiah 57:15–19 (NIV) 15  For this is what the high and exalted One says — he who lives forever, whose

God uses the Church to enact His sovereign will. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 83 Q. What are the keys of the kingdom? A. The preaching of the holy gospel and Christian discipline toward repentance. Both preaching and discipline open the kingdom of heaven to believers and close it to unbelievers. Summary One of the key moments in the gospels is when Peter realizes that Jesus is no ordinary teacher. Matthew record of Peter's confession comes in chapter 16, and as soon as Peter exclaims that Jesus "is the Christ, the Son of the living God (v16)," Jesus responds by issuing Peter the 'keys of the kingdom.' Be lest we conclude that Jesus was giving this massive power to just one individual, Jesus uses nearly the same phrase over again a couple of chapters later that we read today, this time as a follow up regarding how to handle conflict in the Church, and this time using the word 'you' in plural: 'whatever y'all bind or loose.' When after going through the multiple steps Jesus prescribes, the Church - certainly not the whole church, but even as few as a couple of representatives of it - comes into agreement on a matter of discipline, the matter is as settled (bound) in heaven as it is in the Church. In giving the Church this responsibility, God doesn't provide unlimited power. He preserves His sovereignty over all things, including which individuals will be 'bound' and 'loosed.' R.T. France puts it well, “The fact that God has given his people the role of declaring his will on earth does not mean that he is bound to add his divine sanction to anything they may think up.” Dig Deeper It might seem like we should be taking much more advantage of the promise Jesus makes in v19, that if any two of us agree on anything they jointly ask for in prayer, our Father in heaven will do it for them. We certainly should be taking more advantage of the this promise, but we also better understand the parameters of the promise being made here. First of all, the promise is made in conjunction with the formal administration of the Church, but although this doesn't limit the promise's power just to large group meetings since Jesus applies it to groups as small as two or three, this promise is not meant to guarantee you that when you get together with two or three friends and ask God to grant the Twins or Vikings a championship that God is forced to comply. The key to this promise comes in the phrase "gathered in my name." This means that those who've come together on behalf of the church in prayer are fully aligned with God's will, and therefore will be asking for things that God eagerly desires to provide. What are some of the things that God eagerly desires for your church that you ought to be coming together to ask Him for, especially now that you've been reminded of the promise Jesus made to you? AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who lovingly provides for His Church through His Church; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that as you gather with others from the Church that you will be 'gathering in Jesus' name.' ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 24

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

You're probably not a thief, but the temptation to steal comes often! 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 The 8th Commandment, you shall not steal, is rather ambiguous in its meaning. We are directed to not steal, yet the object of that theft is not defined. There is intentionality in this ambiguity, for what is being outlawed is not one type of theft but a whole spectrum of things that fall into the category of stealing. The laws in the United States outlaw various forms of theft and the punishment for each of these offenses varies based upon the severity of the crime. This is also the case with the Old Testament law, where the restitution necessary for an act of theft will vary depending on the circumstances. There are many instances in the Old Testament where the restitution to be made for stealing is double what was taken. There are also some specific circumstances, such as with livestock, where the punishment is more severe. An example of this can be found in Exodus 22:1, “If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.” Instead of doubling the amount stolen, a stolen ox demands 5x and a stolen sheep 4x restitution. While all forms of theft are a violation of the 8th commandment, the consequences may vary based upon the circumstances. Dig Deeper There are many types of theft that fall under the umbrella of the 8th commandment. At different times I’ve had money, property, or bank card information stolen from me. These types of theft are more obvious than other ways the people violate the 8th commandment. Robbing a bank is clearly theft, yet there are other ways that people steal that are not as obvious. Over the next couple days we will review some of these examples from scripture and the catechism. Not all forms of theft are on the same level as grand theft auto or an Oceans 11 type of heist, however we are called to be faithful in all matters, in that which is both big and small. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, whose very character defines honesty and truth; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will be able to avoid the shortcuts in life that stealing might give you; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - John 1

The warning Jesus shares in Matthew 7:15 is to be aware of false prophets.

ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Philippians 2

hope is much more than just a wish, it's a certainty that God will fulfill all that He has promised. 2)