Bible.com Hebrews 7:23-25 (NIV) CONTEXT: One of the key themes of Hebrews is 'Jesus is better than... Hebrews 7:25 makes three hugely significant claims about who Jesus is and what He's done and will always source of pastoral assurance and one without which the process of our salvation would be incomplete ( Hebrews 9:24 ).

Hebrews 2:1–4 (NIV) 2 We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 11 So it is that the author of Hebrews warns his readers right near the beginning of his message: we must As the name of this book implies - Hebrews - its original audience knew the Old Testament well, and

Hebrews 10:11-14(NIV) 11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and I love how Richard Philips addresses how both can be true in his commentary on Hebrews: “In the eyes

Hebrews 4:12–13 (NIV) 12  For the word of God is alive and active. Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 11

Jeremiah 6:9–15 (NIV) CONTEXT: Jeremiah is declaring the Word of the LORD, calling out the complacent sinfulness of His people that will result in their exile to Babylon. 9   This is what the LORD Almighty The word of the LORD is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it. 11  But I am full of the wrath ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace. 15  Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct? Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 15

God wields His double-edged sword with surgical precision. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 84 Q. How does preaching the gospel open and close the kingdom of heaven? A. According to the command of Christ: The kingdom of heaven is opened by proclaiming and publicly declaring to all believers, each and every one, that, as often as they accept the gospel promise in true faith, God, because of what Christ has done, truly forgives all their sins. The kingdom of heaven is closed, however, by proclaiming and publicly declaring to unbelievers and hypocrites that, as long as they do not repent, the anger of God and eternal condemnation rest on them. God’s judgment, both in this life and in the life to come, is based on this gospel testimony. Summary Words don't get the credit they deserve in our hyper-pragmatic society. Most people prefer hands on instruction rather than a long manual full of words or a movie or video rather than an expansive novel. But our ability to form and utilize words is one of the key features that set us as human beings apart from the rest of God's created order, and it's precisely because we're created in His image that we have this unique ability. God's first recorded action was Him speaking words of creation into the nothingness. The Israelites met God as they cowered under His words of commandment that boomed down from the mountain, and their descendents would go on to harass, persecute, and generally ignore the word God sent via His prophets calling His wayward children back. John introduces our Savior as the Logos, which is often translated as word, but which refers to much more than just basic vocabulary (Logos also forms the basis for logic, and serves as the foundation for knowledge - biology, geology, theology, etc.). God's Word is so much more than ancient stories, prophecies and testimonies printed on dusty old pages. His Word is alive and active, able to penetrate the heart of man like nothing else. Furthermore, Isaiah adds that God's Word never fails; it always achieves the purpose for which He sent it. Dig Deeper But it sorta seems like God's Word has failed. Churches - even (maybe even especially) churches that have faithfully proclaimed God's Word - are emptier now than they've been in decades. Has our society finally achieved Adam's goal of separating ourselves so far from God that we're out of reach of the powerful sword His Word represents? Absolutely not. God's Word always achieves God's purposes. Praise God that through the proclamation of His Word you have come to clearly understand His grace. But it also clearly communicates God's anger and eternal condemnation for those who do not repent of sin. Unbelievers have heard and understood this Word, but they have failed to respond to it. Praise God that His Word goes out from your church, and know that whether your pews are full of those who've gladly accepted the gospel message, or empty because so many heard it and rejected it, that God is achieving His purposes through the preached Word. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father faithfully sends us His Word, just as He sends us rain from heaven; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that God, by means of His double edged sword, will continue to penetrate the sin that always seeks to envelope your heart; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Corinthians 2

In Matthew 18:15-18, Jesus illustrates how this process is to work.

Atonement Article 1: God’s Right to Condemn All People Romans 5:12-14 - Mis-Markmanship Deuteronomy 28:15 -20 - Not A Tame Lion Genesis 2:15-17 - Or Else Luke 15:11-16 - Prodigious Deprivation Psalm 143 - Aggressive 15-21 - God's Mercy, Not Your Effort 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - Love The Truth Psalm 81 - Call To Worship Romans 4:18-25 - Faithfully Face the Facts Hebrews 11:39-40 - Promises Kept Psalm 33 - God's Control, Malachi 3:6-7 - Keep It Simple Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchanging Anchor Hebrews 13:1-8 - Keep On Loving Hebrews

Romans 9:15-16 15  For God says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion Summary This isn't the first time we've come to Romans 9 this year ( we also read this passage in February Romans 9 is all about God's sovereignty in our salvation - that is, His control, authority and presence But you can and should memorize Romans 9:16.

Ecclesiastes 3:9-15 CONTEXT: The book of Ecclesiastes contain the writings of the Teacher, a character modeled after the life and wisdom of King Solomon, as he searches for meaning under the sun. 9  What 10  I have seen the burden God has laid on the sons of man ( ʾā·ḏām ). 11  He has made everything beautiful God does it so that people will fear him. 15  Whatever is has already been, and what will