Everybody's religious, but not every religion is true. Summary of Christian Doctrine: Your 'religion' expresses how you relate to God. Since everybody relates to God in one way or another, everybody is religious. Read all of Chapter 1 CONTEXT: The Apostle Paul is waiting to meet up with Timothy and Silas in Athens. Acts 17:16–31 (NIV) 16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.) 22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKOWN GOD. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you. 24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” 32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered... Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 6 Q. Did God create people so wicked and perverse? A. No. God created them good and in his own image, that is, in true righteousness and holiness, so that they might truly know God their creator, love him with all their heart, and live with him in eternal happiness for his praise and glory. Summary It must have been easy to spot Paul as he took in the sights in Athens - he was the one with the greatly distressed look on his face since the whole city was full of idols. It didn't take long for the locals, a group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers, to take notice of him and to engage him in their favorite pastime: debating and doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas. So they invited him down to the Areopagus, which was their hang out, to hear more of his strange ideas. Once there, Paul began by pointing out the Athenians' most obvious attribute: that they were in every way very religious. He went on to mention their objects of worship that he'd looked carefully at. He would have seen shrines to not just the Olympian gods you may have learned about in high school, but dozens, if not hundreds, of other deities and cults would have had something set up as well. To make sure that they'd covered all of their divine bases, they'd even erected an altar inscribed TO AN UNKOWN GOD. It doesn't take long for Paul to get to the heart of the matter: that these learned philosophers were ignorant of the very thing they worshipped. Imagine the look on these guys' faces when Paul told them that! Finally, Paul proclaims to them the one, true God whom they'd missed: The God who made the world and everything in it, who is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. This living God gives everyone life and breath and everything else - in fact, it's in Him that we live and move and have our being! Dig Deeper Man has been described as 'incurably religious.' Aside from the fact that this make religion sound like a disease, it's an apt description of how people from every tribe, tongue and time period all have one thing in common: a divine belief that controls the way they think, feel and act. Even these erudite Athenian philosophers. Paul points out the problem that's plagued most of humanity: people think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. And in doing so, he sets himself up to share the gospel. He tells them that in the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. Paul goes on to tell them that God has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the Man he has appointed, and that He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead. That's where Paul lost his audience: when they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered. It's good that you're religious. But realize everybody is - it's part of your very essence as an image bearer of God. What matters is that your religion is true - that it's based on what the Lord of heaven and earth, and the Man he has appointed, have revealed. It's this truth that we'll endeavor to learn together in 2027. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the God who made the world and everything in it; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would seek God, and reach out for Him and find Him as we read His Word in 2027; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

You already knew that you're religious... the surprise is that everyone else is too! The Truth We Confess: A Summary of Christian Doctrine is a yearlong study designed to help people more clearly understand, confess, and live from the biblical foundation upon which we stand. Books written by Louis Berkhof, one of the Christian Reformed Church's most famous theologians, have guided scholars, pastors, and everyday people in understanding what the Bible teaches and how it applies to life. We'll spend this year working through a book he wrote to teach high school students Christian Doctrine nearly a century ago. You'll see that it's every bit as accessible and relevant still today. These doctrines comprise our "religion", a word we use often but that's hard to define. It's with this primary concept that Professor Berkhof begins with. A Summary of Christian Doctrine, by Louis Berkhof Chapter 1: Religion (Lightly edited and formatted for clarity) What Is Religion? The Bible informs us that man was created in the image of God. When he fell in sin, he did not entirely cease to be the image-bearer of the Most High. The seed of religion is still present in all men, though their sinful nature constantly reacts against it. Missionaries testify to the presence of religion in some form or other among all the nations and tribes of the earth. It is one of the greatest blessings of mankind, though many denounce it as a curse. Not only does it touch the deepest springs of man’s life, but it also controls his thoughts and feelings and desires. But just what is religion? It is only by the study of the Word of God that we can learn to know the nature of true religion. The word ‘religion’ is derived from the Latin and not from any word that is found in the original Hebrew or Greek of the Bible. It is found only four times in our translation of the Bible (Gal. 1:13, 14; Jas. 1:26, 27). The Old Testament defines religion as the fear of the Lord. This fear is not a feeling of dread, but of reverent regard for God akin to awe, but coupled with love and confidence. It is the response of the Old Testament believers to the revelation of the law. In the New Testament religion is a response to the gospel rather than to the law, and assumes the form of faith and godliness. In the light of Scripture we learn to understand that religion is a relation in which man stands to God, a relation in which man is conscious of the absolute majesty and infinite power of God and of his own utter insignificance and absolute helplessness. It may be defined as a conscious and voluntary relationship to God, which expresses itself in grateful worship and loving service. The manner of this religious worship and service is not left to the arbitrary will of man, but is determined by God. How Do You Experience Religion? There are several wrong views respecting the seat of religion in man: Some think of religion primarily as a sort of knowledge, and locate it in the intellect. Others regard it as a kind of immediate feeling of God, and find its seat in the emotions. And still others hold that it consists most of all in moral activity, and refer it to the will. However, all these views are one-sided and contrary to Scripture, which teaches us that religion is a matter of the heart. In Scripture psychology the heart is the central organ of the soul. Out of it are all the issues of life, thoughts, feelings, and desires (Prov. 4:23). Religion involves the whole man, his intellectual, his emotional, and his moral life. This is the only view that does justice to the nature of religion. Where Did Religion Come From? Repeated attempts have been made to give a natural explanation of religion, but without success. Some spoke of it as an invention of cunning and deceptive priests, who regarded it as an easy source of revenue; but this explanation is entirely discredited now. Others held that it began with the worship of lifeless objects, or with the worship of spirits, possibly the spirits of forefathers. But this is no explanation, since the question remains, How did people ever hit upon the idea of worshiping lifeless or living objects? Still others were of the opinion that religion originated in nature-worship, that is, the worship of the marvels and powers of nature, or in the widespread practice of magic. But these theories do not explain any more than the others how non-religious man ever became religious. They all start out with a man who is already religious. The Bible gives the only reliable account of the origin of religion. It informs us of the existence of God, the only object worthy of religious worship. Moreover, it comes to us with the assurance that God, whom man could never discover with his natural powers, revealed Himself in nature and, more especially, in His divine Word, demands the worship and service of man, and also determines the worship and service that is well-pleasing to Him. And, finally, it teaches us that God created man in His own image, and thus endowed him with a capacity to understand, and to respond to, this revelation, and engendered in him a natural urge to seek communion with God and to glorify Him. Being religious isn't what makes you a Christian - everybody's religious in that everybody relates to God in one way or another. What matters is that your religion is true - that is, that it's based on what God has revealed in His Word alone. Join us each weekday at UnfadingTruth.com as we explore what Scripture and our Reformed Confessions teach us about true religion.

Authoritative, Biblical preaching is truly amazing. Gospels: Week 2 - Jesus' Preparation & Beginning of Ministry We're visiting a different book each day as we work through all four gospels chronologically over the coming months. Image: Bible App SINCE WE LAST LEFT OFF... Jesus has returned from the devil testing Him in the wilderness and begun His public ministry with the announcement that the kingdom of God has come near so people must repent and believe the good news. He's just called the first four of His twelve disciples to follow Him. Mark 1:21–28 (NASB95) 21 They went into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and began to teach. 22 They were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 23 Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, 24 saying, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” 25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” 26 Throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice and came out of him. 27 They were all amazed, so that they debated among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” 28 Immediately the news about Him spread everywhere into all the surrounding district of Galilee. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 31 Q. Why is Jesus called “Christ,” meaning “anointed”? A. Because he has been ordained by God the Father and has been anointed with the Holy Spirit to be our chief prophet and teacher who perfectly reveals to us the secret counsel and will of God for our deliverance... Q&A 32 Q. But why are you called a Christian? A. Because by faith I am a member of Christ and so I share in his anointing. I am anointed to confess his name, to present myself to him as a living sacrifice of thanks, to strive with a good conscience against sin and the devil in this life, and afterward to reign with Christ over all creation for all eternity. Summary We're going to see an interesting tension develop between what Jesus wants to do in His ministry, compared to what the people want to see Him do. Mark makes Jesus' purpose clear as he begins to tell the story, reporting that Jesus entered the synagogue and began to teach. Remember, Jesus' primary directive - the first thing He publicly announced - was for people to repent. Certainly He was calling people to be genuinely sorry for and to turn from their sins, but the word repent means more - it literally means to think different. It means, as Paul would later put it, to stop being conformed to the world's pattern of thinking, and instead be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2). So it makes sense, as Jesus here demonstrates, that being taught - that is, having your renewed mind filled with true and good knowledge - ought to be a Christian's top priority. It doesn't take long for those who'd came to synagogue that morning to realize they'd never heard anything like Jesus' teaching before, for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes, who'd apparently just been going through the motions, blandly reading the words on the scroll. While it would have been wonderful to hear Jesus teaching in person as these people did, you can be confident that the preaching and teaching you experience, when it's based on God's living Word and infused with the Holy Spirit's blessing, also carries divine authority. Are you consistently amazed by it? If not, what barriers are keeping you from that blessing each Lord's Day? Dig Deeper Even though they were amazed at Jesus' teaching, it's what happened next that stunned the people in the synagogue (the literal translation of the second instance of amazed in this passage). Just then, Mark notes using his customary fast paced style, a man with an unclean spirit cried out, having recognized Jesus for who He truly is: the holy one of God. Most of us have probably never seen a demon possessed person. But yet in the gospels, it seems so common place. It's not that demons no longer posses people (although Christians need not fear this happening to them), but rather that Satan was throwing all of his efforts into a concentrated area containing thousands of people during Jesus' life, while the world is now filled with billions of people with the same finite amount of demons. Yet the demons there in that synagogue on this particular sabbath bowed (albeit violently, throwing the man into convulsions and crying out with a loud voice as it came out) before the One who has ultimate authority over all things. Notice how calmly Jesus handled the situation - He simply spoke and the demon obeyed. Yet for as amazing as this first exorcism was, it was still Jesus' new teaching with authority that captured the first place in their minds as they reflected upon what they'd witnessed. Mark notes that immediately the news about Him spread everywhere. But you don't need to read much farther in Mark's gospel (or the others, for that matter) to see that the people's ongoing interest in being taught by Jesus would soon give way to just wanting to receive miracles from Him. Jesus can and does do many miraculous works in your life, some of which you're aware of, and most you've never even noticed. Be thankful for this, but be sure to not let your desire for Jesus do simply do good things for you eclipse your desire to be taught by Him. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, whose Son has been given authority over all things; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for a deep and longing desire to be taught by Jesus through His Word; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Jesus passed the test that we failed. Gospels: Week 2 - Jesus' Preparation & Beginning of Ministry We're visiting a different book each day as we work through all four gospels chronologically over the coming months. BiblePortal.com Luke 4:1–13 (NASB95) 1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry. 3 And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” 4 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’ ” 5 And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.” 8 Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’ ” 9 And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; 10 for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You to guard You,’ 11 and, ‘On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’ ” 12 And Jesus answered and said to him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” 13 When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 60 Q. How are you right with God? A. Only by true faith in Jesus Christ. Even though my conscience accuses me of having grievously sinned against all God’s commandments and of never having kept any of them, and even though I am still inclined toward all evil, nevertheless, without my deserving it at all, out of sheer grace, God grants and credits to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ, as if I had never sinned nor been a sinner, as if I had been as perfectly obedient as Christ was obedient for me. All I need to do is to accept this gift of God with a believing heart. Summary Today's episode comes immediately after Jesus' baptism, in which the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in the form of a dove, so as the passage begins, Luke emphasizes that Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit. But the Spirit leads Jesus here differently than He ever has or ever will lead us; He led Jesus into the wilderness for forty days to be tempted by the devil. Although Spiritually strong, Jesus became physically weakened, since He ate nothing during those days. Although it's certainly not the main point of this passage, there is wisdom in understanding that your spiritual and physical aspects are very much connected. You're much more susceptible to temptation when you're physically exhausted, and since most of us don't get the amount of rest we need (not just sleep), we're all much more vulnerable to the devil even though we eat very well. Knowing that Jesus is weakened, the devil pounces, and presents Jesus with the same temptations he'd put before Adam and Eve, albeit packaged differently. He begins by telling Jesus He can have more if He'd just take matters into His own hands. If You are the Son of God, the devil begins, tell this stone to become bread. Next, the devil offers Jesus the same shortcut he'd offered Adam and Eve, ironically offering to Jesus, the divine Son of God, the glory that belongs to God alone. All Jesus had to do was worship before him, and it would all be His. Finally, the devil puts God Himself on trial, just as he'd done so long before in the Garden when he asked did God really say...? After all, God had promised in His Word that He'd commanded His angels to guard Jesus and bear Him up in their hands. So it only makes sense, the devil tempts Jesus, that if You are the Son of God You can safely jump from the temple's pinnacle. But although there's never anything new with the devil's temptations, there is something very different about how Jesus resists them. Unlike Adam, our first covenant representative, Jesus - the new Adam - remained perfectly obedient to God's covenant requirements, so that God could grant and credit to you the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ (QA 60). Dig Deeper There's a whole lot of scripture quoting going on as the devil tempts Jesus. Notice that Jesus doesn't use any miraculous or divine powers to resist sin. Rather, He uses a resource that's readily available to us: God's Word. Jesus rebuffs the devil's three temptations with three quotations from Scripture. This is one more reason for you to have lots of it memorized, like Jesus did (and remember, Jesus wasn't born having the Bible memorized; He learned it the hard way, just like you must). But the devil throws Scripture right back at Jesus as he tempts Him the third time, quoting Psalm 91:11-12. So it's not enough to just know the words of the Bible! You see this all the time - people quoting God's Word verbatim in a way that promotes or condones sin! You need to both know well what God says in His Word, but you also need a well developed theological lens through which you can interpret and apply it correctly. This is where our Confessions (The Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession and the Canons of Dordt) are helpful. They summarize the whole of Scripture enabling you to then correctly understand each particular part of it. The primary point of today's passage is that Jesus passed the test that Adam and his offspring failed. It's for this reason, Hebrews 9 tells us, that Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who sent His Son to do what we could not to grant to us the rightousness we require; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will fully trust in Christ's perfect obedience even as you rely on God's Word to resist sin; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

When it comes to the gospel, keep the main thing the main thing. Gospels: Week 2 - Jesus' Preparation & Beginning of Ministry We're visiting a different book each day as we work through all four gospels chronologically over the coming months. Mark 1:9–15 (NASB95) 9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; 11 and a voice came out of the heavens: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” 12 Immediately the Spirit impelled Him to go out into the wilderness. 13 And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him. 14 Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 123 Q. What does the second request of the Lord's Prayer mean? A. “Your kingdom come” means, Rule us by your Word and Spirit in such a way that more and more we submit to you. Keep your church strong, and add to it. Destroy the devil’s work; destroy every force which revolts against you and every conspiracy against your Word. Do this until your kingdom is so complete and perfect that in it you are all in all. Summary Mark's gospel was likely the first to be published. It's the shortest of the four, and his brevity is evident in today's passage. Whereas the other gospels give more insights into the various events and facets of Jesus' life and ministry, Mark keeps the pace moving. One of Mark's favorite words for keeping this pace is one that rarely gets translated: the humble conjunction and. Here's how the passage looks if all of Mark's ands are included: And in those days, Jesus came from Nazareth... And immediately coming up out of the water... And a voice came out of the heavens... And immediately the Spirit impelled Him to go out into the wilderness... And He was in the wilderness forty days... And He was with the wild beasts and the angels were ministering to Him... And after John had been taken into custody... It's almost as if Mark is like a young child who can't wait to tell his parents everything he'd done while he was at summer camp, excitedly reporting each and everything that had transpired: "We did this and then this and then this and then this..." As we work our way through the four gospels over the coming months, we'll begin to see that each evangelist has his own particular style and personality that comes out in his writing. This is the beauty of God's Word - it certainly is divinely inspired so as to be perfectly accurate and true, but since God imparts this truth through particular men, we also need to know those men well to have a full understanding of what God is saying. How about you? Do you share Mark's breathless excitement to tell others about who Jesus is? Dig Deeper People love to hijack the Bible in general, and Jesus in particular, to bolster their own pet projects and political positions. You should support this or do that, they'll say, because this is what the Bible says. This is nothing new or particular to our own day and age, it's happened all throughout history. For too many people, the answer to the proverbial question "What would Jesus do?" (WWJD) just so happens to perfectly correspond with their personal preferences. It's not wrong to long for public policy that reflects God's will or to use Jesus as a model for how to love one another, but as has been said often before, remember to keep the main thing the main thing. In other words, although the Bible's ancillary points are valuable and important, they weren't Jesus' primary focus in His ministry. Mark makes Jesus' primary objective clear: it wasn't healing the sick or feeding the poor, although He did both, rather it was preaching the gospel of God. More literally, Jesus came to preach God's good news. Certainly the good news is that Jesus died to atone for our sin and was raised from the dead to give us new life, but notice that the gospel / good news Jesus began preaching comes three years before His resurrection! So what then is this good news? Simply that the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. In other words, Jesus' main message is that the time of expulsion, in which our covenant representative Adam was evicted from God's garden kingdom, has come to an end. Therefore, Jesus continues, you must repent. Literally translated, you must learn to think differently. Stop focusing on getting all this world's stuff and instead, as Jesus will go on to say, seek first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33). AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who publically declared that He is well pleased with our new covenant representative, Jesus Christ; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would experience this comfort as you continually repent (literally: think different) and believe the gospel; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand! Gospels: Week 2 - Jesus' Preparation & Beginning of Ministry We're visiting a different book each day as we work through all four gospels chronologically over the coming months. Matthew 3:1–12 (NASB95) 1 Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight!’ ” 4 Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan; 6 and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins. 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 “Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; 9 and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.10 “The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 “His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 72 Q. Does the outward washing with water itself wash away sins in baptism? A. No, only Jesus Christ’s blood and the Holy Spirit cleanse us from all sins. Summary We didn't get to spend nearly enough time in the prophets as we read through the Old Testament over the first half of the year, but those we read through were certainly unique and colorful - especially Ezekiel! Remember what a prophet is: whereas a priest is one who represents the people to God, a prophet is one who represents God to the people. God used prophets in times before His Word was made complete to reveal Himself to His covenant people - often by using the prophets to convict His people of their sin and call them to repent. The Old Testament ends with numerous short books that don't get turned to often enough written by the minor prophets (minor in the sense that their books are shorter than those of Isaiah or Jeremiah, not that they're less important). But the final Biblical prophet isn't found in the Old Testament at all; rather, we read of him in all four of the gospel narratives: the strange man simply known as John the Baptist. Notice how Matthew introduces John. It's hard for us to not focus on his eccentricities like his camel hair garment and diet of locusts and wild honey. But John's oddities aren't the first thing Matthew mentions. Rather, the first thing he reports is that John came preaching. All throughout scripture, but especially in the New Testament, preaching is the primary means by which God communicates with His people. Matthew then quotes the prophet Isaiah to introduce John as the one who made ready the way of the LORD - the one Isaiah said would cry out in the wilderness, announcing comfort, comfort to God's people, because their hard service has been completed and their sins had been paid for (Isaiah 40:1-5). Dig Deeper Although John came preaching the comfort that Isaiah had prophesied about centuries earlier, he himself didn't bring the comfort. John, like any good preacher, pointed away from himself to the mightier One: Jesus Christ. John simply baptized with water for repentance - a practice not uncommon in ancient near eastern religions to demonstrate contrition. In other words, all John could do was help people recognize that their spiritual filth needed to be washed away. But such washing would take more than just the physical water John baptized with, it would take a baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire. But the Spiritual baptist John pointed to wouldn't bring the comfort Isaiah wrote of either - at least initially. He'd first come to winnow - that is, to separate the wheat from the chaff so that the chaff could be set aside and burned up with unquenchable fire. Jesus certainly brings the comfort Isaiah prophesied about and that you long for. In fact, that's what people primarily associate Him with: comfort and peace, and most people expect Him to deliver this comfort by simply affirming them and their choices. But John the Baptist, the Bible's final Old Testament prophet, describes Jesus as a winnower thoroughly clearing the threshing floor, gathering His wheat into the barn. It's only as the chaff in your life is winnowed out, which includes both your own indwelling sin and the brood of vipers who seek to pull you away from the barn so to speak, that you'll experience the comfort and peace the gospel promises. True gospel preachers, beginning with John the Baptist and continuing to this day, do not come with a message of comfort made possible by sprinkling some water here and there in your life. They come bearing the same exact message that both John and Jesus proclaimed: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who brings comfort to His wayward people by calling them to repent; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would experience this comfort as you continually repent (literally: think different) in Christ; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Where is the "highway of your heart" taking you? Psalm 84 (NASB95) For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. 1 How lovely are Your dwelling places, O LORD of hosts! 2 My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the LORD; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. 3 The bird also has found a house, And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, Even Your altars, O LORD of hosts, My King and my God. 4 How blessed are those who dwell in Your house! They are ever praising You. Selah. 5 How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, In whose heart are the highways to Zion! 6 Passing through the valley of Baca they make it a spring; The early rain also covers it with blessings. 7 They go from strength to strength, Every one of them appears before God in Zion. 8 O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah. 9 Behold our shield, O God, And look upon the face of Your anointed. 10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness. 11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. 12 O LORD of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in You! Belgic Confession Article 27: The Holy Catholic Church We believe and confess one single catholic or universal church— a holy congregation and gathering of true Christian believers, awaiting their entire salvation in Jesus Christ being washed by his blood, and sanctified and sealed by the Holy Spirit. This church has existed from the beginning of the world and will last until the end, as appears from the fact that Christ is eternal King who cannot be without subjects. -- And so this holy church is not confined, bound, or limited to a certain place or certain persons. But it is spread and dispersed throughout the entire world, though still joined and united in heart and will, in one and the same Spirit, by the power of faith. Summary There's a good chance that as you read this on the eve of a summer holiday weekend that you've traveled somewhere recently, maybe for just a day or two or maybe longer. While it's good to get away, there's always a longing to be home - the place where things are the way they're supposed to be. Or maybe home for you isn't that way at all, and you have a continual longing for things to be made right; to truly feel at home. That feeling is deeply woven into our humanity, but not just for a place that's familiar surrounded by things and people we love. Mankind has an intrinsic ache to not just be in our own home, but to be back in the lovely dwelling places of the LORD of hosts, for it's only there that your heart and flesh can sing for joy to the living God. The Psalmist here gives a nod back to that all important first psalm - the one that set the tone for the rest of the Psalter - describing the blessed man. That blessing - that is, total well being and happiness - comes to those who dwell in the LORD's house. Notice that this blessedness we all long for comes as a result of ever praising the LORD! Furthermore, that man is blessed whose strength is in the LORD. This is ironic, because sin tempts you to find strength, blessing and happiness in anything but God! Instead, find true blessedness by building highways to Zion - in other words, highways that pass through the valleys of life and spiritually bring you home, for every one who travels these heart-highways appears before God in Zion. Dig Deeper As the psalmist continues his prayer for the LORD to look upon the face of His anointed, he gets to what is perhaps Psalm 84's most famous couplet: 10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness. Is what the psalmist sings of here true for you as well? We began our devotion today recognizing that all people are homesick, but most people attempt to satisfy their longing with anything but God. To them, the tents of wickedness look really inviting. Do you long to be in the Lord's house, surrounded by His people, singing His praises and listening to His Word on Sunday? Or are you going to look for some lesser blessedness somewhere else? The primary storyline of the Bible is charting man's return to the LORD's dwelling place. We were created to live in the midst of it, but we were evicted from it after Adam sinned. For the last six months, we traced Israel's journey through several temporary dwelling places that brought them closer to God, but not quite into the full blessedness we were created to experience. This is why the Christmas story that we once again read through this past week is so amazing. Zion - God's dwelling place - is no longer at the end of a long highway that we continually veer off. God became Immanuel - now God dwells with us - through the person and work of the second member of the Trinity, our Savior Jesus Christ, and continuing on through the Holy Spirit who continues to dwell within. While it's certainly true that we're not home yet, the man who trusts in the LORD has already begun to experience the beginning of the blessedness, for no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly - that is, those who continue to walk, strengthened and upheld by God's indwelling Spirit, down the narrow road following Jesus. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the LORD God of hosts, whose dwelling we long to return to; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would walk uprightly, enjoying the foretaste of returning to God's dwelling through the Holy Spirit and through the gathered worship in the Lord's house here on earth; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Jesus is lots of good things, but first and foremost, He's your Savior Gospels: Week 1 - Jesus' Incarnation and Birth We begin the New Testament by, of course, tracking through the Gospel Narratives - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. We'll spend the rest of the summer in these gospels, and each day we'll be in a different book as we work through Jesus' birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension chronologically. Bible.com Matthew 1:18–25 (NASB95) 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. 20 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” 24 And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, 25 but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus. 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 We saw on day one of our reading the New Testament that each of the gospel writers pay homage to the book of Genesis as they begin their accounts. John and Mark start with the same phrase the Bible opens with - in the beginning. Matthew slips his nod in a bit into his narrative, opening today's passage by telling about the birth of Jesus Christ, a phrase that garners no attention in English, but stands out in the Greek Matthew originally wrote in because he choose a lesser used word for birth - the Greek word genesis (and v18 is actually the second time he used the word in this opening chapter). Right away, Matthew's concern for one of Christianity's most critical doctrines becomes clear, just as we saw was the case for Luke: these gospel writers wanted us to be certain that Jesus' mother was a virgin at the time of His birth. Matthew puts it a bit more coyly: the young couple was betrothed, but before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. Matthew gives us more insight into what this was like for Joseph, and the first thing he reports about Joseph is that he was a righteous man. But therein lies his problem. Commentator RT France notes that in Joseph's day, a righteous man like Joseph "would be expected to repudiate his errant fiancée publicly in a trial for adultery." But Matthew shows that Joseph was compassionate as well, so not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But things changed one night as Joseph slept and an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. The angel told him not to be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit (Matthew's second mention of this key fact). Even more, their Son would be no ordinary boy; the angel instructs Joseph to call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. To Matthew, writing decades after the fact and having followed Jesus as a disciple, this all makes total sense. After all, Isaiah had predicted things so perfectly: the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel - God with us (Isaiah 7:14). So without hesitation, Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife. But once again, Matthew wants to reiterate the importance of Jesus' divine nature, and so for the fourth time in today's very short passage, he explicitly points to the reality that Mary was a virgin at the time of her conception, and that Joseph kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son. Dig Deeper For so many people, Jesus is like a lump of clay that can be fashioned into whatever they want Him to be. For some He's a grand social worker, tirelessly feeding the poor. For others, He's a miracle healer, making the lame walk and the blind see. Others look to Him as their model for speaking truth to power, be it the Jewish religious establishment or the Imperial governing authorities. Now certainly Jesus did all those things - Matthew and Luke are our primary sources who report the amazing things Jesus did in His short three year ministry. And we too, as His followers, must endeavor to live as He did and care for the poor and stick up for the downtrodden, even if as Christians we disagree on the best way to do those things. But as they introduce Jesus to us, the wonderful things Jesus would do on the way to the cross and ultimately resurrection and ascension back into heaven aren't what they emphasized. Instead, they both emphasize over and over that Jesus was born of a virgin, an amazing miracle that for the first and only other time in history opens the door for humanity to have a new and perfect covenant representative since Adam had failed. And they emphasize the angelic announcement heralding Jesus' primary purpose: to save His people from their sins. Do your best to live like Jesus in the way you care for those around you. But don't make that the be-all, end-all of your religion. You need to continually be reminded of and emphasize yourself the key doctrines that Matthew and Luke report: Jesus is the God-Man sent to make you right with God. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who sovereignly orchestrates all of history for our salvation; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would faithfully align yourself to God's will like Joseph; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Christmas is just one chapter in God’s salvation story. Gospels: Week 1 - Jesus' Incarnation and Birth We begin the New Testament by, of course, tracking through the Gospel Narratives - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. We'll spend the rest of the summer in these gospels, and each day we'll be in a different book as we work through Jesus' birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension chronologically. Luke 2:1–20 (NASB95) 1 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. 2 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. 4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, 5 in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. 6 While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 “This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” 15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. 17 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 15 Q. What kind of mediator and deliverer should we look for then? A. One who is truly human and truly righteous, yet more powerful than all creatures, that is, one who is also true God. Summary Just so that you're aware, we're now closer to the upcoming Christmas Day than we are to the one we just celebrated last December. But it's good for us to dwell on this classic Bible passage here in the light of summer, set free from the typical trappings our society typically encompasses the Christmas story with. And what we see here in the Bible's only narrative of Jesus' birthday is nothing more than a culmination of everything we've already seen as we've read through the Old Testament so far: An Almighty LORD who sovereignly controls every sphere and realm of reality in order to save His people. We see the LORD working through one of history's most powerful men - Caesar Augustus, whose census decree forced Joseph and his very pregnant fiancée to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, the very place the prophet Micah had indicated that the Messiah would be born. And we get a glimpse into the angelic realm who come bringing good news of great joy which will be for all the people, right before a multitude of the heavenly host - that is, the very angel army of the LORD - who had been assembled at God's command to pour out His righteous wrath against sinful humanity now shouts forth in exuberant praise because today, in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Dig Deeper God continued to demonstrate His sovereignty in choosing one of society's least significant elements to be recipients of the greatest announcement ever - some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. These same shepherds would go on to become the Church's first evangelists, as they went out and made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. But detail oriented Luke gives no evidence that anybody did anything but wonder about the things which were told them by the shepherds. Then there's the humble, quiet evidence of God's sovereign action in Mary's life, which we read about yesterday - the virgin who delivered her son in a strange place, wrapped Him in cloths and laid Him in a manger. Today's chapter gives a bit of insight as to why God so highly favored Mary, for she treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. But we see God's sovereignty the clearest here in this famous second chapter of Luke from the One who says and does the least (in this chapter). It's seen in the person and work of the God-Man, the second person of the Trinity, who emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and was made in the likeness of men, who would go on to humble Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Phil 2:7-8). It's good that our society still makes a big deal out of celebrating Christmas each December, even if most of its rationale for doing so is far more secular than Biblical. Luke here records one of history's most significant events, which deserves the attention it gets. But don't forget that what happened that night so long ago was just one more chapter in the unfolding story of how God sovereignly saves His people. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who sovereignly orchestrates all of history for our salvation; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that, like Mary, you will treasure all these things, pondering them in your heart; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

You're saved by grace, but that grace depends on critical details. Gospels: Week 1 - Jesus' Incarnation and Birth We begin the New Testament by, of course, tracking through the Gospel Narratives - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. We'll spend the rest of the summer in these gospels, and each day we'll be in a different book as we work through Jesus' birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension chronologically. Bible.com Luke 1:1-4, 26–38 (NASB95) 1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, 3 it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; 4 so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught. ---- 26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. 36 “And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. 37 “For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, [I am] the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Belgic Confession Article 18: The Incarnation So then we confess that God fulfilled the promise which he had made to the early fathers by the mouth of his holy prophets when he sent his only and eternal Son into the world at the time set by him. The Son took the “form of a servant” and was made in the “likeness of man,” truly assuming a real human nature, with all its weaknesses, except for sin; being conceived in the womb of the blessed virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit, without male participation. Summary Luke begins his gospel by introducing his purpose, which makes sense because he wasn't really a local, so to speak. Matthew and John were part of the twelve disciples, and it's likely that Mark was around in one way or another during Jesus' ministry, but Luke wasn't. In fact, he wasn't even a Jew. Paul writes of Luke as a doctor (Col. 4:14), but Luke identifies himself more as a reporter who investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order. In other words, Luke based his faith on knowledge and facts that he himself verified, recorded, and wrote down for posterity. So as you read through his research - the books of Luke and Acts - pay attention to the details he lays out (and conversely, the details he ignores, indicating that they're not really germane to the meaning). And the opening lines of his account of the angel Gabriel's encounter with Mary is packed with details: She's from a city in Galilee called Nazareth - an insignificant town in an insignificant province. She's engaged to a man - according to the custom of the day, this meant that Mary was likely quite young, perhaps in her teens, and already legally bound to her fiancée, yet the marriage would not yet have been fully consummated. Luke tells us exactly who she was engaged to: a man whose name was Joseph. But he has a critical pedigree, for he's of the descendants of David. Theologically, this is important, for Gabriel explains to Mary that God will give her Son the throne of His father David. Important as Joseph's lineage is, it wasn't that big of a deal, because by this point in history, thousands of young men could trace their roots back to David. In fact, Mathew indicates that Mary likely could as well. So what do all of these details Luke reports mean? Simply that although Gabriel greets Mary as the favored one, if a list were made of all the influential or important people living in Israel at the time, this young girl from a no-name town would have been near the bottom of it. Dig Deeper Luke provides one more detail as he introduces us to Mary, and it's by far and away the most important: she was a virgin, a fact that he repeats three times in this short passage. Indeed, this is one of the most theologically critical aspects of who our Savior is - the Son of a woman, whose seed had been promised to crush the head of the serpent, but, as our Confession puts it, He was conceived without male participation. This means that Jesus is the only person in all of history to not have a physical connection to Adam, our covenant representative. It means He's the only one since the fall who has the opportunity to fulfill man's covenantal obligations to God. Yet the idea of a virgin becoming pregnant because the Holy Spirit came upon her and the power of the Most High overshadowed her remains one of the stickiest wickets for those who reject the Bible's supernatural claims. Yet without this pertinent detail Isaiah had prophesied (7:14) and that both Matthew and Luke record, all we'd have is an enduring story of a young, insignificant couple and their little baby. But let the angel Gabriel put any doubt aside, as he reminds you that nothing will be impossible with God. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the Most High who sent His Son to be Mary's holy child and our Savior; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would align yourself with God's will as quickly and as willingly as Mary did; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: