The world keeps trying to drive a wedge between Jesus and the Church. Don't fall for it! Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 23 Q. What are these articles of the Christian faith? A. I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. Summary The letters that Paul wrote to Timothy and Titus are called the pastoral epistles, since Paul sent them to these two young pastors with instructions on how to build up and care for their local churches. This first letter to Timothy begins with instructions on how worship and how to identify men to lead the churches as elders and deacons. But it's in the verses we read today, which is almost at the exact center of the letter, that Paul lays the foundation for the Church: the Church is built upon a creed. A creed is a summary statement of the primary tenants of a particular belief system. There's a ton of theology packed into these two sentences: The Church is the household of God, and since the Church's main task is to proclaim God's Word, it is the "pillar and foundation of the truth." Jesus Christ is the source of all true godliness for those who are in Him; God became incarnate, and the God-Man was given the stamp of approval by the Holy Spirit; The message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is meant for the entire world; Jesus has ascended to glory! This means that a Man is presently sitting at the right hand of God working out all things for His Church. Dig Deeper Most of us in this Bible reading plan are part of Reformed churches, and one of the distinctives of Reformed churches is a strong adherence to creeds and confessions. Confessions are slightly longer documents that summarize what we believe the Bible says about important topics. The Heidelberg Catechism, which we're also reading through this year, is an example of a confession. The Belgic Confession and the Canons of Dordt are the two other confessions Reformed churches subscribe to. Many Presbyterians subscribe to the Westminster Standards, while some Lutherans hold to the Formula of Concord. Confessions, for the most part, are products of the Protestant Reformation - tools used to articulate what the Bible actually teaches about core doctrines. Creeds are much older than confessions. Adherence to creeds like the Apostle's Creed often is the determining factor as to whether a particular church can properly call itself Christian or not. There have always been some, who look at all of the strife and division in the Church and trace it to these 'man made' creeds, and self righteously declare they have no creed but Christ, as if somehow their own personal interpretations of the Bible will be more pure than declarations that have passed centuries of examination. It's true that the Apostle's Creed was written by men. We don't considered it to be inspired or give it the same authority we give to scripture. But not only is every word and phrase of our creeds and confessions meticulously based in scripture, you can see from our passage today, which is just one of dozens of similar passages in the Bible, that's God's people have always expressed their core beliefs in the form of creeds (note the different formatting of v16 - Paul was likely quoting an early creedal hymn of the church). Praise God for those who came before us and wrote the creeds to keep the Church centered on God's inerrant, infallible Word of Truth. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: The Living God, who lives in His Church, the pillar and foundation of the truth. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will know and believe the core doctrines of Christianity well. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Acts 19

The one thing separating your sin from God's wrath is the Man in the middle. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 18 Q. And who is this mediator— true God and at the same time truly human and truly righteous? A. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who was given us to set us completely free and to make us right with God. Summary Paul’s reminder that there is one God echoes the words spoken to the Israelites as they journeyed through the wilderness. This is expressed in the Shema, which comes from Deuteronomy 6:4: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the Lord is one.” For the Israelites these words would have been a reminder that they serve the one true living God, not the idols worshiped by surrounding nations. Likewise, Paul expresses that there is one God and continues that there is also one mediator between God and men, Jesus Christ. As we know, Jesus is more than our mediator, he is also our redeemer. Jesus gave himself as a ransom, paying a price to secure our freedom from our bondage to sin. A price had to be paid as God’s punishment on sin, and Jesus paid that price on our behalf. Dig Deeper A mediator is the “middle-man” in a dispute. It is the role of the mediator to go between the various sides in a dispute and work towards reconciliation. In this case, it is humanity and God who are “in dispute” with one another. As a result of our fallen nature, humanity is at odds with God via our rebellion and refusal to obey God's law. Despite the deposition of human hearts against God, we have peace with God because of Jesus’ work of reconciliation. Jesus is not the first mediator between God and his people. Moses, for example, served as mediator between God and his people. And while there have been other mediators, Christ is superior to them all. Not only is Jesus our deliverer, but he also continues to mediate on our behalf. Jesus is the one mediator Paul refers to in 1st Timothy. You need no other mediator, no saints to pray on your behalf, or priests to hear your confession, because Jesus is already your perfect mediator, continuing to speak on your behalf even now. Take great comfort in knowing the one speaking on your behalf is the same who was willing to take the penalty that you deserved. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the Lord is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4) ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would fully trust in Christ as your mediator, and that you would submit all things to His Lordship (v8-15) ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Acts 12

gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Rom. 1: However, verses like 1 Thessalonians 5:18 and Philippians 4:6 remind us that the foundation of a prayerful Then passages like 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 tell us to give thanks in everything. for the promise that He will not leave you on your own and sends the Holy Spirit Who comes with joy (1 Thess 1:6).

God knows you remember what you see, so He sets out visible reminders for His people. 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 God's people crossing the Jordan river is one of the most important stories in the Bible, representing the culmination of God saving His covenant people and returning them back to the promised land. The previous generation of Israelites had seen God part the Red Sea so they could escape Egypt on dry land, and now their sons and daughters crossed the Jordan River at flood stage on dry ground. As amazing as those miracles were, God knows how fickle people's memories are. Within days of crossing the Red Sea, Israel was once again doubting God's power to save them, having forgotten what they had seen with their own eyes. So God orders Joshua to pick up some souvenirs on the way. Twelve men, one representing each tribe, were to carry a large stone from the middle of the Jordan and then set them up where the Israelites spent their first night back at home. God wanted them to have a physical reminder of what He'd done for them. God not only commanded them to set a monument to remember, but He commands them what and why to remember. This isn't just for you, He instructed them, but it's a tool by which you must instruct your children by reminding them of how God saves His people. After all, there's always one consistent reason that God does what He does and provides what He provides: So that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God (v24). Dig Deeper Just about every communion table in every Protestant sanctuary has the same words of Jesus carved into it: This Do In Remembrance of Me. God knows that you need a physical reminder of what He's done for your salvation. He's invited you to His Table for an ongoing, tangible reminder that Christ did something much more powerful than splitting the sea or heaping up a flooding river: that His body was broken, and His blood poured out so that you could have complete remission of all of your sins. Make sure that you heed the next invitation so that you can be reminded and the next generation can know the hand of the Lord is powerful and always fear the Lord our God. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who saves His covenant people and meets them in their weakness; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for the reminder of His grace communion represents and that you'll eagerly anticipate the next meal; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 17

You'll never understand how clean you've been made till you understand how filthy you were! Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 73 Q. Why then does the Holy Spirit call baptism the washing of rebirth and the washing away of sins? A. God has good reason for these words. He wants to teach us that the blood and Spirit of Christ wash away our sins just as water washes away dirt from our bodies. But more important, he wants to assure us, by this divine pledge and sign, that the washing away of our sins spiritually is as real as physical washing with water Summary Once again we're reminded as we read God's Word that sin is a serious problem. Far from being little indiscretions that the kindly 'Old Man in the sky' sort of snickers at, and much more impactful than just keeping us from living our best life now, we read that those who are unrighteous (wrongdoers) will not inherit the kingdom of God (v9)! Paul defines what it means to be unrighteous using what's often been called a 'vice list' - that is, a list of significant sins that often show up in Paul's letters. Understand that this isn't a comprehensive list, meaning that these nine sins are not the only nine sins possible. They're just a representation of the whole. Paul uses these vice lists to shine the light on the filth of humanity. But the primary purpose of this passage isn't to warn you of the massive danger of unrepentant sin (although it does), rather Paul's point here is no matter how filthy these sins have made you in the past, you've now been washed, sanctified and made righteous. (v11). Dig Deeper Most of us experience baptism in the context of a newborn baby being brought forward by her parents. The baby is soft & cuddly, beautifully dressed and in the arms of her proud parents. Often the grandparents look on with big smiles on their faces. It truly is a time of celebration as a new covenant child is welcomed into the congregation. We'll dig deeper into why it is that we baptize the children of believers in our Reformed churches later this week, but one of the big difficulties that we must work past in bringing babies to be baptized is that they don't look anything at all like the type of sinners Paul described at the beginning to today's passage. But even though they've not yet committed the gross sins in Paul's vice lists, they are completely covered in the filth of sin. When you fail to realize just how sinfully filthy you are from the moment of your conception, you fail to realize how dire your circumstances are apart from Christ, and how disgusting it is for your Father when you take what the Holy Spirit has washed clean and make yourself filthy all over again. If you've been baptized, thank God that He, through Christ, has washed you clean in the same way water removes filth. If you've not been baptized, what are you waiting for? Reach out to your elders or pastor so you can experience first hand the tangible reminder of how you've been washed in the blood of Christ (plus, God's commanded you to do so!). AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our holy and righteous Father, who will not bestow His Kingdom on those who remain in the filth of their sins; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God that you've been washed clean by Christ, and pray that temptations are kept far from you so that you don't fall into the filth again. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 5

The message of the Bible is complex, but it's not complicated. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 2 Q. What must you know to live and die in the joy of this comfort? A. Three things: first, how great my sin and misery are; second, how I am set free from all my sins and misery; third, how I am to thank God for such deliverance. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Summary The Bible certainly has implications for every facet of life, and over the millenia, tens of thousands of pages of deep and complicated theology have been written unpacking the rich truth contained in scripture. But the primary message of the Bible is elegant in its simplicity. You only need to know three things. Paul explains this to young Pastor Timothy in today's passage. First, know that God has saved you... not because of anything you have done, but because of his own purpose and grace (v9a). The fact that you need salvation in the first place presupposes that you have something that you need salvation from. This is why the Bible goes to such great lengths to show you 'how great [massive] your sin & misery are.' Second, having recognized your need for salvation, you can trust in Christ alone, who who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (v10). Finally, knowing that you have been saved from your overwhelming sin problem must result in gratitude that changes the way you live. Not only did Jesus save you, but He called you to a holy life (v9a). Dig Deeper Notice the aggressive language Paul exhorts you with in this passage: fan into flame the gift of God (v6) Christians aren't timid, rather they're full of power, love & self discipline (v7) Don't be ashamed... suffer for the gospel by the power of God (v8) Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you (v14) As you begin a new year, pray that you will understand these three basic facts: that you'll come to recognize the depth of your sin (your Guilt), the magnitude of what Christ did to save you (Grace), and that in response you'll aggressively demonstrate your Gratitude by living a holy life. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father who by His power saved you and called you to a holy life (v9) ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Repent of your sin, thank God for His salvation through Christ, and ask for strength to live a holy life. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Mark 5

Bible.com John 3:31-36 (NIV) 31  The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election 1 - God's right to condemn all people 2 - God These themes are almost identical to the themes John poetically unpacks in his prologue (1:1-18). That's a very interesting way John puts it! Notice that John doesn't write will have .

The Bible isn't a buffet where you can pick and choose only what you like (Photo credit: Unsplash) John Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election 1 - God's right to condemn all people 2 - God Today: Acts 1

God's depending on you to change the world by using your gift to build Christ's Church. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 55 Q. What do you understand by “the communion of saints”? A. First, that believers one and all, as members of this community, share in Christ and in all his treasures and gifts. Second, that each member should consider it a duty to use these gifts readily and cheerfully for the service and enrichment of the other members. Summary We just read the first half of chapter 12 two weeks ago as we were reminded that as Jesus rules all things as head of His Church, He does so by pouring out gifts on us His members through the Holy Spirit. Although these are truly gifts in that we've not earned them and they come with absolutely no cost, the Spiritual Gifts you've been given do come with strings attached. Because you've been gifted, you're now obligated. The gift you've been given as an individual is not meant to be used alone. In fact, Paul here reminds you that your overall purpose in life isn't just taking care of yourself and meeting your own needs, or even your family's needs. Rather, your primary purpose is building up the body of Christ. Follow the logic that the catechism is reflecting these last few weeks: God rules all things through Christ; Christ is the head of His Church; Therefore, God rules all things through the Church (this does not mean that the Church is called to have authority over every sphere of life, but rather that the Church must point everyone and all things to the truth revealed in God's Word). And... The Church is the body of Christ and is made up of a diverse membership; The Church depends on you using the gift you've been given to function properly (v14, 18, 27); Therefore, Christ depends on you using your gift to build the Church through which God rules all things. Dig Deeper You likely have a whole list of things you wish that were different in this world, and you've likely wondered why God doesn't just change this or that. Certainly God does have the power to miraculously change circumstances, and He does do that from time to time, but ordinarily God brings true blessing and shalom to the world by equipping His saints (that's you) to build His Church. So if you want things to get better, know and use your gifts. The Apostles' Creed refers to the Church as a communion. You can see the similarity there with the word community. As our passage points out today, every saint plays a different role, but each part of the body is critically important. There's a tension in today's text. On one hand, be content with the gifts you've been given and do not be jealous of what appears to you to be a more glamorous gift. But on the other hand, "eagerly desire the greater gifts (v31)" - literally seek them out. Work just as hard in your own life and especially the lives of our kids to develop their gifts as what we do to develop their academic and athletic gifts. One of the biggest needs we have moving forward as we bring reformation to our Reformed denominations is for solid men to step up into the roles of elder and minister. How is God calling you to either support of fulfill this need in Christ's Church? AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be (v18) ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for the gifts He's given you, and pray that you'll know what they are, how to use them and that you'll be content with your gift even as you eagerly desire greater gifts. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Romans 6

Apologies to Vikings fans for this picture from the Lions John 3:16-18 (NIV) 16  For God so loved the Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Grace 1 - God's right to condemn all people 2 - God shows John is known for his simple eloquence, and this passage is a great example of why. And memorizing John 3:16-18 is a great way to do that!