that I never give false testimony against anyone, twist no one’s words, not gossip or slander, nor join ethical situations; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - John

All People Romans 5:12-14 - Mis-Markmanship Deuteronomy 28:15-20 - Not A Tame Lion Genesis 2:15-17 - 5: The Sources of Unbelief and of Faith James 1:13-18 - The Devil (didn't) Make You Do It Ecclesiastes 3-6 - Before the Foundation Deuteronomy 7:1-10 - Set Apart John 17:1-5 - Sovereign Submission John 17 Psalm 5 - The Morning Psalm Article 11: God’s election is unalterable. Today: Galatians 5

Ephesians 1:3-6 (NIV) 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure Today: Romans 1

Matthew 1:18-25 (NIV) 18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged encounter with the archangel in which he informed her that she who was 'highly favored' by God (Luke 1: 28) would be having a child out of wedlock in 8-1/2 months. both needed to be told the same exact thing by their angelic messenger: "Do not be afraid (v20, Luke 1:

Understand difficult prophecies using simple theology. 2 Thessalonians 1:3-10 (NIV) 3  We ought always churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. 5   For all those who died before that time will be raised from the earth, their spirits being joined and

Daniel prospered because He was fed by God rather than the world. 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 The book of Daniel begins with Israel being carried off into exile in Babylon as a result of their sin. Interestingly, it's those who are taken away from Israel who are the remnant that God will preserve, while those who are left behind will slowly fade away. Nebuchadnezzar only takes the best and brightest, and then he selects the cream of that crop to serve in his sprawling government. Daniel is part of this group of talented young men who are to not only be trained, but assimilated into Babylonian language & literature; in other words, the king wants men with a worldview like his own, so they must be indoctrinated before serving in official roles. Daniel is part of a group who, while willing to serve the king, "resolved not to defile himself" with too much Babylonian culture, especially the food. This food was the best of the best, but it was quite different than what God had commanded Israelites to eat. God wanted His covenant people to look different from the world around them, and one of the key ways of doing this was by regulating their diet. After securing permission to maintain their Kosher diet, Daniel and his friends eat only vegetables and water. But God blesses this protein light menu anyways in such a way that they "looked healthier (literally: fatter) and better nourished than the other young men who ate the royal food." Dig Deeper You probably don't think of yourself this way, but like Daniel, you are an exile. You likely haven't been physically forced from your homeland, but you are living away from your true home in the Kingdom of God. Christians are not fully at home in this world but are temporary residents, awaiting their true eternal home in the presence of God. This opening chapter in Daniel is not making the point that one style of diet is better than another, rather it reminds us that full nourishment requires more than just physical food. As creatures that are both physical and spiritual, our souls must be nourished for eternal life just as we feed our bodies three times a day (or more). If you neglect regular church attendance, you must understand that you will quickly become spiritually malnourished. You need to be fed regularly with the Word & sacraments to fully experience God's blessings as Daniel and his friends did. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who preserves and nourishes us even while we remain in exile; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for feeding you spiritually, and pray for a growing desire to consume the means of grace God provides through your local church; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 16

Isaiah 11:1-9 (NIV) A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. 5 

Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 1 We all believe in our hearts and Here's how theologian John Frame puts it: God has not only knowledge but also wisdom. knowledge that understands the deep significance of something and its practical relevance (Pss. 104:24; 136:5;

often equates Jesus with forgiveness (Matt. 26:28, Luke 24:47, Acts 2:38, Acts 10:43, Acts 13:38, Eph. 1: 7, Col. 1:13-14, 1 John 2:12, just to name a few). But a closer look at Psalm 51 and these other passages encourages us to tighten up our language. those who cross His good and perfect will, making forgiveness possible, as Paul writes in Ephesians 1:

-23 - Great Is Thy Faithfulness John 3:16-18 - Simple Beauty 1 John 4:8-10 - This Is Love Psalm 103 - ​ Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel John 1:9-13 - The TRUE Light John 3:31-36 - Wrath Removed John 6:37-40 - Tensegral Theology John 12:42-50 - Buffet Theology Psalm 16 - In God We Trust ​ Article 5: The Sources of Unbelief and of Faith James 1:13-18 - The Devil (didn't) Make You Do It Ecclesiastes 3-6 - Before the Foundation Deuteronomy 7:1-10 - Set Apart John 17:1-5 - Sovereign Submission John 17