Zacharias Ursinus, 1563 - Age 29 AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who sent His invitation to His table; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 13

ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 10

Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 19 Q. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Acts 14

Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 16 Q. This imagery aligns with the requirement from Leviticus 23:10 for the Israelites to bring the firstfruits Dig Deeper In Q&A 16 the catechism raises an important question… why? from death to life ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Acts 10

Frivolous warning signs are easy to ignore, but not all warnings are frivolous. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 82 Q. Are those to be admitted to the Lord’s Supper who show by what they say and do that they are unbelieving and ungodly? A. No, that would dishonor God’s covenant and bring down God’s anger upon the entire congregation. Therefore, according to the instruction of Christ and his apostles, the Christian church is duty-bound to exclude such people, by the official use of the keys of the kingdom, until they reform their lives. Summary The celebration of the Lord's Supper in Corinth had become a farce. Earlier in this chapter, Paul writes of how some would go hungry while another would over indulge until he was drunk. After reiterating the instructions Jesus gave for participating in His body and blood, Paul lays down a stern warning: those who come to the table in an unworthy manner are guilty of sinning against the body and blood of Jesus! So serious is this sin that it may even cause the entire congregation to get sick and even die (v30)! This seems really harsh, but we're reminded that the Lord disciplines us now so that we will not be condemned with the rest of the world. The Lord's discipline, though sometimes painful, is actually an act of His grace! One important key to coming to the Lord's table in a worthy manner is given in v28: you must examine yourself beforehand. That means, as one lexicon put it, "to try to learn the genuineness" of your faith. This is why most Reformed churches announce their communion celebration well in advance, and then spend time corporately as also individually preparing, so that each member of the congregation can examine their faith, hope and love to make sure it's firmly rooted in Christ alone. Dig Deeper We get so used to warning signs being slapped on to everything due to the overabundant caution manufacturers exercise as the result of often frivolous lawsuits stemming from people who hurt themselves by abusing the company's product. We see WARNING, DANGER & CAUTION placards so often now that we rarely take the time to read them or understand the dangers they communicate. It's easy to convey that lackadaisical attitude toward scripture. Certainly there are all sorts of warnings, especially in the Old Testament but also in the New Testament, about the repercussions God's covenant people can expect if they transgress God's commands. But as Christians we're so accustomed to downplaying and flat out disregarding these warnings because we know in the end our sins have been atoned for and forgiven in Christ, and that somehow that makes us exempt from God's discipline. Don't make that mistake. Take the Bible's warnings against sin, and especially this warning regarding unworthy participation in the Supper seriously. Don't let it scare you away, but as you prepare for it, examine your life for indwelling sin and root it out as you ensure your faith is placed squarely in Christ. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who lovingly disciplines His children to save them from eternal condemnation; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you take all of the Bible's warnings against sin seriously; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 22

John 6:35-40 (NIV) 35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands (Psalm 19)." But it's here in Article 14 that we've arrive at a fork in the road. The problem is that we're not just sick from our sin, we're dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1), and a dead man Today: Matthew 13

John 3:16-17 (NIV) 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 19: The Two Natures of Christ We Summary John 3:16 is one of the most beloved verses of the Bible. Not only are the words of John 3:16 reassuring, they also eloquently lay out the key themes of the Gospel Today: Romans 16

John 15:26–16:15 (NIV) 26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit will testify about me. 27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning. 16  about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. 12 “I have much more to say to you, Today: Hebrews 12

The washing symbolized in your baptism gives you a clear conscience towards God. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 71 Q. Where does Christ promise that we are washed with his blood and Spirit as surely as we are washed with the water of baptism? A. In the institution of baptism where he says: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” This promise is repeated when Scripture calls baptism the washing of rebirth and the washing away of sins. Summary Baptism is a sign and a seal of God’s covenant of grace. There is a close relationship between the baptism as a sign of God’s grace and the work of Christ it signifies. Enough so, that Peter uses the words “baptism…. now saves you,” which is not used to describe salvation via the sacrament of baptism, but salvation via the grace symbolized in baptism. Peter also makes a connection between the waters of baptism and the waters of the flood during the days of Noah. This connection may feel out of place at first. Especially considering how the flood was an act of God’s judgment on the wickedness of mankind. What can be missed in this is how the flood was also a means of salvation for Noah and his family. While judgment was cast by God, grace was also extended. Dig Deeper There is a question from back when I was taking the written test to get motorcycle license that has stuck with me. The question referred to safety procedures when riding a motorcycle and which of the listed answers was the “most true” as a means of making yourself visible to other drivers. The trick here was that all of the answers were true and listed in the reading I had done ahead of time. While proper lane position and high visibility clothing were good answers, what they were looking for is which of the options was deemed the most important. In this case, I remembered the answer was to have a functioning headlight. The thing to keep in mind, however, is that one answer being correct does not mean the other options are without merit. As the catechism rightly points out from scripture, baptism is described as “the waters of rebirth” and “the washing away of sins.” It is easy to see the grace symbolized in baptism, but what we sometimes miss is the presence of God’s judgment. Just as both grace and judgment were present in the flood narrative, so too are both present in baptism. Salvation and new life in Christ are seen in the waters of baptism, but these waters also symbolize God’s judgment on sin, which can be seen in the removal of sin by means of Jesus’ death and resurrection. While the grace symbolized in baptism might appear to be the “most true” answer, this does not diminish the presence of God’s judgment on sin. In recognizing the price paid to separate you from that sin, do not overlook the importance of repentance. Jesus paid a high price to set you free from your sin, which speaks into the necessity to continually turn away from sin and abide in Christ. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who saved believing Noah and his family from the judgment on sin that flooded the world; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Ask God that you would reflect your status as a baptised believer by continually repenting and turning away from sin; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 3

it only makes sense that true perfection can not be fully attained until both parts are once again joined ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Romans 11