The One who formed you in the womb made all things. Isaiah 44:21–28 (NIV) 21 “Remember these things, Jacob, for you, Israel, are my servant. I have made you, you are my servant; Israel, I will not forget you. 22 I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.” 23 Sing for joy, you heavens, for the Lord has done this; shout aloud, you earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees, for the Lord has redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in Israel. 24 “This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the Lord, the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by myself, 25 who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who overthrows the learning of the wise and turns it into nonsense, 26 who carries out the words of his servants and fulfills the predictions of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, ‘It shall be inhabited,’ of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,’ and of their ruins, ‘I will restore them,’ 27 who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry, and I will dry up your streams,’ 28 who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, “Let it be rebuilt,” and of the temple, “Let its foundations be laid.” ’ Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 8: The Trinity In keeping with this truth and Word of God we believe in one God, who is one single essence, in whom there are three persons, really, truly, and eternally distinct according to their incommunicable properties— namely, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father is the cause, origin, and source of all things, visible as well as invisible. The Son is the Word, the Wisdom, and the image of the Father. The Holy Spirit is the eternal power and might, proceeding from the Father and the Son. Nevertheless, this distinction does not divide God into three, since Scripture teaches us that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit each has his own subsistence distinguished by characteristics— yet in such a way that these three persons are only one God. It is evident then that the Father is not the Son and that the Son is not the Father, and that likewise the Holy Spirit is neither the Father nor the Son. Nevertheless, these persons, thus distinct, are neither divided nor fused or mixed together. For the Father did not take on flesh, nor did the Spirit, but only the Son. The Father was never without his Son, nor without his Holy Spirit, since all these are equal from eternity, in one and the same essence. There is neither a first nor a last, for all three are one in truth and power, in goodness and mercy. Summary Isaiah 44:24 begins with the words “This is what the LORD says”. These words, although given through Isaiah, are the words of God. Isaiah is a prophet, someone who speaks for God. This was not something Isaiah decided to do but is the result of Isaiah being chosen by God through a vision. And as a prophet, when Isaiah writes “thus says the LORD,” he is relaying a message from God. The message that God is delivering, both to the Israelites and also to us, is that He is our creator and the creator of all things. The earth, the heavens, and all that exists does so by God’s handiwork and provision. Dig Deeper The Belgic Confession does a wonderful job of reminding us that God’s creation includes more than just that which we can see and feel. God is the source of all things, visible and invisible. This means forces such as gravity are a part of God’s design. One of my favorite classes in high school was physics. I liked it so much I took physics as an elective in college. While many people are not a fan of this type of class, I was fascinated by all you could learn about God’s creation in the laws of physics. If you don’t account for air resistance, the acceleration due to gravity on earth is 9.81 m/s^2 (9.81 meters per second squared). What is exciting about this is the consistency of gravity. If gravity were not constant, life could not exist. If gravity were “turned off” for even a few moments all life would perish. The earth would fly out of its orbit of the sun and the atmosphere would drift off into space. The Bible speaks of God the Father as the source of creation (1 Corinthians 8:6). The Apostles Creed begins with the words “I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth”. God the Father, the first person of the Trinity, is the cause, origin, and source of all things. The Father is not only the cause of all that you can see and touch, but also the very laws of nature. Praise God for the ways He has provided for His creation in the formation of the Universe. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: The LORD, the Maker of all things; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you, along with the rest of creation, will sing for joy as you praise your Redeemer; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Acts 25

Scripture is the sufficient source for knowing and testing what is true. 1 John 4:1–6 (NIV) Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. 4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 7: The Sufficiency of Scripture We believe that this Holy Scripture contains the will of God completely and that everything one must believe to be saved is sufficiently taught in it. For since the entire manner of service which God requires of us is described in it at great length, no one— even an apostle or an angel from heaven, as Paul says— ought to teach other than what the Holy Scriptures have already taught us. For since it is forbidden to add to or subtract from the Word of God, this plainly demonstrates that the teaching is perfect and complete in all respects. Therefore we must not consider human writings— no matter how holy their authors may have been— equal to the divine writings; nor may we put custom, nor the majority, nor age, nor the passage of time or persons, nor councils, decrees, or official decisions above the truth of God, for truth is above everything else. For all human beings are liars by nature and more vain than vanity itself. Therefore we reject with all our hearts everything that does not agree with this infallible rule, as we are taught to do by the apostles when they say, “Test the spirits to see if they are of God,” and also, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house.” Summary The first letter of John is an excellent overview of the basics of the faith. John covers many of the same subjects repeatedly so that these young Christians can build a solid foundation on the truth of Jesus Christ, who came in the flesh and died on the cross as a substitute in our place. Many false teachers were causing confusion on these foundational truths, and John wrote this letter to encourage and equip them. The apostle John has the same goal as his gospel account in this letter, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). Just as Paul’s urgency in Galatians, John knows eternity is at stake when it comes to advancing the pure and unadulterated gospel. So he tells them how they can test what is true and false—and how we can continue to test any “spirit of the age.” Dig Deeper Last summer, our minivan started to idle roughly. Just by how it acted like when it was about to stall, we knew something was not working correctly. Then, the check engine light confirmed further that something was amiss. Sure enough, a car computer scanner tool revealed a code showing a misfire in one of the cylinders. That spark plug had gone bad, so it was not running as it should. We cannot run every lecture, book, song, movie, sermon, or social media post we hear through a scanner tool to check for error codes. Yet, in our modern culture, we are bombarded with more messages than ever. Social media companies have figured out how to give us more of what we like, adjusting algorithms to keep us returning for more time on their app. They aren’t interested in knowing the truth as they keep your attention. How do you know who and what to trust? Even with the change in media, our source and test for the truth remains the same: the Spirit of God acknowledges and confesses Jesus, the Son of God, as the Christ—the Messiah—who came as true God and true man for the salvation of His people. The one revealed to us in Scripture and assured by His Spirit. As you compare the message and how it lines up with the Bible and interpret Scripture in light of Scripture, you can also ask yourself this question as part of the test: ‘Does this cause me more confusion about Christ or diminish my trust in Him or lead me away from worshiping him?’ Anything that does those things is the spirit of the antichrist. Certain messages may get more attention and applause in the world at large, but the most important part is if the message we cling to draws us closer to God and glorifies Him. We can be thankful He has given us His infallible and sufficient Word for such a task. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: God is light and in Him is no darkness at all; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will continue to familiarize yourself with God’s Word so you may test what is from God; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Acts 24

The end of the Bible is serious about its warnings and promises. Revelation 22:16–21 (NIV) 16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” 17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. 18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll. 20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 7: The Sufficiency of Scripture We believe that this Holy Scripture contains the will of God completely and that everything one must believe to be saved is sufficiently taught in it. For since the entire manner of service which God requires of us is described in it at great length, no one— even an apostle or an angel from heaven, as Paul says— ought to teach other than what the Holy Scriptures have already taught us. For since it is forbidden to add to or subtract from the Word of God, this plainly demonstrates that the teaching is perfect and complete in all respects. Therefore we must not consider human writings— no matter how holy their authors may have been— equal to the divine writings; nor may we put custom, nor the majority, nor age, nor the passage of time or persons, nor councils, decrees, or official decisions above the truth of God, for truth is above everything else. For all human beings are liars by nature and more vain than vanity itself. Therefore we reject with all our hearts everything that does not agree with this infallible rule, as we are taught to do by the apostles when they say, “Test the spirits to see if they are of God,” and also, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house.” Summary The end of the book of Revelation is similar to how it begins in 1:1–3, confirming it as a testimony of Jesus Christ. Given the source of John’s revelation is none other than the Son of God, everyone who hears its words should take notice! As we consider how we have viewed Scripture over the past few weeks, it is critical to remember that we do not think the Bible is inspired because it is profitable, but it is profitable precisely because it is inspired. And since it is the Word of God communicated to us, we should handle it with reverence and care. The warning in Revelation 22:18–19 makes this point without sugarcoating it. All those fanciful scenes of judgment described earlier in the book can plague anyone who twists or distorts God’s message by adding their own words as if they were as authoritative, or subtracting from what's been written. In the first century, the Pharisees were known for adding all kinds of strict prohibitions on top of God’s laws. At the same time, the Sadducees were more guilty of taking away the supernatural, most notoriously known for not believing in the resurrection of the dead. Today, some legalists like to add their own rules and claim they are “biblical” when binding someone’s conscience beyond Scripture. In comparison, there are also those today who prefer to leave out supernatural parts like Christ’s virgin birth or resurrection. Even the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, thought the Bible as it was didn’t fit his philosophies or preferences. So he cut and pasted from his Bible to create a new version that excluded the accounts of miracles and resurrection. Dig Deeper You should never come to Scripture ready for it to serve your agenda or to place your personal opinions and views above it. The Bible, instead, is authoritative over you, as a creature made in God’s image, who must continually go to His Word for renewal and to be conformed to becoming more Christlike. Any of your own thoughts and writings, or those of your favorite Christian theologians, musicians, or authors are subversive to the authority of Scripture; even this devotion and the commentary notes found in your favorite Study Bible must be placed under the authority of Scripture. As serious as the warnings are in the book of Revelation, its invitation to life in Christ is just as serious: “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life” (22:17). If you come to God’s Word in faith, you will be like a wanderer in the desert who discovers an oasis with refreshing water. So then, accept the invitations, be warned by the threats, and embrace the promises that come from your Lord and Savior, and respond the same way the Bible ends, by saying “Amen, so may it be,” as you look forward to His final return to fulfill His final promises of making everything new. Until then, may the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you! AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the only One Who can give the Living Waters; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: To humbly come to Scripture seeking God’s will over your own; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Acts 23

Adding anything to the gospel distorts it into a false message that is no gospel at all. Galatians 1:1–10 (NIV) Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—2 and all the brothers and sisters with me, To the churches in Galatia: 3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! 10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 7: The Sufficiency of Scripture We believe that this Holy Scripture contains the will of God completely and that everything one must believe to be saved is sufficiently taught in it. For since the entire manner of service which God requires of us is described in it at great length, no one— even an apostle or an angel from heaven, as Paul says— ought to teach other than what the Holy Scriptures have already taught us. For since it is forbidden to add to or subtract from the Word of God, this plainly demonstrates that the teaching is perfect and complete in all respects. Therefore we must not consider human writings— no matter how holy their authors may have been— equal to the divine writings; nor may we put custom, nor the majority, nor age, nor the passage of time or persons, nor councils, decrees, or official decisions above the truth of God, for truth is above everything else. For all human beings are liars by nature and more vain than vanity itself. Therefore we reject with all our hearts everything that does not agree with this infallible rule, as we are taught to do by the apostles when they say, “Test the spirits to see if they are of God,” and also, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house.” Summary Paul’s letter to the Galatians begins like many of his other New Testament letters, except it takes a drastic turn in tone as soon as he finishes his greeting. Many of his other letters further mention thanksgiving, but he wastes no time getting to his concern for the church in Galatia. Like a parent who sees their child chase a ball into the street, he shouts through these opening remarks, “Turn around! You’re heading towards danger!” Paul likely made headway with the Galatian church on his first missionary journey. He saw many Gentile unbelievers come to faith through the good news of free grace in Jesus Christ alone. Now, after he has left, he is shocked at the turn of events and how they have followed false teachers promoting a different gospel. These false teachers may have even mostly agreed with what Paul taught, except they added to it. One addition is how they were trying to convince these new believers that, sure, Jesus is great, but they still needed to be circumcised to really be saved (Gal. 6:12). Salvation became Jesus plus something else. And when that’s the case, it’s no longer the good news that Christ has accomplished everything we need for salvation. Dig Deeper I remember seeing an advertisement for a die-cast collector race car set for only $19.99 as a kid. I grabbed my piggy bank, and as I counted my coins, I was already picturing how to display these cars in my room. It wasn’t until I brought the flier to my parents that they pointed out the small print. If I were to sign up for this set, I would be on the hook to pay $19.99 every time I received one each month for over a year. It ended up not being the good deal I thought it would be. So, I didn’t ever sign up for these racecars. Many false gospels that fly around today are not always apparent at first glance. They do not say, “Beware, this is false,” but are more likely to offer more than they can deliver, and you end up being on the hook for something you didn’t sign up for. Paul warns in 2 Corinthians 11:14 that Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light, so Christians need to be discerning of every message, even if it claims to be Christian. Paul begins this letter by showing the source of his authority—not in himself—but that he was sent by Jesus Christ. Paul did not dispense his own grace and peace but the grace and peace of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel was not his to create or tamper with, but the good news of Jesus is unchanging. Not even if an apostle, an angel, or anyone else can come with a different gospel. The Scriptures are sufficient for knowing the only good news of salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ and applied by the Holy Spirit to deliver us “from this present evil age” into God’s kingdom. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, whose will is to save his people from this present evil age; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will turn from any sin that is tempting you this week and receive the free grace of God through Jesus Christ alone; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Acts 22

The Bible is thorough in matters of faith and worship. Deuteronomy 32:45–47 (NIV) CONTEXT: Moses is giving his final words to the Israelites. He has come to the end of his life, and the people are just about to cross into the Promised Land. 45 When Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel, 46 he said to them, “Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. 47 They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.” Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 7: The Sufficiency of Scripture We believe that this Holy Scripture contains the will of God completely and that everything one must believe to be saved is sufficiently taught in it. For since the entire manner of service which God requires of us is described in it at great length, no one— even an apostle or an angel from heaven, as Paul says— ought to teach other than what the Holy Scriptures have already taught us. For since it is forbidden to add to or subtract from the Word of God, this plainly demonstrates that the teaching is perfect and complete in all respects. Therefore we must not consider human writings— no matter how holy their authors may have been— equal to the divine writings; nor may we put custom, nor the majority, nor age, nor the passage of time or persons, nor councils, decrees, or official decisions above the truth of God, for truth is above everything else. For all human beings are liars by nature and more vain than vanity itself. Therefore we reject with all our hearts everything that does not agree with this infallible rule, as we are taught to do by the apostles when they say, “Test the spirits to see if they are of God,” and also, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house.” Summary The first five books of the Bible—Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy—are attributed to Moses. Exodus through Deuteronomy covers his lifetime and the most significant redemptive events in Israel’s history when God brought His people out of slavery in Egypt. When Moses was born, the Israelites had spent 400 years in Egypt after the time of Joseph. As time went on, the leaders of Egypt forgot their significance, and the Hebrew people suffered under harsh slave labor and violence. God did not forget His people and had a plan. As the story unfolds from Exodus onward, God gives His people many laws and ceremonies to live by. He has to teach them what it is like to be in a covenant relationship with their God and how Abraham was told many years before to “walk before God” (Gen. 17:1). A familiar African American spiritual song, Go Down Moses, repeats the famous line told to Pharaoh over and over through the plagues: “Let my people go!” A second part of this phrase is also joined with this request over and over, giving the purpose for the Israelites’ freedom: “so that they may worship me in the wilderness.” Some English translations use “serve me in the wilderness” (Ex. 7:16; 9:1; 10:3). God’s people would be saved and then shown how to serve God in response. All the rules and rituals in these first five books, the Torah, would thoroughly describe how God would be worshiped. Dig Deeper Deuteronomy 32:45–47 is Moses’s summary speech near the end of these first five books. These were not cold codified laws regulated for lawyers, judges, and legal experts, but were living Words for a flourishing life with the living God. At the end of Deuteronomy, the Israelites were ending their long journey through the desert and about to embark into the promised land. God provided all these words to live in a kingdom freely serving Him as their king. Article 7 of this Confession of Faith also speaks to the sufficiency of Scripture in its thoroughness and length, “For since the entire manner of service which God requires of us is described in it at great length.” Service can be translated as “worship” here, just like in Exodus 7:16. The Bible is complete in that it gives us knowledge about God and our faith, but it's also sufficient in how it teaches us to serve Him in response to His saving grace. This is primarily what we do in worship on the Lord's Day, and why your church likely calls it a “worship service.” This is also why many worship services are centered around hearing, singing, and praying God’s Word together. The Bible is sufficient to guide us in worshiping our God as we gather as His people. God’s Word, proclaimed from Scripture, should not be a cold, rote ritual, because it's living and active proclamation that cuts to our core (Heb 4:12). AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: The Living and Holy God Who deserves all of our worship; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will be sanctified by the truth, for God’s Word is truth and life (John 17:17) ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Acts 20

The Bible doesn’t tell us everything, but it tells us enough for salvation. John 20:26–31 (NIV) CONTEXT: After Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to His disciples, but Thomas wasn't with them at the time. When Thomas came back, he famously stated that he wouldn't believe until he touched Jesus' wounds with his own finger. 26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” 28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 7: The Sufficiency of Scripture We believe that this Holy Scripture contains the will of God completely and that everything one must believe to be saved is sufficiently taught in it. For since the entire manner of service which God requires of us is described in it at great length, no one— even an apostle or an angel from heaven, as Paul says— ought to teach other than what the Holy Scriptures have already taught us. For since it is forbidden to add to or subtract from the Word of God, this plainly demonstrates that the teaching is perfect and complete in all respects. Therefore we must not consider human writings— no matter how holy their authors may have been— equal to the divine writings; nor may we put custom, nor the majority, nor age, nor the passage of time or persons, nor councils, decrees, or official decisions above the truth of God, for truth is above everything else. For all human beings are liars by nature and more vain than vanity itself. Therefore we reject with all our hearts everything that does not agree with this infallible rule, as we are taught to do by the apostles when they say, “Test the spirits to see if they are of God,” and also, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house.” Summary John 20 recounts Jesus’ resurrection and post-resurrection appearances, which reaches a crescendo when Thomas is finally able to see the resurrected Christ with his own eyes—the one who had been crucified and laid in a tomb—and proclaim his beautiful confession of faith, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). It is after this that John pauses to say, “this is why I wrote this book — so that you may believe and confess Jesus is Lord, just like this.” The purpose of the book of John is the same as all of the books in the Bible: so that “you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (20:31). John includes many of the signs and teachings of Jesus throughout his account, but he only includes certain ones. The other three Gospel accounts include others that John does not, but even those do not include every last detail of Jesus’s earthly life and ministry. Just like if you were to write a biography about your father, you would not include everything you know about him, but you'd focus on the crucial parts that can communicate an important theme or life lessons. It would not do your readers any good to fill chapter upon chapter with daily logs of his meals, clothing, and every muttering. So, the gospel writers and all biblical authors were selective in the details included about Jesus. (John 21:25, “Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.”) So, we should pay close attention to which details Scripture includes and why they are there! Dig Deeper There are probably many times when you wish you knew more than what the Bible includes. We will all have specific questions we look forward to inquiring about in heaven that are not revealed to us now. What was Jesus like as a boy and young man? The Bible includes very little about his younger years or what projects he may have helped his carpenter dad with. Even though thousands of paintings and many shows and movies depict Jesus looking a certain way, there are no physical descriptions of him in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John either. Yet, as fascinating as our curiosities may be, the essentials are provided. If certain information is not found in the Bible, it is not crucial for our salvation. The most important thing is that you know what is contained in Scripture, and that it was written for you to know the will of God, which is most clearly seen through the sending of His Son, Jesus Christ—the promised Messiah who was born, lived, died, and rose again to save His people from their sins and grant eternal life in God’s presence. A couple of weeks ago, we considered the various genres in the Bible and how God communicates His truth in many ways to help us understand His redemptive plan through Christ. The Bible as a whole shows us our need for this salvation, how God accomplished it, and how we live in light of this great work of salvation. When it comes to knowing what we need to learn about God’s saving acts through Christ, we have everything we need for eternal life included from Genesis to Revelation. Will you receive and trust this testimony? God graciously offers you eternal life through His Son, who “came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10b). AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: "My Lord and My God!" ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will have the eyes of faith and know the eternal life that comes through Jesus Christ; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Acts 20

Of all the things you have to worry about, going to Purgatory isn't one of them! Hebrews 9:24–28 (NIV) 24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. 25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 6: The Difference Between Canonical and Apocryphal Books We distinguish between these holy books and the apocryphal ones, which are the third and fourth books of Esdras; the books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Jesus Sirach, Baruch; what was added to the Story of Esther; the Song of the Three Children in the Furnace; the Story of Susannah; the Story of Bell and the Dragon; the Prayer of Manasseh; and the two books of Maccabees. The church may certainly read these books and learn from them as far as they agree with the canonical books. But they do not have such power and virtue that one could confirm from their testimony any point of faith or of the Christian religion. Much less can they detract from the authority of the other holy books. Summary One of the key themes in the New Testament is that we fight an ongoing, daily battle with sin. The Bible tells us that our old sinful nature (who we often refer to here as Sarx, which is the Greek word for flesh) is waging war against us. You might successfully kill off sin today, but Sarx will snap back to life and will come gunning for you again tomorrow. Since every day we keep stacking up more and more sin, it would seem to make sense that every day Christ has more and more to pay for. After all, the Hebrew priests way back in the days of the temple had to continually make sacrifices because the people continually sinned. But Hebrews here reminds us that in His atonement, Jesus "appeared for us in God's presence (v24)," where He paid for sin in full, all at once. "He has appeared once for all... to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself (v26)." Because your sin has been fully atoned (paid) for, you are now completely justified before God. Although your daily battle with sin will continue, and you do need to continue to confess and repent from your ongoing sin, be assured that your justification has been fully paid for by Christ and can never be reduced no matter how much you sin. Dig Deeper We saw earlier this week how the apocryphal books of 1 & 2 Maccabees give tremendous insight into the first century Jewish culture that Jesus lived in. They tell of the depraved wickedness of the pagan forces that came to occupy Israel and they also tell of the marginally successful revolt against them led by Judas Maccabeus (nicknamed "The Hammer"). After one bloody battle, when the fallen Hebrew soldiers were gathered, they were found to be wearing some idolatrous jewelry. 2 Maccabees 12 describes what happened next: 42 ...The noble Judas exhorted the people to keep themselves free from sin, for they had seen with their own eyes what had happened as the result of the sin of those who had fallen. 43 He also took up a collection, man by man, to the amount of two thousand drachmas of silver, and sent it to Jerusalem to provide for a sin offering. In doing this he acted very well and honorably, taking account of the resurrection. 44 For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. 45 But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, so that they might be delivered from their sin. It's apocryphal passages like this one that the Roman Catholic Church bases its doctrine of purgatory, where the dead supposedly go to have their final sins purged before entering glory. But this sort of teaching directly contradicts the once-for-all payment Jesus already made for sin that we just read about in Hebrews! So at the end of the week, we've learned that the Apocrypha is very useful as an appendix to the Bible, helping fill in historical and cultural gaps, but yet it can not be used authoritatively to set Christian doctrine. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who sent His only begotten Son to become a once and for all payment for our sin; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God that your sin is fully paid for by Christ, and pray for the strength to grow more and more sanctified in your thoughts, words and deeds; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Acts 19

Interested in taking hold of the life that is truly life? Then let go of your stuff. 1 Timothy 6:17–19 (NIV) 17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 6: The Difference Between Canonical and Apocryphal Books We distinguish between these holy books and the apocryphal ones, which are the third and fourth books of Esdras; the books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Jesus Sirach, Baruch; what was added to the Story of Esther; the Song of the Three Children in the Furnace; the Story of Susannah; the Story of Bell and the Dragon; the Prayer of Manasseh; and the two books of Maccabees. The church may certainly read these books and learn from them as far as they agree with the canonical books. But they do not have such power and virtue that one could confirm from their testimony any point of faith or of the Christian religion. Much less can they detract from the authority of the other holy books. Summary You probably don't think of yourself as wealthy, and chances are others don't think of you as such either, since there's probably far fewer zeroes in the number that signifies your net worth than that of billionaire tech titans or oil tycoons. But you are wealthy. You don't really worry about things when a storm blows in, or how you'll keep yourself entertained on long winter nights. You're likely not too concerned about making it to work or uptight about getting your daily chores accomplished. You don't need to be. You have stuff that takes care of all these things for you, and given that stuff is the primary ingredient of wealth, you're pretty wealthy. So it quickly becomes clear that we are these people "who are rich in this present world," and that this command to not "put our hope in wealth, which is so uncertain" is directed squarely not just at the one-percenters, but at people just like us. Paul tells Pastor Timothy to "command them to do good..." That's pretty strong language! Being good here, Paul goes on to explain, means being "rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share." Remember that good deeds and such are not the basis of your salvation, but are a tremendous opportunity to express your gratitude for the salvation you've been given. Demonstrating your thankfulness ought to be reason enough to share your wealth, but Paul, echoing Jesus, throws out even more incentive: As you generously share, you "lay up treasure for yourself as a firm foundation for the coming age." So many people are going through life desperately trying to hold onto their stuff, so much so they end up losing their grip on so much of life. You need to do just the opposite. Let go of your stuff and in doing so you'll "take hold of the life that is truly life!" Dig Deeper This week we've seen how the Apocrypha, that set of ancient books that's sort of an appendix to the Bible, can enhance and build up our understanding of the Bible. But there's a reason we relegate these books to the appendix. Not only do we not consider them to be inspired, but they also can point you in the wrong direction. Tobit 4:8-10 is a good example of how quickly things can fall off the cliff: 8 If you have many possessions, make your gift from them in proportion; if few, do not be afraid to give according to the little you have. 9 So you will be laying up a good treasure for yourself against the day of necessity. 10 For almsgiving delivers from death and keeps you from going into the Darkness. The first verse makes a great elaboration of passages like we read in 1 Timothy 6, but the final two verses makes it seem like it's your generosity that delivers you from death! Absolutely not! You must give because Christ delivered you from death, not as a scheme to deliver yourself! So as our confession puts it, utilize the Apocrypha "to learn from them as far as they agree with the canonical books," without letting them steer you away from what God's inspired Word says to be true. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment, and commands us to put our hope in Him; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the ability and desire to generously let go of your stuff and share what you've been given; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Acts 18

You can't truly know anything until you first fear the Lord. Proverbs 1:7 (NIV) 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 6: The Difference Between Canonical and Apocryphal Books We distinguish between these holy books and the apocryphal ones, which are the third and fourth books of Esdras; the books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Jesus Sirach, Baruch; what was added to the Story of Esther; the Song of the Three Children in the Furnace; the Story of Susannah; the Story of Bell and the Dragon; the Prayer of Manasseh; and the two books of Maccabees. The church may certainly read these books and learn from them as far as they agree with the canonical books. But they do not have such power and virtue that one could confirm from their testimony any point of faith or of the Christian religion. Much less can they detract from the authority of the other holy books. Summary We often get the process backwards. We commit ourselves to Spiritual Disciplines like daily Bible reading, weekly church attendance, and regular prayer so that we will come to fear the Lord more and more. We're set straight here as we're introduced to Solomon's proverbs. We're told that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. In other words, you must fear God before you truly know Him (or anything else, for that matter). In order for your Spiritual Disciplines to be truly effective, you must root them in the fear of the Lord. In some senses, this reasoning seems circular, like the classic chicken/egg scenario. How can you fear - a word that means everything from feeling terror & dread to having awe & reverent respect - something that you don't already know? Don't you need to know God first before you can fear Him? But you know God instinctually. All people do, even the ones who think they don't In theology, we call this phenomenon sensus divinitatis, meaning that as an image bearer of God, you have an innate awareness of divinity since God Himself has written His law upon your heart. Beyond that, every aspect of creation majestically points to God as its creator. Certainly your knowledge of God must be built up and developed. But unless you begin that pursuit by fearing the Lord - submitting yourself to God's authority, presence and control - you'll never gain one iota of true knowledge. Some people have massive amounts of learning, but since they have no fear of the Lord, they despise true wisdom and instruction and are nothing more than fools. On the other hand, when the Holy Spirit regenerates your heart so that you fear the Lord, you desire to know God as He is and worship Him in the manner He's commanded. Dig Deeper Relationships predicated on fear generally are not healthy. Although it is good for you to you to (in some senses) be afraid of God, the word 'fear' here means so much more. This week we're learning that the Apocrypha, which are ancient books which form sort of like an uninspired appendix to the Bible, can help us better understand things the Bible teaches. The first chapter of the Wisdom of Sirach is a good example. It helps explain what it truly means to fear the Lord: 11 The fear of the Lord is glory and exultation, and gladness and a crown of rejoicing. 12 The fear of the Lord delights the heart, and gives gladness and joy and long life. 13 Those who fear the Lord will have a happy end; on the day of their death they will be blessed. So basing your relationship with God on fear is one of the healthiest things you can do! It glorifies and exalts (lifts you up) and leads to gladness, rejoicing, delights and happiness! AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who is the source of all knowledge and wisdom; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God that His Spirit has caused you to fear Him, and pray that the subsequent knowledge and wisdom you gain will cause you to fear Him more and more so as to increase your gladness, joy and happiness; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Acts 17

You're not facing a fiery furnace, but your faith is under attack! Daniel 3:16–25 (NIV) CONTEXT: King Nebuchadnezzar has ordered his entire kingdom to bow down and worship a giant statue he's built in his honor, but three Jewish young men refuse to do so, so the king threatens to throw them in a blazing furnace unless they comply. 16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” 19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22 The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. 24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” 25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 6: The Difference Between Canonical and Apocryphal Books We distinguish between these holy books and the apocryphal ones, which are the third and fourth books of Esdras; the books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Jesus Sirach, Baruch; what was added to the Story of Esther; the Song of the Three Children in the Furnace; the Story of Susannah; the Story of Bell and the Dragon; the Prayer of Manasseh; and the two books of Maccabees. The church may certainly read these books and learn from them as far as they agree with the canonical books. But they do not have such power and virtue that one could confirm from their testimony any point of faith or of the Christian religion. Much less can they detract from the authority of the other holy books. Summary The tale of Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and the fiery furnace has been a favorite children's Bible story for ages. Connoisseurs of dad jokes everywhere have often finished the story with the phrase "Shadrach, Meshach and To-bed-we-go! But since we live in an age in which we must resist cultural efforts that seek to compromise our spiritual integrity, it's good to look at this story with fresh eyes. We see how easily the entire sophisticated Babylonian society - which included many supposedly God fearing Jews - were swayed by the sights and music and without hesitation bowed down to a statue. We see the political intrigue, in that the associates of these young men were so quick to rat them out to the king for their non-compliance. And we also see the integrity of these young men, who were now in exile because their fathers had lost their integrity and no longer served the Lord. Dig Deeper Certainly Daniel's account of this amazing episode contains all that we need to learn that our own fidelity must resemble Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego's, but this week we've been learning about the ancient books called the Apocrypha which supplement the Bible, adding valuable background information. One of these apocryphal books is called the "Song of the Three Children in the Furnace" (sometimes referred to as The Song of Azariah). It fits between Daniel 3:23-24, and includes the prayer these three young men prayed. Here are some excerpts, but the whole thing is worth reading: 1 And they walked about in the midst of the flames, singing hymns to God and blessing the Lord. 2 Then Azari′ah stood and offered this prayer; in the midst of the fire he opened his mouth and said: 3 “Blessed art thou, O Lord, God of our fathers, and worthy of praise; and thy name is glorified forever. 4 For thou art just in all that thou hast done to us, and all thy works are true and thy ways right, and all thy judgments are truth. 5 Thou hast executed true judgments in all that thou hast brought upon us and upon Jerusalem, the holy city of our fathers, for in truth and justice thou hast brought all this upon us because of our sins. -- 18 And now with all our heart we follow thee, we fear thee and seek thy face. 19 Do not put us to shame, but deal with us in thy forbearance and in thy abundant mercy. 20 Deliver us in accordance with thy marvelous works, and give glory to thy name, O Lord! We see why it is our Confession encourages us to read and learn from these apocryphal books! Notice how these boys acknowledge their fathers' sins as their own and confess them to God (they likely weren't yet born or were quite young when Israel was taken into exile). You can also notice that this short prayer fits the AAA format! Thank God for the courage of these three young men and seek to model their integrity while you live in exile! AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: "Blessed art thou, O Lord, God of our fathers, and worthy of praise; and thy name is glorified forever!" ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for stories like this and pray that you will have this sort of fidelity and integrity when you face trials. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Acts 16