God uses the Church to enact His sovereign will. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 83 Q. What are the keys of the kingdom? A. The preaching of the holy gospel and Christian discipline toward repentance. Both preaching and discipline open the kingdom of heaven to believers and close it to unbelievers. Summary One of the key moments in the gospels is when Peter realizes that Jesus is no ordinary teacher. Matthew record of Peter's confession comes in chapter 16, and as soon as Peter exclaims that Jesus "is the Christ, the Son of the living God (v16)," Jesus responds by issuing Peter the 'keys of the kingdom.' Be lest we conclude that Jesus was giving this massive power to just one individual, Jesus uses nearly the same phrase over again a couple of chapters later that we read today, this time as a follow up regarding how to handle conflict in the Church, and this time using the word 'you' in plural: 'whatever y'all bind or loose.' When after going through the multiple steps Jesus prescribes, the Church - certainly not the whole church, but even as few as a couple of representatives of it - comes into agreement on a matter of discipline, the matter is as settled (bound) in heaven as it is in the Church. In giving the Church this responsibility, God doesn't provide unlimited power. He preserves His sovereignty over all things, including which individuals will be 'bound' and 'loosed.' R.T. France puts it well, “The fact that God has given his people the role of declaring his will on earth does not mean that he is bound to add his divine sanction to anything they may think up.” Dig Deeper It might seem like we should be taking much more advantage of the promise Jesus makes in v19, that if any two of us agree on anything they jointly ask for in prayer, our Father in heaven will do it for them. We certainly should be taking more advantage of the this promise, but we also better understand the parameters of the promise being made here. First of all, the promise is made in conjunction with the formal administration of the Church, but although this doesn't limit the promise's power just to large group meetings since Jesus applies it to groups as small as two or three, this promise is not meant to guarantee you that when you get together with two or three friends and ask God to grant the Twins or Vikings a championship that God is forced to comply. The key to this promise comes in the phrase "gathered in my name." This means that those who've come together on behalf of the church in prayer are fully aligned with God's will, and therefore will be asking for things that God eagerly desires to provide. What are some of the things that God eagerly desires for your church that you ought to be coming together to ask Him for, especially now that you've been reminded of the promise Jesus made to you? AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who lovingly provides for His Church through His Church; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that as you gather with others from the Church that you will be 'gathering in Jesus' name.' ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 24

As a Christian, there are times when you're commanded be intolerant. 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 Paul opened chapter three with the words "always be peaceable and gentle to everyone (v2)," so it seems shocking to read what we just did in v10, that there will be times that we must "have nothing to do" with a person. It might be less surprising if Paul was warning Christians to keep their distance from pagan people outside of the church, but he's not! He's referring to people within the church, who constantly and divisively stir the pot with controversies, arguments and quarrels. Paul adds in 'genealogies' too, referring to men who demanded more authority in the church because they could trace their lineage way back into Old Testament times. One of the big benefits of being part of a local congregation is being surrounded with fellow Christians who keep one another accountable. It often seems awkward to call out sins in others, especially when we know we have our own weaknesses, but it not only is a command we've been given to do, but a comfort to know we can trust our fellow members to call us back when we step too far out of line. "Warn a divisive person once," Paul instructs. That first 'warning' will likely be a gentle, yet firm encouragement. The person may not realize that their actions are hurting others, and may even be grateful for the advice. But if the divisive behavior continues, Paul says, "warn them the second time." In Matthew 18:15-18, Jesus illustrates how this process is to work. Whereas the first warning may be personal and informal, the second warning involves more people, such as the elders from the church. If both warnings go unheeded, both Jesus and Paul agree. Be done with them. Put them out. Jesus says, "treat them as you would a pagan or tax collector (Mt 18:17)." Paul writes, "have nothing to do with them." Dig Deeper These words seem harsh, and even un-Christian to our ears which have been conditioned by our hyper-tolerant society. Certainly we must distinguish between 'divisive' people and those who are just saying things that we might not want to hear but need to, and even those who are just plain annoying. But people who are "warped and sinful" are like a contagious disease that if left unabated will soon infect the entire church (2 Tim 2:16-17). They must be put out, for their own good (see and 1 Cor. 5:4-5 and 1 Tim 1:18-20), but especially for the good of the church. One of the primary marks of the true church is the practice of church discipline. This is a slow, deliberate process involving the processes we read about here in Titus 3. The goal of church discipline is always to bring the sinner to repentance and restoration, but the ultimate conclusion for those who stubbornly remain in their sin is excommunication, which literally means to be put out from communion, both in terms of the fellowship of the church and away from the Lord's Table. We'll end our discussion of the sacraments in the same way we began it over a month and a half ago: sacraments are signs and seals of what Christ has done for us. Those who will not submit themselves to Christ's Church have no business being sealed in the benefits He's won for it. 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 23

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

God invites you to His table despite your sins to remind you of His cleansing grace. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 81 Q. Who are to come to the Lord’s table? A. Those who are displeased with themselves because of their sins, but who nevertheless trust that their sins are pardoned and that their continuing weakness is covered by the suffering and death of Christ, and who also desire more and more to strengthen their faith and to lead a better life. Hypocrites and those who are unrepentant, however, eat and drink judgment on themselves. Summary David's sin with Bathsheba, and the murder that it led to, is perhaps one of the ugliest sins recorded in scripture. But this ugly, terrible sin gave way to the most beautiful example in the Bible of what it means to confess and repent from sin as David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote the 51st Psalm. This psalm is a model of the attitude that you must have as you prepare for participation in the Lord's Supper. First of all, you must be displeased with the sin in your own life. Like David, recognize that not only have you hurt other people with your sins, but that you've especially offended God; it's against Him, and Him only that you've sinned. Realize how filthy your sins have made you, and that God is justified in His anger against you (v4). But also trust that God will forgive your sins. Confidently ask for God's mercy, which is based on God's covenant (unfailing) love for you. He can and will blot out your transgression and cleanse you from your sin. You have the added benefit of knowing how God can forgive, because you know that your weakness is covered by Christ's suffering and death. Finally, like David you must desire more and more to strengthen your faith and lead a better life. Pray that God creates a new heart in you, that He restores you to a spirit of joy and re-aligns your life with His will so that your tongue will sing of God's righteousness. Dig Deeper All of us were born into sin - not just born into it, but conceived in it! The corresponding guilt crushes our bones. Notice in v8 that it's God who is causing and using that bone crushing guilt in order to break our spirit (v17). So don't let guilt keep you from grace. So many people stay away from church and away from the Lord's Table because they think they're not good enough. That much is true: none of us have the righteousness required to come into communion with a God who is perfectly holy and who will not tolerate sin! But if God could forgive and restore David, who's terrible sin quite likely had far worse consequences than any wrong you've ever committed, God, through Christ, can and will certainly deliver you from the guilt He's put upon you to bring you to contrition. So make David's prayer of repentance in Psalm 51 your own and accept His gracious invitation to remember and celebrate that your sins have been pardoned by the suffering and death of Christ. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: God our Father is completely holy, completely just, and completely merciful; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that God will use His ordinary means of grace to renew a steadfast spirit within you; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 21

Is the Roman Catholic Eucharist really a "condemnable idolatry?" Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 80 Q. How does the Lord’s Supper differ from the Roman Catholic Mass? A. The Lord’s Supper declares to us that our sins have been completely forgiven through the one sacrifice of Jesus Christ which he himself finished on the cross once for all. It also declares to us that the Holy Spirit grafts us into Christ, who with his very body is now in heaven at the right hand of the Father where he wants us to worship him. But the Mass teaches that the living and the dead do not have their sins forgiven through the suffering of Christ unless Christ is still offered for them daily by the priests. It also teaches that Christ is bodily present in the form of bread and wine where Christ is therefore to be worshiped. Thus the Mass is basically nothing but a denial of the one sacrifice and suffering of Jesus Christ and a condemnable idolatry. Summary Many of us knows what it feels like to be in what seems like a never ending rut, whether it's milking cows daily, sitting in a nursing home day and night, or dealing with the same problems time and time again at the office. Such was the tedious nature of the temple in Jerusalem: priests would "offer sacrifices day after day, first for their own sins and then for the sins of the people (v27)." Imagine being one of those priests, first making a bloody mess and then cleaning it up, day after day, all while knowing you could never kill enough animals to fully atone for your own sin, much less than those crushed by their own guilt who delivered animals to you daily. That's why the writer of Hebrews keeps coming back to the theme articulated in v25, that Jesus Christ is able to save completely those who come to God through Him! Christ sacrificed Himself - once for all. Unlike the blood of bulls and goats, which was inadequate to save anybody, Christ's sacrifice was fully sufficient to fully pay for the sins of those God had entrusted to Him (see our post on Hebrews 10, which is very similar to this passage). Dig Deeper For all the differences between the Roman Catholic Church and Reformed churches (or protestant churches in general), none is greater than how the Lord's Supper is understood. The Heidelberg Catechism is often praised for its peaceful, pastoral approach to systematic theology (remember, after all, that its theme is explaining what our only comfort in life and death is), but yet this irenic document describes the Eucharist as a "condemnable idolatry." That's pretty harsh! Many modern Roman Catholic theologians would say it's too harsh, and that the Heidelberg doesn't fairly explain how the Eucharist is currently understood by the RCC. They'll cite several references from their own Catechism which present a very sound view of how Christ's once-for-all sacrifice on the cross is celebrated in the Eucharist. Praise God that the RCC has come to understand salvation more clearly in the centuries since the Heidelberg Catechism was first written! Yet the unfortunate truth remains that Rome has chained herself to the continual participation of the eucharist as the necessary means of salvation. "The Eucharist is the efficacious sign and sublime cause of that communion in the divine life and that unity of the People of God by which the Church is kept in being (Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part II, Article 3, para. II.1325)." This makes your continuing salvation dependent upon your action: if you separate yourself from the sacrament, you separate yourself from God's grace; that somehow Christ, who as we just read in v25 "always lives to intercede for you," is unable to do so unless you continually take action to bind yourself to Him. This grave misrepresentation of the gospel, coupled with the teaching we've looked at earlier that the bread and wine transubstantiate into the real body and blood of Jesus which must be worshipped, is therefore, as the Heidelberg Catechism describes it, a condemnable idolatry. Many of you used to be, and maybe still are, members of the Roman Catholic Church, so these words likely are upsetting to hear. If you're struggling with this difficult concept, please don't struggle alone. Know that your elders and pastors have no desire to condemn you, but will walk alongside you to help you better understand your only comfort in life and in death. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: God our Father, who accepts all those who come to Him through Christ by faith; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God that Christ has "saved you completely," and that you'll be reminded of this salvation as you come to His table. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 20

The way you worship matters, says Jesus. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 80 Q. How does the Lord’s Supper differ from the Roman Catholic Mass? A. The Lord’s Supper declares to us that our sins have been completely forgiven through the one sacrifice of Jesus Christ which he himself finished on the cross once for all. It also declares to us that the Holy Spirit grafts us into Christ, who with his very body is now in heaven at the right hand of the Father where he wants us to worship him. But the Mass teaches that the living and the dead do not have their sins forgiven through the suffering of Christ unless Christ is still offered for them daily by the priests. It also teaches that Christ is bodily present in the form of bread and wine where Christ is therefore to be worshiped. Thus the Mass is basically nothing but a denial of the one sacrifice and suffering of Jesus Christ and a condemnable idolatry. Summary One of the most painful consequences of sin is that the one thing that ought to unite all people - worshipping the God who made us - is arguably the thing that creates the most division and angst. Not only do massive divisions exist between the three great monotheistic religions (Judaism, Islam & Christianity), but the Christian Church itself is rent asunder with all sorts of different ideas and practices on how God ought to be worshipped. Division occurs when different expressions in how people worship begin to affect what they worship. The resulting battles shatter communities and even families, causing pain and bitterness that last generations. Our society's current live and let live attitude wants Jesus to come down and declare that all forms of worship, as long as its sincere and heartfelt, are acceptable to God and therefore all criticisms of divergent worship practices ought to cease. That's exactly what the woman at the well was hoping to hear Jesus say. But Jesus doesn't take her bait. One of the Bible's primary themes is that there are right ways and wrong ways to worship. Jesus doesn't pull His punches, telling the Samaritan woman that her countrymen have been worshipping incorrectly and even ignorantly. Certainly Jesus has lots of criticism for Jewish worship practices elsewhere in the gospels, but at least on the question of where true worship must take place, the Jews were getting it right. What a picture of God's grace, that out of all the people Jesus could have discussed true and proper worship with, it wasn't a learned scholar or a popular prophet, but rather it was this sinful, broken woman, and so she becomes one of the first people to truly worship God as He has ordained: in Spirit and truth. Dig Deeper The question of where to worship would soon become moot when Jesus would send His Church out to the nations before triumphantly ascending back to the right hand of the Father. But notice that the primary requirement for acceptable worship remains constant throughout the entire Bible: to properly know God (v22). The Lord's Supper is one of the primary ways you gain this knowledge that's so critical to fulfilling the purpose you were created for: to worship God. The Lord's Supper declares to you that you've been completely forgiven through Christ's one sacrifice on the cross and that you've been grafted into Him so that you can worship Him in Spirit and truth even while He is in heaven and you are on earth. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: God our Father is spirit; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will continue to know God more and more, and thank Him for what He teaches you as you come to His table; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 19

You will enter the Promised Land by grace alone, just as God's people always have. 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 It's often easy to think that God's plan of salvation changed when Jesus arrived. In plan A, God entered into a covenant with Moses, giving His people a clear set of expectations for them to follow in order to gain a reward. Indeed we see language like that in this passage from Deuteronomy that every Israelite would have known so well: keep the commandments so that you may enjoy long life; be careful to obey so that it might go well with you; follow these rules so that you might increase. Having given the Israelites plenty of time to get their act together, it might seem like God finally gave up on plan A for the grace-filled plan B that Jesus would inaugurate, in which His covenant people would now be saved by the fact that Jesus perfectly kept the law on our behalf. But as we keep reading in Deuteronomy 6, it becomes clear that God has always had one plan of salvation for all people, and it has always been completely grace based. God was bringing His people - then, and now - through their wilderness wanderings and into the Promised Land, which flowed with milk and honey. They would enjoy flourishing cities, nicely appointed houses, wells, vineyards and olive groves. All of this would be a gift: they would not need to build, provide, dig or plant. Another word for gift is grace. Certainly they had a covenantal obligation to keep the law, an obligation they couldn't keep. What they didn't know then was that Christ would provide that covenant faithfulness for them, as He has for you. So inhabiting the Promised Land was a pure gift; it was never an obligation God owed them. So the reminder God gives to Israel - the recipients of His grace then - is just as valid for us, the recipients of His grace now: Be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery (v12). Dig Deeper The next time you see the bread broken and the wine poured out, remember that all you have - the good things here and now, and especially an eternity with Christ are all a gift of grace made possible because Jesus suffered vicariously on your behalf. As the Catechism puts it, "all of His suffering and obedience are as definitely ours as if we personally had suffered and paid for our sins." AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Start your prayer the way God's people have for millenia, by reciting the Shema: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one." ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will be careful to obey God's laws, to love God with all of your heart, soul and strength, and that you'll impress the gospel on the generations that follow you out of gratitude for the grace given to you. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 18

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

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

Communion is full participation in the body and blood of Christ. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 78 Q. Are the bread and wine changed into the real body and blood of Christ? A. No. Just as the water of baptism is not changed into Christ’s blood and does not itself wash away sins but is simply God’s sign and assurance, so too the bread of the Lord’s Supper is not changed into the actual body of Christ even though it is called the body of Christ in keeping with the nature and language of sacraments. Summary This is my body; this is my blood. On one hand, there's no way Jesus could have been clearer as He commanded the Church to "do this in remembrance of me." On the other hand, no other words of the Bible have created so much division in the Church over the centuries. Does Jesus mean that the bread & wine somehow literally turn into His flesh & blood, or is He speaking metaphorically? There are three main schools of thought as to the relationship of Jesus' body and blood and the communion elements: Roman Catholic: The elements trans-substantiate: The bread & wine somehow become the flesh and blood of Christ after they've been consecrated by a priest; Lutheran: The elements con-substantiate: The bread & wine don't physically change, but Christ's presence coexists with them as they are consumed; Reformed: The elements are spiritually substantial: The bread and wine possess a spiritual substance that conveys the true presence of Christ to believers. One of the primary passages Reformed theologians lean on for this understanding is v16 from our reading today: the cup and the bread are a participation in the blood and body of Christ. Dig Deeper The Lord's Supper is perhaps better known in our churches as communion. There is a relationship between the Latin word communio and the Greek word translated as 'participation' that Paul uses in v16: koinōnía. Both words are derived from a common root and share similar meanings. The Latin word communio means "common" or "shared." It refers to the act of sharing, participating, or having something in common with others. In a broader sense, it can also convey the idea of community, fellowship, or communion. Similarly, the Greek word koinōnía also means "common" or "shared." Κoinōnía encompasses the notions of fellowship, partnership, and participation. When Jesus first invited His disciples, and later us, to understand that the bread and wine are His body & blood, He was speaking of something much bigger and broader than His physical body. As you participate in communion, know that you are spiritually in the very presence of Jesus Christ, and that you are being joined to His body which is the Church, and as such you receive all of the blessings, benefits & responsibilities that come with it. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, in heaven; Holy is His name! ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will flee idolatry and live your life in a way that's consistent with one who's participating in the body and blood of Jesus. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 15