A psalm of David. 1   Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 117 Q. How does God want us to pray so that he will listen to us? A.

Be strengthened in the name of Christ, the one & only source of salvation. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 29 Q. Why is the Son of God called “Jesus,” meaning “Savior”? A. Because he saves us from our sins. Salvation cannot be found in anyone else; it is futile to look for any salvation elsewhere. Summary Following the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the Disciples ventured out into the streets of Jerusalem actively preaching and healing in the name of Jesus. After healing a crippled man unable to walk since birth, Peter shared that this man was healed by the name of Jesus. This was followed by a declaration that Jesus is the Messiah, which included a critique of the Jewish rulers. These same rulers had charge of the temple and played a role in pressuring Pilate to execute Jesus. Word of this made it to the captain of the temple, who had the disciples arrested. After being held in custody overnight, they were then brought before a group of leaders from the Jewish religious council known as the Sanhedrin. In response to their questioning about what had taken place Peter does not back down from his prior declaration, despite knowing the role these men played in Jesus’ crucifixion and the danger they posed for him. Instead, Peter makes a bolder declaration in their midst: “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Not only was Peter stating outright that salvation is found in Jesus, but that salvation is ONLY found in Jesus. Dig Deeper The Book of Acts is one of my favorite books of the Bible. I have always been drawn to the fact that the miracles did not stop after the resurrection. Despite Jesus having already ascended to heaven, the Disciples were out healing the sick and making the lame walk. These miracles were a sign to the people that what the Disciples spoke of Jesus was true. These signs also protected the Disciples in this instance, for while it would have been easier to “get rid” of the Disciples, the council’s hands were tied, since the people had already seen the miracles, with thousands coming to faith in Jesus as a result. Instead this group of leaders on the council tried to compel the Disciples to stop telling people about Jesus. Despite the council being a powerful enemy to have, Peter refused. Peter had seen the risen Jesus and been filled with the Holy Spirit. He was not going to give in to the demands of the council; they could not offer him salvation. Instead, Peter held firm and trusted in Jesus, the only one who saves. You will likely never stand before a council and have to speak on behalf of your faith. However, you might be put in a position someday where you are asked to compromise on your faith and values. If that day comes, remember Peter’s example of standing firm on your faith in Jesus and his reason for doing so: “for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Almighty God, who raised Jesus from the dead; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will build your life with Christ as the cornerstone. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Hebrews 9

The kings of the earth rise up against the very God who established them ( Romans 1 ).

As Jesus said in John 10:28, no one - not even Sarx, your nagging sinful nature, can snatch you out of

Know that whatever happens today, nothing can thwart the purposes of our Sovereign God. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 26 Q. What do you believe when you say, “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth”? A. That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who out of nothing created heaven and earth and everything in them, who still upholds and rules them by his eternal counsel and providence, is my God and Father because of Christ his Son. I trust him so much that I do not doubt he will provide whatever I need for body and soul, and he will turn to my good whatever adversity he sends me in this sad world. He is able to do this because he is almighty God; he desires to do this because he is a faithful Father. Summary The story of God's covenant people in the Old Testament is one episode after another of their pagan neighbors threatening their security. While it's true that at times God enabled these nations to rise up against His sinful people in order to punish them, God would consistently answer the Israelites' prayers for salvation when they finally came around. This section of the book of Isaiah is full of God's promises for deliverance, containing oracles against powerful enemies like Babylon and Moab. This particular passage concerning God's promise to crush Assyria is one of the shortest passages in this section, but it's also one of the most pointed and significant. God, through His prophet Isaiah, reminds His people - Israel then, and us now - that whatsoever God plans and purposes will happen, because there is no created being powerful enough to thwart Him or turn back His outstretched hand (v24 & 27). Dig Deeper We refer to this doctrine of God's absolute dominance using several different terms, but among the most common are the words omnipotent, meaning all powerful, and sovereignty. Sometimes we refer to a king or other head of state as being a sovereign, meaning they have total control over their domain. Simply put, God always gets what He wants. Understanding the concept of God's sovereignty is essential to properly understand Christian theology. We see it in every major theme in the Bible: yesterday we saw that God powerfully spoke reality into being through His Son; God demonstrates His righteous authority by cursing Adam's sin; God's omnipotence is made clear by raising Christ from the dead; and the Bible ends with God sovereignly establishing a new heavens and earth. People tend to be skeptical of promises, because they are so easy to make but hard to keep. Know that you can absolutely trust the promises God has made to you, because passages like this one in Isaiah demonstrate that He not only has the desire to make good on the promises He made, but the omnipotent ability to follow through on them as well, just as He did for Israel time and time again. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our powerful, omnipotent, sovereign God: no one can thwart Him; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for reminders like today's passage that build up your trust in His sovereignty. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Acts 26

A Song. 1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire. 10 striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” 11 (v7 & 11). :18).

Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 12: Regeneration a Supernatural Work Regeneration, is the new creation

Isaiah 49:1-7 CONTEXT: This passage is one of four "Servant Songs" in the book of Isaiah that point forward But it is spread and dispersed throughout the entire world, though still joined and united in heart God "forms in the womb" (v1, 5), or as Psalm 139:13 puts it, God knits people together.

Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 109 Q. perpetuated by lies and falsehoods, and those caught in it will never be fully trusted again (v33) 10th things of this world; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1

Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity