God blesses you so that you can bless others. FaithLife.com Psalm 67 For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song. 1   May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us—  2   so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. 3  May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you. 4   May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth. 5   May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you. 6   The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us. 7   May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 15: Responses to God's grace God does not owe grace to anyone.  For what could God owe to those who have nothing to give that can be paid back?  Indeed, what could God owe to those who have nothing of their own to give but sin and falsehood?  Therefore  those who receive this grace owe and give eternal thanks to God alone;  those who do not receive it either  do not care at all about these spiritual things and are satisfied with themselves in their condition,  or else in self-assurance foolishly boast about having something which they lack.  Furthermore, following the example of the apostles,  we are to think and to speak in the most favorable way  about those who outwardly profess their faith and better their lives,  for the inner chambers of the heart are unknown to us.  But for others who have not yet been called, we are to pray to the God who calls things that do not exist as though they did.  In no way, however, are we to pride ourselves as better than they, as though we had distinguished ourselves from them. Summary Today's Summary and Dig Deeper post is condensed from Professor Mark Futato's excellent commentary on Psalms . We often pray that God would bless us in all sorts of ways. But if we are honest, it is far too easy for those blessings to become ends in themselves. We pray to be blessed simply so that we might be blessed. Psalm 67 challenges us instead to seek blessing with God’s own outcome in view. [In other words, asking God to A lign our lives with His will must be a big part of our prayer structure!] Psalm 67 is chiastically arranged [the wedge shape outline we see so often in ancient Hebrew poetry in which the principle point comes in the middle]: v1–2 pray for blessing that leads to the nations knowing God’s salvation v3–5 pray that the nations might glorify and enjoy God v6–7 return to blessing that again spills outward to the nations. The structure itself pushes us away from a narrow view of blessing. God blesses us for the sake of others. The psalm begins with words that echo the Aaronic benediction. At the heart of the blessing is God’s shining face—his favorable presence with his people. This is further described as “your saving power,” which means salvation in all its fullness. To be blessed is to know God near in mercy and grace.   Dig Deeper   At the center of the psalm is the prayer that the nations would enjoy God himself. They will know the joy of God’s just rule, setting right what is broken in their world. They will know the joy of God’s guidance, as he once led Israel through the wilderness into the promised land. And this joy will overflow in grateful praise. Glorifying God and enjoying him always go hand in hand. To experience his salvation is to be filled with joy. To be filled with joy is to give him glory. This is the vision of Psalm 67 for the whole earth. The psalm closes with confidence: God will bless us. His blessing will be tangible, like an abundant harvest. His blessing will be visible, so that people everywhere see and desire it. And those people will join in worshiping the true and living God. In this way, Psalm 67 teaches us to long for blessing—not merely so that we might have more, but so that others too might know God’s abundant life. We want to be blessed and be a blessing, that we might experience great joy in God and give great glory to him. And ultimately, we see the heart of this psalm in Christ himself, through whom Jews and Gentiles are blessed by faith. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, God, our God, who blesses us; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that God's ways will be known on earth through your words and deeds; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Timothy 3

Ditch the day's distractions and dwell on one of the Bible's most profound claims. Christian Pictures Blog Romans 4:16–17 (NIV) 16  Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17  As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”  He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed— the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 15: Responses to God's grace God does not owe grace to anyone.  For what could God owe to those who have nothing to give that can be paid back?  Indeed, what could God owe to those who have nothing of their own to give but sin and falsehood?  Therefore  those who receive this grace owe and give eternal thanks to God alone;  those who do not receive it either  do not care at all about these spiritual things and are satisfied with themselves in their condition,  or else in self-assurance foolishly boast about having something which they lack.  Furthermore, following the example of the apostles,  we are to think and to speak in the most favorable way  about those who outwardly profess their faith and better their lives,  for the inner chambers of the heart are unknown to us.  But for others who have not yet been called, we are to pray to the God who calls things that do not exist as though they did.  In no way, however, are we to pride ourselves as better than they, as though we had distinguished ourselves from them. Summary The final clause of Romans 4:17 is one of the most stunning statements ever written. It attributes two abilities to God that cannot be attributed to anyone or anything else. As is often the case with profound verses like this, all of the major English translations render it slightly differently, not because each thinks the other is wrong, but because even though Paul's original words are simple and straightforward, there are multiple different ways to properly express it. Let's start with the first half of the clause: NIV, ESV - the God who gives life to the dead... LEB, NET - the God... who makes the dead alive... My favorite here is the good 'ol KJV - God, who quickeneth the dead... My literal translation: God, the life-maker of the dead... It's the second half of the clause that's even more stunning. Again, Paul's original verbiage is both simple and elegant: God calls mē onta hōs onta. But again, there's more than one good way to translate: NIV: God... calls into being things that were not . ESV: God.. calls into existence the things that do not exist. LEB: God... calls the things that are not as though they are. NET: God... summons the things that do not yet exist as though they already do. KJV: God... calleth those things which be not as though they were. My literal translation: God... calls non-being to be.   Dig Deeper   We're bombarded nearly each and every moment with carefully crafted distractions designed to channel our attention to whatever product or service the distractor intended. Clicking on one slightly amusing short-form video quickly leads to a half hour or more scrolling through more slightly amusing videos. A sudden pop up ad causes us to covet a product we didn't even know existed until that point. High resolution digital billboards vie for our attention as we drive through town. So take some time today to pull yourself away from the continual distractions and instead take time to dwell on one or both of these amazing truths: that God makes the dead alive, and that He makes things be out of nothing. The Canons embrace Paul's profound theology here to bring comfort to those whose loved ones seem to continually dismiss the promises of the gospel. But for others who have not yet been called, the Canons confess, we are to pray to the God who calls things that do not exist as though they did . You and others may have tried everything to convince your loved one of God's truth, but nothing seems to work. The Canons here remind you in this sad and desperate situation to put your faith and trust in the God who is the life-maker of the dead and the One who made all things out of nothing. Only He can bring new life to the lost. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that God will give life to those you know who ignore or reject His gospel truth; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Timothy 2

Even when fakes appear, God’s grace is genuine. Acts 8:9–24 (NIV) 9   Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10  and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” 11  They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. 12  But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13  Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw. 14  When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. 15  When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16  because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17  Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. 18  When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19  and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20  Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21  You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22  Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23  For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.” 24  Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.” Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 15: Responses to God's grace God does not owe grace to anyone.  For what could God owe to those who have nothing to give that can be paid back?  Indeed, what could God owe to those who have nothing of their own to give but sin and falsehood?  Therefore  those who receive this grace owe and give eternal thanks to God alone;  those who do not receive it either  do not care at all about these spiritual things and are satisfied with themselves in their condition,  or else in self-assurance foolishly boast about having something which they lack.  Furthermore, following the example of the apostles,  we are to think and to speak in the most favorable way  about those who outwardly profess their faith and better their lives,  for the inner chambers of the heart are unknown to us.  But for others who have not yet been called, we are to pray to the God who calls things that do not exist as though they did.  In no way, however, are we to pride ourselves as better than they, as though we had distinguished ourselves from them. Summary Simon was a showman as much as he was a sorcerer. Luke, the historian who wrote Acts, doesn't elaborate on the type of magic Simon practiced, but it probably contained a smidgen of demonic powers combined with a whole bunch of smoke and mirrors. Simon boasted that he was someone great, and the crowd ate it all up. All the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, "This man is rightly called the Power of God." But then the real Power of God showed up and Simon lost his crowd. God showed up in the preaching of Philip , who was everything that the flashy Simon was not. Philip was one of the men the church called on to help the widows (Acts 6) and who would go on in the next passage to explain scripture to an Ethiopian official in the middle of nowhere. The crowds that used to be amazed by Simon now believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. Even Simon himself believed and was baptized, and from that point on he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw. What a remarkable transformation, right? A man who used to market magic who now believed and jumped into the life of the church with both feet. But as you've likely already figured out, we're not reading Simon's story today because it has a happy ending.   Dig Deeper   It doesn't take long for Simon's true colors to show. When Peter & John give the Spirit by laying on their hands (Luke refers here to Spiritual gifts, not Spiritual regeneration), Simon immediately senses the opportunity and wants in. His offer to purchase the apostles' ability even sounds noble: "so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” Peter immediately exposes Simon and calls him to repent , stating that Simon's heart is not right before God. Peter sees that Simon had just been going through the Christian motions. Simon had just been following the crowd that once followed him. Simon's heart wasn't regenerated, rather he was full of bitterness and captive to sin. Even Simon's 'confession' rings hollow; he only sought to avoid divine punishment rather than submit himself to Christ's Lordship. The Church always has been and always will (until Christ returns) had people in it who, as the Canons put it, outwardly profess their faith and better their lives but who don't truly put their hope, trust, faith and allegiance in Christ alone. Sometimes their shallowness becomes apparent, as did Simon's, but just as often such people maintain the ruse for their entire lives. Our lesson today is to be like Phillip, who had accepted Simon's profession of faith on its face. Indeed, that's all we can do, for the inner chambers of the heart are unknown to us.  When blatant hypocrisy displays itself, then we must certainly call it out as Peter did. Apart from that we are to think and to speak in the most favorable way  regarding all those who affiliate themselves with the body of Christ. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who enables those He's called to grow even in the midst of weeds and tares; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the grace to think and to speak in the most favorable way of all who visibly believe; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Timothy 1

The Word of the LORD never has been nor ever will be popular. Jeremiah 6:9–15 (NIV) CONTEXT: Jeremiah is declaring the Word of the LORD, calling out the complacent sinfulness of His people that will result in their exile to Babylon. 9   This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Let them glean the remnant of Israel as thoroughly as a vine; pass your hand over the branches again, like one gathering grapes.” 10  To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed  so they cannot hear. The word of the LORD is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it. 11  But I am full of the wrath of the LORD, and I cannot hold it in. “Pour it out on the children in the street and on the young men gathered together; both husband and wife will be caught in it, and the old, those weighed down with years. 12  Their houses will be turned over to others, together with their fields and their wives, when I stretch out my hand against those who live in the land,” declares the LORD. 13  “From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. 14  They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace. 15  Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when I punish them,” says the LORD. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 15: Responses to God's grace God does not owe grace to anyone.  For what could God owe to those who have nothing to give that can be paid back?  Indeed, what could God owe to those who have nothing of their own to give but sin and falsehood?  Therefore  those who receive this grace owe and give eternal thanks to God alone;  those who do not receive it either  do not care at all about these spiritual things and are satisfied with themselves in their condition,  or else in self-assurance foolishly boast about having something which they lack.  Furthermore, following the example of the apostles,  we are to think and to speak in the most favorable way  about those who outwardly profess their faith and better their lives,  for the inner chambers of the heart are unknown to us.  But for others who have not yet been called, we are to pray to the God who calls things that do not exist as though they did.  In no way, however, are we to pride ourselves as better than they, as though we had distinguished ourselves from them. Summary The more things change, the more they stay the same. Obviously Jeremiah lived in a context far different from our own in nearly every way, yet the sins the LORD sent him to call out remain as present today as they did in ancient Israel, in the days right before they'd be exiled from the Promised Land. Jeremiah had one of the toughest callings of any of the prophets. He was only a boy when the LORD called him into service to bring a word of warning to Israel, but nobody wanted to hear the message Jeremiah proclaimed. To whom can I speak and give warning, Jeremiah rhetorically asks, who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. It's important for us to stop and note here in our year long study of God's sovereignty in our salvation as to why their ears were closed. We've come to understand that people come to believe the gospel only when the Lord opens their hearts, as He did with Lydia . But while the Bible does occasionally speak of God hardening hearts of men like Pharoah, in general people's ears are not supernaturally closed. Rather, people voluntarily close their ears so they cannot hear the gospel simply because the word of the LORD is offensive to them. It's offensive because it presents truth, and truth is repulsive to those who are enslaved to sin.   Dig Deeper   We read in today's selection from the Canons that those who do not receive God's grace... do not care at all about these spiritual things and are satisfied with themselves in their condition . This is so frustrating, isn't it. By God's grace you've come to see and love the beauty of His Word and the eternal peace it promises, yet you have friends and loved ones who aren't the least bit interested in it, even though they can't seem to find the peace the crave even in the abundance of worldly blessings they've accumulated. Such was the case for the Israelites who plugged their ears as Jerimiah spoke the word of the LORD to them. As the Canons put it, they did not care and were satisfied with themselves in their condition . Jeremiah here gives us a big reason as to why, and he points the blame directly at the very men who should have been supporting Jeremiah's message: the prophets and priests. God's people had been wounded - that's what sin does - but instead of calling them to the true tonic of repentance they desperately needed, the religious establishment simply dressed the wound as though it were not serious. Instead of telling people the truth about their mortal wound , they proclaimed peace, peace... when there is no peace. The word of the LORD never has been nor ever will be popular in this sinful world. Unfortunately, so many people don't think they need it. Your temptation will be to modify God's Word to make it more attractive, but don't fall into this trap like those ancient prophets and priests did. Instead thank God for removing your fingers from your own ears and pray that He will do so for others. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who sends forth His Word for our salvation; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would faithfully adhere to and proclaim the word of the LORD; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Corinthians 13

God's grace is inherently unfair. Praise God for that! Job 38:1-11, 41:11 (NIV) CONTEXT: Job’s friends had accused him of secret sin that God must be punishing, while Job had gone so far as to question whether God was acting justly. Today’s passage marks the beginning of a four-chapter monologue in which the LORD confronts Job’s ignorance and humbles him. These chapters offer some of the most profound insight into who God is and how He rules the world found anywhere in Scripture. Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm. He said: 2  “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? 3   Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. 4   “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. 5   Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? 6   On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone— 7   while the morning stars sang together and all the angels  shouted for joy? 8   “Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, 9   when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, 10  when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, 11  when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt’? --- 41:11  Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 15: Responses to God's grace God does not owe this grace to anyone.  For what could God owe to those who have nothing to give that can be paid back?  Indeed, what could God owe to those who have nothing of their own to give but sin and falsehood?  Therefore  those who receive this grace owe and give eternal thanks to God alone;  those who do not receive it either  do not care at all about these spiritual things and are satisfied with themselves in their condition,  or else in self-assurance foolishly boast about having something which they lack.  Furthermore, following the example of the apostles,  we are to think and to speak in the most favorable way  about those who outwardly profess their faith and better their lives,  for the inner chambers of the heart are unknown to us.  But for others who have not yet been called, we are to pray to the God who calls things that do not exist as though they did.  In no way, however, are we to pride ourselves as better than they, as though we had distinguished ourselves from them. Summary Job finally thinks he's going to get some answers. His friends had blamed him for the immense suffering he'd endured, but Job knew he harbored no secret sins that would have warranted the pain and loss he'd experienced, or, at least, that his sins were not any worse that anybody else's. Now he's put God in the dock, so to speak, and the question's been called. So the suspense as chapter 38 begins is massive. People throughout all times and places have wondered right along with Job why so much suffering occurs, especially by those who don't seem to deserve it. As the chapter begins, all eyes are on God; what will He say in response to this age old question? But right off the bat, it becomes apparent that God's response will be different than anyone expected. The first clue comes in the abrupt shift in how God is referred to. For most of the book of Job, the narrator refers to Him simply as God, using the Hebrew word Elohim, the plainest and most common of all the Hebrew names for God. But suddenly YHWH - the LORD - shows up, speaking out of the storm. It immediately becomes clear the premise of Job's (and often our) question - these words without knowledge - is completely wrong. We operate under the assumption that we're owed a certain amount of blessing and grace in life, and anything short of that is negligence on God's part. But God reminds Job - and us - that He doesn't owe a thing to anybody. Who has a claim against me that I must pay, the LORD rhetorically asks, before supplying the only possible answer: Everything under heaven belongs to me.   Dig Deeper   These last few weeks we've been learning that the only reason we've experienced God's grace is because He's regenerated our hearts, opened our eyes and liberated our minds from their bondage to sin. With our new found ability to recognize the truth of God's grace, it's become irresistible to us and we quickly and gratefully accept what's been offered to us, knowing that we didn't deserve it. But the seemingly arbitrary nature of God's gift - the fact that only some of us, but not all, have been chosen by God to receive it - sits smoldering in the back of our minds, sometimes even fanning itself into the flame of resentment against God. How can God be so unfair?!? But demanding that God treat all people fairly is a dangerous request, for as the Canons remind us here, God does not owe this grace to anyone... what could God owe to those who have nothing of their own to give but sin and falsehood? The fact of the matter is that if God were to treat all people fairly, we'd certainly all get the same thing, but it would be nothing but the punishment and wrath we deserve. The grace that we've received instead from God is inherently unfair, and praise God for that. As our week continues we'll learn the proper way for us to respond to God in regards to those who it doesn't seem have been treated as unfairly as we have. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who laid the earth's foundation and marked off its dimensions; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would humble yourself before God's sovereignty as Job ultimately did; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Corinthians 12

As God revives us, we will call on His name. Faithlife.com Psalm 80 For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” Of Asaph. A psalm. 1   Hear us, Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock. You who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth 2  before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. Awaken your might; come and save us. 3   Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved. 4  How long, Lord God Almighty, will your anger smolder against the prayers of your people? 5   You have fed them with the bread of tears; you have made them drink tears by the bowlful. 6   You have made us an object of derision to our neighbors, and our enemies mock us. 7  Restore us, God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved. 8  You transplanted a vine from Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. 9   You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land. 10  The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches. 11  Its branches reached as far as the Sea, its shoots as far as the River.  12  Why have you broken down its walls so that all who pass by pick its grapes? 13  Boars from the forest ravage it, and insects from the fields feed on it. 14  Return to us, God Almighty! Look down from heaven and see! Watch over this vine, 15   the root your right hand has planted, the son you have raised up for yourself. 16  Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire; at your rebuke your people perish. 17  Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself. 18  Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name. 19  Restore us, LORD God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 13 & 14: The Incomprehensible Way of Regeneration and the Way God Gives Faith In this life believers cannot fully understand the way this regeneration occurs;  meanwhile, they rest content with knowing and experiencing that,  by this grace of God,  they do believe with the heart and love their Savior. In this way, therefore, faith is a gift of God,  not in the sense that it is offered by God for people to choose,  but that it is in actual fact bestowed on them,  breathed and infused into them.  Nor is it a gift in the sense that God bestows only the potential to believe, but then awaits assent—the act of believing—by human choice;  rather, it is a gift in the sense that God who works both willing and acting  and, indeed, works all things in all people and produces in them both the will to believe and the belief itself. Summary As we've seen so often as we've turned to the Psalms each Friday this year, Psalm 80 takes the form of a prayer. It's been fascinating to see in all of these psalty prayers we've read this year the emphasis the placed on a cknowledging who God is, and Psalm 80 doesn't disappoint in this regard! Psalm 80 is comprised of three strophes (stanzas), each separated by a refrain. Each of the refrains begins with a calling out to God, but the intensity of each of these a cknowledgements grows as the psalm unfolds: v3 - Restore us, O God... v7 - Restore us, God Almighty... v19 - Restore us, LORD God Almighty... Notice that as the psalmist's angst and desire for restoration grows, his theology grows accordingly. This is one of the ways God uses the suffering we experience in life: to bring us to a greater knowledge of Him.   Dig Deeper   There's so much we could dig into here in Psalm 80, but we'll content ourselves with the final few verses of the final strophe: 17 Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself. As Christians its almost impossible to read that and not see Christ! But of course, Asaph wrote this psalm hundreds of years before Jesus was born, and he was calling God to raise up a faithful king for Israel. But Asaph didn't write this by himself; he was inspired by the Holy Spirit, who very much meant to point readers to The faithful King who'd be born in Bethlehem. It's the next verse that captures the theme put forth by this week's article from the Canons: 18  Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name. When God sovereignly revives His elect, our desire to call on His name becomes irresistible. Martin Luther leaned on these verses in Psalm 80 to write the second verse of A Mighty Fortress is Our God : Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing, were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God's own choosing. You ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is he; Lord Sabaoth his name, from age to age the same; and he must win the battle. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, the LORD God Almighty (literally: LORD Sabaoth - the God of angel armies); A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray the refrain of Psalm 80: Restore us, LORD God Almighty, make your face shine on us, that we may be saved; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Corinthians 11

God sovereignly coordinates all things to help you believe. Acts 18:24-28 (NIV) CONTEXT: This week we're working through selections from the book of Acts looking at examples of how God's grace is stronger than we are, and how it is that He produces both our will to believe and our very faith itself. In today's passage, we're introduced to Apollos, who would become an effective gospel evangelist. 24  Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 25  He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26  He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately. 27  When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. 28  For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 13 & 14: The Incomprehensible Way of Regeneration and the Way God Gives Faith In this life believers cannot fully understand the way this regeneration occurs;  meanwhile, they rest content with knowing and experiencing that,  by this grace of God,  they do believe with the heart and love their Savior. In this way, therefore, faith is a gift of God,  not in the sense that it is offered by God for people to choose,  but that it is in actual fact bestowed on them,  breathed and infused into them.  Nor is it a gift in the sense that God bestows only the potential to believe, but then awaits assent—the act of believing—by human choice;  rather, it is a gift in the sense that God who works both willing and acting  and, indeed, works all things in all people and produces in them both the will to believe and the belief itself. Summary Apollos seems like a guy who had it all together. Although he was a Jew , we also read that he was a native of Alexandria, a major center of learning located in Northern Africa, famous for its library and scholarly Jewish community. Luke indicates that he had benefitted from being reared in such a city, stating that he was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. So he not only knew his stuff, but he could communicate it as well. He spoke with great fervor and went on to vigorously refute Jewish opponents of Christianity in public debates. Luke paints a picture here of a smart, articulate, impressive man who had been instructed in the way of the Lord. But Apollos had a massive flaw at this point: although he taught about Jesus accurately, he knew only the baptism of John. It's hard to know exactly what Luke means here, but in piecing together the other mentions of Apollos in scripture, it seems that Apollos knew about Jesus' life, teaching, death and resurrection, but not about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit the apostles experienced at Pentecost. So even though Apollos is so smart and polished, his theology was significantly lacking at this point. But God in His grace would fill in the blank spots, using a faithful Christian couple named Priscilla and Aquila. Rather than denounce and publicly protest Apollos' major flaw, they invited him into their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately. What a model for us to follow in our supercharged culture of criticism!   Dig Deeper   The humble efforts of Priscilla and Aquilla paid huge dividends for the Kingdom of God. Apollos ends up traveling to Achaia (the province that contained Corinth) , where he would become a great help to the believers there. But it's the way Luke describes those believers that grabs our attention today: they who by grace had believed. Now God in His grace could have helped those Corinthians any way He pleased. He could of spiritually zapped them from afar, conveying the knowledge and insight they needed in an instant. He could have sent them some sort of powerful oracle that could have explained all there was to know about salvation. But the method God chose was far more powerful and miraculous. God's help for the Corinthians had started on the other side of the Mediterranean Sea and came to them by way of Ephesus, located in yet an entirely different part of the Roman Empire. As impressive of a man as what Apollos was, he was just a small part of the help God provided, for the Jewish institutions that educated Apollos were founded long before Apollos was even born. And all of this academic might was worthless until God provided a couple of Christian businesspeople to help Apollos understand the way of God more adequately. This is the way God's sovereign grace - grace that is stronger than you are - works. God omnipotently works all things together to not just regenerate, but to provide a lifetime of great help to those who by grace had believed. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who in all things works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28); A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for the massive coordination of people from all over who've been a great help in bringing you to Christ, and pray that God uses you to provide that same help to others; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Corinthians 10

It's the Lord who opens your heart, but you must respond. YouArePursued.com Acts 16:13-15 (NIV) CONTEXT: This week we're working through selections from the book of Acts looking at examples of how God's grace is stronger than we are, and how it is that He produces both our will to believe and our very faith itself. In today's passage, Paul and his companions have just arrived in Philippi,. 13  On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14  One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15  When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 13 & 14: The Incomprehensible Way of Regeneration and the Way God Gives Faith In this life believers cannot fully understand the way this regeneration occurs;  meanwhile, they rest content with knowing and experiencing that,  by this grace of God,  they do believe with the heart and love their Savior. In this way, therefore, faith is a gift of God,  not in the sense that it is offered by God for people to choose,  but that it is in actual fact bestowed on them,  breathed and infused into them.  Nor is it a gift in the sense that God bestows only the potential to believe, but then awaits assent—the act of believing—by human choice;  rather, it is a gift in the sense that God who works both willing and acting  and, indeed, works all things in all people and produces in them both the will to believe and the belief itself. Summary One of Luke's - the historian and fellow evangelist who wrote both the account of Jesus' life as well as the book of Acts - characteristics is his ability to convey lots of information using a small amount of words. He often throws in seemingly unsignificant details that end up adding deep insight to the story (conversely, when Luke doesn't include details, it's a big clue that that those things are not critical to understanding the story, even though we might be really curious about them). So when Luke mentions that they had to go outside of the city on the Sabbath to find people who worshipped God , and that the people who had gathered down by the river to pray were women , it tells us quite a bit about the spiritual condition of the Jewish people in Philippi. Synagogues could be formed wherever there were at least ten faithful men, so the fact that these women were meeting alone in the open air tells us that the Jewish men of Philippi, a large and prosperous city in which there would have been more than enough men to warrant having several synagogues, had by and large abdicated their faith and calling from God to be the spiritual leaders of their home and community. Such lazy behavior by men has plagued the Church for its entire existence. Next, Luke keys in on a particular woman, sharing all sorts of details about her: where she was from, her name, and her occupation. From these details we can deduce that Lydia was likely a free woman (in a world where most people were enslaved) and that as a dealer of purple cloth, she was probably quite wealthy. In her faithfulness, she would go on to be a key patron and benefactor to the Church for years to come.   Dig Deeper   Of course we didn't come to this passage today just for a lesson in ancient Philippian history. We came because of the interesting way that Luke describes how it is Lydia came to place her faith in Christ. Each clause of this short sentence is worth digging into: The Lord opened her heart... - Of course Luke doesn't literally mean that God performed open heart surgery here! As one lexicon defines the idiom used here, Luke means that the Lord - a title most often given to Christ, but one that doesn't necessarily exclude the Holy Spirit - "caused someone to be willing to learn and evaluate fairly." ...to respond... - When the Holy Spirit breaths and infuses faith into people, it's not as if He turns people into mindless drones who no longer have agency over their will or can exercise any independent self determination; The Lord had opened her heart, but Lydia still needed to respond to Him on her own. Yet at the same time, it's not as if the Spirit simply granted her the potential to believe, but then awaited her assent. Rather, He  produced in her both the will to believe and the belief itself. In other words, having had her mind opened and freed of sin's noetic effect , the grace offered to Lydia became irresistible, and she responded. ...to Paul's message. - It wasn't a carefully crafted and beautifully performed worship song that Lydia responded to, or a warm, fuzzy feeling that God would help her through whatever personal challenges she was facing, or the loving relationships she'd have with other Christians. She responded to the words Paul preached - the gospel message: Jesus Christ, who died for our sins, is now raised from the dead (2 Timothy 2:8). AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who gathers His people from all sorts of different backgrounds; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would respond to the gospel message all through your life, as Lydia did; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Corinthians 9

Who are we to think that we could stand in God's way? Acts 11:15–18 (NIV) CONTEXT: This week we're working through selections from the book of Acts looking at examples of how God's grace is stronger than we are, and how it is that He produces both our will to believe and our very faith itself. Here in Acts 11, Peter had gone into the house of a gentile - a Roman Centurion, no less - and had not just eaten with him and his household, but baptized them! Word of this spreads like wildfire in the Jewish-Christian community, and Peter faces criticism for it. We pick up the story here as Peter explains how the Holy Spirit had led him into the situation. 15  “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. 16  Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17  So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?” 18  When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.” Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 13 & 14: The Incomprehensible Way of Regeneration and the Way God Gives Faith In this life believers cannot fully understand the way this regeneration occurs;  meanwhile, they rest content with knowing and experiencing that,  by this grace of God,  they do believe with the heart and love their Savior. In this way, therefore, faith is a gift of God,  not in the sense that it is offered by God for people to choose,  but that it is in actual fact bestowed on them,  breathed and infused into them.  Nor is it a gift in the sense that God bestows only the potential to believe, but then awaits assent—the act of believing—by human choice;  rather, it is a gift in the sense that God who works both willing and acting  and, indeed, works all things in all people and produces in them both the will to believe and the belief itself. Summary It had all made sense up to this point. It did seem strange that so many of them had rejected the grace that the Messiah had made possible, but the fact that God had fulfilled His covenant promises to His particular covenant people through Jesus resonated with those early Jewish Christians in Israel. Gentiles were still outsiders in the Kingdom, but God had once again saved His people, this time for all eternity. Things were the way they were supposed to be. Until Peter had responded to that unexpected invitation, that is. It came out of the blue from Cornelius, who summoned Peter after meeting an angel in a vision (Acts 10). The angel told him that Peter would bring a message through which you and all your household will be saved (Acts 11:14). Peter, who'd experienced a vision of his own telling him to expect an invitation, wasted no time in responding. It was as Peter spoke that the Holy Spirit showed up. That in itself isn't really a surprise, since the Bible makes it so clear that preaching is God's most ordinary means of grace - that is, the primary way God saves sinners. But it's the fact that Gentiles were baptized with the Holy Spirit that was so shocking. Peter didn't miss the allusions to Pentecost. If God gave them the same gift He gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, Peter explains to his confused fellow Jews, who was I to think that I could stand in God's way?   Dig Deeper   Imagine if your most cherished cultural traditions were suddenly completely changed and upended: no more turkey on Thanksgiving, fireworks on the 4th of July, or going to Tim Hortons after a hockey game (sorry Canadian readers, it's the best I could come up with. Let me know in the comment box your favorite cultural tradition). Can you imagine the angst and anger that would erupt from such a sudden interruption of an age old way of life? We can't begin to understand just how mind blowing and shocking this development was to those early Jewish Christians - it was miles (kilometers) beyond losing turkey, fireworks or Tim Horton! Certainly it would take months or years or even an entire generation to even begin to accept such a massive change. But that's not what we read here: When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God. What could have made such acceptance possible? None other than the same power of God, breathed and infused into them as the Canons put it, which had granted even the Gentiles repentance that leads to life! The Canons explain that in producing both the will to believe and the belief itself , God works all things in us. Certainly the initial regeneration that brings a new Christian from spiritual death to life can only be accomplished by God's sovereignty, but that's just the beginning of God's regenerating power. God continues to powerfully guide us into His will all through our Christian life. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who grants repentance that leads to life for all of His people; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would not stand in God's way, but would quickly align and conform your life to God's will as those early Jewish Christians did; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Corinthians 8

True rebels are those who've been brought to repentance by Christ. Acts 5:27–32 CONTEXT: This week we'll be working through selections from the book of Acts looking at examples of how God's grace is stronger than we are, and how it is that He produces both our will to believe and our very faith itself. Here in Acts 5, the early Church is experiencing persecution from the Sadducees, the majority political/religious party in Jerusalem. 27  The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28  “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.” 29  Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than man! 30  The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. 31  God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. 32  We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 13 & 14: The Incomprehensible Way of Regeneration and the Way God Gives Faith In this life believers cannot fully understand the way this regeneration occurs;  meanwhile, they rest content with knowing and experiencing that,  by this grace of God,  they do believe with the heart and love their Savior. In this way, therefore, faith is a gift of God,  not in the sense that it is offered by God for people to choose,  but that it is in actual fact bestowed on them,  breathed and infused into them.  Nor is it a gift in the sense that God bestows only the potential to believe, but then awaits assent—the act of believing—by human choice;  rather, it is a gift in the sense that God who works both willing and acting  and, indeed, works all things in all people and produces in them both the will to believe and the belief itself. Summary We love stories like this: establishment goons trying to crack down on a scrappy group of the faithful, who by God's grace are able to thumb their noses back at them as they stand for what's right and good. It's why we love figures in history like Martin Luther (both the Reformer in the 16th century and his namesake in the 20th century) and like the Duke boys as they evaded Boss Hogg and Roscoe P. Coltrane. That's the picture that we have here of our favorite disciple turned apostle, Peter. As the Law bears down on him, reiterating their earlier strict orders not to teach in this name (notice how they can't even bring themselves to say the name of Jesus), Peter and the other apostles stand there, calm, cool & collected, and reply with that line we love: We must obey God rather than man. Boom... mic drop moment. If this were a movie, the crowd would cheer and carry Peter out on their shoulders. But Peter wasn't done. You see, neither Peter (nor Luther 1,500 years later as he defied the Pope's emissary in Worms) were the mavericks we like to romanticize them as. They weren't rebels without a cause, or primarily champions for the rights of the downtrodden whose work was finished once they stuck it to the man. No, Peter and those who follow in his steps are merely witnesses of the God of our Fathers who raised Jesus from the dead and exalted Him to His own right hand as Prince and Savior. Peter here wasn't rebelling against authority; He was submitting himself to a much higher authority.   Dig Deeper   It's interesting the way Peter frames it here as he replies to the Sanhedrin. He doesn't say that God exalted Jesus... as Prince and Savior that He might bring Israel salvation, or even grace . No, Peter here indicates in this particular situation that God exalted Jesus... that He might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. So many people get confused about this. They might know that salvation and grace are offered by Jesus, but yet think that in order to gain those things, they must first bring themselves to repentance. It's as if only those who can muster the wherewithal to ask for Jesus to forgive their sins will get His grace and the blessing of the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him. The Canons here harmonize all of scripture as they unpack the truth that Peter scolds the Sanhedrin with: the very faith we need to repent and obey God is breathed and infused into us... God works all things in all people and produces in them both the will to believe and the belief itself. This is the very essence of Reformed theology. This means that if you see the evidence of this God given faith in your life, you have the same strength in you that Peter did to stand against anything and everything that seeks to deter you from obeying the very One who brought you to repentance and forgiveness. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who exalted Christ to His own right hand as Prince and Savior; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would stand firm in your faith just as Peter and the apostles did; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Corinthians 7