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

When you need restoration, pray like Psalm 126. Psalm 126 A song of ascents. 1  When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. 2   Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” 3   The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. 4   Restore our fortunes,  Lord, like streams in the Negev. 5   Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. 6  Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them. 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, the raising from the dead, and the making alive  so clearly proclaimed in the Scriptures,  which God works in us without our help.  But this certainly does not happen only by outward teaching, by moral persuasion, or by such a way of working that, after God’s work is done,  it remains in human power whether or not to be reborn or converted.  Rather, it is an entirely supernatural work,  one that is at the same time most powerful and most pleasing,  a marvelous, hidden, and inexpressible work, which is not less than or inferior in power to that of creation or of raising the dead, as Scripture (inspired by the author of this work) teaches.  As a result, all those in whose hearts God works in this marvelous way  are certainly, unfailingly, and effectively reborn and do actually believe.  And then the will, now renewed,  is not only activated and motivated by God,  but in being activated by God is also itself active.  For this reason, people t­hemselves,  by that grace which they have received,  are also rightly said to believe and to repent. Summary We don't know the specific background or incident that led to this song of ascents (short songs meant to be sung as pilgrims ascended the hill to worship at the temple). Knowing as much as we can about a passage's specific historical context is often a critical component of good hermeneutics (methods and rules for interpretation), but in this case, the particular situation that gave rise to this psalm is so universally experienced that the particulars aren't as important. The psalm is divided into two strophes (sometimes called stanzas). The first, v1-3, tells of the LORD restoring the fortunes of Zion, which led to laughter and songs of joy. Even Israel's pagan neighbors could look at them and conclude that the LORD has done great things for them! But the second strophe makes it clear that the writer of this song no longer experienced the dreamy laughter and joy that flowed out of the LORD's restoration. The situation has deteriorated, and once again the prayers go up to the LORD: Restore our fortunes, LORD, like streams in the Negev (an arid desert which would occasionally experience sudden, life giving flash floods that transformed the parched land). Chances are you know exactly how this psalmist felt, and the setting of Psalm 126 resonates with you. You've experienced the LORD doing great things for you, but then years later - or just days or even hours later - life had punched you down again, and once more you prayed to the LORD to restore your fortunes again. Such is the universal rhythm of life in our sinful, broken world.   Dig Deeper   There's two things we want to notice about this short psalm. First, it's a model prayer. It's not long - two strophes (six verses in our translations), but it's actually a bit on the long side for Biblical prayers, which are almost always quite short. Your prayer do not need to be long and drawn out. Like the AAA pattern that Jesus teaches us in the Lord's Prayer , this prayer in Psalm 126 leans into the a cknowledgement aspect of prayer. It's so easy to let our pressing needs for restoration bully every other facet of prayer out, but the psalmist here frames his request by first a cknowledging how the LORD had restored the fortunes of Zion in the past. Even if his situation didn't change a bit, things likely improved after praying this way! Second, Psalm 126 recognizes the LORD's sovereignty in restoration . The psalmist recognizes that restoration didn't come about by their own efforts or hard work. Rather, it was the LORD who had done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Maybe you identify with the sower mentioned in the final two verses: sowing in tears, weeping as you go out (maybe those tears are evident to everyone else, or more likely, they only come out when nobody else is looking). Remember what we've been learning this year as we've studied the Canons of Dordt: God's grace is stronger than you are. Trust that He will grow the seed you sow in tears in such a way that you'll reap with songs of joy. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who has restored our fortunes by His Son, Jesus Christ; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would a cknowledge the LORD's restoration in your life even as you continually ask Him for continued salvation; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Corinthians 6

Unless the Father has enabled you to understand, you'll find Jesus offensive. BibleHub.com John 6:60–66 (NIV) CONTEXT: Jesus has just told those following Him the shocking statement that "unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you ." 60   On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” 61   Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? 62   Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63   The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. 64   Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65   He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.” 66   From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. 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, the raising from the dead, and the making alive  so clearly proclaimed in the Scriptures,  which God works in us without our help.  But this certainly does not happen only by outward teaching, by moral persuasion, or by such a way of working that, after God’s work is done,  it remains in human power whether or not to be reborn or converted.  Rather, it is an entirely supernatural work,  one that is at the same time most powerful and most pleasing,  a marvelous, hidden, and inexpressible work, which is not less than or inferior in power to that of creation or of raising the dead, as Scripture (inspired by the author of this work) teaches.  As a result, all those in whose hearts God works in this marvelous way  are certainly, unfailingly, and effectively reborn and do actually believe.  And then the will, now renewed,  is not only activated and motivated by God,  but in being activated by God is also itself active.  For this reason, people t­hemselves,  by that grace which they have received,  are also rightly said to believe and to repent. Summary I'll bet you could hear a pin drop after Jesus got done talking. For a few moments, nobody probably said a thing; they didn't need to... their eyes told the story as they glanced at one another. 'Did he just say what I think he said? That we have to eat his flesh and drink his blood to be saved?' Finally one of them mustered up some words and muttered one of the biggest understatements of all time, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” Jesus, of course aware that His disciples were grumbling about this, seized the teaching moment. His disciples needed to see past the present and realize that the flesh counts for nothing. Rather, it was His words He had spoken which were full of the Spirit and life. Jesus here makes clear the metaphorical nature of His earlier remark that one must eat His flesh and drink His blood. Eating and drinking are the primary means by which physical life is sustained, but since our physical lives are temporal, eternal life comes from shift one's focus from his physical appetite to eating and drinking 'food' which sustains eternal life: the words Jesus speaks.   Dig Deeper   Jesus knew more than that His disciples were grumbling about the difficulty of His teaching; He knew something darker and more sinister. John writes that Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray Him. That fact in and of itself is enough food for thought for a lifetime of pondering! In fact, many of them would turn Jesus' foreknowledge into history right then and there, by turning back and no longer following Him. What a tragic moment - to be so close to the Son of God and the salvation that comes through Him, only to turn back because His teaching is hard to accept. His teaching is hard to accept. Not just hard, but impossible. Jesus tells us that as those who would not accept it had one foot out the door. No one, said Jesus, can come to me unless the Father has enabled them. It's this statement from Jesus that lies at the heart of this doctrine we call irresistible grace. It is not in human power whether or not to be reborn or converted. Rather, it is an entirely supernatural work... As a result, all those in whose hearts God works in this marvelous way are certainly, unfailingly, and effectively reborn and do actually believe. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who enabled His elect to come to Jesus; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your focus would not be on your appetite for the things of this world, but that you would hunger for the words Jesus has spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Corinthians 5

God supernaturally uses our efforts to save those He's appointed to eternal life. Evangelism was often a roller coaster for Paul & Barnabas - it is for us too! Acts 13:42–48 (NIV) CONTEXT: Paul had the opportunity to tell the gospel story in a synagogue in Antioch... 42   As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. 43   When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. 44   On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45   When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him. 46   Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. 47   For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “ ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” 48   When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. 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, the raising from the dead, and the making alive  so clearly proclaimed in the Scriptures,  which God works in us without our help.  But this certainly does not happen only by outward teaching, by moral persuasion, or by such a way of working that, after God’s work is done,  it remains in human power whether or not to be reborn or converted.  Rather, it is an entirely supernatural work,  one that is at the same time most powerful and most pleasing,  a marvelous, hidden, and inexpressible work, which is not less than or inferior in power to that of creation or of raising the dead, as Scripture (inspired by the author of this work) teaches.  As a result, all those in whose hearts God works in this marvelous way  are certainly, unfailingly, and effectively reborn and do actually believe.  And then the will, now renewed,  is not only activated and motivated by God,  but in being activated by God is also itself active.  For this reason, people t­hemselves,  by that grace which they have received,  are also rightly said to believe and to repent. Summary What a roller coaster for Paul and Barnabas. As was their habit - as ours should be as well - they assembled with God's people on the Sabbath, where Paul was invited to tell the group how everything in Israel's history pointed to Christ, and how even though the people of Jerusalem didn't recognize Jesus as their Messiah and turned Him over for execution, God raised Him for the salvation of all who believe. That's a story you've heard so many times it hardly even phases you, but imagine hearing it for the first time; most people needed to chew on that a bit before swallowing. So the synagogue service ended, and while most probably filed out consumed by their thoughts on what they'd just heard, some followed Paul and Barnabas, and talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. It didn't take long for word of what Paul had proclaimed the previous Sabbath to spread around town, and on the next Sabbath, every preacher's dream came true: almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. But rather than leading the congregation in rejoicing that God had gathered so many, when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him . That had to be crushing for Paul to experience as he instantly went from the joy of seeing so many come to the pain of sheer rejection.   Dig Deeper   But Paul, inspired and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, doesn't skip a beat to wallow in self pity. He and Barnabas answered them boldly, flat out telling these obstinate Jews that their rejection of the gospel indicated that they obviously did not consider themselves worthy of eternal life. He wastes no more time debating them and instead immediately turned to the Gentiles. Upon hearing this, the Gentiles were much more than just glad , as the NIV translates it, they rejoiced at what they heard and honored - literally: glorified - the word of the Lord. Think about that phrase today: what opportunities do you have to rejoice in what you've heard? How will you glorify the word of the Lord as your day unfolds? But it's the last line of the last verse in today's passage that captures our attention: all who appointed for eternal life believed . It wasn't Paul's awesome preaching or the efforts of those who spread the word throughout the city before that second service at the synagogue that convinced these pagan gentiles to trust in Jesus. They believed because they'd been appointed to do so before God had created anything else . But yet God used Paul and those who had spread the word in order to bring His will into being. That's the beautiful tension ( tensegrity ) that the Bible holds us up with: Conversion to Christ certainly does not happen only by [our] outward teaching, by moral persuasion (although our evangelistic efforts are often necessary) , but by an entirely supernatural work in which people's will is activated and motivated by God .  AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who appointed His elect to eternal life; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would both rejoice and honor the Word of the Lord in your life; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Corinthians 4

God transforms your heart to reshape your life. Like a dog chasing its tail, man is stuck in an endless sin cycle until God supernaturally releases us from it. Deuteronomy 30:1–6 CONTEXT: Moses is addressing Israel right before they enter into the Promised Land. 30 When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come on you and you take them to heart wherever the LORD your God disperses you among the nations, 2   and when you and your children return to the LORD your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, 3   then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes  and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you. 4  Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the LORD your God will gather you and bring you back. 5  He will bring you to the land that belonged to your fathers, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. 6  The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. 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, the raising from the dead, and the making alive  so clearly proclaimed in the Scriptures,  which God works in us without our help.  But this certainly does not happen only by outward teaching, by moral persuasion, or by such a way of working that, after God’s work is done,  it remains in human power whether or not to be reborn or converted.  Rather, it is an entirely supernatural work,  one that is at the same time most powerful and most pleasing,  a marvelous, hidden, and inexpressible work, which is not less than or inferior in power to that of creation or of raising the dead, as Scripture (inspired by the author of this work) teaches.  As a result, all those in whose hearts God works in this marvelous way  are certainly, unfailingly, and effectively reborn and do actually believe.  And then the will, now renewed,  is not only activated and motivated by God,  but in being activated by God is also itself active.  For this reason, people t­hemselves,  by that grace which they have received,  are also rightly said to believe and to repent. Summary Nobody was under any illusion that everything moving forward would be sunshine and roses for the Israelites. Those first generations of freed slaves following their God across the wilderness had already demonstrated time and time again the pervasive effect that sin has on mankind. No sooner had one cycle of blessing → sin → curse → repentance → rescue run its course, the cycle would repeat as the people fell back into sin. Everybody there knew it: Moses, who spoke these words as Israel was on the threshold of the Promised Land, but who himself had been banned from entering it due to his own sin, the people whom Moses spoke to, who knew their own sinful hearts all too well, and certainly the LORD God, whose divine omniscience knows all things. They all knew that sooner or later the presently obedient people, basking in God's blessing, would forget the LORD's commands and relapse into sin. But notice that these words of admonition do more than just warn and threaten a people who would most certainly fail their God time and time again. No, these are words of promise and hope. Their failure would result in their dispersal among the nations, Moses proclaimed to Israel, but when you and your children return to the LORD your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you. God's grace would be stronger than they were.   Dig Deeper   Today's passage comes near the end of the book of Deuteronomy , which is a word that simply means 'second law.' It's not that the stipulations contained in it are different than the laws given in Exodus or Leviticus. Rather, it's a summarized restatement of the Law given to the people as they prepared to enter Canaan. But the law that Israel had been given merely regulated external behavior; indeed, that's all any law can do. It's impossible to codify internal attributes like attitude and motivation. Something more was needed in order to break the people's perpetual sin cycle. The people needed the sign of the covenant - circumcision (an external cutting away of flesh) - applied internally to their hearts (representing their emotion, intellect and volition) so that they would love him with all their heart and with all their soul, and live. John Calvin explains what heart circumcision is all about: There is a metaphor in this word circumcise whereby people were initiated into the service of God. The expression, therefore, is equivalent to God saying, He will create you spiritually to be new men, so that, cleansed from the filth of the flesh and the world, and separated from the unclean nations, you should serve Him in purity. This is the circumcision you've experienced through Christ. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who restores the fortunes and will have compassion on those who return and obey Him; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that having had your heart circumcised by the Spirit's regenerating power, that you would "serve the LORD in purity;" A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Corinthians 3

God has made His light shine in your heart through His preached Word. Faithlife.com 2 Corinthians 4:5–6 (NIV) 5   For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6   For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”  made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. 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, the raising from the dead, and the making alive  so clearly proclaimed in the Scriptures,  which God works in us without our help.  But this certainly does not happen only by outward teaching, by moral persuasion, or by such a way of working that, after God’s work is done,  it remains in human power whether or not to be reborn or converted.  Rather, it is an entirely supernatural work,  one that is at the same time most powerful and most pleasing,  a marvelous, hidden, and inexpressible work, which is not less than or inferior in power to that of creation or of raising the dead, as Scripture (inspired by the author of this work) teaches.  As a result, all those in whose hearts God works in this marvelous way  are certainly, unfailingly, and effectively reborn and do actually believe.  And then the will, now renewed,  is not only activated and motivated by God,  but in being activated by God is also itself active.  For this reason, people t­hemselves,  by that grace which they have received,  are also rightly said to believe and to repent. Summary I'm glad I don't need to think up something clever to say each time I step into the pulpit - something that I'm certain will capture people's attention, speak to issues they struggle with, give them a warm, fuzzy feeling or even an amusing anecdote to begin their week with. I'm even more glad that I don't need to preach myself - that is, what I happen to think or feel about particular issues, or about how I've conquered or been conquered life's particular problems. That sort of 'preaching' would be so exhausting to have to come up twice a Sunday, week after week after week. And it would be even more exhausting to listen to! Rather, my task is far more straightforward: preach Jesus Christ as Lord. Those four words - the heart of the gospel - are on one hand simple and easy to communicate in a minute or less, but on the other they are so profoundly deep that it takes sixty six books of the Bible, written by inspired men from all sorts of cultural backgrounds spanning thousands of years using three completely different languages to convey just a glimpse of what it means and how it applies to our lives in an infinite amount of ways. Paul here helps me understand what it means to be a good preacher of the gospel: Carefully read the passage at hand, show how it points to Jesus Christ as Lord, and then get myself out of the way. The Spirit will take it from there.   Dig Deeper   How could God - the very One who said "Let light shine out of the darkness" - possibly need whatever pathetic wit, insights, or experiences I could offer in order to make His light shine in people's hearts? To borrow and slightly modify a line from the great hymn, "What more could I say than to you He hath said?" That certainly doesn't mean that as a preacher I have nothing to say, a fact which my patient congregation will readily attest to. But my job is to simply unpack all the meaning and implication of what God has written to us, and illustrate how every verse demonstrates what it means that Jesus Christ is Lord . But on my own I can't change any minds, open blind eyes, or soften hard hearts. That is the work of the Spirit of God, to regenerate - that gracious act in which He newly creates, raises from the dead, and makes alive those whom God the Father has given to Jesus Christ. This is the primary way God has ordained to bring salvation: through foolishness of preaching blessed by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit in order to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who calls light out of darkness; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God that His Word was preached to you yesterday, and pray for the strength to walk in the light of this knowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord all week long; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Corinthians 2

The Spirit turns, teaches and directs you as you read scripture. In order to benefit from the power of God's Word, your heart and eyes must be turned towards it. Psalm 119:33–40 (NIV) ה  He 33  Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees, that I may follow it to the end. 34  Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law and obey it with all my heart. 35  Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. 36  Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. 37  Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.  38  Fulfill your promise to your servant, so that you may be feared. 39  Take away the disgrace I dread, for your laws are good. 40  How I long for your precepts! In your righteousness preserve my life. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 11: The Holy Spirit’s Work in Conversion Moreover, when God works true conversion in the elect, God not only sees to it  that the gospel is proclaimed to them outwardly,  and enlightens their minds powerfully by the Holy Spirit so that they may rightly understand and discern the things of the Spirit of God,  but, by the effective operation of the same regenerating Spirit,  God also penetrates into the inmost being,  opens the closed heart,  softens the hard heart,  and circumcises the heart that is uncircumcised.  God infuses new qualities into the will,  making the dead will alive,  the evil one good, the unwilling one willing, and the stubborn one compliant.  God activates and strengthens the will so that,  like a good tree,  it may be enabled to produce the fruits of good deeds. Summary Decrees / law / commands / statutes / precepts / word - these examples are just some of the ways that Psalm 119 - and the entire psalter in general - refer to scripture. That's the overarching theme of this, the longest of all the psalms: the magnificence and usefulness of God's Word for every aspect of our life. You probably have as many printed Bibles in your house as Psalm 119 has synonyms for the Bible. Not only that, but you carry around every translation of scripture ever produced - and even the original languages - right in your pocket, all of which are just a click or two away. God's Word is powerful for sure, but that all of that power remains pent up until you crack the book or open the app. It must be read. But even that - opening and reading God's Word - releases only a fraction of the power it contains. The psalmist realizes this, and so he prays that God will position him to experience the full measure of scripture's power by reorienting his relationship to God. He prays to be taught and given understanding; he prays that God will direct him and turn his heart and eyes away from worthless things and toward God's statutes. This is why asking God to a lign you with His will is such a critical part of prayer. Just as a sunflower or solar panel doesn't absorb any energy until it's turned toward the sun, you don't benefit from scripture's power until the Holy Spirit - as the Canons put it - enlightens your mind powerfully by the Holy Spirit so that you may rightly understand and discern the things of the Spirit of God.   Dig Deeper   Both regeneration (being 'born again') and sanctification (the ongoing process of becoming more like Christ) affect you both physically and mentally. Charles Spurgeon puts it this way : " The outer senses must first see the way, then the mind must understand it, then, with faith and love, the heart should follow it." The Spirit begins with your outer senses. He begins by turning your eyes away from worthless things and sets them on truth contained in the Word. But you need more than just an occasional glimpse of the truth, you need to comprehend it. Teach me, the psalmist prays, give me and understanding of what my eyes see in scripture. In order to truly follow the LORD's decrees and obey it with all your heart, you need to do the hard work of coming to understand what God's Word says. You must be taught. It's as a result of this learning process that the Spirit turns your heart - remember, the ancient Hebrews understood our hearts to not just represent our feelings and emotions, but also our intellect and volitions - away from selfish gain towards God's statutes. Your work week is quickly coming to a close, and the Lord's Day is right around the corner. Begin to prepare yourself for it so that you're rested and ready for the Spirit to do this work of turning, teaching, and directing as a fulfillment of His promises. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who through His Spirit activates and strengthens us; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that God begins to prepare you to be taught and directed by His Word this coming Lord's Day; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Corinthians 1

Trying to produce synthetic fruit will burn you out. Synthetically produced 'fruit' may look good at first, but it doesn't last and burns you out. Today's passage shows a better way for you to bear genuine fruits of righteousness. Philippians 1:9–11 (NIV) 9   And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10  so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11  filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 11: The Holy Spirit’s Work in Conversion Moreover, when God works true conversion in the elect, God not only sees to it  that the gospel is proclaimed to them outwardly,  and enlightens their minds powerfully by the Holy Spirit so that they may rightly understand and discern the things of the Spirit of God,  but, by the effective operation of the same regenerating Spirit,  God also penetrates into the inmost being,  opens the closed heart,  softens the hard heart,  and circumcises the heart that is uncircumcised.  God infuses new qualities into the will,  making the dead will alive,  the evil one good, the unwilling one willing, and the stubborn one compliant.  God activates and strengthens the will so that,  like a good tree,  it may be enabled to produce the fruits of good deeds. Summary Paul writes this epistle to the Philippians from prison (a few verses before this passage he indicated that he was in chains ). It's hard for any of us to imagine what life in an ancient Roman prison dungeon must have been like, and all of the basic necessities of life that Paul would have lacked: warmth, food, companionship and adequate legal representation. Certainly Paul must have prayed for these things, but that's not what he mentions praying for as he writes to the Philippians. In the midst of all his dire physical needs, Paul writes that this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more. The love that Paul prays for here is far deeper than just a warm, fuzzy feeling. His prayer is that their love may abound... in knowledge and depth of insight. Commentator David Garland puts it well: It may seem unusual to pray that love increase in knowledge and depth of insight. Insight (or feeling) without knowledge is nothing. Knowledge without love also is nothing (1 Co 13:2), but love without knowledge and insight is dangerous. Christian love is not blind or mindless, and Paul prays for them to abound in love that is instructed and morally discerning. It's a communal love for one another based in a growing knowledge of God that enables us to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.   Dig Deeper   The Bible - especially in the gospels - often uses the idea fruitfulness as an analogy for the Christian life. Fruitless trees get yarded out and thrown into the fire, while those filled with the fruit of righteousness remain in the garden. So it seems clear that one of our primary purposes in life ought to be producing righteousness. But not all righteousness is the same. Synthetic righteousness often looks and feels genuine; in fact, sometimes it even seems better! But like most synthetics, it isn't the same. Synthetic righteousness is the seemingly good deeds we produce in and of ourselves in order to make our lives look like we're bearing lots of fruit . Such fruit looks and feels good - especially compared to the world's evil deeds. It even may often genuinely benefit others. But although this fruit is shiny and attractive on the outside, its synthetic nature quickly becomes evident when inspected by our holy Father. Trying to produce your own synthetic fruit is exhausting, and, sooner or later, it will result in burnout. There's a better way to bear the genuine fruits of righteousness that benefits others and that your Father will find good and acceptable: it's the fruit that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God. The more you come to know Christ, the more you will naturally and organically bear this fruit in your life and be made pure and blameless for the day of Christ . AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who defines and shares true love; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your love for others may abound more and more in the knowledge of Jesus Christ; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Corinthians 16