As you begin 2026, cast all of your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you! The Bible App 1 Peter 5:6-11 (NIV) CONTEXT: For this final week in our year long study of the Canons of Dordt, we will be reading some of the Bible's greatest doxologies - words of praise & glory given to our Sovereign God. Today's passage is both a doxology and a benediction - words of blessing. 6  Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7   Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 8   Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 10  And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11  To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. 2026 Unfading Truth Season Preview Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 15: Contrasting Reactions to the Teaching of Perseverance This teaching about the perseverance of true believers and saints, and about their assurance of it— a teaching which God has very richly revealed in his Word for the glory of his name and for the comfort of the godly and which he impresses on the hearts of believers— is something which the flesh does not understand, Satan hates, the world ridicules, the ignorant and the hypocrites abuse, and the spirits of error attack. The bride of Christ, on the other hand, has always loved this teaching very tenderly and defended it steadfastly as a priceless treasure; and God, against whom no plan can avail and no strength can prevail, will ensure that she will continue to do this. To this God alone, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be honor and glory forever. Amen. Summary Peter begins this benediction with an imperative; actually, a command. In order to fully experience God's blessing in your life, you must first humble yourself under God's mighty hand. Literally translated, you need to lower yourself so that God may lift you up. But God's exaltation of you (as every other major translation puts it) isn't instantaneous, as we often expect it to be. It comes only in time. Translators all felt the need to supply an adjective there: in due time (NIV / NET); at the proper time (ESV / LSB); at the right time (LEB). Unsurprisingly, none of them rendered it that God will lift you up according to your time. What's perhaps the most surprising about Peter's benediction is not just that blessing begins with humiliation, but how it is that you're commanded to lower yourself: It's not by thinking less of yourself or some other sort of self oblation. Rather, it's by realizing the sovereign power of God. The NET Bible captures this nuance well: you must humble yourself by casting (literally: throwing or loading ) all your cares on Him! (1984 NIV). From this perspective, the act of humbling yourself is a blessing in and of itself as you cast all of your cares on Him! The NET translators explain, "Humbling oneself is not a negative act of self-denial per se, but a positive one of active dependence on God for help." It's humbling in that rather than trying to solve all of your issues in your own strength, you instead let go of your own limited ability and fully rely upon your Father's strength. Indeed, this has been the primary lesson we've learned this year as we've studied the Canons of Dordt: Since God's grace is stronger than you, you can cast all of your care and anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.   Dig Deeper   Peter's benediction takes on a more doxological feel in the final two verses. Working our way through them clause by clause is a good way to end our year, being reminded of what we've learned in 2025: The God of all grace... Not only is God's grace unconditional (not dependent upon anything we have done to earn it), it's unlimited (there's no amount of sin it can't overcome). ...who called you... Our immutable, unchanging God called you to belong to Him before the dawn of time, so nothing can ever separate you from Him. ...to His eternal glory in Christ.. . Your identity has been completely transformed. You were conceived and born in Adam, and therefore deserving of God's wrath. But the God of all grace has placed you fully in Christ, so now you share in His eternal doxology! ... after you have suffered for a little while... John Stott writes , "We are not to be surprised by painful trials, as if something strange were happening, but rather to rejoice that suffering gives us the privilege of sharing in the sufferings of Christ and so of participating in his glory." ...will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. This is exactly what we've learned in this wonderful doctrine we call the Perseverance of the Saints. Peter began this passage in full benediction mode, then began to mix in some doxology, and then ends it in full doxology: To this God of all grace be the power, dominion and might for ever and ever. Amen. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, the God of all grace; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: As you end 2025 and begin 2026, cast all of your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: 2026 Unfading Truth Season Preview

Some of the Bible's most familiar words don't come from where you think they do. The Bible App 1 Chronicles 29:10-13 (NIV) CONTEXT: For this final week in our year long study of the Canons of Dordt, we will be reading some of the Bible's greatest doxologies - words of praise & glory given to our Sovereign God. At this point in the Chronicles, King David, near the end of his life, has presented his son Solomon as his successor, and asked for donations to be given to enable Solomon to build God's temple. The response was overwhelmingly generous. 10  David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, “Praise be to you, LORD, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. 11  Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. 12  Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. 13  Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. 2026 Unfading Truth Season Preview Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 15: Contrasting Reactions to the Teaching of Perseverance This teaching about the perseverance of true believers and saints, and about their assurance of it— a teaching which God has very richly revealed in his Word for the glory of his name and for the comfort of the godly and which he impresses on the hearts of believers— is something which the flesh does not understand, Satan hates, the world ridicules, the ignorant and the hypocrites abuse, and the spirits of error attack. The bride of Christ, on the other hand, has always loved this teaching very tenderly and defended it steadfastly as a priceless treasure; and God, against whom no plan can avail and no strength can prevail, will ensure that she will continue to do this. To this God alone, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be honor and glory forever. Amen. Summary You know David's doxology well, even if haven't read from the Chronicles in years (or ever). You know it so well because you pray it so often; every time we pray the Lord's Prayer, we add the words for thine is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever before we end with the word amen. Most of the modern English Bible translations don't include this phrase with the rest of the prayer in Matthew and Luke; rather, these words were originally prayed by David here at the end of 1st Chronicles a millennia before Jesus taught us to pray ( More ). The leaders of Israel had just donated a massive amount of treasure to the temple project Solomon would oversee - over 190 tons of gold, along with thousands of tons of other precious metals and materials. But notice that David's doxology isn't just a psalm of thanksgiving, rather it's an acknowledgement that everything in heaven and earth is the LORD's. When we 'give' to the LORD, we're not really 'giving.' We're just acknowledging who our wealth really belongs to. Wealth and honor, David continues, come from you; you, God, are the ruler of all things.   Dig Deeper   It's not just financial assets that belong to the LORD. David indicates that yours, LORD, is the kingdom .  We pray these words in the light of Jesus' stunning announcement that the Kingdom of Heaven has come near, so we naturally infer the 'Kingdom' we speak of at the end of the Lord's prayer refers only to this heavenly Kingdom that will fully come in the future (Matthew 4:17) . But David wouldn't have been familiar with this heavenly concept that Jesus introduced. When David originally prayed that yours, LORD, is the kingdom , he was simply admitting that the Kingdom of Israel, which David presently ruled over, actually belonged God. The LORD was the true Sovereign, not David. So when we pray for thine is the Kingdom, we must pray these words with both applications in mind: that the Kingdom of heaven most certainly belongs to the LORD, but also that every bit of our own little kingdoms here on earth belong to Him as well. God is sovereign over all things, both the Kingdom of heaven that's near, and the kingdoms of this world; the LORD is exalted as head over all. This final day of the year is often one in which we take stock of our lot in life, especially from a financial perspective. Some of your kingdoms are doing quite well; others not so hot. But no matter how your earthly kingdom performed in 2025, finish the year out with this liberating admission that ultimately you are head over nothing that hasn't been given to you: In God's hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God that He is sovereign over your 'kingdom' and pray that you will be a good steward of it in 2026; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: 2026 Unfading Truth Season Preview

God strengthens & establishes you through the gospel. Heartlight.org Romans 16:25–27 (NIV) CONTEXT: For this final week in our year long study of the Canons of Dordt, we will be reading some of the Bible's greatest doxologies - words of praise & glory given to our Sovereign God. 25  Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, 26  but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith— 27  to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen. 2026 Unfading Truth Season Preview Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 15: Contrasting Reactions to the Teaching of Perseverance This teaching about the perseverance of true believers and saints, and about their assurance of it— a teaching which God has very richly revealed in his Word for the glory of his name and for the comfort of the godly and which he impresses on the hearts of believers— is something which the flesh does not understand, Satan hates, the world ridicules, the ignorant and the hypocrites abuse, and the spirits of error attack. The bride of Christ, on the other hand, has always loved this teaching very tenderly and defended it steadfastly as a priceless treasure; and God, against whom no plan can avail and no strength can prevail, will ensure that she will continue to do this. To this God alone, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be honor and glory forever. Amen. Summary Yesterday we read those amazing words from Ephesians 1 upon which the entirety of the doctrines of grace we've studied this year could be founded. Although today's opening line isn't as familiar, it too does a good job of summarizing everything we've learned this year: 25  Now to him who is able to establish you... ( strengthen you... ESV, LSB) This is exactly what God in His grace has done for you: He unconditionally elected you to salvation, atoned for your sin and depravity, regenerated your heart and mind so that His grace became irresistible, and preserves you in His grace forever by strengthening / establishing you in the gospel . This doxology that closes this magnificent book of Romans also praises the way God has made this good news known. Look at all of the words that get used to describe the gospel: The message proclaimed (NIV) / the preaching of Jesus Christ (ESV / LSB) - There are multiple ways in which people come to know of this grace - think of how Jesus overwhelmed Paul with a massively bright light on the road to Damascus; many others have come to know Christ as they silently read Scripture in a dark room. But the ordinary way God calls people to Him and continues to keep you established in it is through the ongoing proclamation and preaching of Jesus Christ. This gospel that was a mystery but is now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings - God works to strengthen / establish you through the full counsel of His Word, both the Old and New Testaments. God uses the gospel so that all the Gentiles (that's us) might come to the obedience that comes from faith. This faith is more than just a declaration of 'I do, God helping me.' Being strengthened / established leads to an entire lifestyle of obedience (literally: listening ).   Dig Deeper   We've come to this ancient Latin phrase often as we've read the Bible together , and you often see it inscribed on institutions you've come to respect: Soli Deo Gloria - Glory to God alone These words are the only appropriate way for Paul to finish a letter like this one we call Romans, which explains the gospel in such wonderful detail. It's final words are simply: To the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ. Amen. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, the eternal and only wise God; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that God would continue to strengthen / establish you through the gospel so that you remain rooted in the obedience that comes from faith; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: 2026 Unfading Truth Season Preview Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Revelation 22

You were chosen before time began and given a supreme purpose in life. Photo: Unsplash Ephesians 1:3–10 (NIV) CONTEXT: For this final week in our year long study of the Canons of Dordt, we will be reading some of the Bible's greatest doxologies - words of praise & glory given to our Sovereign God. 3   Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4  For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5  he predestined us for adoption to sonship  through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6   to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7   In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8   that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9  he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10  to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. 2026 Unfading Truth Season Preview Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 15: Contrasting Reactions to the Teaching of Perseverance This teaching about the perseverance of true believers and saints, and about their assurance of it— a teaching which God has very richly revealed in his Word for the glory of his name and for the comfort of the godly and which he impresses on the hearts of believers— is something which the flesh does not understand, Satan hates, the world ridicules, the ignorant and the hypocrites abuse, and the spirits of error attack. The bride of Christ, on the other hand, has always loved this teaching very tenderly and defended it steadfastly as a priceless treasure; and God, against whom no plan can avail and no strength can prevail, will ensure that she will continue to do this. To this God alone, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be honor and glory forever. Amen. Summary This might be hard to believe, but on this first day of this 52nd week of the year, we are coming to these magnificent words in Ephesians for the first time in our study of these doctrines of grace . The wait has been very intentional. We could have found every single one of our proof texts for all five points in the Canons from these first two chapters of Ephesians alone! Part of the idea for holding this passage back (and only sort of dipping our toes in a few passages from Ephesians and Romans along the way) was to demonstrate that it's not just these Pauline books of the Bible that tell us that God's grace is stronger than we are; every bit of scripture - both the Old and New Testaments - testify to this wonder! But here we are - finally! - so let's jump right in! Notice that from the get-go, Paul presents God's sovereign grace doxologically; in other words, these doctrines drive us to praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Why do we praise Him? Because He has blessed us not just with material needs like food, housing and friends, but even more so with every spiritual blessing in Christ. In theology, we often call these spiritual blessings regeneration . This means that the fact that you can even praise God for His glorious grace is only because He has lavished us with all wisdom and understanding and has made known to us the mystery of His will. Had God not given us these spiritual blessings, we would heartily reject the redemption we now have through the blood of Christ and never would experience the forgiveness of sins. We would remain so stuck in our sin that we would never reach up to God with the praise He deserves. Rather than proclaim doxologies, we would, as the Canons put it, hate, ridicule, abuse and attack this teaching which God has very richly revealed in his Word for the glory of his name and for the comfort of the godly.   Dig Deeper   Ephesians 1:4 is one of the Bible's most amazing and profound statements, and it forms the very basis for these doctrines of grace we've learned together this year: 4  For God chose us in Christ before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. God chose you... You are not just a random collection of atoms that happened to biologically bond after billions of years of evolution. Nor are you just randomly cast into this world to fend for yourself. Rather, God in His grace unconditionally elected you to belong to Him! ... in Christ... Your only comfort in life and in death is that you are not your own, but belong, body and soul, in life and in death, to your faithful Savior Jesus Christ ( Heidelberg Catechism QA 1 ). ... before the creation of the world... God knew you before He created anything! Before He spoke those mighty words, Let there be light!, God knew you, chose you to be His own, and gave you purpose: ... to be holy and blameless in His sight. You were born in sin, unable to fulfill the very purpose for which you were ordained. But this is the gospel: your sins have been forgiven in accordance with the riches of God's grace! You've been adopted to sonship through Jesus Christ, and in Him God sees you as He always intended you to be: holy and blameless, able to - right here and now - live to the praise of His glorious grace! AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your words, actions and decisions will reflect the purpose God chose you for before the creation of the world: to be holy and blameless; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: 2026 Unfading Truth Season Preview Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Revelation 21

Tired of cheesy Christmas carols? Sing Psalm 8 instead! Psalm 8, Trinity Psalter Hymnal Psalm 8 (ESV) To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of David. 1    O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. 2   Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. 3    When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4    what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? 5    Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. 6   You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, 7   all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, 8    the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. 9   O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 14: God’s Use of Means in Perseverance And, just as it has pleased God to begin this work of grace in us by the proclamation of the gospel, so he preserves, continues, and completes his work by the hearing and reading of the gospel, by meditation on it, by its exhortations, threats, and promises, and also by the use of the sacraments. Summary Today's Summary section is reposted from January 16, 2024 On one hand, people don't use the adjective 'majestic' very often, but on the other hand, it still gets overused! A stunning view of a sunset, a snow capped mountain, or the Grand Canyon might be described as 'majestic.' As awesome as these things are, the reason they can be designated 'majestic' has nothing to do with their beauty in and of themselves, but only because they're a reflection of the One who made them. The reason the word 'majestic' shouldn't be used as often as other adjectives is because in order for something to truly be 'majestic,' it must have a royal   aspect. That's why David bookends this psalm with the phrase, LORD, our Lord, how majestic   is your name in all the earth. Every aspect of creation, from the moon and stars in the heavens, to the praise of children and infants is a royal procession paying homage to its King, our Father, the LORD Almighty, who created, preserves and governs the universe. He made all of these things to make us mindful of, as the Belgic Confession states , the invisible things of God: his eternal power and his divinity. But the primary message of Psalm 8 is what God is mindful of. At the center of all that God created are you and me, having been given dominion over all the works of His hands. That's not at all an overstatement. After creating all that is, and setting His glory upon the heavens, God said, "Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over all the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground (Genesis 1:26)."   Dig Deeper   Psalm 8 covers multiple aspects of theology. It begins with what we call theology proper - that is, explaining who and what God is. He's majestic, stronger than His foes, and all of creation is the work of His fingers. The psalm also unpacks some anthropology as well, unpacking who and what we are: on one hand, we're humble, finite creatures, especially compared to the moon and stars, yet creatures that God is mindful of (this is a good example of theological tensegrity ). But as most of you read this the day after Christmas, it's the Christology of Psalm 8 that stands out. This is the branch of theology that describes our Savior - the One who is both fully God and fully man . It's not just mankind in general that David describes as having been made a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor . It's Christ, our Savior, whose birth we celebrate in earnest this week. You and I, along with all of our neighbors, have certainly been given dominion over the works of the LORD's hands. But ours is a limited dominion, and one which we so often sinfully abuse. It's only Christ our Savior for whom God will put all things under his feet, as Paul so beautifully sets forth in Philippians 2 . Your probably tired of Christmas carols at this point, so let the triumphant words of Psalm 8 fill your mind as you prepare for the coming Lord's Day: LORD our Lord, thy glorious name all thy wondrous works proclaim; in the heavens with radiant signs ever more thy glory shines. How great thy name! With dominion crowned He stands o'er the creatures of thy hands; all to Him subjection yield in the sea and air and field. How great thy name! AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God that crowned you with glory and honor, and that He's given you dominion of the works of His hands, but above all, that He's mindful of you and that He sent the Son of Man for your salvation; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Revelation 21

Merry Christmas! Find out what Jesus 'eagerly desired' to do! Photo: mk. s via Unsplash Luke 22:14–20 (NIV) 14  When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15  And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16  For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”  17  After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. 18  For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”  19  And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”  20  In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 14: God’s Use of Means in Perseverance And, just as it has pleased God to begin this work of grace in us by the proclamation of the gospel, so he preserves, continues, and completes his work by the hearing and reading of the gospel, by meditation on it, by its exhortations, threats, and promises, and also by the use of the sacraments. Summary Today's Summary & Dig Deeper section is reposted from July 10, 2023 It's easy to look at Jesus as a victim as He goes to the cross, but as we read of His final days we see that He remained fully in control throughout His life. In preparing to celebrate the final Passover - not just for Him, but for all, since He would Himself become the final Passover Lamb - Jesus gives the disciples specific instructions, even anticipating exactly what the owner of the house would be doing when the disciples arrived. Once gathered, Jesus tells His disciples that He's eagerly desired  to eat this meal with them. Does that describe your attitude in coming to the Lord's Table? If not, why not? It's at this point the story pivots from being the Last Supper  - that is, the last Passover celebration - to the Lord's  Supper , in which those who partake the physical elements of bread and wine participate in the body and blood of Jesus. Jesus makes this abundantly clear by declaring the cup to be representative of a new covenant in His blood. Participation in this sacred meal is not optional for Christ's followers. His command is simple and straightforward: Do this . It would have been enough for Christ to simply command, but He also explains the reason for the command. This meal serves as a reminder , not just of all that Christ did, but all that He said and continues to say as His Word is proclaimed.   Dig Deeper   There are very few hard and fast commands Christians must adhere to. Certainly there are gobs of ethical imperatives that flow out of God's Word that guide what we do, and more particularly, what we are not to do. There are very few must do's obligating Christians to perform certain religious tasks. So it should catch your attention when Jesus orders you to do this . Often the sanctuaries in Reformed churches, though beautiful, are by design rather plain. This is because our primary focus is on reading and listening to God's Word, since this is the primary way He communicates Himself to us. Even the most beautiful art is a mere distraction from the glory that bursts forth from the proclamation of the Word. But your Creator knows you. He's very aware that you have five senses, and so He's given you this meal in which all of your senses are reminded of who Jesus is and what He did for you. You see the bread broken and the wine poured out. You touch the bread and taste the wine, and you feel the presence of Christian brothers and sisters gathered around you. Participating in communion is not an optional 'extra' that you can take or leave. Your Savior has commanded you to do this. Like Him, eagerly anticipate this meal. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who is coming with His Kingdom; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will eagerly desire the next time your church gathers around the Lord's table, and that you will heed Christ's command to do this in remembrance of Him. A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Revelation 19

The gospel is good news, but it's not always news you want to hear. Faithlife.com 2 Timothy 3:12–17 (NIV) 12   In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13   while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14   But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15   and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16  All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17   so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 14: God’s Use of Means in Perseverance And, just as it has pleased God to begin this work of grace in us by the proclamation of the gospel, so he preserves, continues, and completes his work by the hearing and reading of the gospel, by meditation on it, by its exhortations, threats, and promises, and also by the use of the sacraments. Summary Today's Summary section is reposted from January 26, 2024 You've likely been told dozens, if not hundreds or even thousands of times that you need to read your Bible and stay rooted in scripture. It's not unfair to ask why , though. Why is it that reading a bunch of ancient words, written by men who lived in vastly different cultures with really weird customs... why should this be a central part of your daily routine? Paul tells you exactly why in this short passage. The primary purpose of Scripture is to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus . Certainly God's self-revelation - both His book of creation, and the clearer and fuller revelation in His written Word  - teach us all sorts of things about Him and how to best navigate this world He's created, but the primary purpose of it all is so that you might understand how it is you are saved through Christ alone. These words that are to be the mainstay of your life are not ordinary words. Millions of pages have been written over the course of history, and of course, some of those pages are better than others. But the words of Scripture stand alone in that they are the very words of God, breathed out by the Holy Spirit through ordinary men comprised of vastly different cultures and personalities. Because its divine origin makes Scripture so much different than anything else ever written, it is the world's only source of authoritative, objective truth.   Dig Deeper   You probably know that the word gospel is shorthand for good news. So it makes sense that the four books of the Bible that narrate Jesus' ministry on earth are referred to as the gospels, for they tell the best news ever! But the word gospel often gets used in a more general sense to refer to all sixty-six of the books of the Bible, since each one of them were also breathed out by God. Certainly the gospel brings you grace, mercy and peace, but it also uncomfortably prods you at times. As the Canons put it, the proclamation of the gospel also gives exhortations and threats alongside its promises. Paul here explains that the gospel is designed to teach, rebuke and correct you. Most of us don't like experiencing rebuke and correction , or even being taught for that matter. But this training in righteousness is exactly what you need as the Spirit sanctifies you into the righteous servant of God that He has declared you to be. As the Canons put it, God not only begins this work of grace in you by the proclamation of the gospel , but He preserves, continues, and completes his work in you as you hear and read the gospel . In other words, you need the gospel just as much now as a believer as you did before you first heard about Jesus. And you'll continue to need it every day of your life until He returns or calls you home so that you'll be thoroughly equipped for every good work. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who breathed-out His Word to us; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray the same prayer as yesterday: that you'll keep God's Word always on your lips, meditate on it day and night, so that you might be careful to do everything written in it; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Revelation 18

Learn to chew your spiritual cud. Yes, you read that correctly. Photo: Pascal van de Vendel, via Unsplash Joshua 1:6–9 CONTEXT: After a decades long exodus through the wilderness, Israel is on the banks of the Jordan River, ready to enter Canaan. Moses has died, and God is calling Joshua to lead, and reminding him what the keys to true prosperity and success are. 5  No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6   Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their fathers to give them. 7  “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law ( tô·rāh ) my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8  Keep this Book of the Law ( tô·rāh ) always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9   Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 14: God’s Use of Means in Perseverance And, just as it has pleased God to begin this work of grace in us by the proclamation of the gospel, so he preserves, continues, and completes his work by the hearing and reading of the gospel, by meditation on it, by its exhortations, threats, and promises, and also by the use of the sacraments. Summary God makes two primary promises to the newly minted leader of His people - promises that extend to you as well. The first promise is one we've become very familiar with in this past year: God's grace is stronger than you are. God tells Joshua that no one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life . In other words, as the Apostle Paul would rhetorically put it - writing thousands of years later and in a different language, but inspired by the exact same Holy Spirit - if God is for us, who can be against us? ( Romans 8:31 ). The reason you can have such strong certainty and assurance is because of God's omnipresence . We often describe this word as meaning that God is everywhere all the time, which is true, but here God personalizes the concept, telling Joshua (and us) that I will be with you; I will never leave you or forsake you. In other words, God will always be omnipresent in your life; therefore, be strong and very courageous (a command God repeats three times in today's short passage!). The second promise God makes here just sounds plain wrong. Maybe you also have a visceral reaction to what's often referred to as the prosperity gospel, in which a celebrity huckster 'preacher' twists Biblical truth into some contrived formula to make all your wildest dreams come true. Such heretics ought to make you sick and angry! But don't miss what God promises His people: He tells them, in no uncertain words, that they will be prosperous and successful! Generally speaking, when you do everything written in the Book of the Law, things will go well for you. But going well does not always equate to wealth and riches. Divine prosperity and success is defined by a disciple who does not turn from the tô·rāh to the right or to the left. In other words, true success is achieved when you look like Christ, who perfectly kept the tô·rāh on your behalf.   Dig Deeper   God doesn't just lay out the possibility of prosperity and success, He explains exactly how to achieve it. He instructs His people to keep this tô·rāh always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. In the Old Testament, words like laws, precepts, commandments, and several other synonyms don't just refer to the lists of rules that Moses handed down. Rather, they're shorthand for all of God's Words. Chances are you have the same visceral reaction to a word like meditation that you do for prosperity gospel. The practice has been hijacked by hippies and 'mindfulness' advocates, who promote it as a way to empty your mind in order to harmonize it with its surroundings. This is NOT AT ALL what God means! True Biblical meditation is just the opposite: it's about filling your mind with truth, not emptying it. And the best way - really the only way - to do so is through the continual consumption of scripture. Whereas most translations use the word meditate, the NET Bible renders God's command to memorize it [God's Word] day and night. The Hebrew word literally means to mutter. In other words, keep your mind filled with Scripture by keeping your mouth filled with it. Read it, recite it, sing it, pray it and memorize it. Most of our readers live in a rural setting, so you'll get this illustration a bit quicker than your urban brethren. Do what cows do. They eat - voraciously. Then they lie down and chew their cud. You can't actively read the Bible every minute of the day. But you can - and must - learn to chew your spiritual cud. Recall what you've read and heard, and then chew on it through all of your other activities. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who will never leave or forsake us; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you'll keep God's Word always on your lips, meditate on it day and night, so that you might be careful to do everything written in it; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Revelation 17

Your top priority must be hearing & reading God's Word. Photo: Logos Bible Software Deuteronomy 6:1–9 (LSB) 1   “Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments, which Yahweh your God has commanded me  to teach you, that you might do it  in the land where you are going over to possess it, 2 so that you and your son and your grandson might fear Yahweh your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I am commanding you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. 3 “O Israel, you shall listen and be careful to do it , that it may be well with you and that you may multiply greatly, just as Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in  a land flowing with milk and honey. 4   “Hear, O Israel! Yahweh is our God, Yahweh is one! 5 “You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. 8 “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as phylacteries between your eyes. 9 “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 14: God’s Use of Means in Perseverance And, just as it has pleased God to begin this work of grace in us by the proclamation of the gospel, so he preserves, continues, and completes his work by the hearing and reading of the gospel, by meditation on it, by its exhortations, threats, and promises, and also by the use of the sacraments. Summary Today's Summary and Dig Deeper posts are a modified re-post from January 1, 2024 . What a perfect passage to read as a another year of reading through the Bible draws to a close! Moses spoke these words to Israel at the end of their exodus through the wilderness, just as they were about to cross the Jordan river to possess the Promised Land. In these words, God, speaking through Moses, gives His people (both Israel and us) the key to enjoying long life: that you and your son and your grandson might fear Yahweh your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I am commanding you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. These promises of enjoying a long life in which things may be well and in which things may multiply greatly, clearly are made in general terms. Normally, blessings will follow obedience, but not in every specific situation. Sometimes faithful saints will experience long periods of frustration or even early death, while other times those who have no fear for God will seem to prosper. What's really interesting about these words is that the key to enjoying the good life doesn't just involve blindly following commands, but rather the good life is rooted in theology.  Truly successful people must fear God; that is, they must know both who and what God is, as well as how we as people relate to Him. As we near the end of our year long study of how God's grace is stronger than we are, we're reminded of the basic truth that God's people have been reciting since they stood on the banks of the Jordan. It's called the Shema: Hear, O Israel! Yahweh is our God, Yahweh is one!   Dig Deeper   You may not be on the cusp of settling into a new land, but we are close to beginning a new year, so it's a good time to take stock and reset your course where needed. Notice here that as Moses prepares Israel to move in that he mentions nothing about the hard work or logistics that will be needed to feed and house all of the people. Certainly these things are important and necessary - in fact, if you keep reading this passage, God promises to provide these things (v10-12) - but housing and food production are not the top priorities. The priority God gives us, His people, is to first of all know Him (which is a lifelong endeavor). This priority is the one which must be on your hearts. The second priority then is to teach this theology to the subsequent generations. How will your new year reflect these top priorities? The Canons of Dordt draw to a close with a very similar reminder for God's people today. Israelite children were not born with a comprehensive theological understanding; their fathers were commanded to impress this upon them. Israel's sad history show the dire implications that stem from their repeated failure to do this. As God's covenant people, you've been given this same mandate. Teach God's commandments diligently to your sons and shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up . This week's penultimate article of the Canons of Dordt catalog the best ways for you to fulfill this obligation through which God preserves, continues, and completes His work in you and your children. At the top of the list is the hearing and reading of the gospel . As you finish out 2025 and prepare for 2026, make sure placing yourself in a Bible preaching church is at the top of your list as well. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Start your prayer with the Hebrew Shema - Hear, O Israel! Yahweh is our God, Yahweh is one! A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you'll hear God's Word often and subsequently love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Revelation 16

You can cling to God because He's clinging to you. Beware of building your theology from bumper stickers. Psalm 63 A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah. 1   You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. 2   I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. 3   Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. 4   I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. 5  I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. 6  On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. 7  Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. 8   I cling to you; your right hand upholds me. 9   Those who want to kill me will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth. 10  They will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals. 11  But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God will glory in him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 13 - Assurance No Inducement to Carelessness The renewed confidence of perseverance does not produce immorality or lack of concern for godliness in those put back on their feet after a fall, but it produces a much greater concern to observe carefully the ways of the Lord which he prepared in advance. They observe these ways in order that by walking in them they may maintain the assurance of their perseverance, lest, by their abuse of his fatherly goodness, the face of the gracious God (for the godly, looking upon his face is sweeter than life, but its withdrawal is more bitter than death) turn away from them again, with the result that they fall into greater anguish of spirit. Summary We're probably reading Psalm 63 at the wrong time of the year. Most of you see nothing but snow as you look out right now; and for those who find themselves reading this in more tropical climes, please don't describe your current weather conditions in the comment box below; we don't want to hear it. David comes to us this morning from the a place far different than our current upper midwest winter snowscapes; he's in a dry and parched land where there is no water . Psalm 63's inscription - the italic header seen so often throughout the psalter that explains the author, the setting, and sometimes the tune the psalm should be sung to - informs that David wrote it in the Desert of Judah. But it wasn't his physical lack of water that drove him to poetry. It was his spiritual thirst for God - my God - that David earnestly sought. David knows exactly what he's missing because of all the times he's seen God in the sanctuary and beheld His power and glory. While it's true that our sanctuaries look far different than tabernacle in which David worshipped God, it's not the physical place David longs for. It's being in God's holy presence and experiencing His love which is better than life. We’ve noticed often these last weeks that life can feel like a long walk through a valley darkened by death’s shadow , as David so famously described it in Psalm 23:4. But in Psalm 63, David sings of a far more pleasant shadow - the shadow of God’s wings.   Because you are my help, he writes, I sing in the shadow  of your wings. In God, David finds shade from death's dark shadow, and so can you.   Dig Deeper   David describes a beautiful tensegrity in the verse that drew our attention to Psalm 63 today: 8   I cling to you; your right hand upholds me. You've probably heard the trite bumper sticker phrase "Let go and let God." Ostensibly, the cliche is meant to remind that God's right hand upholds me, which of course is true! Those are David's - and so many other Biblical writers' - exact words! But nowhere does the Bible tell you that's it's alright for you to just 'let go' and passively let God's right hand roll you through life! Quite the opposite, in fact! A tensegrity is the integrity that's achieved when tension is applied - think of how a rope becomes firm and strong when it's pulled from opposite directions. David's verse here definitely has tension - does his integrity come from the fact that he's clinging to God, or does it come from the fact that God's right hand is upholding him? Of course the answer is both! Derek Kidner explains this well : "The two halves of verse 8 make one of the most vivid statements of the two facets of perseverance." David certainly clings with all his might, "But it is God himself who makes this possible, and the firmness of his upholding grasp is implied in the allusion to the right hand, the stronger of the two." So cling to God. Earnestly seek Him. Long for Him with your whole being, the same way you'd long for a drink of water in a dry and parched land. But do so with the comfort of knowing that your eternal security does not come from your strength or ability to cling. Rather it comes from the almighty power of God's right hand. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father who upholds you with His right hand; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for calling you to His sanctuary on the Lord's Day to be empowered to cling to Him; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Revelation 15