Learn how & why you can worship God at all times. faithlife.com Psalm 96 1  Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. 2  Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. 3  Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. 4  For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. 5  For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. 6  Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary. 7  Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 8  Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts. 9  Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth. 10  Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.” The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity. 11  Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. 12  Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. 13  Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Articles 1-11 Article 1: God’s Right to Condemn All People Romans 5:12-14 - Mis-Markmanship Deuteronomy 28:15-20 - Not A Tame Lion Genesis 2:15-17 - Or Else Luke 15:11-16 - Prodigious Deprivation Psalm 143 - Aggressive Prayer Pattern ​ Article 2: The Manifestation of God’s Love Zephaniah 3:14-17 - The Mighty Warrior Who Saves Lamentations 3:19-23 - Great Is Thy Faithfulness John 3:16-18 - Simple Beauty 1 John 4:8-10 - This Is Love Psalm 103 - Praise the LORD! ​ Article 3: The Preaching of the Gospel 1 Timothy 2:1-7 - God Our Savior Isaiah 52.7 - Good News! Rom 10:14-17 - The Power of Preaching 1 Cor 1.23-24 - God's Foolishness Psalm 93 - Mightier Than Chaos ​ Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel John 1:9-13 - The TRUE Light John 3:31-36 - Wrath Removed John 6:37-40 - Tensegral Theology John 12:42-50 - Buffet Theology Psalm 16 - In God We Trust ​ Article 5: The Sources of Unbelief and of Faith James 1:13-18 - The Devil (didn't) Make You Do It Ecclesiastes 7:25-29 - Many Schemes Ephesians 2:8 - The Gift of God Philippians 1:27-30 - Granted Psalm 95 - The LORD is OUR God ​ Article 6: God’s Eternal Decree Isaiah 45:21-25 - Irrevocable Ezekiel 36:24-27 - A Whole New Reality Romans 9:15-21 - God's Mercy, Not Your Effort 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - Love The Truth Psalm 81 - Call To Worship ​ Article 7: Election Ephesians 1:3-6 - Before the Foundation Deuteronomy 7:1-10 - Set Apart John 17:1-5 - Sovereign Submission John 17:6-12 - Given Psalm 115 - God Does What He Pleases ​ Article 8: A Single Decree of Election Romans 4:1-8 - One and the Same Romans 4:9-17 - Chicken or Egg? Romans 4:18-25 - Faithfully Face the Facts Hebrews 11:39-40 - Promises Kept Psalm 33 - God's Control, Authority & Presence Article 9: Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith John 10:22-30 - Listen Up! 2 Timothy 1:7-10 - Passive & Powered Titus 3:3-7 - Transformed Deuteronomy 9:4-6 - You're Not That Awesome Psalm 91 - The Shelter of the Most High Article 10: Election Based on God’s Good Pleasure Luke 2:13-14 - Christmas in March Galatians 4:1-7 - From Slave to Son Isaiah 53:6 - Herd Mentality 1 Peter 2:9-10 - You're The Best Thing God Has! Psalm 5 - The Morning Psalm Article 11: God’s election is unalterable. Malachi 3:6-7 - Keep It Simple Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchanging Anchor Hebrews 13:1-8 - Keep On Loving Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchangeable Blessing Psalm 110 - Victory in Jesus Article 13 & 14 - The Fruit of Our Assurance In their awareness and assurance of this election,  God’s children daily find greater cause to humble themselves before God,  to adore the fathomless depth of God’s mercies,  to cleanse themselves,  and to give fervent love in return to the One who first so greatly loved them.  This is far from saying that this teaching concerning election, and reflection upon it,  make God’s children lax in observing his commandments or carnally self-assured.  By God’s just judgment this does usually happen to those who casually take for granted the grace of election or engage in idle and brazen talk about it but are unwilling to walk in the ways of the chosen. By God’s wise plan,  this teaching concerning divine election was proclaimed through the prophets, Christ himself, and the apostles, in Old and New Testament times.  It was subsequently committed to writing in the Holy Scriptures.  So also today in God’s church,  for which it was specifically intended,  this teaching must be set forth with a spirit of discretion, in a godly and holy manner, at the appropriate time and place, without inquisitive searching into the ways of the Most High.  This must be done for the glory of God’s most holy name, and for the lively comfort of God’s people. Summary You might be surprised to find out that Psalm 96 isn't just the 96th Psalm. It's also found in 1 Chronicles 16 as the pattern for praise that King David gave to his newly appointed national choir director, Asaph, on the day that the Ark of the Covenant was returned to Jerusalem from the Philistines. In many ways, Psalm 96 is the 'job description' for all those who praise the Lord! Hopefully the upbeat nature of today's Psalm was obvious to you, but given its importance as the manner in which to give praise to the LORD (1 Chr. 16:7), it serves as a perfect guide for you to enact the imperatives given to you in this week's articles from the Canons of Dordt. As one who's been unconditionally elected by God, you must give fervent love to the One who first so greatly loved you. Here's how you do that: NOISILY & EXPRESSIVELY, YET REVERENTLY: Loving and praising God is far from an exclusively somber and quiet endeavor. Psalm 96 commands you to sing to the LORD, praise His name, proclaim His salvation, and declare His glory and marvelous deeds among all people. You must confidently say among the nations that the LORD reigns! Yet there certainly are times where silent reverence is the appropriate form of praise: all the earth must tremble before the splendor of His holiness . THEOLOGICALLY: In order to properly praise the LORD, you must know who He is and why He deserves such praise: The LORD made the heavens, and strength and glory are His. We're commanded to ascribe to the LORD (2x) - this means that we're to give God the credit for that which He's done, and not attempt to scientifically or logically explain away the glory due His name. COMPREHENSIVELY: It's so easy to limit the concept of worship to music, as if our weekly worship both begins and ends with the songs that we sing in church (or as is often sadly the case, the songs that are sung to us by professional praise bands). But Psalm 96 shows how all of creation is involved in God's worship: the heavens must rejoice, the earth be glad, the sea resound, the fields be jubilant, the trees must sing... in fact, all creation must rejoice! This means that the aspects of God's creation that are under your control must be stewarded by you in such a way that they praise God (notice the commands given to nature are in passive terms - it's up to you to take action to make it happen).   Dig Deeper   For some reason, Reformed theology often gets explained in sets of five points. We're spending this year coming to understand the five doctrines of grace ( T otal depravity, U nconditional election, L imited atonement, I rresistible grace, and P erseverance of the saints). But it can also be described in what have come to be known as the five solas of the Reformation : 1) Sola Gratia (Grace Alone) 2) Sola Fide (Faith Alone) 3) Solus Christus (Christ Alone) 4) Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone) We don't have time to unpack all that the first four mean today, but if you want to get a good understanding of the fifth one, Soli Deo Gloria - Glory to God Alone - Psalm 96 is an excellent definition! AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father: great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will sing, proclaim, declare, ascribe, worship, and say the LORD's sovereign glory in your activities today; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Galatians 6

Don't let frustration over God's secret things cause you to miss the truth He's given you. Deuteronomy 29:29 (NIV) The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Articles 1-11 Article 1: God’s Right to Condemn All People Romans 5:12-14 - Mis-Markmanship Deuteronomy 28:15-20 - Not A Tame Lion Genesis 2:15-17 - Or Else Luke 15:11-16 - Prodigious Deprivation Psalm 143 - Aggressive Prayer Pattern ​ Article 2: The Manifestation of God’s Love Zephaniah 3:14-17 - The Mighty Warrior Who Saves Lamentations 3:19-23 - Great Is Thy Faithfulness John 3:16-18 - Simple Beauty 1 John 4:8-10 - This Is Love Psalm 103 - Praise the LORD! ​ Article 3: The Preaching of the Gospel 1 Timothy 2:1-7 - God Our Savior Isaiah 52.7 - Good News! Rom 10:14-17 - The Power of Preaching 1 Cor 1.23-24 - God's Foolishness Psalm 93 - Mightier Than Chaos ​ Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel John 1:9-13 - The TRUE Light John 3:31-36 - Wrath Removed John 6:37-40 - Tensegral Theology John 12:42-50 - Buffet Theology Psalm 16 - In God We Trust ​ Article 5: The Sources of Unbelief and of Faith James 1:13-18 - The Devil (didn't) Make You Do It Ecclesiastes 7:25-29 - Many Schemes Ephesians 2:8 - The Gift of God Philippians 1:27-30 - Granted Psalm 95 - The LORD is OUR God ​ Article 6: God’s Eternal Decree Isaiah 45:21-25 - Irrevocable Ezekiel 36:24-27 - A Whole New Reality Romans 9:15-21 - God's Mercy, Not Your Effort 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - Love The Truth Psalm 81 - Call To Worship ​ Article 7: Election Ephesians 1:3-6 - Before the Foundation Deuteronomy 7:1-10 - Set Apart John 17:1-5 - Sovereign Submission John 17:6-12 - Given Psalm 115 - God Does What He Pleases ​ Article 8: A Single Decree of Election Romans 4:1-8 - One and the Same Romans 4:9-17 - Chicken or Egg? Romans 4:18-25 - Faithfully Face the Facts Hebrews 11:39-40 - Promises Kept Psalm 33 - God's Control, Authority & Presence Article 9: Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith John 10:22-30 - Listen Up! 2 Timothy 1:7-10 - Passive & Powered Titus 3:3-7 - Transformed Deuteronomy 9:4-6 - You're Not That Awesome Psalm 91 - The Shelter of the Most High Article 10: Election Based on God’s Good Pleasure Luke 2:13-14 - Christmas in March Galatians 4:1-7 - From Slave to Son Isaiah 53:6 - Herd Mentality 1 Peter 2:9-10 - You're The Best Thing God Has! Psalm 5 - The Morning Psalm Article 11: God’s election is unalterable. Malachi 3:6-7 - Keep It Simple Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchanging Anchor Hebrews 13:1-8 - Keep On Loving Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchangeable Blessing Psalm 110 - Victory in Jesus Article 13 & 14 - The Fruit of Our Assurance In their awareness and assurance of this election,  God’s children daily find greater cause to humble themselves before God,  to adore the fathomless depth of God’s mercies,  to cleanse themselves,  and to give fervent love in return to the One who first so greatly loved them.  This is far from saying that this teaching concerning election, and reflection upon it,  make God’s children lax in observing his commandments or carnally self-assured.  By God’s just judgment this does usually happen to those who casually take for granted the grace of election or engage in idle and brazen talk about it but are unwilling to walk in the ways of the chosen. By God’s wise plan,  this teaching concerning divine election was proclaimed through the prophets, Christ himself, and the apostles, in Old and New Testament times.  It was subsequently committed to writing in the Holy Scriptures.  So also today in God’s church,  for which it was specifically intended,  this teaching must be set forth with a spirit of discretion, in a godly and holy manner, at the appropriate time and place, without inquisitive searching into the ways of the Most High.  This must be done for the glory of God’s most holy name, and for the lively comfort of God’s people. Summary Chances are that you zeroed in on just one phrase from today's short passage: the secret things . That phrase probably doesn't sit well with you since you live in a world where openness and transparency are the expectation, and secrecy is associated with scandal and coverup. As we work through the Canons this year, our focus is on the tremendous benefit we gain from their doctrines as we come to understand that God's grace is stronger than we are. Scripture has already demonstrated beyond doubt that God unconditionally chose you out of sin and misery to be redeemed and made new by the blood of Christ, and because this choice was made by an immutable, sovereign God, you can be absolutely certain nothing can ever change it. Praise God! Maybe even as we're just beginning our journey you've already wondered why so few Christians talk about these concepts that are suddenly bringing you so much comfort and peace. The reason will soon be apparent. We're going to come to the end of the path before we come to the end of our questions, and rather than face this frustration, most people just simply avoid the path. Scripture never answers one of our most burning questions: why did God chose some but pass over others. That's one of God's secret things . It's not wrong for you to ask the question, but God gently reminds you here not to expect an answer. After struggling through these very same questions, John Calvin, whose name is associated with these doctrines of grace (not because he invented them, but because he so clearly explains them from scripture) ultimately concluded that whenever the Lord shuts His mouth, I must desist from my inquiry.   Dig Deeper   If you only zero in on the secret things , you'll end up missing the huge blessing promised in today's verse: that the things revealed belong to us and our children forever! God has made so much known to us, first of all in His creation - by studying the amazing order and intricate design of the universe He spoke into being, we learn so much about its creator. But God has revealed Himself much more clearly in His Word, through which we read of our salvation that comes by grace alone, through faith alone, and because of Christ alone. All of this revelation belongs to you! Take ownership of it! Learn to dig into it and do the hard work of understanding what God is saying and why what He says is so important. Apply its truth to every aspect of your life. Teach it to your children - it belongs to them too! But notice that this knowledge is given to you with one specific purpose: so that you may follow all the words of God's Law . God doesn't reveal Himself to you so that you can have a slightly nuanced understanding of the world around you. He intends that this information He gives to you should shape and guide every aspect of your life, and that it should especially lead you to salvation in His Son, Jesus Christ. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, to whom the secret things belong; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that having received God's revealed truth that you would follow all the words of His Law; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Galatians 5

The LORD's Servant judges the wicked and tenderly restores the broken. wiirocku.tumblr.com Isaiah 42:1–9 (NIV) 42 “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. 2  He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. 3  A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; 4  he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope.” 5  This is what God the Lord says— the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: 6  “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, 7  to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. 8  “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. 9  See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.” Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Articles 1-11 Article 1: God’s Right to Condemn All People Romans 5:12-14 - Mis-Markmanship Deuteronomy 28:15-20 - Not A Tame Lion Genesis 2:15-17 - Or Else Luke 15:11-16 - Prodigious Deprivation Psalm 143 - Aggressive Prayer Pattern ​ Article 2: The Manifestation of God’s Love Zephaniah 3:14-17 - The Mighty Warrior Who Saves Lamentations 3:19-23 - Great Is Thy Faithfulness John 3:16-18 - Simple Beauty 1 John 4:8-10 - This Is Love Psalm 103 - Praise the LORD! ​ Article 3: The Preaching of the Gospel 1 Timothy 2:1-7 - God Our Savior Isaiah 52.7 - Good News! Rom 10:14-17 - The Power of Preaching 1 Cor 1.23-24 - God's Foolishness Psalm 93 - Mightier Than Chaos ​ Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel John 1:9-13 - The TRUE Light John 3:31-36 - Wrath Removed John 6:37-40 - Tensegral Theology John 12:42-50 - Buffet Theology Psalm 16 - In God We Trust ​ Article 5: The Sources of Unbelief and of Faith James 1:13-18 - The Devil (didn't) Make You Do It Ecclesiastes 7:25-29 - Many Schemes Ephesians 2:8 - The Gift of God Philippians 1:27-30 - Granted Psalm 95 - The LORD is OUR God ​ Article 6: God’s Eternal Decree Isaiah 45:21-25 - Irrevocable Ezekiel 36:24-27 - A Whole New Reality Romans 9:15-21 - God's Mercy, Not Your Effort 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - Love The Truth Psalm 81 - Call To Worship ​ Article 7: Election Ephesians 1:3-6 - Before the Foundation Deuteronomy 7:1-10 - Set Apart John 17:1-5 - Sovereign Submission John 17:6-12 - Given Psalm 115 - God Does What He Pleases ​ Article 8: A Single Decree of Election Romans 4:1-8 - One and the Same Romans 4:9-17 - Chicken or Egg? Romans 4:18-25 - Faithfully Face the Facts Hebrews 11:39-40 - Promises Kept Psalm 33 - God's Control, Authority & Presence Article 9: Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith John 10:22-30 - Listen Up! 2 Timothy 1:7-10 - Passive & Powered Titus 3:3-7 - Transformed Deuteronomy 9:4-6 - You're Not That Awesome Psalm 91 - The Shelter of the Most High Article 10: Election Based on God’s Good Pleasure Luke 2:13-14 - Christmas in March Galatians 4:1-7 - From Slave to Son Isaiah 53:6 - Herd Mentality 1 Peter 2:9-10 - You're The Best Thing God Has! Psalm 5 - The Morning Psalm Article 11: God’s election is unalterable. Malachi 3:6-7 - Keep It Simple Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchanging Anchor Hebrews 13:1-8 - Keep On Loving Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchangeable Blessing Psalm 110 - Victory in Jesus Article 13 & 14 - The Fruit of Our Assurance In their awareness and assurance of this election,  God’s children daily find greater cause to humble themselves before God,  to adore the fathomless depth of God’s mercies,  to cleanse themselves,  and to give fervent love in return to the One who first so greatly loved them.  This is far from saying that this teaching concerning election, and reflection upon it,  make God’s children lax in observing his commandments or carnally self-assured.  By God’s just judgment this does usually happen to those who casually take for granted the grace of election or engage in idle and brazen talk about it but are unwilling to walk in the ways of the chosen. By God’s wise plan,  this teaching concerning divine election was proclaimed through the prophets, Christ himself, and the apostles, in Old and New Testament times.  It was subsequently committed to writing in the Holy Scriptures.  So also today in God’s church,  for which it was specifically intended,  this teaching must be set forth with a spirit of discretion, in a godly and holy manner, at the appropriate time and place, without inquisitive searching into the ways of the Most High.  This must be done for the glory of God’s most holy name, and for the lively comfort of God’s people. Summary This is the first of four passages in Isaiah dubbed the Servant Songs which describe the coming Messiah (the most famous of these Servant Songs is Isaiah 53 , which we read a few weeks ago). The LORD here announces, Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight. His purpose, says the LORD, will be to bring justice to the nations (this purpose is mentioned four times in the first four verses) . It's the gentle nature of the LORD's servant that stands out in this first announcement: He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. In a passage that we'll likely come back to this year, we read that he will not break a bruised reed or snuff out a smoldering wick. In other words, even as this servant serves justice to the wicked, He will lovingly support those whose faith is bruised and nearly extinguished. It's not as if the LORD sends out His servant from afar and hopes for the best. Quite the opposite - the LORD is personally involved in every aspect of your salvation! The LORD called His servant ; He takes hold of His hand; The LORD will keep Him and will make Him to be a covenant light for the Gentiles. God equips His servant to bring salvation to His people, to open blind eyes, free captives, and release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. You can completely trust these divine promises because of the character of the One who makes them: God the LORD, the Creator who spreads out the earth, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it - The very God who declares and announces new things before they spring into being. God did all of those things simply by speaking... Imagine what He will accomplish for you as He personally accompanies His servant to bring you to salvation!   Dig Deeper   One of the criticisms of the Canons of Dordt (a.k.a. the doctrines of grace or Calvinism) is that they are overly reliant upon Paul's epistles in the New Testament, as if the concept of God's sovereignty in our salvation isn't really a huge emphasis in the Old Testament or the teachings of Jesus. It wasn't until after Jesus ascended back into heaven that Paul came along and subtly twisted how we ought to understand these concepts, or so the argument goes. The Canons today remind us that this concept of unconditional election that we've been coming to understand these last few months is not just a Pauline idea, or even just a New Testament concept. But as part of God's wise plan , these doctrines of grace are just as prevalent in the Old Testament - often even more so! So far in 2025, we've read 64 Bible passages together, and nearly half of them have been from the Old Testament (28). Only 16 of our passages have been from Paul's letters (25%)! It's Old Testament passages like today's from Isaiah 42 that demonstrate the amazing continuity of God's Word from beginning to end. Your salvation has been fully accomplished by our Triune God: Our Father - the creator of the heavens and the One who gives breath to people - will put His Spirit on His servant, who of course is His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, whose name is the LORD; He will not yield His glory to another; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for His comprehensive and consistent Word, and pray for the strength and wisdom to live according to it; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Galatians 4

Make every effort to confirm your calling by adding to the faith God gave you. 2 Peter 1:3-10 (NIV) 2  Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3  His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 5  For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6  and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7  and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9  But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. 10  Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11  and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Articles 1-11 Article 1: God’s Right to Condemn All People Romans 5:12-14 - Mis-Markmanship Deuteronomy 28:15-20 - Not A Tame Lion Genesis 2:15-17 - Or Else Luke 15:11-16 - Prodigious Deprivation Psalm 143 - Aggressive Prayer Pattern ​ Article 2: The Manifestation of God’s Love Zephaniah 3:14-17 - The Mighty Warrior Who Saves Lamentations 3:19-23 - Great Is Thy Faithfulness John 3:16-18 - Simple Beauty 1 John 4:8-10 - This Is Love Psalm 103 - Praise the LORD! ​ Article 3: The Preaching of the Gospel 1 Timothy 2:1-7 - God Our Savior Isaiah 52.7 - Good News! Rom 10:14-17 - The Power of Preaching 1 Cor 1.23-24 - God's Foolishness Psalm 93 - Mightier Than Chaos ​ Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel John 1:9-13 - The TRUE Light John 3:31-36 - Wrath Removed John 6:37-40 - Tensegral Theology John 12:42-50 - Buffet Theology Psalm 16 - In God We Trust ​ Article 5: The Sources of Unbelief and of Faith James 1:13-18 - The Devil (didn't) Make You Do It Ecclesiastes 7:25-29 - Many Schemes Ephesians 2:8 - The Gift of God Philippians 1:27-30 - Granted Psalm 95 - The LORD is OUR God ​ Article 6: God’s Eternal Decree Isaiah 45:21-25 - Irrevocable Ezekiel 36:24-27 - A Whole New Reality Romans 9:15-21 - God's Mercy, Not Your Effort 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - Love The Truth Psalm 81 - Call To Worship ​ Article 7: Election Ephesians 1:3-6 - Before the Foundation Deuteronomy 7:1-10 - Set Apart John 17:1-5 - Sovereign Submission John 17:6-12 - Given Psalm 115 - God Does What He Pleases ​ Article 8: A Single Decree of Election Romans 4:1-8 - One and the Same Romans 4:9-17 - Chicken or Egg? Romans 4:18-25 - Faithfully Face the Facts Hebrews 11:39-40 - Promises Kept Psalm 33 - God's Control, Authority & Presence Article 9: Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith John 10:22-30 - Listen Up! 2 Timothy 1:7-10 - Passive & Powered Titus 3:3-7 - Transformed Deuteronomy 9:4-6 - You're Not That Awesome Psalm 91 - The Shelter of the Most High Article 10: Election Based on God’s Good Pleasure Luke 2:13-14 - Christmas in March Galatians 4:1-7 - From Slave to Son Isaiah 53:6 - Herd Mentality 1 Peter 2:9-10 - You're The Best Thing God Has! Psalm 5 - The Morning Psalm Article 11: God’s election is unalterable. Malachi 3:6-7 - Keep It Simple Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchanging Anchor Hebrews 13:1-8 - Keep On Loving Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchangeable Blessing Psalm 110 - Victory in Jesus Article 13 & 14 - The Fruit of Our Assurance In their awareness and assurance of this election,  God’s children daily find greater cause to humble themselves before God,  to adore the fathomless depth of God’s mercies,  to cleanse themselves,  and to give fervent love in return to the One who first so greatly loved them.  This is far from saying that this teaching concerning election, and reflection upon it,  make God’s children lax in observing his commandments or carnally self-assured.  By God’s just judgment this does usually happen to those who casually take for granted the grace of election or engage in idle and brazen talk about it but are unwilling to walk in the ways of the chosen. By God’s wise plan,  this teaching concerning divine election was proclaimed through the prophets, Christ himself, and the apostles, in Old and New Testament times.  It was subsequently committed to writing in the Holy Scriptures.  So also today in God’s church,  for which it was specifically intended,  this teaching must be set forth with a spirit of discretion, in a godly and holy manner, at the appropriate time and place, without inquisitive searching into the ways of the Most High.  This must be done for the glory of God’s most holy name, and for the lively comfort of God’s people. Summary You've been given everything you need for a godly life. That little snippet from the beginning of Peter's second letter forms a good summary of what we've been learning so far this year as we've read the Bible together, being reminded that we've been chosen and equipped by a God whose grace is stronger than we are. One of the big criticisms people have about these Doctrines of Grace is that they'll produce flabby Christians who just passively float through life content to just 'let go and let God,' since everything is under His sovereign control anyways. It's led to the moniker of being the 'frozen chosen.' Why would Calvinists ever lift a finger, some wonder, if God doesn't need our help with anything? People who think this way - whether they're critics of Calvinism or hiding behind it - would do well to read what Peter (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) has written here. On one hand, you've been given everything you need by the divine power of the One who has sovereignly called and elected you to receive it. But on the other, this gift obliges you to make every effort to add to it and confirm it. For Peter, passiveness is impossible for those who understand that God has unconditionally elected them to salvation. The last thing we ought to be, writes Peter, is ineffective and unproductive. His words become even harsher, claiming that whoever fails to add to their faith is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.   Dig Deeper   Notice how it is that you've been given everything you need: it comes through our knowledge  of Him who called us. The word translated here as knowledge means more than just knowing a bunch of general facts and trivia. It's through theology, which is the knowledge  of God's glory and goodness, that He enables you to participate in the divine nature!  In other words, the amount of growth you experience as a Christian is predicated on the amount of learning about God you do. Learning is an eternal endeavor for those who've been unconditionally elected. God has for sure given you faith - you wouldn't have it otherwise - but Peter reminds you here that you have a responsibility (Paul calls it an obligation - Rom 8:12) to add to your faith. Notice that everything Peter calls you to add is character related: goodness, knowledge (general, not just theological), self control, perseverance, godliness, affection and love. Our culture coaches us that good things come to those who work hard, but the reality Peter lays out here demonstrates that those whose top priority is building their character to reflect Christ are those whose theological knowledge makes them effective and productive. You are to do this hard work simply because you've been created in the image of a hard working God and chosen by Him to be given everything you need for a godly life . Yet your efforts are not without benefit to you. As you do this hard work, you're confirming your calling and election by making God's grace in your life evident to yourself and others. Furthermore, if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ - whose power has given us everything we need for a godly life; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the strength and desire to make every effort to add to your faith which you have been given; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Galatians 3

God says to you: Peace, peace, to those far and near... I will heal you. credit: @66elcamino Isaiah 57:14-21 (NIV) CONTEXT: The first half of Isaiah 57 describes the fate of those who refuse to repent before the Day of the LORD. This second half speaks of God comforting the contrite. 14  And it will be said: “Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.” 15  For this is what the high and exalted One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. 16  I will not accuse them forever, nor will I always be angry, for then they would faint away because of me— the very people I have created. 17  I was enraged by their sinful greed; I punished them, and hid my face in anger, yet they kept on in their willful ways. 18  I have seen their ways, but I will heal them; I will guide them and restore comfort to Israel’s mourners, 19  creating praise on their lips. Peace, peace, to those far and near,” says the Lord. “And I will heal them.” 20  But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud. 21  “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.” Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Articles 1-11 Article 1: God’s Right to Condemn All People Romans 5:12-14 - Mis-Markmanship Deuteronomy 28:15-20 - Not A Tame Lion Genesis 2:15-17 - Or Else Luke 15:11-16 - Prodigious Deprivation Psalm 143 - Aggressive Prayer Pattern ​ Article 2: The Manifestation of God’s Love Zephaniah 3:14-17 - The Mighty Warrior Who Saves Lamentations 3:19-23 - Great Is Thy Faithfulness John 3:16-18 - Simple Beauty 1 John 4:8-10 - This Is Love Psalm 103 - Praise the LORD! ​ Article 3: The Preaching of the Gospel 1 Timothy 2:1-7 - God Our Savior Isaiah 52.7 - Good News! Rom 10:14-17 - The Power of Preaching 1 Cor 1.23-24 - God's Foolishness Psalm 93 - Mightier Than Chaos ​ Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel John 1:9-13 - The TRUE Light John 3:31-36 - Wrath Removed John 6:37-40 - Tensegral Theology John 12:42-50 - Buffet Theology Psalm 16 - In God We Trust ​ Article 5: The Sources of Unbelief and of Faith James 1:13-18 - The Devil (didn't) Make You Do It Ecclesiastes 7:25-29 - Many Schemes Ephesians 2:8 - The Gift of God Philippians 1:27-30 - Granted Psalm 95 - The LORD is OUR God ​ Article 6: God’s Eternal Decree Isaiah 45:21-25 - Irrevocable Ezekiel 36:24-27 - A Whole New Reality Romans 9:15-21 - God's Mercy, Not Your Effort 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - Love The Truth Psalm 81 - Call To Worship ​ Article 7: Election Ephesians 1:3-6 - Before the Foundation Deuteronomy 7:1-10 - Set Apart John 17:1-5 - Sovereign Submission John 17:6-12 - Given Psalm 115 - God Does What He Pleases ​ Article 8: A Single Decree of Election Romans 4:1-8 - One and the Same Romans 4:9-17 - Chicken or Egg? Romans 4:18-25 - Faithfully Face the Facts Hebrews 11:39-40 - Promises Kept Psalm 33 - God's Control, Authority & Presence Article 9: Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith John 10:22-30 - Listen Up! 2 Timothy 1:7-10 - Passive & Powered Titus 3:3-7 - Transformed Deuteronomy 9:4-6 - You're Not That Awesome Psalm 91 - The Shelter of the Most High Article 10: Election Based on God’s Good Pleasure Luke 2:13-14 - Christmas in March Galatians 4:1-7 - From Slave to Son Isaiah 53:6 - Herd Mentality 1 Peter 2:9-10 - You're The Best Thing God Has! Psalm 5 - The Morning Psalm Article 11: God’s election is unalterable. Malachi 3:6-7 - Keep It Simple Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchanging Anchor Hebrews 13:1-8 - Keep On Loving Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchangeable Blessing Psalm 110 - Victory in Jesus Article 13 & 14 - The Fruit of Our Assurance In their awareness and assurance of this election,  God’s children daily find greater cause to humble themselves before God,  to adore the fathomless depth of God’s mercies,  to cleanse themselves,  and to give fervent love in return to the One who first so greatly loved them.  This is far from saying that this teaching concerning election, and reflection upon it,  make God’s children lax in observing his commandments or carnally self-assured.  By God’s just judgment this does usually happen to those who casually take for granted the grace of election or engage in idle and brazen talk about it but are unwilling to walk in the ways of the chosen. By God’s wise plan,  this teaching concerning divine election was proclaimed through the prophets, Christ himself, and the apostles, in Old and New Testament times.  It was subsequently committed to writing in the Holy Scriptures.  So also today in God’s church,  for which it was specifically intended,  this teaching must be set forth with a spirit of discretion, in a godly and holy manner, at the appropriate time and place, without inquisitive searching into the ways of the Most High.  This must be done for the glory of God’s most holy name, and for the lively comfort of God’s people. Summary God provides an astounding insight into His character as He speaks to us in today's passage. We read that He is high and exalted and that He lives forever and His name is holy. These, of course are amazing statements in and of themselves, but they're not particularly surprising, since we read language similar to that so often in scripture. So it makes sense, then, that such a high and holy God would live in a high and holy place. But what's so amazing about v15 is that we learn here that God has more than one address that He calls home. Not only does He live in the high and holy place we would expect, but He also lives with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit! It's no wonder Jesus said that the poor in spirit and the pure in heart are blessed, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven and they will see God ! The reason the LORD gives for His surprising second residence is even more endearing: He does so not to provide oversight in your life like an intrusive supervisor ready to tee off on your every mistake, but rather to revive the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite. God is very aware of your sin; in fact, He has seen your ways and was enraged by your sinful greed and willful ways. But here He promises not to accuse you forever, nor will He always be angry... He will heal you and guide you and restore comfort, creating praise on your lips.   Dig Deeper   The Canons remind us here that God’s children daily find greater cause to humble themselves before God as you become more aware of God's election in your life and the assurance it brings. Today's article calls you to three additional imperatives, all of which rise out of passages like what we just read in Isaiah 57. You are to: 1) To adore the fathomless depth of God’s mercies...  v18 - I have seen their ways, but I will heal them; I will guide them and restore comfort to Israel’s mourners 2) To cleanse themselves... v14 - Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people. (In other words, get rid of anything that's getting in between you and God) 3) To give fervent love in return to the One who first so greatly loved them. v19 - You must give expression to the praise the LORD has created on your lips. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, the high and exalted One, who lives forever and whose name is holy; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that each day you will humble yourself in recognition of God's election in your life, adoring, cleansing and giving fervent love in return to the One who first so greatly loved you. A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Galatians 2

God doesn't just hear your prayers, but He listens and answers. Psalm 65 For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song. 1  Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled. 2  You who answer prayer, to you all people will come. 3  When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions. 4  Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple. 5  You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, 6  who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength, 7  who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations. 8  The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy. 9  You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. 10  You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops. 11  You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. 12  The grasslands of the wilderness overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. 13  The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Articles 1-11 Article 1: God’s Right to Condemn All People Romans 5:12-14 - Mis-Markmanship Deuteronomy 28:15-20 - Not A Tame Lion Genesis 2:15-17 - Or Else Luke 15:11-16 - Prodigious Deprivation Psalm 143 - Aggressive Prayer Pattern ​ Article 2: The Manifestation of God’s Love Zephaniah 3:14-17 - The Mighty Warrior Who Saves Lamentations 3:19-23 - Great Is Thy Faithfulness John 3:16-18 - Simple Beauty 1 John 4:8-10 - This Is Love Psalm 103 - Praise the LORD! ​ Article 3: The Preaching of the Gospel 1 Timothy 2:1-7 - God Our Savior Isaiah 52.7 - Good News! Rom 10:14-17 - The Power of Preaching 1 Cor 1.23-24 - God's Foolishness Psalm 93 - Mightier Than Chaos ​ Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel John 1:9-13 - The TRUE Light John 3:31-36 - Wrath Removed John 6:37-40 - Tensegral Theology John 12:42-50 - Buffet Theology Psalm 16 - In God We Trust ​ Article 5: The Sources of Unbelief and of Faith James 1:13-18 - The Devil (didn't) Make You Do It Ecclesiastes 7:25-29 - Many Schemes Ephesians 2:8 - The Gift of God Philippians 1:27-30 - Granted Psalm 95 - The LORD is OUR God ​ Article 6: God’s Eternal Decree Isaiah 45:21-25 - Irrevocable Ezekiel 36:24-27 - A Whole New Reality Romans 9:15-21 - God's Mercy, Not Your Effort 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - Love The Truth Psalm 81 - Call To Worship ​ Article 7: Election Ephesians 1:3-6 - Before the Foundation Deuteronomy 7:1-10 - Set Apart John 17:1-5 - Sovereign Submission John 17:6-12 - Given Psalm 115 - God Does What He Pleases ​ Article 8: A Single Decree of Election Romans 4:1-8 - One and the Same Romans 4:9-17 - Chicken or Egg? Romans 4:18-25 - Faithfully Face the Facts Hebrews 11:39-40 - Promises Kept Psalm 33 - God's Control, Authority & Presence Article 9: Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith John 10:22-30 - Listen Up! 2 Timothy 1:7-10 - Passive & Powered Titus 3:3-7 - Transformed Deuteronomy 9:4-6 - You're Not That Awesome Psalm 91 - The Shelter of the Most High Article 10: Election Based on God’s Good Pleasure Luke 2:13-14 - Christmas in March Galatians 4:1-7 - From Slave to Son Isaiah 53:6 - Herd Mentality 1 Peter 2:9-10 - You're The Best Thing God Has! Psalm 5 - The Morning Psalm Article 11: God’s election is unalterable. Malachi 3:6-7 - Keep It Simple Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchanging Anchor Hebrews 13:1-8 - Keep On Loving Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchangeable Blessing Psalm 110 - Victory in Jesus Article 12: The Assurance of Election Assurance of their eternal and unchangeable election to salvation is given to the chosen in due time,  though by various stages and in differing measure.  Such assurance comes  not by inquisitive searching into the hidden and deep things of God,  but by noticing within themselves, with spiritual joy and holy delight, the unmistakable fruits of election pointed out in God’s Word— such as a true faith in Christ, a childlike fear of God, a godly sorrow for their sins, a hunger and thirst for righteousness, and so on. Summary So many of the psalms model how we ought to pour out our laments and place our needs before God in prayer. So often it seems like we go from one crisis to the next, and we either forget or fail to notice in the first place how the needs we were praying for a year ago or even a week ago were met by our Father. This 65th psalm guides us in praising God for the many different ways that God answers our prayers. Mark Futato explains that Psalm 65 focuses on three kinds of our prayers that God hears and consistently answers for us , for which we must give Him praise. 1) Praise for Restoration to the Divine Presence (v1-4) David, as he often does so well, begins his prayer by a cknowledging who God is. He is the one who answers prayer and forgives our transgressions. Because God has been so faithful, praise awaits Him, our God, in Zion. David picks up on the themes that underlie the Canons of Dordt, noting that blessed are those God chose and brought near to live in your courts! 2) Praise for Awesome Deeds (v5-8) The fact that we fail to notice all of the prayers God has answered on our behalf is not because God's response is so hard to see. God answers us with awesome and righteous deeds. God answers your prayers with the same power that He used to form the mountains, stilled the roaring seas and the turmoil of the nations. This is why God our Savior is the hope of all the ends of the earth, which is filled with His wonders, and why we ought to respond with awe and songs of joy. 3) Praise for Abundant Provisions (v9-13) God's awesome deeds extend far beyond just giving us good things and then expecting us to take it from there. Our Father deserves our praise because of His ongoing providence and care. Notice the repetition in how David expresses God's care: He provides abundantly (3x) and causes good things to overflow (2x).   Dig Deeper   David is very literal as He addresses God in v2. Literally translated, he calls God the hearer of prayer , a phrase which is preserved in the ESV and NET translations. But I think the NIV did well to translate the phrase as you who answers prayer. The Hebrew word being translated, shema , means more than just to hear, but to listen and act upon what is heard. What good would it be to have a god who heard the noise of our prayers but never listened to them or acted upon them? But our God truly listens and in response provides you with exactly what you need, and He does so in abundance! Of course this doesn't mean He always gives you what you ask for, but again, if you go back and look at what you were praying for a week ago, or a year ago, or a decade ago, you'll probably be thankful He didn't give you all that you wanted at the time. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who fills with good things those He has chosen to bring near; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will recognize the abundance of God's provision in your life, and thank Him for not just hearing your prayers, but for answering them as well; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Galatians 1

Your spiritual life can be measured by your appetite. Bible.com Matthew 5:1-12 (NIV) CONTEXT: 4:23  Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24  News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. 25  Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him. 5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2  and he began to teach them. He said: 3  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4  Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5  Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7  Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10  Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11  “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Articles 1-11 Article 1: God’s Right to Condemn All People Romans 5:12-14 - Mis-Markmanship Deuteronomy 28:15-20 - Not A Tame Lion Genesis 2:15-17 - Or Else Luke 15:11-16 - Prodigious Deprivation Psalm 143 - Aggressive Prayer Pattern ​ Article 2: The Manifestation of God’s Love Zephaniah 3:14-17 - The Mighty Warrior Who Saves Lamentations 3:19-23 - Great Is Thy Faithfulness John 3:16-18 - Simple Beauty 1 John 4:8-10 - This Is Love Psalm 103 - Praise the LORD! ​ Article 3: The Preaching of the Gospel 1 Timothy 2:1-7 - God Our Savior Isaiah 52.7 - Good News! Rom 10:14-17 - The Power of Preaching 1 Cor 1.23-24 - God's Foolishness Psalm 93 - Mightier Than Chaos ​ Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel John 1:9-13 - The TRUE Light John 3:31-36 - Wrath Removed John 6:37-40 - Tensegral Theology John 12:42-50 - Buffet Theology Psalm 16 - In God We Trust ​ Article 5: The Sources of Unbelief and of Faith James 1:13-18 - The Devil (didn't) Make You Do It Ecclesiastes 7:25-29 - Many Schemes Ephesians 2:8 - The Gift of God Philippians 1:27-30 - Granted Psalm 95 - The LORD is OUR God ​ Article 6: God’s Eternal Decree Isaiah 45:21-25 - Irrevocable Ezekiel 36:24-27 - A Whole New Reality Romans 9:15-21 - God's Mercy, Not Your Effort 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - Love The Truth Psalm 81 - Call To Worship ​ Article 7: Election Ephesians 1:3-6 - Before the Foundation Deuteronomy 7:1-10 - Set Apart John 17:1-5 - Sovereign Submission John 17:6-12 - Given Psalm 115 - God Does What He Pleases ​ Article 8: A Single Decree of Election Romans 4:1-8 - One and the Same Romans 4:9-17 - Chicken or Egg? Romans 4:18-25 - Faithfully Face the Facts Hebrews 11:39-40 - Promises Kept Psalm 33 - God's Control, Authority & Presence Article 9: Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith John 10:22-30 - Listen Up! 2 Timothy 1:7-10 - Passive & Powered Titus 3:3-7 - Transformed Deuteronomy 9:4-6 - You're Not That Awesome Psalm 91 - The Shelter of the Most High Article 10: Election Based on God’s Good Pleasure Luke 2:13-14 - Christmas in March Galatians 4:1-7 - From Slave to Son Isaiah 53:6 - Herd Mentality 1 Peter 2:9-10 - You're The Best Thing God Has! Psalm 5 - The Morning Psalm Article 11: God’s election is unalterable. Malachi 3:6-7 - Keep It Simple Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchanging Anchor Hebrews 13:1-8 - Keep On Loving Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchangeable Blessing Psalm 110 - Victory in Jesus Article 12: The Assurance of Election Assurance of their eternal and unchangeable election to salvation is given to the chosen in due time,  though by various stages and in differing measure.  Such assurance comes  not by inquisitive searching into the hidden and deep things of God,  but by noticing within themselves, with spiritual joy and holy delight, the unmistakable fruits of election pointed out in God’s Word— such as a true faith in Christ, a childlike fear of God, a godly sorrow for their sins, a hunger and thirst for righteousness, and so on. Summary When we start reading the Beatitudes in the last paragraph of chapter four rather than just jumping in at the beginning of chapter five, the sharp contrast between what Jesus was teaching and the condition of the world around Him becomes so much more apparent. Matthew records Jesus teaching throughout Galilee, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness. As word of Jesus' healing power goes out, throngs of those who were ill with various diseases, suffering severe pain, demon possessed, with seizures and paralysis come to Him in hopes of being healed . It's to these miserable people who surrounded Him that Jesus begins to preach about what a happy life looks like. The major English Bible translations don't like that word - they instead render it blessed, and not without good reason. In modern English, “happy” primarily conveys an emotional state —a fleeting feeling of pleasure or contentment, whereas the Biblical word translated blessed carries a deeper sense of spiritual well-being  and divine favor , which is not necessarily tied to temporary emotions. But still, the stark contrast between the misery of life in this sin cursed world and the true life Jesus came to provide for those His Father gave Him is clearly evident in this passage. But if you read this passage in a Bible that contains footnotes or cross references, you'll quickly notice that this contrast Jesus presents is nothing new. Nearly every one of these Beatitudes Jesus mentions are rooted in Old Testament passages. So it's not a stretch to summarize the entire passage as blessed [happy] are those who live according to God's Word.   Dig Deeper   Of course it's v6 that brings us to the Sermon on the Mount today. The Canons mentioned this hunger and thirst for righteousness as one of the key indicators you can look for in your own life as certain assurance of your election. So it's important to understand exactly what Jesus means here as He echoes the Old Testament (Psalm 42:2, 63:1, Isaiah 55:1-2, contrasted in Amos 8:11-14). D.A. Carson summarizes well what it means to hunger and thirst for righteousness , These people hunger and thirst, not only that they may be righteous (i.e., that they may wholly do God’s will from the heart), but that justice may be done everywhere. All unrighteousness grieves them and makes them homesick for the new heaven and new earth—the home of righteousness (2 Pe 3:13). Satisfied with neither personal righteousness alone nor social justice alone, they cry for both. In short, they long for the advent of the messianic kingdom. What they taste now whets their appetites for more. Ultimately they will be satisfied without qualification only when the kingdom is consummated. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who sent His Son to transform our misery into blessedness ; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will truly hunger and thirst for righteousness in every realm of life; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Hebrews 13

Guilt is a gift from God - but don't wallow in it! We'd rather sunbathe in a blizzard than confront Christians about their sin 2 Corinthians 7:8-11 (NIV) CONTEXT: Paul begins today's passage by referring to earlier letters he had written to the Corinthian church in which he called out their sins and for them to repent. 8  Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— 9  yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. 10  Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 11  See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Articles 1-11 Article 1: God’s Right to Condemn All People Romans 5:12-14 - Mis-Markmanship Deuteronomy 28:15-20 - Not A Tame Lion Genesis 2:15-17 - Or Else Luke 15:11-16 - Prodigious Deprivation Psalm 143 - Aggressive Prayer Pattern ​ Article 2: The Manifestation of God’s Love Zephaniah 3:14-17 - The Mighty Warrior Who Saves Lamentations 3:19-23 - Great Is Thy Faithfulness John 3:16-18 - Simple Beauty 1 John 4:8-10 - This Is Love Psalm 103 - Praise the LORD! ​ Article 3: The Preaching of the Gospel 1 Timothy 2:1-7 - God Our Savior Isaiah 52.7 - Good News! Rom 10:14-17 - The Power of Preaching 1 Cor 1.23-24 - God's Foolishness Psalm 93 - Mightier Than Chaos ​ Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel John 1:9-13 - The TRUE Light John 3:31-36 - Wrath Removed John 6:37-40 - Tensegral Theology John 12:42-50 - Buffet Theology Psalm 16 - In God We Trust ​ Article 5: The Sources of Unbelief and of Faith James 1:13-18 - The Devil (didn't) Make You Do It Ecclesiastes 7:25-29 - Many Schemes Ephesians 2:8 - The Gift of God Philippians 1:27-30 - Granted Psalm 95 - The LORD is OUR God ​ Article 6: God’s Eternal Decree Isaiah 45:21-25 - Irrevocable Ezekiel 36:24-27 - A Whole New Reality Romans 9:15-21 - God's Mercy, Not Your Effort 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - Love The Truth Psalm 81 - Call To Worship ​ Article 7: Election Ephesians 1:3-6 - Before the Foundation Deuteronomy 7:1-10 - Set Apart John 17:1-5 - Sovereign Submission John 17:6-12 - Given Psalm 115 - God Does What He Pleases ​ Article 8: A Single Decree of Election Romans 4:1-8 - One and the Same Romans 4:9-17 - Chicken or Egg? Romans 4:18-25 - Faithfully Face the Facts Hebrews 11:39-40 - Promises Kept Psalm 33 - God's Control, Authority & Presence Article 9: Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith John 10:22-30 - Listen Up! 2 Timothy 1:7-10 - Passive & Powered Titus 3:3-7 - Transformed Deuteronomy 9:4-6 - You're Not That Awesome Psalm 91 - The Shelter of the Most High Article 10: Election Based on God’s Good Pleasure Luke 2:13-14 - Christmas in March Galatians 4:1-7 - From Slave to Son Isaiah 53:6 - Herd Mentality 1 Peter 2:9-10 - You're The Best Thing God Has! Psalm 5 - The Morning Psalm Article 11: God’s election is unalterable. Malachi 3:6-7 - Keep It Simple Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchanging Anchor Hebrews 13:1-8 - Keep On Loving Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchangeable Blessing Psalm 110 - Victory in Jesus Article 12: The Assurance of Election Assurance of their eternal and unchangeable election to salvation is given to the chosen in due time,  though by various stages and in differing measure.  Such assurance comes  not by inquisitive searching into the hidden and deep things of God,  but by noticing within themselves, with spiritual joy and holy delight, the unmistakable fruits of election pointed out in God’s Word— such as a true faith in Christ, a childlike fear of God, a godly sorrow for their sins, a hunger and thirst for righteousness, and so on. Summary It can be hard to call out sin, especially for us who live here in the Upper Midwest. We'd certainly never condone sins in other people, and we're far too quick to gossip about other people's sins behind their back, but we'd rather sunbathe in a blizzard than confront a Christian brother or sister directly when they're in the thick of sin. It's none of our business, or so we tell ourselves. To do so might cause them sorrow , and that's about the last thing we ever want to cause! It's interesting to read here that we're not alone in this apprehension. Even Paul writes that after he sent them a strongly worded letter, he regretted it, since it quickly became obvious to him that his letter hurt them. Yet whatever regret he felt, he quickly got over. In fact, as he pens this current letter, he writes that I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. What Paul learned, and now conveys to us, is that there are two different types of sorrow . The first and most common type is worldly sorrow. Everybody - people from every tongue, tribe and nation, both Christians and pagans, - experiences worldly sorrow after doing things they know to be wrong. We more commonly call this type of sorrow guilt. Not only does this worldly sorrow make people miserable here and now, but it ultimately brings death . But the other type of sorrow, Godly sorrow , is quite different, though at first glance it might not look very different at all. Its initial symptoms of guilt, grief and distress look and feel very much the same. But godly sorrow comes with an exit ramp that allows you to escape it: repentance , a word which literally means to change your thinking.   Dig Deeper   Paul explains exactly what repentance - this new way of thinking - looks like in v11. Godly sorrow produces earnestness, an eagerness to clear yourself. It causes indignation, alarm, and a longing concern regarding your sin. It brings about a readiness to see justice done in order to make things right. Ultimately, this repentant change of thinking and behavior leads to salvation as you come to rely more and more on Jesus Christ. The Canons today remind you that although all people generally feel guilty after doing wrong (except for a very small percentage of people with pathological psychiatric problems), the godly sorrow for your sins that you experience is above and beyond what others feel, and is actually one of the fruits of election! This means that as you feel bad, not just for hurting yourself and others in your sin, but even more so for sinning against God, you are being assured that He chose you to belong to Him as God uses this sorrow to bring you to repentance. Sadly, many today, both in the world and even in the Church, would rather normalize sin than cause sorrow in sinners. Doing so not only degrades all of society as more injurious behavior becomes acceptable, but even worse it keeps sinners from experiencing godly sorrow that leads to repentance . Be grateful for this godly sorrow in your own life, and seek to wisely and appropriately allow others to experience it and so be led to salvation. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who intends to make us sorrowful when we sin against Him; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for the sorrow that He's brought about in your life that leads you to repentance and salvation ; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Hebrews 12

Find out what separates true worshippers from posers. Biblia.com Malachi 3:16-17 (NIV) CONTEXT: God speaks through the prophet Malachi to confront Israel's spiritual apathy and corrupt worship. We looked at an earlier part of chapter three last week to see that our unchanging God spares His disobedient people because He stays faithful to His covenant with their fathers. Yet God continues to lodge accusations against His people for robbing God by withholding offerings and arrogantly ignoring the "mournful" way God had commanded them to worship and instead following their more entertaining ways of 'worship.' In today's passage, Malachi describes how the faithful few heard God's accusations and repented. 14  “You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the LORD Almighty? 15  But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.’ ” 16  Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name. 17  “On the day when I act,” says the LORD Almighty, “they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him. 18  And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Articles 1-11 Article 1: God’s Right to Condemn All People Romans 5:12-14 - Mis-Markmanship Deuteronomy 28:15-20 - Not A Tame Lion Genesis 2:15-17 - Or Else Luke 15:11-16 - Prodigious Deprivation Psalm 143 - Aggressive Prayer Pattern ​ Article 2: The Manifestation of God’s Love Zephaniah 3:14-17 - The Mighty Warrior Who Saves Lamentations 3:19-23 - Great Is Thy Faithfulness John 3:16-18 - Simple Beauty 1 John 4:8-10 - This Is Love Psalm 103 - Praise the LORD! ​ Article 3: The Preaching of the Gospel 1 Timothy 2:1-7 - God Our Savior Isaiah 52.7 - Good News! Rom 10:14-17 - The Power of Preaching 1 Cor 1.23-24 - God's Foolishness Psalm 93 - Mightier Than Chaos ​ Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel John 1:9-13 - The TRUE Light John 3:31-36 - Wrath Removed John 6:37-40 - Tensegral Theology John 12:42-50 - Buffet Theology Psalm 16 - In God We Trust ​ Article 5: The Sources of Unbelief and of Faith James 1:13-18 - The Devil (didn't) Make You Do It Ecclesiastes 7:25-29 - Many Schemes Ephesians 2:8 - The Gift of God Philippians 1:27-30 - Granted Psalm 95 - The LORD is OUR God ​ Article 6: God’s Eternal Decree Isaiah 45:21-25 - Irrevocable Ezekiel 36:24-27 - A Whole New Reality Romans 9:15-21 - God's Mercy, Not Your Effort 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - Love The Truth Psalm 81 - Call To Worship ​ Article 7: Election Ephesians 1:3-6 - Before the Foundation Deuteronomy 7:1-10 - Set Apart John 17:1-5 - Sovereign Submission John 17:6-12 - Given Psalm 115 - God Does What He Pleases ​ Article 8: A Single Decree of Election Romans 4:1-8 - One and the Same Romans 4:9-17 - Chicken or Egg? Romans 4:18-25 - Faithfully Face the Facts Hebrews 11:39-40 - Promises Kept Psalm 33 - God's Control, Authority & Presence Article 9: Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith John 10:22-30 - Listen Up! 2 Timothy 1:7-10 - Passive & Powered Titus 3:3-7 - Transformed Deuteronomy 9:4-6 - You're Not That Awesome Psalm 91 - The Shelter of the Most High Article 10: Election Based on God’s Good Pleasure Luke 2:13-14 - Christmas in March Galatians 4:1-7 - From Slave to Son Isaiah 53:6 - Herd Mentality 1 Peter 2:9-10 - You're The Best Thing God Has! Psalm 5 - The Morning Psalm Article 11: God’s election is unalterable. Malachi 3:6-7 - Keep It Simple Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchanging Anchor Hebrews 13:1-8 - Keep On Loving Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchangeable Blessing Psalm 110 - Victory in Jesus Article 12: The Assurance of Election Assurance of their eternal and unchangeable election to salvation is given to the chosen in due time,  though by various stages and in differing measure.  Such assurance comes  not by inquisitive searching into the hidden and deep things of God,  but by noticing within themselves, with spiritual joy and holy delight, the unmistakable fruits of election pointed out in God’s Word— such as a true faith in Christ, a childlike fear of God, a godly sorrow for their sins, a hunger and thirst for righteousness, and so on. Summary It's somewhat ironically refreshing to see that the same old accusations that people make now against God and Christianity - that worshiping Him is a boring waste of time that doesn't really matter since evildoers prosper even though they put God to the test , all while true believers seem to suffer as much, if not more, than everybody else - this same argument has been made now for thousands of years. It's nothing new. Commentator Iain Duguid captures well the attitude that drives this tired complaint: Those who had hard words against God in Malachi’s day [and today as well] viewed religion as a fundamentally commercial transaction, just as Cain did before them. They gave something to God—sacrifices, offerings, and a variety of religious activities—and they expected a return on their investment: the blessings of prosperity and welfare. As a result, if their religious efforts didn’t materially benefit them in measurable ways, it meant that the Lord had not kept his end of the bargain. God owed them something in return for their obedience. In other words, these serial complainers are only interested in worshipping God if they feel they're getting more back than what they're putting in. Malachi helps us see what it is that defines faithful worshippers of God: it's those who feared the LORD. Duguid goes on to describe them (and hopefully you as well!): The God-fearing group, however, viewed religion fundamentally in relational rather than commercial terms: they truly feared and honored God as their Father. They trusted him, loved him, and, yes, at times could be really angry at him. Through good times and bad, though, it was God that they longed for, not merely what he could do for them. They were his children, not his customers or investment partners.   Dig Deeper   This week we're focused on how it is you can be absolutely assured of God's election in your life. The Canons speak of four unmistakable fruits of election that you can begin to notice more and more within yourself. Today we're coming to understand the second of these four fruits: a childlike fear of God . That's an interesting juxtaposition of words - childlike and fear . We've looked often at what the common expression fear the LORD means as we've read the Bible together these last few years , coming to understand that not only must we honor, respect and revere God, but also that we must also be afraid of Him, knowing that we owe our very existence to Him. But the Canons remind us to experience this fear in a childlike way. That is, with a humble, trusting, dependent attitude that sees the LORD Almighty as our Father who has compassion on us, His treasured possession. When you notice that it's this childlike fear that drives you to worship God rather than the selfish desires of those that continually complain against God, you can be certain that this godly attitude comes as an unmistakable fruit of your election. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father who has compassion on us, His treasured possession; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will exercise the childlike fear that God has instilled in you in your election; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Hebrews 11

You can know for sure if God has elected you. scripturetype.com Hebrews 11:1-6 (NIV) 11 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2  This is what the ancients were commended for. 3  By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. 4  By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. 5  By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6  And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Articles 1-11 Article 1: God’s Right to Condemn All People Romans 5:12-14 - Mis-Markmanship Deuteronomy 28:15-20 - Not A Tame Lion Genesis 2:15-17 - Or Else Luke 15:11-16 - Prodigious Deprivation Psalm 143 - Aggressive Prayer Pattern ​ Article 2: The Manifestation of God’s Love Zephaniah 3:14-17 - The Mighty Warrior Who Saves Lamentations 3:19-23 - Great Is Thy Faithfulness John 3:16-18 - Simple Beauty 1 John 4:8-10 - This Is Love Psalm 103 - Praise the LORD! ​ Article 3: The Preaching of the Gospel 1 Timothy 2:1-7 - God Our Savior Isaiah 52.7 - Good News! Rom 10:14-17 - The Power of Preaching 1 Cor 1.23-24 - God's Foolishness Psalm 93 - Mightier Than Chaos ​ Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel John 1:9-13 - The TRUE Light John 3:31-36 - Wrath Removed John 6:37-40 - Tensegral Theology John 12:42-50 - Buffet Theology Psalm 16 - In God We Trust ​ Article 5: The Sources of Unbelief and of Faith James 1:13-18 - The Devil (didn't) Make You Do It Ecclesiastes 7:25-29 - Many Schemes Ephesians 2:8 - The Gift of God Philippians 1:27-30 - Granted Psalm 95 - The LORD is OUR God ​ Article 6: God’s Eternal Decree Isaiah 45:21-25 - Irrevocable Ezekiel 36:24-27 - A Whole New Reality Romans 9:15-21 - God's Mercy, Not Your Effort 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - Love The Truth Psalm 81 - Call To Worship ​ Article 7: Election Ephesians 1:3-6 - Before the Foundation Deuteronomy 7:1-10 - Set Apart John 17:1-5 - Sovereign Submission John 17:6-12 - Given Psalm 115 - God Does What He Pleases ​ Article 8: A Single Decree of Election Romans 4:1-8 - One and the Same Romans 4:9-17 - Chicken or Egg? Romans 4:18-25 - Faithfully Face the Facts Hebrews 11:39-40 - Promises Kept Psalm 33 - God's Control, Authority & Presence Article 9: Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith John 10:22-30 - Listen Up! 2 Timothy 1:7-10 - Passive & Powered Titus 3:3-7 - Transformed Deuteronomy 9:4-6 - You're Not That Awesome Psalm 91 - The Shelter of the Most High Article 10: Election Based on God’s Good Pleasure Luke 2:13-14 - Christmas in March Galatians 4:1-7 - From Slave to Son Isaiah 53:6 - Herd Mentality 1 Peter 2:9-10 - You're The Best Thing God Has! Psalm 5 - The Morning Psalm Article 11: God’s election is unalterable. Malachi 3:6-7 - Keep It Simple Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchanging Anchor Hebrews 13:1-8 - Keep On Loving Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchangeable Blessing Psalm 110 - Victory in Jesus Article 12: The Assurance of Election Assurance of their eternal and unchangeable election to salvation is given to the chosen in due time,  though by various stages and in differing measure.  Such assurance comes  not by inquisitive searching into the hidden and deep things of God,  but by noticing within themselves, with spiritual joy and holy delight, the unmistakable fruits of election pointed out in God’s Word— such as a true faith in Christ, a childlike fear of God, a godly sorrow for their sins, a hunger and thirst for righteousness, and so on. Summary When we read this passage last year , we noted that there's so much meaning packed into the Greek word translated as confidence that it takes multiple English words to capture the essence. Faith certainly results in confidence, but it also enables you to be sure, to realize what you hoped for, so that you have full assurance and conviction that what God has communicated to us in His Word is absolutely true. True learning and understanding are only possible for those who have faith in God's Word. Sure, people can discover facts apart from true faith, but on their own they'll often assemble all of those facts in a way that conveys something far different than the truth, sort of like the incomprehensible picture that would come out of forcing puzzle pieces together in the wrong order. It's only by faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. But even more importantly, you need true faith to make you right with God. Abel's offering wasn't any different than Cain's, but only Abel's was acceptable because he offered it in faith , and therefore God commended it as righteous . In other words, as the Bible also says of Abraham, God credited righteousness - the most important thing you need to be at peace with God - to Abel based on faith alone.   Dig Deeper   Can you really know if this unconditional election we've been studying all year applies to you? It would be nice if the thumbs of those God elected turned blue or we had some other sort of physical mark we could see to know for sure if God had chosen us or not. Even though your thumb won't change color, you can be just as certain of your election as if it had. This week we're going to be discovering how God conveys assurance of your eternal and unchangeable election to salvation through four unmistakable fruits of election. The first of these four fruits is a true faith in Christ . As we've already learned this year, the only way that you can have true faith is if God gives it to you . This means that if you truly do trust Christ as your Savior, you have faith, and therefore can be certain of your election ! And since you know that God's election is irrevocable, you can continue to be certain of it even when doubt encroaches upon your faith. As an added bonus, this faith you've been given in your election helps you fulfill the very purpose you were created for. Without faith it is impossible to please God , but because you believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him , you can confidently do the work He's set before you, knowing that it's pleasing and acceptable to Him through Christ. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who is pleased with all those He's given faith to; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will make every effort to build up the faith that you've been given; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Hebrews 10