Year 2 Day 284


Pray (ACts)


Read - Mark 6:21-29


Message - Alan Burke
Most of us if not all of us try to ignore the evil in this world, we try to pretend that where we live is sheltered but sadly the truth is that there is great evil going on all around us, hidden behind the closed doors of respectable looking homes, with respectable seeming people. Ok Herod wasn’t that respectable, yet he had power and status and could do pretty much what he wanted and live how he wanted. Well after we are told of the imprisonment of John we are given the account of his beheading. As it begins we are told of how… “finally the opportune time came” that is the opportune time for Herodias to act. It was Herod’s birthday party, doesn’t seem that out of the ordinary, but then what we are told here is just frankly awful. 


You have Herod, surrounded by the who’s who, and the daughter of Herodias, Salome his niece and his step daughter and she comes and dances for him and all the fellas. The word that is used here for “girl” there in v22 in the greek means little girl, maiden. It speaks of someone who is before the age of getting married, Salome is no more than 12 maybe 13 and she is dancing in a way that what we are told pleases Herod and his dinner guests. 


This is a scene of a dirty old man with inflamed passion, along with the who’s who of the region looking on. You get the idea. Well in this, with the focus on him, Herod inflamed with passion for his stepdaughter, makes an offer of up to half his kingdom, but he wasn’t king and it wasn’t his to give. Salome leaves asks her mother “what shall she ask for” and there it is, the moment that Herodias had been waiting for, the opportune time came, and she wanted the head of John the Baptist. 


What we see is that this wicked woman Herodias is using her daughter in this way, and don’t be fooled into thinking that Salome was in some way excused for what was taking place, yes she had been put in an awful situation, but she was culpable just as we all are no matter what age before God for our sin. For look what she adds, as she returns to her stepdad after having done her dance and gone and spoken to her mum, she tells Herod right now that she wanted head of John the Baptist, on a platter!


Even though Herod is distressed (NIV) it wasn’t enough for him to take back the oath, he had a choice between repenting of his sin or giving in to it, of saving face or saving John’s life and his eternal soul. This only caused Herod more guilt than ever before but still no repentance of his sin. Herodias had her lust for revenge satisfied with the death of John, she even managed to get his head on a platter, it’s a gruesome scene to imagine but shows us exactly where her heart was.


John’s death shouldn’t surprise us, not really, this world is a world of darkness and Satan will do all that he can to silence the message. Secular rules do not want to hear the gospel, they do not what to be confronted with their sins and they do no care for the message of Christ and his kingdom. For Herod the cost of hearing the message of Christ and his kingdom was too great, it would have had to give up his wife, his parties, his abuse of power all to bow the knee, to turn from his sin.


In the end in this passage it seems that the power of evil has triumphed over John. Yet the death of John did not silence the message. The good news of the Gospel continues to this day, the message of repent and believe will go out across this world, the kingdom of God cannot be stoped and it is a glorious message, of Good News for the kingdom of God is near. 


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q46 What is required in the first commandment?
The first commandment requireth us to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God; (1 Chron. 28:9, Deut. 26:17) and to worship and glorify him accordingly. (Matt. 4:10, Ps. 29:2)
​

Year 2 Day 283


Pray (ACts)


Read - Genesis 39


Message - Scott Woodburn
Joseph should have been a mere footnote in history. His jealous brothers had sought to kill him but sold him into servitude instead. His life should have been drudgery and pain, forgotten by his family and used and discarded by his new masters. Instead the opposite proved to be true. Joseph had found himself bought by an Egyptian officer called Potiphar (v1). Quickly Joseph proved to be a great addition to Potiphar’s home. The Egyptian’s house and field were both blessed due to the presence of Joseph in the home. Why? Was it down to Joseph being a decent lad? Moses gives us the reason…”the Lord was with Joseph” (v2)


Joseph may have been rejected and humiliated by his family but he was to discover that his God would not leave him or forsake him even in the land of Egypt. Potiphar grew to respect and trust Joseph so much that he had no concern about the food he ate (v6). In other words Potiphar believed he could eat without fear of being poisoned because Joseph was a man of integrity.


It wasn’t just in the kitchen that Joseph could be trusted but also in the bedroom. Potiphar’s wife was attracted to Joseph and made it her mission to entice Joseph into sleeping with her. Yet Joseph refused. He sought to honour both his master and His God. To have sex with Potiphar’s wife would be a sinful and wicked act, so the young foreigner consistently refused the woman’s advances.


Unfortunately her lust turned to vindictiveness. One day Joseph fled from her hand and accidentally left his garment in the possession of Potiphar’s wife (v13). She used the garment to underline her false story. She told both the men of the house and her husband that Joseph had sought to mock her and sleep with her. In her story she raised her voice against Joseph causing him to flee and leave behind his garment (v18). Her story changed as she told it but needless to say Potiphar was enraged and had Joseph thrown in prison (v19-20).


At this stage you would think Joseph would fade into obscurity - finally the wicked plan of his brothers would be fulfilled and Joseph would spend the rest of his days in an Egyptian jail. Not quite. Even in prison the Lord was with Joseph. We are told that the Lord showed him steadfast love and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison (v21). Joseph ended up in charge of all the other prisoners (v22) and the Lord made Joseph’s every action succeed (v23).


The world in which we live is as pagan as ancient Egypt and yet we are still called to live Christ honouring lives here on earth. We honour Christ as we do our daily work with honesty and integrity, we honour Christ as we honour our earthly masters and we honour Christ as we refuse the easy sexual encounters of the modern age. Such actions do not guarantee success - Joseph did the right thing and still ended up in prison! But nevertheless, each day we seek to follow Jesus knowing that the Lord charts and guides our path.


“Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honourable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” (1 Peter 2v12)


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q45 Which is the first commandment? The first commandment is, Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
​

Year 2 Day 282


Pray (ACts)


Read - Mark 6:17-20


Message - Alan Burke
None of us like our sin being pointed out, when it is we often try to excuse it, we try to make excuses saying  things like “sure nobody’s perfect”. Well Herod’s sin was so obvious, so blatant, so clear, that there was no excusing him and John called him out for it. It’s like me calling Boris Johnston out for his sin, but let’s be honest that’s not going to make waves, he’s an easy target and I’m a nobody. Rather it’s like say the Archbishop of Canterbury actually starts preaching the gospel and then calls out Boris for his sin publicly, well that’s going to cause a bit more of a stir. 


Well John had brought Herod’s sin into the public arena and had humiliated him, this was a bitter pill to swallow for a man who held such power and it left him in a predicament. Herod needed to shut John up to keep him quiet, he simply could not afford to have John reminding everyone of his sinfulness. Notice thought Herod didn’t kill him, he could have, but he found a half way house, left him in prison to rot. Herod had imprisoned an innocent man for telling the truth as well as knowing in his heart that what John was saying about his sin was true. We are even told that Herod liked listening to John, and we learn from the other gospels that John had been in prison for almost a year before he was beheaded. 


It seems so contradictory, Herod wanting to keep John quiet but yet he recognised something in John, something that drew him and caused him to want to hear what John had to say. That’s often the case with the gospel, people can understand it to be true, they hear it, they want the best for their kids so they send them to Sunday school, BB and GB because they will get it there, they will be taught the right way to live but they don’t want it for themselves, it’s ok when the gospel is at arms length, but not when it costs us, impacts the sin in our lives. 


It is only as we repent and believe that the sin in our lives with be dealt with. Sadly Herod had a year of listening and talking to John but despite this, he did not take the opportunity to repent of his sin. Instead of repenting from his sin he continued on it it. He heard but did nothing. Here’s a question, what have you done with the gospel that you have heard? Do you hear but do nothing with it? Or do you hear it and respond, knowing it to be true living in response to it, practicing repentance in your life, practicing belief?


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q44 What doth the preface to the ten commandments teach us?
The preface to the ten commandments teacheth us, That because God is the Lord, and our God, and Redeemer, therefore we are bound to keep all his commandments. (Luke 1:74–75, 1 Pet. 1:15–18)
​

Year 2 Day 281 

Pray (ACts)


Read - Genesis 38


Message - Scott Woodburn
Now that the “problem” of Joseph had been dealt with, surely his brothers would know peace and prosperity? Not quite. Genesis 38 seems like an abrupt interruption to Joseph’s story but it highlights that Joseph was a righteous man whilst his family back home was in a mess. One of Israel’s sons was called Judah and he sought a wife. Sadly he sought her in the worst possible way.


Judah set his gaze upon the daughter of Shua the Canaanite. He married her and she bore Judah three sons called Er, Onan and Shelah (v3-5). Nothing wrong there you might say but let me remind you that Shua and his daughter were Canaanites. Judah had fallen into the trap of seeking a wife outside the covenant community. It is a familiar story in the Bible and one that causes constant trouble for God’s people. I know it seems quite old fashioned but the church has no other standard. If you are a Christian who desires a husband or wife then you must seek to marry a fellow Christian.


Judah’s son Er was wicked in God’s sight and his life was taken from him (v7). Judah commanded his other son Onan to marry Er’s wife Tamar. This is called “levirate marriage” and was an old custom designed to ensure that the family line of a deceased man would continue. Onan did not want to have children with Tamar for he understood that any offspring would not be considered his own and so in graphic terms the Bible tells us that Onan did all that he could to avoid getting Tamar pregnant (v9). This was wicked in God’s sight and Onan’s life was taken from him (v10). In the midst of sin and God’s judgement upon it, Judah urged Tamar to remain a widow until his third son grew up (v11). Judah feared that his third son would die as well and so he sinfully kept him from Tamar.


It seems that Judah had no intention of ever honouring his daughter-in-law. Shelah grew up but he still did not fulfil his responsibilities to Tamar (v14) and so she took matters into her own hands. After the death of Judah’s wife, Tamar pretended to be a prostitute in order to have sex with her father-in-law Judah. What was going on? Tamar had every right to expect a child with her deceased husband’s next of kin - she was the wife of Judah’s first son. Judah was not acting with integrity towards her and indeed neither did Onan or Shelah. I’m certain we are not to regard Tamar’s actions as a wonderful moral example but instead another tragic outworking of Judah’s sinful decisions.


Tamar fell pregnant with Judah’s twins and when her pregnancy was discovered, Judah urged that she be burned to death because of her immorality (v24). All that saves her from Judah’s hypocritical behaviour is that he had given her his signet, cord and staff. She declared that the owner of these items was the father of her children. Judah had given these to Tamar as a pledge that he would pay for their sexual encounter by giving her a young goat. Needless to say, Judah sent the goat to the “prostitute” as payment but by that stage Tamar had fled the scene with Judah’s belongings and returned to life as a widow. Judah finally understood his sin and declared that Tamar had acted in a more righteous manner than him (v25) and eventually twin boys were born called Perez and Zerah.


Reading this chapter makes me marvel at the grace of God - His unmerited favour to sinners. There are no great heroes in this chapter and yet years later Judah, Tamar, Perez and Zerah would appear in the family tree of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 1). Nothing is hidden…in the genealogy of Christ there are liars, tricksters, foreigners, pretend prostitutes and a multitude of sinners who need the grace of God.


Our names may not be in Matthew chapter 1 but by the grace of God they are written in the Lamb’s book of life. Consider your ways. Consider you words. Consider your mistakes. Consider your schemes. Consider your shame. Do you deserve salvation? No. Like me you deserve only wrath and yet in Christ we have received grace upon grace upon grace. Rejoice today my friend, for the Gospel shows us that Christ Jesus is the Saviour and friend of sinners like us.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q43 What is the preface to the ten commandments? The preface to the ten commandments is in these words, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

Year 2 Day 280


Pray (ACts)


Read - Mark 6:14-16


Message - Alan Burke


Today as we return to the book of Mark we are told of the death of John the Baptist. Think back to how the ministry of Jesus began in the book of Mark, it was after John had been put in prison (1:14). Once this had happened “Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,”, he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (1:14-15). What we have here in this passage, although it is focused on the death of John it is ultimately telling us how the message of repentance was being received. 


As we are introduced to King Herod bear in mind that he is nothing more than a Roman puppet, he was a tetrarch whose rule covered Galilee and Perea, he was not a king. When Herod the ‘this’ or the ‘it’ of v14 depending on the translation before you, it is referring to the message that the disciples were going out proclaiming it’s told to us in v12 “They went out and preached that people should repent”. It was the message that Jesus had been proclaiming, the message that John had proclaimed, the message Jesus sent his disciples out proclaiming, that of Repentance! Well this news came to Herod, the ministry of Jesus was drawing the attention not only of the people of God but of the Roman Leaders, it was drawing the attention of Herod, yet there is confusion in who Jesus was. The reports of what people were saying was that he was John the Baptist who had been raised from the dead, and comments like “that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.” show that, while…”Others said, “He is Elijah.”” “And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.”” (V14-15)


There is confusion, there are misconceptions here, what we see is a thread that has been repeated throughout the gospel of Mark, as people asked,  “who is this man?”. Well here we learn of the guilty conscious of Herod and how it was getting the better of him (v16), for he feared John had risen. John was the forerunner of Jesus, the last Old Testament Prophet, who had been arrested just before Jesus began his ministry (1:14) who had been preparing for way for Jesus the true King. Herod would have heard from John and heard from his military leaders and the leading men of Galilee of who Jesus was claiming to be, how he was proclaiming the gospel about the kingdom of God, how the kingdom is at hand and the need to repent and believe in the gospel (Mk 1:15). 


That same sense of confusion and misconceptions of who Jesus was and is continues on today. Herod had heard about Jesus but it made no difference to him. He knew fine well of the reports of Jesus, the message that was being proclaimed, he knew what was going on but at the same time it is not only confession and misconception from Herod but apathy, for he hears but he does nothing with it. Yet he had done something with it, he chose to ignore it once more, he had responded, but it was not with repentance and belief but rejection. Either we respond to the call of Jesus with repentance and belief or we reject it. Responding with repentance and belief leads to eternal life, while rejection leads to death and the pains of hell forever. 


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q42 What is the sum of the ten commandments?
The sum of the ten commandments is, To love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind; and our neighbour as ourselves. (Matt. 22:37–40)
​

Year 2 Day 278 

Pray (ACts)


Read - Isaiah 9v1-7


Message - Scott Woodburn
We have unfortunately made Christmas all about the big man in the red suit. Some churches will meet today but forsake tomorrow, because somehow Christmas Day is more important than the Lord’s Day. Amazingly much of what we do at Christmas owes nothing to the Bible but everything to the traditions of 19th Century Europeans. The modern Santa Claus was an amalgamation of various myths and was brought to the USA by Dutch immigrants. Their ways were quickly adopted and years later here we are!


But where did the notion of jolly old Saint Nick come from? You might be surprised to learn that there was an actual Saint Nicholas but he certainly wasn’t from the North Pole. We don’t know much about the real Saint Nick but we can be reasonably sure that he was born in what is now modern day Turkey in 280 AD in a place called Patara. Later he became Bishop of Myra also in Turkey and died around 343 AD on the 6th December.


Nicholas suffered in the persecution of the Church under the Roman Emperors Diocletian and Maximian. He endured the persecution and returned home to great crowds who declared him to be “Nicholas the Confessor”. He allegedly was a great miracle worker who raised the dead, destroyed pagan temples and saved sailors from death at sea.


Even his children is reported as having been extraordinary. The story goes that when Nicholas was born he only nursed at his mother’s breast for two days per week and he fasted the other five days! Indeed as a child he was known for going to church early each day to spend time in prayer. One day the old priest declared that the next person to enter the church would one day become the Bishop of Myra. Needless to say Nicholas was the next to enter. The priest asked the young boy his name and he replied “Nicholas the Sinner”.


We get much of the modern day Santa Claus from Saint Nicholas. The red Santa outfit comes from Nicholas’ red bishop’s robe. The giving of gifts owes its origin to the wealth and generosity of Nicholas. It would seem he was from a wealthy family and thought nothing of sharing the wealth. A story is told that three young girls were soon to be forced into a life of prostitution and so Nicholas gave a bag of gold to each of the girls freeing them from their terrible fate. 


Famously Nicholas is said to have attended the council of Nicea in 325 AD. The council had been called by the Emperor Constantine who was allegedly the first Christian Emperor. Constantine had seen the Greek letters “Chi” and “Rho” in a dream. These two letters are the first letters in the Greek word for Christ. Constantine heard a voice saying “by this sign you will conquer” and he had “Chi” and “Rho” painted on the shields of his army believing the victory was given to him by Jesus. 


Constantine called the council of Nicea to discuss the divinity of Christ. A man called Arius and those who followed him argued that Jesus was created - Christ was not God. The other position declared Jesus to be begotten of the Father - Christ was God. Amazingly the debate came down to just one letter. Christ was either like the Father (HOMOI-OUSIOUS) or he was the same as the Father (HOMO-OUSIOUS). We can be thankful that truth won out - Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God. The council produced the Nicene Creed which confesses belief “in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father.”


The real Saint Nicholas was so convinced of Christ’s divine nature that he allegedly slapped Arius across the face. We certainly don’t tell the kids that! But look…I wouldn’t stake my life on any of the stories about Saint Nicholas being true. I’m sure there were was such a man and the evidence suggests he loved Christ and so if we absolutely must remember jolly old Saint Nick, let us instead remember his Saviour. You see the observance of Christmas Day does not find its roots in the Bible. The Lord does not require us to mark the birth of Jesus with gifts and turkey and so may we today deliberately speak more of Christ than a mysterious Turkish Christian called Nicholas.


“But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”


Brothers and sisters, have a blessed Christmas. 


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q41 Where is the moral law summarily comprehended? The moral law is summarily comprehended in the ten commandments.

Year 2 Day 277


Pray (ACts)


Read - Hebrews 2:14-18


Message - Alan Burke


In the incarnation Jesus Christ took upon himself our humanity, and by his death as v14 continues it reminds us why “so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power over death, that is the devil”. In this Christ has destroyed the one who has the power of death, that is the devil. No longer does the power that he holds, the power of sins slavery and death, separate the children of God though him faith. Although we all face physical death believers and nonbelievers alike, it is the transitional point between this life and the next, for believers the sting of death is gone, the grave no longer has it’s victory for we have been raised to life though Christ and although physical death remains we are renewed, we are a new creation, the old has gone the new is here (1 Cor 15:54-57 and 2 Cor 5:17). 


The devil is unable to separate us spiritually from God. He can have no final victory over any and all of those who are united to Christ through faith. That is the confidence that is expressed by the writer in v15 “he will delver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery” (2:15). We may not see it that way but because of our sin, in Adam we are all by our nature slaves to sin leading us to death, physically and spiritually (Rom 6:16), in Adam all die but in Christ all will be made alive (1 Cor 15:22). That is all who know him. This is why people fear physical death, they may try to ignore it, do all that they can to maintain their youth, exercise, live healthy, try and live life to the full in every way, while many are amusing themselves to death with constant entertainment, if we are truly honest all of us want to avoid or at least try to avoid death, but no-one can free themselves from the final enemy that we all must face, physical death. 


Those who are in Christ have been freed from this slavery. Christ in the Devil has been destroy, the power of death that he heard has been destroyed, because of this we know that we have nothing to fear when this life comes to it’s end, knowing that one day in the future that physical death will be no more, and there shall be no more mourning or crying or pain for these things have passed away. Jesus in his coming, through the incarnation did all of this on our behalf, dying under the curse of God (Gal 3:10-14), all our sin has been dealt with, past present and future (Rom 3:21-26). It means that we can come, with thanks, without fear for what lies ahead, for nothing shall be able to separate us from the Love of God that is in Christ Jesus, our sin has been dealt with all though the coming of the Son of God, who shared our humanity, our flesh and blood, who partook of the same things all so that through his death he might destroy the one who has the power of death that is the devil, no longer are we subject to lifelong slavery, we have been delivered and although we face death physical death we know that is only the beginning for the believer and we will immediately pass into glory (2 Cor. 5:1,6,8, Phil. 1:23, Luke 23:43).


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q40 What did God at first reveal to man for the rule of his obedience?
The rule which God at first revealed to man for his obedience, was the moral law. (Rom. 2:14–15, Rom. 10:5)
​

Year 2 Day 276


Pray (ACts)


Read - Genesis 37


Message - Scott Woodburn
The Genesis story suddenly moves away from Jacob to his son Joseph and we quickly discover that the young man isn’t like his brothers. It seems that the other eleven had been up to no good and so Joseph brought news of their actions to his father Jacob (v2). Jacob (here called Israel) loved Joseph more than any of his other sons and blessed him with a beautiful coat that possibly had many colours or more simply long sleeves (v3). Regardless of what it looked like, the coat was unique to Joseph and made him stand out even more from his kin.


Joseph one day had a dream in which he saw his sheaf in a field standing upright and his brother’s sheaves bowing down to Joseph’s sheaf (v7). In another dream Joseph even saw the sun, moon and eleven stars bowing down before him (v9). As he told these things to his family his father rebuked him and his brothers hated him. Jacob’s family knew all too well the strife between older and younger brothers and here was little Joseph suggesting that he would be the leader of his family.


What was to be done with someone like Joseph? Just as Cain once plotted to kill Abel, so too did Jospeh’s brothers plot to kill him (v18). Thankfully not all of the boys were filled with bloodlust. Reuben heard the plan and pleaded with his brothers not to kill Joseph whilst planning to rescue him at a later stage.


Unfortunately events overtook Reuben. Joseph’s brothers threw him into a pit and later sold him for twenty shekels of silver to a passing trade caravan on its way to Egypt (v28). Reuben tore his clothes when he discovered what had happened and his brothers returned to their father with Joseph’s robe dipped in goats blood. They gave the old man Joseph’s robe and Israel came to the conclusion that his son had obviously been killed by a fierce animal. Israel wept and could not be consoled by any member of his family. Yet far from his father’s sight Joseph had not been torn apart. Instead the Lord’s hand was upon him as he was sold to an Egyptian official called Potiphar (v36).


The Christian life is rarely easy. We will know trouble, division, jealousy and strife. You may struggle to believe this but at times even within the church there will be those who seek your harm and not your good. Joseph did what was right. He loved and honoured his father and suffered as a result but as we will see he ended up exactly where he was supposed to be.


Brothers and sisters, your walk today may seem incredibly tough and you may not understand the hatred of those who have set their faces against you. But take heart! If you believe yourself to be in Egypt, then remember that God is there too. We have the treasure of the Gospel in jars of clay says the Apostle Paul. We are frail and easily wounded but this shows us that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; in Egypt, but not forgotten.


So brothers and sisters do not lose heart! The Lord is renewing us everyday and regardless of the trouble you face this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q39 What is the duty which God requireth of man? The duty which God requireth of man, is obedience to his revealed will.
​

Year 2 Day 275


Pray (ACts)


Read - Hebrews 2:14-18


Message - Alan Burke


The writer of Hebrews thought takes us to the hope that we have in Christ Jesus, he explains the purpose of the incarnation, one that although things are far from how we would want or desire it to be, should give those who believe hope and comfort in the midst of it all. As we are told how Christ partook of the same things as he took on flesh and blood, our humanity. The reason why this needed to happen, the reason why that the only begotten son of God had to take on flesh and blood was because of what happened in the beginning with our first parents. In creation God made all things out of nothing and he made it very good (Gen 1:31). He made the human race, and the Lord willingly lowered Himself and entered into the Covenant of Works with the first man. This man called Adam was promised everlasting life on the condition of his personal and perfect obedience. The Lord God forbid Adam to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil upon the pain of death (Gen 2:16-17). 


The most tragic moment in history then takes place that effects each one of us, in each of our relationships in our entire being. For as our representative head ate of that tree and sin entered the world and with sin death followed. Even as the Covenant of Works lay in ruins, the Lord spoke of another covenant the Covenant of Grace. To Satan the Lord declared “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall crush your head, and you shall strike his heel.” (Gen 3:15) In this the Lord preached the Gospel to the devil. Throughout the rest of human history there would be conflict between those with the devil and those with the woman. The story of redemption, as redemptive history plays out past, present and future this is seen, the conflict continues, none of us can say that we are free from the stain of original and actual sin, none of us could save ourselves as a result but though Christ Jesus taking on our humanity and through his death the devil’s power has been destroyed. 


God remained true to his promise that he would send one who would crush the head of the serpent, and he has in Christ Jesus. For Jesus did what we could not do. For Jesus in passive obedience, went to the cross to received the wrath of God due to the sins of His people. We call this the passive obedience of Christ not because Jesus was inactive; He purposefully and actively laid down His life for His flock (John 10:1–18). Instead, calling it the passive obedience of Christ stresses the fact that He did not resist the cross, that while He chose to lay down His life, things were done to Him. This is an amazing truth, he died on the cross for our sins, it is wonderful truth, on the cross he paid the penalty of sin. Also in his active obedience, in all of his life, he followed the law of God, an obedience that came from his love for the Father, he lived a sinless life, (1 Pet 2:21-25). His contemporaries were unable to convict him of any transgressions (Jn 8:46) and in this he did what Adam did not, he did what we could not do and kept the law of God for us. Jesus, born without sin through virgin birth, lived without sin his whole life. He honoured God in our place, and for us obeyed God in our place (Luke 22:39–46; John 19:28–30; see Phil. 2:5–11). That is why there is no more condemnation for those in Jesus Christ (Rom 8:1). We stand before God with the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ (Phil 3:9).


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q38 What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the resurrection?
At the resurrection, believers being raised up in glory, (1 Cor. 15:43) shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgment, (Matt. 25:23, Matt. 10:32) and made perfectly blessed in the full enjoying of God, (1 John 3:2, 1 Cor. 13:12) to all eternity. (1 Thess. 4:17–18)
​

Year 2 Day 274 


Pray (ACts)


Read - Genesis 36


Message - Scott Woodburn
Perhaps you’ve already discovered that Genesis 36 isn’t a riveting read. It has been called the “Book of Esau” for it outlines the generations of Esau’s descendants. You may be tempted to skip chapters like this one. There are quite a few of them in the Old Testament and who wants to read endless lists of names? Brothers and sisters, I’d urge you to read all of God’s Word and especially the chapters that our hearts urge us to skip. All of Scripture is God breathed.


Yet the fact remains that Genesis 36 is a tough read, so what are we to do with such a passage? Let me suggest a couple of little signposts. Firstly, God is sovereign over pagans and He is faithful in His dealings with them. Isaac was tricked into blessing Jacob but regardless he blessed Esau too. Isaac declared about his favourite son “Behold, away from the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be, and away from the dew of heaven on high. By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; but when you grow restless you shall break his yoke from your neck.” (Genesis 27v39-4)


Esau didn’t receive the blessing he longed for but his father did bless him and as Moses tells us the story of Esau in chapter 36 we see that Esau did indeed flourish. We’re told that “Esau is Edom” (v8) and in that land there were kings and cities long before there was any king over Israel (v31). Indeed when the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness, the Edomites were doing quite well for themselves. God reigns over the righteous and the wicked.


Yet we shouldn’t see Esau’s prosperity as a sign of God’s saving favour. The second signpost I want you to see is that Esau was not the child of promise. We are told that he deliberately chose to live away from his brother (v6). This isn’t a trivial detail. Esau prospered under the sovereignty of God but Esau did not love the Lord. God reigns over the righteous and the wicked and He blesses pagans every single day…yet they do not repent and choose to remain away from Christ.


Finally as Moses outlines the family tree of Esau he is setting the stage. Esau is Edom and the Edomites will become fierce enemies of the people of God. The Edomites rejoice when Jerusalem is destroyed. Amalek (v16) becomes a thorn in the flesh of the Israelites and then in the days of Christ, King Herod is an Edomite. Genesis 36 reminds us again that the kingdom of man will always rage against the kingdom of God.


So this chapter is easily skipped but shouldn’t be. As Moses writes name after name after name he shows us that our God knows the name and number even of those who hate Him. He isn’t unaware of the schemes of the enemy and in fact He is sovereign over their ways and plots. Wicked nations may seem to grow strong and mighty but ultimately they all fall before the gaze of Christ. Despite what we once thought, this chapter isn’t a chore but an instructive delight.


Esau is Edom but Christ is Lord.  


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q37 What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death? The souls of believers are, at their death, made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; and their bodies, being still united to Christ, do rest in their graves until the resurrection.
​