Reformed Christian Studies

"Knowing in yourselves that ye have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance" — Hebrews 10:34 This is well. Our substance here is very unsubstantial; there is no substance in it. But God has given us a promise of real estate in the gloryland, and that promise comes to our hearts with such full assurance of its certainty that we know in ourselves that we have an enduring substance there. Yes, "we have" it even now. They say, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush," but we have our bird in the bush and in the hand, too. Heaven is even now our own. We have the title deed of it, we have the earnest of it, we have the firstfruits of it. We have heaven in price, in promise, and in principle; this we know not only by the hearing of the ear but "in ourselves." Should not the thought of the better substance on the other side of Jordan reconcile us to present losses? Our spending money we may lose, but our treasure is safe. We have lost the shado

By Bruce Gore - Posted at YouTube: Direct Link:  15. John Wyclif - YouTube

  Catherine Marsh by Lionel Grimston Fawkes   ( Wikipedia ) By Simonetta Carr - Posted at Place for Truth : In 1853, thousands of men arrived on the quiet Sydenham hills to build an ambitious structure: the Crystal Palace, where Charles Spurgeon later preached to a crowd of 23,654 people. Building such a capable compound, surrounded by gardens and fountains, took an enormous effort. Most of the builders were a group known as “navvies” (short for “navigators,” since they had built the first navigation canals in the 18th century). Given their reputation for fighting, cursing, and hard drinking, they were typically shunned by the respectable Victorians who had worked hard to keep a quiet neighborhood. A local paper described the navvies as “reckless, desperate, violent characters, who are restrained by no principle from the commission of crime.” [1] The famous essayist Thomas Carlyle expressed common feelings of disgust when he wrote, “The country is in a great sta

 By Pastor Benjamin Glaser - Posted at Thoughts From Parson Farms: The Blessing of Effectual Calling in the Grace of the Redeemer Good Morning! This week as we look at the catechism questions as the Divines usually do they take one subject from the previous section and expand on it. When it comes to salvation and how men are saved, and thereby shown to be members of the invisible church, well it needs to be clarified how all that works. As with all questions of doctrine and life the answer that every preacher normally wants when he asks a question is: Jesus. The situation is no different here. Men are dead in sin by the use of their free will and they maintain their place in perdition through the act of that same desire. What changes them to want by nature to no longer be aliens, but friends of the Most High God? Again, the answer is no different: Jesus. For today’s Larger Catechism help we’ll be examining what it is about the second person of the Trinity that makes all the difference

By Pastor Adam Kuehner - Posted at Sermon Audio: Direct Link:  Halfway Covenant Mythology | SermonAudio

"He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great" — Psalm 115:13 This is a word of cheer to those who are of humble station and mean estate. Our God has a very gracious consideration for those of small property, small talent, small influence, small weight. God careth for the small things in creation and even regards sparrows in their lighting upon the ground. Nothing is small to God, for He makes use of insignificant agents for the accomplishment of His purposes. Let the least among men seek of God a blessing upon his littleness, and he shall find his contracted sphere to be a happy one. Among those who fear the LORD there are little and great. Some are babes, and others are giants. But these are all blessed. Little faith is blessed faith. Trembling hope is blessed hope. Every grace of the Holy Spirit, even though it be only in the bud, bears a blessing within it. Moreover, the LORD Jesus bought both the small and the great with the same precious blood, and He has

By Bruce Gore - Posted at YouTube: Direct Link:  12. Peter Waldo - YouTube

 By Simonetta Carr - Posted at Place for Truth: If you visit downtown Milan, Italy, besides viewing the most popular monuments, such as the Duomo and the Sforza Castle, you may want to walk a mile out of the way to explore an older church named after a fourth-century bishop, Ambrose. You’ll see a mosaic depicting him as a small, unassuming man dressed in drab colors – quite a contrast with the altar of gold built a few centuries later in his honor. And yet, it was this seemingly unassertive man who resisted the orders of an empress and caused an emperor to walk in penitence through the city’s streets. Ambrose’s Early Life Ambrose was born in Trier, in today’s Germany, around the year 339, to a Christian family from Rome. His full name was Aurelius Ambrosius. Being a prefect of Rome in Gaul, Ambrose’s father directed his son toward a political career. Ambrose’s studies in Trier and Rome allowed him to become first a lawyer, then a magistrate. Valentinian I, who w

 By Pastor Benjamin Glaser - Posted at Thoughts From Parson Farms: Why Christ Made the Institutional Church For His Sheep Good Morning! There is probably no other doctrine which is more under attack, either directly or by apathy than what the Bible teaches about the Church. Yet, while we remain on this mortal coil there is no institution that we should more deeply care for than the universal (or as the Apostles’ Creed calls it catholic ) body of believers. The Church’s significance is immense and in today’s look at the Catechism we are going to talk about why. It’s form, purpose, and definition cannot be forsaken or forgotten by individual believers. All of it matters and hopefully when we are done today you’ll have a greater appreciation for why it does. Here’s the Q/A’s to get us going: Q. 62: What is the visible church? A. The visible church is a society made up of all such as in all ages and places of the world do profess the true religion, and of their children. Q. 63: What are th

By Pastor Adam Kuehner - Posted at Sermon Audio : Direct Link:  New England's Halfway Covenant | SermonAudio See also: Cambridge Platform - Wikipedia

 "He that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about" — Psalm 32:10 O fair reward of trust! My LORD, grant it me to the full! The truster above all men feels himself to be a sinner; and lo, mercy is prepared for him: he knows himself to have no deservings, but mercy comes in and keeps house for him on a liberal scale. O LORD, give me this mercy, even as I trust in Thee! Observe, my soul, what a bodyguard thou hast! As a prince is compassed about with soldiery, so art thou compassed about with mercy. Before and behind, and on all sides, ride these mounted guards of grace. We dwell in the center of the system of mercy, for we dwell in Christ Jesus. O my soul, what an atmosphere dost thou breathe! As the air surrounds thee, even so does the mercy of thy LORD. To the wicked there are many sorrows, but to thee there are so many mercies that thy sorrows are not worth mentioning. David says, "Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous; and shout for joy, all ye tha

By Bruce Gore - Posted at YouTube: Direct Link:  11. Bernard of Clairvaux - YouTube

 By Simonetta Carr - Posted at Place for Truth: Francis, the third of the seven children of Benedetto and Louise Turretin [1] , was born on October 17, 1623 and named after his paternal grandfather. Recognizing the boy’s exceptional intelligence, Benedetto encouraged his studies. But Benedetto died when Francis was only seven, and Louise became the most important figure in Francis’s life – as later correspondence attests. Studies and Travels After studying at the Geneva Academy under renowned teachers such as Giovanni Diodati and Theodore Tronchin, Turretin traveled to some of the best European university of that time, spending time Leiden, Utrecht, Paris, Saumur, Montauban, and Nîmes. Antoine Leger, pastor and professor in Geneva, was concerned about Turretin’s inevitable exposure to heterodox theological views (such as the widespread Socinianism), but advised him to treat others with charity. Turretin did, in fact, come into contact with many diffe

Remembering Our True Hope in a Day of Challenge   By Pastor Benjamin Glaser - Posted at Thoughts From Parson Farms: Good Morning! We are getting into some sticky wickets here in our walk through the Larger Catechism. It is often the case that parents, family members, friends, etc… want to believe that relations are in the kingdom of heaven based upon a verbal testimony, baptism, church membership, or some other outward means of confirmation. Yet, in our lesson today the Divines make clear that there is only one way to salvation: Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. They are in good company in stating this claim. For it is the very word that our Redeemer shares with the disciple Thomas after the latter inquires about the path forward. The only way men are saved is through the Son. Good intent, wishful thinking, and a hopeful longing will not allow a transference of one holy person’s vow to Christ to someone who has no desire to be named with the Lord in their active life. In the Q/A’s today

By Pastor Adam Kuehner - Posted at Sermon Audio: Direct Link:  Regeneration Redefined (2) | SermonAudio

"If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up" — Job 22:23 Eliphaz, in this utterance, spoke a great truth, which is the summary of many an inspired Scripture. Reader, has sin pulled you down? Have you become like a ruin? Has the hand of the LORD gone out against you so that in estate you are impoverished and in spirit you are broken down? Was it your own folly which brought upon you all this dilapidation? Then the first thing to be done is to return to the LORD. With deep repentance and sincere faith find your way back from your backsliding. It is your duty, for you have turned away from Him whom you professed to serve. It is your wisdom, for you cannot strive against Him and prosper. It is your immediate necessity, for what He has done is nothing compared to what He may do in the way of chastisement, since He is Almighty to punish. See what a promise invites you! You shall be "built up." None but the Almighty can set up the fallen pillars and restore the

By Bruce Gore - Posted at YouTube: Direct Link:  10. St. Anselm - YouTube

 By Nathan Eshelman - Posted at Gentle Reformation: Last week in Romania a 2000 year old, fully intact, Roman road was discovered. It was well-built and intact. Many Roman era roads are still used today. This road was built in 106AD. For generations, Roman road engineering was passed down from one builder to another. Imitation provided longevity in the passing down of this skill. “Therefore I urge you, imitate me,” the Apostle Paul says in I Corinthians 4. It sounds arrogant, but it is an earnest urging—a call to discipleship. This urge is to “call alongside of” or a “beseeching” or an “instruction” from the Word of God. And his exhortation to the Church in Corinth is that they would imitate him. We hear that urging of Paul and we think: “Well Paul thinks he has it all together! Paul sees himself as better than or superior to us!” But that’s not the case at all. This call to imitate is instructive. It is the word of passing a skill down from one generation to another. Great skills be

 By Pastor Benjamin Glaser - Posted at Thoughts from Parson Farms: How "Try-Harder" is the Devil's Message Howdy! Welcome to another installment of our weekly look at the Westminster Larger Catechism. It’s a blessing to get into more and more about what our Savior has accomplished for us and given to us in His grace. Today’s Q/A’s will be Q.’s 57-59. Whenever we talk about something like “mediation” it’s helpful to remember the roles each of us play in the drama of salvation. We sin, alienate ourselves from the Lord of glory, He in His sovereign decree from before the foundation of the world, and before our fall in history, has made a pact within the Godhead that the Second Person should be born of a virgin, lay down His life, be raised up on the third day, and ascend to the Heavenly places in all magnificence. The Trinitarian nature of all this is especially seen in the application of the righteousness purchased by Christ through the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit

By Pastor Adam Kuehner - Posted at Sermon Audio: Direct Link:  Regeneration Redefined (1) | SermonAudio