Reformed Christian Studies

By Dr. Alan Cairns - Posted at Sermon Audio : Scripture Text: Titus 2:11-15 Sermon Info: In our final study together we will deal with a few of the challenges to good & godly marriages. 1. Communication 2. Children 3. Morals 4. Money 5. Selfishness 6. Living by the Faith of the Gospel

By Dr. Alan Cairns - Posted at Sermon Audio : Scripture Text: Ephesians 5 Sermon Info: The biblical model of a husband has rarely been popular. It is not often that you see a husband who is a "little Christ" to his family, a man of spiritual stature and genuine experience, a leader not a driver, a man whose strength is not proved by his brute force but by his faith in Christ and whose love reflects the glory of the Cross rather than the lechery of the world. In its place we have had such patterns as the ancient heathen domestic despot, the remote ruler of the Victorian Age or the absentee abdicator of responsibility that is so prevalent today. Never has there been a more urgent need for Christian husbands and fathers to recognize their God-given roles and by the grace of the God to fulfill them. Ephesians 5 gives us the most extended and detailed exposition of those roles and it is important to notice that before Paul mentions anything of the role of the father

By Doug Greeley - Posted at Sermon Audio:     Scripture Text: Colossians 3:16 KJV Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Please note this message is from March 2009. - ed.

By Doug Greeley - Posted at Sermon Audio :     Scripture Text:   Matthew 6:19-34 KJV   19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:   20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:   21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.   22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.   23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!  24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.   25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye

By Doug Greeley - Posted at Sermon Audio:     Scripture Text:    Psalm 34 (KJV)   (A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed.)  1. I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.   2. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.   3. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.   4. I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.   5. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.   6. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.   7. The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.   8. O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.   9. O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.   10. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that

By Dr. Alan Cairns - Posted at Sermon Audio :   Sermon Info: Ephesians 5:22-33 is a key passage on marriage and the home. But we must not isolate it. Note where Paul places it in the Epistle: I. It is a part of the Christian WALK. A. Walk worthy of your vocation: 4:1 B. Walk in separation from the world: 4:17-19 C. Walk as those who are new creatures: 4:20-22 D. Walk as imitators of God: 5:1-14 1. As children of love: 5:1-7 Note the strong arguments against the lusts of the flesh 2. As children of light: 5:8-14 E. Walk in Wisdom: 5:15-17 F. Walk under the control of the Spirit: 5:18-6:9 1. Wives: 5:22-24 2. Husbands: 5:25-31 3. Children: 6:1-3 4. Fathers: 6:4 5. Servants: 6:5-8 6. Masters: 6:9 II. It is a preparation for Christian WARFARE: 6:10-20 A. The Adversary: 6:12 B. The Armor: 6:10-11,13-20

Posted at This Day in Presbyterian History : It was on this day, May 25th, in 1823, that Dr. Archibald Alexander wrote to his ailing mother, rejoicing in her recent recovery, yet seeking also to console and comfort her in the last days of her old age. The language of his letter may seem rather formal—we attribute that to the times. That he loved his mother dearly is no less certain. But his counsel here is so apt and useful for all to profit from. Take it to heart! Dr. Alexander to his Mother Princeton, May 25, 1823. My Dear Mother:— “When I last saw you, it was very doubtful whether you would ever rise again from the bed to which you were confined. Indeed, considering your great age, it was not to be expected that you should entirely recover your usual health. I was much gratified to find that in the near prospect of eternity, your faith did not fail, but that you could look death in the face without dismay, and felt willing, if it were the will of God, to depart from this world o

"He blesseth the habitation of the just" — Proverbs 3:33 He fears the LORD, and therefore he comes under the divine protection even as to the roof which covers himself and his family. His home is an abode of love, a school of holy training, and a place of heavenly light. In it there is a family altar where the name of the LORD is daily had in reverence. Therefore the LORD blesses his habitation. It may be a humble cottage or a lordly mansion; but the LORD's blessing comes because of the character of the inhabitant and not because of the size of the dwelling. That house is most blest in which the master and mistress are God-fearing people; but a son or daughter or even a servant may bring a blessing on a whole household. The LORD often preserves, prospers, and provides for a family for the sake of one or two in it, who are "just" persons in His esteem, because His grace has made them so. Beloved, let us have Jesus for our constant guest even as the sister

By David C. Brand - Posted at The Christian Observer : “One man, one woman–,” the minister bellowed, “do not try to improve upon it!” A young man could hardly restrain himself: “Reverend, I have no intention of trying to improve upon it–I just want to get in on it! Can you help me?” I,—–, take thee, ——-, to be my wedded wife/husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God’s holy ordinance; and thereto I pledge thee my trust. In our wedding vows we acknowledge that marriage is “God’s holy ordinance.” What makes marriage holy? Marriage is holy because (1) God instituted it at creation to be foundational for human society; (2) God instituted it for a man and woman created in His image and likeness ; (3) God designed marriage as the template for the relationship between Christ and His church; and (4) retrospectively, God instituted the churc

By Rev. Andrew Quigley - Posted at Sermon Audio : Scripture: Genesis 48 Link: http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=170793122

Posted at Out of the Ordinary : Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: consider your ways. You have sown much and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes...You looked for much, and behold it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. ~ Haggai 1:5-6 , 9 Haggai's words pierce my heart as I think of the toiling and spinning I've done in this life. I have pursued the American dream and come up wanting. I've known the emptiness of too many possessions and too much debt, of being overwhelmed yet still not having enough. I have stored up my treasures on earth. I have tried to live my best life now. I have loved the world and paid the price. There are many pitfalls

Posted at MiddletownBibleChurch.org: WE HAVE GREAT reason to bless God for the rich mercies we have enjoyed as a church and people for many years, in the unity of the brotherhood, the zeal of the workers, the number of conversions, the success of all our enterprises, and the growth of the whole body. It is on my heart to say a word upon another subject—a subject which presses heavily upon my heart. I beseech you, by the mercies of God, and by the love of Christ Jesus your Lord, that as members of this church you do nothing which would grieve the Spirit of God, and cause Him to depart from among us. Remember how Israel suffered defeat because of Achan. One man only, and one family only, had broken the Divine rule, but that sufficed to trouble the whole camp. Achan had taken of the accursed thing and hidden it in his tent, and so all Israel had to suffer defeat. Churches, too, will suffer if sin becomes general among them and is allowed to go unrebuked. At this time many a church is

By Rev. David T. Myers - Posted at This Day in Presbyterian History : Today in Presbyterian History we celebrate the birth of Gilbert Tennent. Subscribers to our posts will remember his name and history as the celebrated pastor-evangelist of the First Great Awakening in the American colonies. His name will always be remembered as the one who preached about the dangers of unconverted ministers. He both began and ended the New Side wing of the American Presbyterian church in the mid-seventeen hundreds. And he was born on this day, February 5, in County Armagh, Ireland, in the year 1703. He was to stay with his father and mother, William and Catherine Tennent, in Ireland for the first fourteen years, before the entire family emigrated to the American colonies, and specifically Pennsylvania, due to connections of a close family member of his mother. We read very little of his early life with the exception of the one great spiritual experience which brought him to Christ around the age

By Dr. R. Scott Clark - Posted at The Heidelblog : 1Peter 3:7   Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. (ESV). v.7: Christian Husbands and Wives Throughout this epistle question before Peter and before the congregations in (what we know as) Turkey is how they ought to live in light of their redemption, in view of eternity, in a predominantly pagan setting as they worship and serve their redeemer and wait patiently for his return. To this point in chapter 3 Peter has been instructing Christian women how to relate to their husbands, particularly to unbelieving husbands. Verse 7, however, assumes a believing husband and, most likely, a believing wife. In our post-feminist, late-modern context this language might seem somewhat patronizing or even demeaning but Peter was not writing to our context—he was writing to

By A.W. Pink (September, 1948) - Posted at Grace Gems : Many of those who look no farther than the temporal happiness of individuals and the welfare of the State are not insensible of the importance and value of domestic relationships , realizing that the family is but the unit of the nation. No matter how excellent the constitution and laws of a country may be, or what its material resources, they are insufficient and ineffectual, unless a sure foundation for social order and public virtue is laid in the healthy regulation and wise discipline of its families. The nation is but the aggregate of individuals comprising it; and unless there are good fathers and mothers, good sons and daughters, brothers and sisters — there will be no good citizens. It is because our home life has so sadly deteriorated, that social decay is now so far advanced, nor can it be arrested until parents once again properly discharge their responsibility. We have no hesitation in saying that the future welf

By Dr. R. Scott Clark - Posted at The Heidelblog : 1 Peter 3:1–6 1Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2when they see your respectful and pure conduct. 3Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. 5For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening (ESV). vv.5–6: Sarah’s Eschatology As I suggested in the previous post, in our egalitarian, post-feminist culture, the language of verses 5 and 6 is bound to be difficult to accept. My concern is that there

By Maggie MacLean - Posted at History of American Women : "Eighteen married adult women had crossed the stormy Atlantic with their husbands aboard the Mayflower. There were no single women on board. Three women - Susanna White, Mary Allerton and Elizabeth Hopkins - had boarded the Mayflower at least six months pregnant. Susanna gave birth to a son Peregrine; Elizabeth gave birth to a son Oceanus, who later died at the age of two; Mary gave birth to a stillborn son while the ship was anchored at Provincetown Harbor." The passengers on the ship Mayflower were the earliest permanent European settlers in New England. They were referred to as the "First Comers" and they lived in perilous times. With their religion oppressed by the British government and the Church of England, the small party of Separatists who comprised almost half of the passengers on the ship sought a life where they could practice their religion freely. Freedom We Seek On September 6, 1620, the

By Dr. R. Scott Clark - Posted at The Heidelblog : 1 Peter 3:1–6 1Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2when they see your respectful and pure conduct. 3Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. 5For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening (ESV). vv.3–6: Adornment True And False Just as soon as Peter completes one thought, which is bound to be quite controversial in our late-modern culture of identity politics, he plunges us into another po

By Dr. R. Scott Clark - Posted at The Heidelblog : 1Peter 3:1-6  1Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2when they see your respectful and pure conduct. 3Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. 5For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening (ESV). v. 1: Modeling Christ Through Voluntary Subjection The chapter divisions we see in our Bibles were not present originally. Stephen Langton (c. 1150–1228), a Paris theologian and, later, Archbisho

By David P. Smith - Posted at The Confessional ARP : The following is largely a response I gave recently to a friend regarding this topic. I hope in some measure it helps others know how to think about and make decisions regarding the issues addressed. It is one thing for Christians to function within, as Augustine put it, “the city of God,” that is, within the Church and God’s Kingdom (the former is not to be simply equated with the latter; God’s Kingdom is a broader reality than the Church, although the Church is in God’s Kingdom) and another for them to function within the “city of Man”—part of which is expressed in “the State.” The two. the city of God and the city of Man are organically joined, and yet distinctly two different realities; they overlap, for now. According to Scripture, “The State” (Scripture does not use this term) is on its way to eternal destruction because it is in its fundamental character an expression of “the World” which “is passing away,” according to