The Heidelberg Catechism - The Foundations Of Our Faith

In 1990 I fell asleep in the coffee shop of Denver airport Colorado USA. When I awoke the emptying shop at 6am was full at 7:30 am and a fiftyish woman in a lovely blue suit was sitting alongside me. I had bought a coffee (which was now cold, and two bags of choc chip cookies (one for now and one for the plane).  The cookies were in between the two of us, half eaten. The woman reached over, opened the cookies, took one out, and began to eat it. I thought, "What unmitigated gall and nerve that she would do that!" In response, i reached in, got one, ate it myself, asserting my ownership of the said cookies. She just smiled then reached in and got another. Three times we went back and forth until there was one cookie left in the bottom, which I left for her. She got up and walked away. I had never seen a person as arrogant as that. Later on the plane I reached down into my carry on bag and found one and a half bags of cookies! I thought for a moment. Then "oh no! It was me ...

Jewish law requires that one immerse in a mikveh as part of the process of  conversion  to Judaism. Beyond the halakhically (Jewish law) mandated mikveh uses (for conversion and for women getting married and observing niddah), the powerful symbolism of the mikveh waters has inspired various mikveh practices. For example, many  Hasidic  men immerse themselves in the mikveh every day. Others immerse every Friday before Shabbat. In some Jewish communities, it is also customary to immerse before Yom Kippur, and for grooms to immerse before their weddings. According to the classical regulations, a mikveh must contain enough water to cover the entire body of an average-sized man (Babylonian Talmud,  Eruvin 4b ). The rabbis calculated the necessary volume of water as being 40  seah  (most contemporary authorities believe this is about 150 gallons). The rabbis also specified that a mikveh must be connected to a natural spring, or to a well of natural...

Washing (loutron) is almost certainly a reference to water baptism.20 All the early church fathers took it in this way. This does not mean that they (or Paul) taught baptismal regeneration, any more than Ananias did when he said to Saul of Tarsus, 'Get up, be baptised and wash your sin away, calling on his name.'21 Most Protestant churches think of baptism as 'an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace', namely of the washing away of sins, and of new birth by the Holy Spirit. But they do not confuse the sign (baptism) with the thing signified (salvation).The next two nouns (rebirth and renewal) are variously understood. 'Rebirth' translates palingenesia, which Jesus used of the final renewal of all things,22 and which the Stoics used for the periodical restoration of the world, in which they believed. Here, however, the new birth envisaged is individual (like the 'new creation' of 2 Cor. 5:17) rather than cosmic. It speaks of a radical ...

TITUS 3 AND JOHN 3 REGENERATION AND NEW BIRTH          Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed,2 to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.3 For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,7 so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.8 This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. ...

      I was speaking with a fellow recently who said, "All I want from God is Justice!" I replied, " I know you, if you get Justice from God it won't end well. What you really need is mercy!" Today we are thinking about the Grace of God. Packer 'In the New Testament, 'grace' is a word of central importance – the keyword, in fact, of Christianity. Grace is what the New Testament is about. Its God is 'the God of all grace' (1 Pet. 5:10); its Holy Spirit is 'the Spirit of grace' (Heb. 10:29); and all the hopes that it sets forth rest upon 'the grace of the Lord Jesus' (Acts 15:11), the Lord who upheld Paul with the assurance, 'my grace is sufficient for you' (2 Cor. 12:9). 'Grace,' says John, 'came by Jesus Christ' (John 1:17); and the news about Jesus is accordingly 'the gospel of the grace of God' (Acts 20:24).'   LORD'S DAY 24 62. Q. But why can our good works not be our righteousness be...

The Grace of God LORD'S DAY 24 62. Q. But why can our good works not be our righteousness before God, or at least a part of it? A. Because the righteousness which can stand before God's judgment must be absolutely perfect and in complete agreement with the law of God, whereas even our best works in this life are all imperfect and defiled with sin. 63. Q. But do our good works earn nothing, even though God promises to reward them in this life and the next?1 A. This reward is not earned; it is a gift of grace. 64. Q. Does this teaching not make people careless and wicked? A. No. It is impossible that those grafted into Christ by true faith should not bring forth fruits of thankfulness   It is Electing Grace Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love5 He ...

here is an excerpt from the sermon John Wesley preached on the occasion of Withfields funeral and some other quotes, many have heard or read the story of Wesleys answer regarding if he though Withfield would be in heaven. here it is, and dispite the dipute they had for many years concerning "free grace" and other things, how they reverenced one another and was ruled by love. It has blessed me and worked as an example to follow. [i]"One day, after Whitefield's decease, John Wesley was timidly approached by one of the godly band of Christian sisters who had been brought under his influences and who loved both Whitefield and himself: "' Dear Mr. Wesley, may I ask you a question?' "' Yes, of course, madam, by all means.' "' But, dear Mr. Wesley, I am very much afraid what the answer will be.' "' Well, madam, let me hear your question, and then you will know my reply.' "At last, after not a little hesitation, the in...

1 Corinthians 15:35-58   You Can Have A Certain Hope I believe in the resurrection of the body,    and the life everlasting. A sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life Some fixed points are needed. I believe in the Holy Spirit, in the holy catholic Church, in the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.   LORD'S DAY 22 57. Q. What comfort does the resurrection of the body offer you? A. Not only shall my soul after this life immediately be taken up to Christ, my Head, but also this my flesh, raised by the power of Christ, shall be reunited with my soul and made like Christ's glorious body. 58. Q. What comfort do you receive from the article about the life everlasting? A. Since I now already feel in my heart the beginning of eternal joy, I shall after this life possess perfect blessedness, such as no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived – a blessedness in which to praise God...

Corinthians 15:35-58   You Can Have A Certain Hope Slide 1 I believe in the resurrection of the body,    and the life everlasting. A sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life Our society has determined that everyone should be open- minded, except about those things the shifting currents of the society says you can't say! Open minded people, some are so open minded that the wind just blows straight through. There are some things we must not be open minded about.  The Apostle's creed tells us those things that are fixed.  Navigation.. by stars  fixed!  Or light houses! Fixed!  Don't fly by the seat of your pants, or you will fly into a mountain! Slide 2 Cartoon! Slide 3  Some fixed points are needed. The Apostle's Creed tells us the things that are important to hold.  In essentials Unity, in non essentials liberty in everything charity was a saying that emphasized how reformed churches could work together in our world of varying opinions.  Here in the Ap...