News and Prayer Update.
Welcome! It’s Monday morning the 13th June 2022 and here’s our weekly look at what’s happening, and a little bit of discussion from a Christian viewpoint – and look, if you want to reach different conclusions, that’s fine by me!
One of the difficulties, I suppose, of doing a weekly news round-up is that the news is no longer actually news! So this week, looking back, I want to think a little bit about the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, that passed us by a week or so ago. I say passed us by, but I really meant, passed ME by! I didn’t join in any of it, and I’m going to explain why.
Read more…
In the Catechism Class Podcasts for Heidelberg Catechism Lord’s Day 21 we will look at why we believe in “The Holy Catholic Church,” as stated in the Apostle’s Creed.
To supplement the three podcasts and the notes, and for devotional reading, our recommended book is
The Beauty and Glory of Christ’s Bride
(Puritan Reformed Conference)
Ed. Joel Beeke
(Only in Kindle at present – but second hand and third party options are available)
Read more…
Catechism Class. Lord’s Day 20C Q53 – The WORK of the Holy Spirit – 2
The catechist teaches us that the Holy Spirit abides with us eternally, as the ‘earnest of our inheritance,’ so we shall look briefly at that, then we’ll learn how we may obey the command to not grieve the Holy Spirit, and finally explore what the Scripture means by ‘the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.’ So, let’s remind ourselves of our question and answer from the Heidelberg Catechism: Q.53, What do you believe concerning the Holy Spirit? A. First, he is, together with the Father and the Son, true and eternal God. Second, he is also given to me, to make me by true faith share in Christ and all his benefits, to comfort me, and to remain with me forever.
Read more…
Monday PrayerCast 6th June 2022.
It’s Monday morning, 6th June 2022, and it’s the beginning of Summer, and this is the regular Monday PrayerCast – where we take a look back over some of the recent news and events in Northern Ireland and further afield, with a Christian worldview.
Let’s start this report with a quick round-up of some of the news that you probably won’t have heard on the mainstream media. Here’s the headlines…
Read more…
What to do when a brother sins against you!
Text: Matthew 18:15-17
Some very practical teaching – what do you do when a Christian sins against you?
- The Probability of Christian Discord. Moreover if your brother sins against you,
This is further to the previous teaching. ‘Moreover’. Jesus has been warning his disciples about the danger, the serious consequences of leading other believers into temptation to sin. But what if you are the believer who has been sinned against?
Listen to the PODCAST
Read more…
The WORK of the Holy Spirit
Let’s remind ourselves of our question and answer from the Heidelberg Catechism: Q.53, What do you believe concerning the Holy Spirit? A. First, he is, together with the Father and the Son, true and eternal God. Second, he is also given to me, to make me by true faith share in Christ and all his benefits, to comfort me, and to remain with me forever.
So, we have three easy statements about the WORK of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is GIVEN, as a GIFT to us,, secondly, the Holy Spirit REGENERATES US, and thirdly, the Holy Spirit, ETERNALLY ABIDES with us. In this lesson, we’ll look at the first two of those, awakening, and regeneration.
Read more…
Monday PrayerCast 30th May 2022.
It’s Monday morning, 30th May 2022, and this is the regular Monday PrayerCast – where we take a look back over some of the recent news and events in Northern Ireland and further afield, with a Christian worldview. But before we start, I need your help! I certainly appreciate God’s wonderful creation, and I hope that you do too, after all, the earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof. He made the world, and the land and the seas, and the animals and the fish and the birds of the air… And that’s where my problem lies just now!
Listen to the PODCAST HERE
Read more…
Catechism Class. Lord’s Day 20A Q53
The PERSON of the Holy Spirit
Welcome again to our weekly catechism class, and we have reached Lord’s Day 20. Our instructor is still teaching us the doctrine that lies beneath the words of the historic Apostle’s Creed. This is important for us, for we are part of the historic church, we are at one with believers who have been redeemed by the blood of the lamb, throughout all ages. Our teacher follows the creed with one single question about the Holy Spirit in LD20, Q53:-
Q.53, What do you believe concerning the Holy Spirit? A. First, he is, together with the Father and the Son, true and eternal God. Second, he is also given to me, to make me by true faith share in Christ and all his benefits, to comfort me, and to remain with me forever.
Listen to the PODCAST HERE
Read more…News and Prayer Update.
It’s Monday morning, 23rd May 2022, and this is the regular Monday PrayerCast – where we take a look back over some of the recent news and events in Northern Ireland and further afield, with a Christian worldview. Let’s start with the amazing Ukrainian victory! Slava Ukraini! I’m referring of course to the Ukrainian victory in the Eurovision Song Contest. When I was a boy we used to talk about a ‘corny joke.’ A corny joke was one where the punch line was so predictable that no-one laughed. The Eurovision Song Contest is the ultimate corny joke.
Listen to the PODCAST HERE
Read more…
Catechism Class. Lord’s Day 19D, Q52
From Whence He Shall Come!
The Apostle’s Creed states, ‘from whence He shall come, to judge the living and the dead.’ Our instructor seeks to understand this phrase, not in a cold objective way, but to apply it us, as Christian believers. He assumes that Christ’s coming will be a COMFORT to we who long to see Him.
Q.52 asks, “What comfort is it to you that Christ will come to judge the living and the dead?” The answer we must give is, “In all my sorrow and persecution I lift up my head and eagerly await as judge from heaven the very same person who before has submitted himself to the judgment of God for my sake, and has removed all the curse from me. He will cast all his and my enemies into everlasting condemnation, but he will take me and all his chosen ones to himself into heavenly joy and glory.”
READ Titus 2:13-14 How will Christ’s return, on the last day, be a comfort to ME – to YOU, personally?
Read more…
The Salty Scrivener 