OUR DAILY CONFESSION

Westminster Short Catechism

Question 1: What is the chief end of man?

Answer 1: Man's chief end is to glorify God (1 Cor. 10:31), and to enjoy Him for ever (Ps. 73:25-26).

CATECHISM CHALLENGE - L.D. 1

What is Your Only Comfort? – L.D. 1

Q. #1 - What is your only comfort in life and in death?
A. That I am not my own, but belong--body and soul, in life and in death to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven: in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.

Q. #2 - What must you know to live and die in the joy of this comfort?
A. Three things: first, how great my sin and misery are;
second, how I am set free from all my sins and misery;
third, how I am to thank God for such deliverance.

1. What is meant by comfort? (Psalm 73:25-26)

2. To belong to someone is at the heart of being human. Who do you belong to? (Rom 14:7-8; 1 Cor. 6:19-20) How does the parable of the Prodigal Son help you understand that you belong to your faithful Savior Jesus Christ? (Luke 15:11-32)

3. Who gives you the assurance that you belong to God forever, and make you ready and willing to live for Jesus? (2 Cor. 1:20-22)

4. How do you come to understand and experience the assurance that you belong to Jesus? (Q&A 2; Eph 2:1-4; Eph 2:8-10; Gal 2:19-21; 1 Pt 2:9-10; Matt 13:44-46)

Audio: Heidelberg Catechism Lord's Day 1

Our Daily Confession

Sufficiency of Scripture

Belgic Confession - Article 7

We believe that those Holy Scriptures fully contain the will of God, and that whatsoever man ought to believe unto salvation is sufficiently taught therein (1 Cor. 15:1-2; 2 Tim 3:16-17). For since the whole manner of worship which God requires of us is written in them at large, it is unlawful for any one, though an apostle, to teach otherwise than we are now taught in the Holy Scriptures: nay, though it were an angel from heaven (Gal. 1:8-9), as the apostle Paul says. For since it is forbidden to add unto or take away anything from the Word of God (Deut. 12:32; Rev. 22:18-19), it does thereby evidently appear that the doctrine thereof is most perfect and complete in all respects.

Neither may we consider any writings of men, however holy these men may have been, of equal value with those divine Scriptures (Psa. 1:2-3), nor ought we to consider custom, or the great multitude, or antiquity, or succession of times and persons, or councils, decrees or statutes, as of equal value with the truth of God, since the truth is above all; for all men are of themselves liars, and more vain than vanity itself (Psa. 62:9). Therefore we reject with all our hearts whatsoever does not agree with this infallible rule, as the apostles have taught us, saying, Prove the spirits, whether they are of God (1John 4:1). Likewise: If any one comes to you, and brings not this teaching, receive him not into your house (2 John 1:10).

The Ten Most Redeeming Films of 2008

From Christianity Today Movies.

Our Daily Confession

The Written Word of God

Belgic Confession - Article 3

We confess that this Word of God was not sent nor delivered by the will of man, but that men spoke from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit, as the apostle Peter says; and that afterwards God, from a special care which He has for us and our salvation, commanded His servants, the prophets and apostles, to commit His revealed word to writing; and He Himself wrote with His own finger the two tables of the law. Therefore we call such writings holy and divine Scriptures.

2 Pet 1:20-21; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Psa. 102:18; Ex. 17:14; Ex. 34:27; Deut. 5:22; Ex. 31:18

Our Daily Confession

How Do We Know God?
Belgic Confession Article 2
We know Him by two means: First, by the creation, preservation, and government of the universe; which is before our eyes as a most elegant book, wherein all creatures, great and small, are as so many characters leading us to see clearly the invisible things of God, even his everlasting power and divinity, as the apostle Paul says (Rom 1:20). All which things are sufficient to convince men and leave them without excuse. Second, He makes Himself more clearly and fully known to us by His holy and divine Word, that is to say, as far as is necessary for us to know in this life, to His glory and our salvation.

Psa 19:1-14; Eph 4:6; 1 Tim 2:5; Deut 6:4; Mal 2:10; 1 Cor 8:4, 6; 1 Cor 12:1

John Piper's Response to Obama on Abortion

Last Sunday, John Piper preached a sermon entitled "The Baby in my Womb Leaped for Joy". The video is a short clip of that sermon directed at President Obama support of legalized abortion.

The Anniversary of America's Greatest SIN

It was 36 years ago today, January 22, that the Supreme Court legalized abortion in the United States. The results of their decision and the decisions of countless others has led to the deaths of almost 50 million unborn babies in the United States. I am numbed by those, created in God's image, that celebrate the right of a woman to kill her own child. We celebrate individual freedom and equality, yet the weakest of all members are robbed of freedom being destroyed in the comfort and security of mother's womb. Can God bless America? Can God's favor rest on this nation when we allow innocence to be murder in the safe harbor of mommy's belly? Defenseless voices silenced by the horror of legalized murder for the benefit of promiscuity and profit. Ezekiel prophesied, "For when they had slaughtered their children in sacrifice to their idols, on the same day they came into my sanctuary to profane it. And behold, this is what they did in my house." (Ezekiel 23:39) Have we not, as a nation been doing the same thing wanting the blessing of God, yet with all the pleasures that are an abomination to God.

As we remember the Anniversary of America's Greatest SIN...Legalization of Abortion, let us celebrate life! Let us lift high the Divinely declared worth of every human life. Let us defend the weakest members of our society with TRUTH, PRAYER and ACTION. When Christ Jesus comes will he find us FAITHFUL?

My Prayer for the Church:
Oh Father, forgive us our sin of trusting in the power of men, instead of believing and living in the power of the Gospel to change the hearts of Americans. Forgive us of our complacency toward the right to life of the unborn, and the lips service we pay without the life service required to fight the sin of abortion. Grant your Church strength to endure by the power of the Holy Spirit, so that Christ would dwell in the hearts of your people. Give us the perseverance to continue the struggle against the sin of abortion by being a people perpetually turning to you for strength, guidance and righteousness. May we finish the race to live justly and love righteousness and walk humbly with you our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Below are several resources that you can watch to inform and edify you in your struggle against America's Greatest SIN...Abortion.

R.C. Spoul, Video series on abortion (free on the web)

Rethinking Retirement for the Next Generation

As I ponder what it means for all to train up the Next Generation (Psalm 78:3-7), I can't help but think that retirement as we know it has to be redefined. Retirement needs to be understood in light of making disciples for the Glory of God and the joy of children yet unborn. (Psalm 78:6) I do not propose that I am qualified to redefine retirement, but I believe that John Piper's booklet, "Rethinking Retirement" and conference message "Getting Old for the Glory of God" may be made useful to this end. May God use these resources to shape your understanding of retirement for the advancement of the Gospel and the Next Generation. Amen.

Tedd Tripp author of "Shepherding a Child's Heart" and "Instructing a Child's Heart" gave these seminar's at Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington. I have been convicted, challenged and caused to change (and changing) my own parenting by listening to the audio listed below and the his book. He desires that we live out the Gospel explicitly in our parenting. I hope these resources will be helpful to you, in raising up the Next Generation for the Glory of Christ and the joy of God's people.

Session 1: The Call to Formative Instruction (MP3)
Tedd Tripp - Resurgence
Session 2: Giving Kids a Vision for God's Glory (MP3)
Tedd Tripp - Resurgence
Session 3: Helping Kids Understand Authority (MP3)
Tedd Tripp - Resurgence
Session 4: Helping Kids Understand the Heart (MP3)
Tedd Tripp - Resurgence
Session 5: Overview of Corrective Discipline (MP3)
Tedd Tripp - Resurgence

Rick Warren's Inauguration Prayer

I praise God for Rick Warren's faithfulness to pray in the name of Jesus before a watching world that believes there are many ways to God. Rick obyed what 1 Timothy 2:1-3 commands: "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior." May it be said of you and me that we would be found faithful to respresent our Lord Jesus so well. Here is the prayer:

Almighty God, our father, everything we see and everything we can’t see exists because of you alone. It all comes form you, it all belongs to you, it all exists for your glory. History is your story. The Scripture tells us, ‘Hear, oh Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one’ and you are the compassionate and merciful one and you are loving to everyone you have made.

Now today we rejoice not only in America’s peaceful transfer of power for the 43rd time, we celebrate a hinge-point of history with the inauguration of our first African American president of the united states. We are so grateful to live in this land, a land of unequaled possibility, where a a son of an African Immigrant can rise to the highest level of our leadership. And we know today that Dr. King and a great cloud of witnesses are shouting in heaven.

Give to our new president, Barack Obama, the wisdom to lead us with humility, the courage to lead us with integrity, the compassion to lead us with generosity. Bless and protect him, his family, Vice President Biden, the Cabinet and every one of our freely elected leaders.

Help us, oh God, to remember that we are Americans. United not by race or religion or by blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all. When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you, forgive us.

When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone, forgive us. when we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the earth with the respect that they deserve, forgive us. And as we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches and civility in our attitudes—even when we differ.

Help us to share, to serve and to seek the common good of all. May all people of good will today join together to work for a more just, a more healthy and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful planet. And may we never forget that one day, all nations, all people will stand accountable before You. We now commit our new president and his wife Michelle and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, into your loving care.

I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life—Yeshua, Esa, Jesus, Jesus—who taught us to pray:

Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be they name. They kingdom come, they will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

From: Justin Taylor's Blog - Between Two Worlds

How Can YOU Pray for the NEXT Generation

Things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.
Psalm 78:3-4

1. Pray that YOU Would LOVE and LIVE the GOSPEL. The Greatest witness to the power of the Gospel, outside of Scripture, is a Life transformed by the Gospel. A soul gripped by the soul satisfying Truth about God and his story to SAVE the World. Pray that God would continue to grab hold of your heart by his Infinite Gift of Grace in His Crucified Son that He eternally LOVES. That He LOVES YOU and has given you a hope without end or spot or stain or wrinkle. It is only when you are in the grip of God’s GRACE that you are most usable for the Next Generation. Generation NEXT Needs to SEE you on fire for Christ. That is a powerful tool in the hands of the Almighty to wield his Victory for the Next Generations eternal good.

2. Pray that the CHURCH would LOVE and LIVE the GOSPEL. The next generation must taste and see that the Body of Christ is radically different then the surrounding alternative communities in the world. Jesus said, “all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” What better way to love each other in the church than to pray for each other privately and publically before our children and grandchildren. Instead of talking about your brother or sister, prayer for the saints. Pray that leaders would resolve to diligently study the Scriptures and pray.

3. Pray that PARENTS would Love and Live the GOSPEL. The tyranny of the urgent in the modern world develops in the life of many families a hyper-business that often squeezes out any Need for God. Pray that parents may resist the temptation of living busy lives by setting Christ-centered priorities of eternal significance. Pray that parents will be faithful to raise their children for Christ and His Kingdom.

4. Pray that the Next Generation would Love and Live the GOSPEL. The urgency for the next generation to love and live the Gospel is a blaring loudly. Our Children are leaving the church. They are seeking Good News in other things beside Christ, which are not Good News at all. Pray that God would work in every covenant child’s heart to embrace the Good News of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. O Holy Spirit rescue hearts. Amen.

Take Up and Read the WORD

This year I am resolved to read through the Bible carefully using Robert Murray McCheyne's Bible Reading Plan. His plan takes you through the Old Testament once and the New Testament and Psalms twice. My hope is that members of Raymond CRC would also resolve themselves to take up and Read God's Word prayerfully in its entirety this year. You can use the blog reading plan or click on the attachment of McCheyne's Bible Reading Plan.

Shocking Message @ Youth Mission Conference

I got the link to this video from Renea. I hope you will be challenge into further obedience to Christ.

I Have No Idea What I'm Doing

I begin the adventure of blogging today. I have only visited blogs in the past, but have never given myself over to commenting or blogging. My intent is to Glorify God and encourage His people unto godliness. I hope to do this through linking from time to time on works both past and present, and to reflect weekly upon the glorious truth about God as summarized in the Heidelberg Catechism. I hope that the post will be of benefit to you as you seek to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.