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From time to time I aim to share some resources, whether they be audio or reading resources, on the web, things I have found helpful or edifying, or both, and to link to the sites they come from believing them to be excellent resources. The links can be found in the player if you hover over the buttons you can find it easily.

I am a lover of the Psalms, like many other Christian’s I know; I think particularly if in adversity we turn to the Psalms of David. the sermon, which is the second audio file, is by a really Gospel centred preacher, which is kind of refreshing just HOW gospel centred when also reformed. We of the Reformed faith, at times, can become too wrapped up in doctrine and theology I think rather than resting on Christ, and rather than being able to apply the things we learn, to our lives in a practical way. Doctrine will be nothing unless we learn to also live those things out. It is the difference between, knowledge and understanding. I speak from personal experience here, and it can be so easy a pitfall to fall down. And also, there are some reformed who are so wrapped up in doctrine, theology, do’s and don’t, in a theoretical way, that it is easy to lose the joy of our salvation, because we are following little rules and wot-not, that have no place in Scripture, at least they are questionable at best, and are not essentials or things to die for.

Those Reformed believers in the christian church, who are covenanters, and walk the middle way, rather than banging the law in an inappropriate way, I appreciate very much. Yet there are some, I believe, who do the reformed cause much harm, the covenanter cause much harm, because they do not represent a Biblical or Christ centred Christianity, but you get many a scenario that is depicted in the gospels with the Pharisees, and the law without love. [Luke 20:46-47]

Jeremiah Burroughs that great puritan divine wrote this which seemed fitting as far as imposing extra biblical or questionable things that the church cannot agree over:

There is more confidence needful in a thing that we impose upon others, than in what we practice ourselves. If a thing be to us rather true than otherwise, we may lawfully do it, but this is not enough to be a ground for the imposing it upon others, who cannot see it to be a truth; in such a case we need to be very sure.
— Jeremiah Burroughs

The things that are not essential, and are at least questionable, which will likely mean that Christians have divided views or beliefs over it, we should not impose on folks if they cannot see it the way we do. If someone chooses willful blindness or willful ignorance, that is a different matter, to them not being convinced by the Scriptures. John Calvin or no one else should convince anyone over and above the Scriptures. Calvin and the like are great people to read, and study, but they were not infallible, and I think Calvin would be appalled at times to see how he is used among some reformed as a paper pope, in very little different manner, that tradition is held up to how the papists do, and yet the people who do it don’t see they do it, and do it while decrying the papists as the whore of Babylon. Which she is of course. But to make any point credible to others, we need to be consistent, and imitating the papists by putting Church tradition ahead of the Gospel, and the law being used in a wrong way, so that you are left with the law without love, will not convince anyone of the truths that we say we uphold. But again, its easy for these folks to preach to others, and rob them of the joy of their salvation, yet, talk is easy, and often when it comes to their own back yard its another ball game altogether.

But all this to say, we could do with more Gospel Centred preachers withing the reformed faith like the second Audio link by Pastor Arturo G. Azurdia III

Psalm 34 in Metre with Notes by John Brown of Haddington

[mc id="10772" type="audio"]Psalm 034 Scottish Psalter[/mc]

Psalm 34, Deliverance in Adversity by Pastor: Arturo G. Azurdia III

[mc id="10774" type="audio"]Psalm_34[/mc]

If you listen to the audio files then please feel free to leave any feedback in the comments!