The Semper Reformata Podcast

Amillennialists like Bob, believe that the Bible teaches that there is a day of General Resurrection, - just one day when the Lord will return with his saints and for his saints, to initiate the Judgement, to bring about the end of this world and the recreation of the new heaven and new earth.   But if the day of Christ’s return is the very last day of life on this earth, what about these bib...

We are ALL Backsliders ! A sermon from 2017, based on Genesis 9:18-29. The podcast is getting worse.  Bob accuses us ALL of being BACKSLIDERS!  How bad can this get?  How can our secular occupation damage our Christian life, and lead us into temptation of sin?  The underlying thesis in this rant is that like in the case of Noah, backsliders are believers who have failed to prop...

Heidelberg Catechism Lord’s Day 51, Q126 “What is the fifth petition of the Lord’s Prayer?" This podcast is a catechism lesson, based on Lord’s Day 51, - not that you’d think so, for in it Bob talks about the Total Depravity of Mankind, slabbers on about woke youth organisations, gives off about so-called ‘alternative lifestyles’ and why doing what ‘makes you happy’ can lead to the most awful, mis...

Overview of Romans 11: Israel's Future. What is the relationship between the church and Israel?  Or the Church and the secular state of Israel, or the church and the Jews?  Specifically, what will the future hold for Christians and Jews? What does Paul mean when he says, And so all Israel will be saved... In this podcast we attempt an overview of Romans 11, and look at its eschatological...

What the problem with good works ? Paul tells us that we are saved by grace alone, in Ephesians 2:8 James tells us that ‘Faith without works is dead.’   James 2:14-18. At first when we read these two verses and place them side by side, there seems to be a contradiction.  Paul telling us that our works are of no value in our salvation, James telling us that we cannot be saved without our...

What’s the best way to learn to trust God for everything in life, from the smallest problems, to the most basic human necessities?  Could the answer be found right here in the Lord’s Prayer?  Right here in this petition, where we are taught to ask God for the most basic essential of all, bread!  The staff of life.  If we can see that God provides so simple a need as a slice of...

Athens! - The Cradle of Democracy For many of us the cities and regions of the ancient east that we read about in our bibles are simply names - and many of those names are unpronounceable! But some will know a little more than usual about the city of Athens. Some may even have been there on holiday! What was Athens like in the ancient world of the book of Acts, when Paul visited the city in Acts 1...

TableTalk Extra: Israel Now Romans Chapter 10 Overview. In Romans 9, we found that Israel had rejected the prophets, rejected the true religion of the Lord, and had finally rejected the Messiah himself. Paul gives two reasons for this, the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of mankind. What about Israel’s present state? The thesis of chapter 10 is that despite Israel’s rejection, salvation...

Heidelberg Catechism. Lord's Day 49, Q124 The catechist is still teaching us how to pray, using the Lord’s Prayer as a model for our prayers, and reminding us that when we pray these petitions there is far more underlying truth than we sometimes think.  We should mine that truth!  So we come to the third petition in the prayer: “ Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven .” Compare t...

TableTalk at Ballymacashon . Is there such a thing as ‘The Rapture of the Church?’ What do those Christian believers, who describe themselves as ‘pre-millennialists or dispensationalists’ actually believe, and can we explore the historic Reformation position of the Christian Church, and gain an understanding more in alignment with the biblical text? What does it mean when Paul distinguishes betwee...

Overview of Romans 9 ISRAEL'S PAST In chapter 9, Paul admits that Jewish unbelief, resulting in the crucifixion of their Messiah, has caused him great grief and even bewilderment.  Of all men, the Jews should have known and recognised their Messiah, so Paul explains their lack of faith in the light of two great parallel concepts; the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man.  Thi...

The Battle of Armageddon.  What is it?  When will it occur?  In a previous Table Talk, we looked at the subject of the ‘General Resurrection of the Dead.’   It’s a simple enough end-times position, but it seems to leave little room for this great battle, the conflict to end all conflicts, the Battle of Armageddon.  So, let’s see what the common opinion and belief about Arm...

Is there such a thing as 'The Unpardonable Sin? A sin so egregious that it can never be forgiven?  If so, what is it?  In this sermon, we explore this important issue and draw some serious conclusions. How does God reveal himself to a blinded, careless sinner?  Through the work of the Holy Spirit. John 16:7-11   It is the Holy Spirit who, through the preaching of the gospel, co...

Catechism Class: Lord’s Day 48 Praying about the Kingdom of God . Q123 The catechist is teaching us about the Lord’s Prayer. We MUST consider carefully every line of the Lord’s prayer, so that we can use it as a tool, a model prayer, to shape the petitions of our daily prayers, to teach us how we should pray. Luke 11:1   So now we come to the second petition of the prayer, and our instructor...

Sandy Peden Episode 4 We come to the last of our short history podcasts on the life of Rev Alexander Peden, the ‘Prophet of the Covenanters.’ Rev Sandy Peden was an enigma. He was a man of stern Presbyterian principles, who had, nevertheless a heart that was aching about the spiritual plight of Scotland and its people. He knew intimately the will of God concerning them, and saw its out-working in...

Catechism Class: Lord’s Day 47 , Q 122 Really Knowing God . "Hallowed be your name ." What does this mean?  Does it, for example mean that God’s name is so holy that we should never even speak it? Let’s see what our instructor teaches…  Remember the God’s NAME is a revelation of his nature.  We want his revealed nature, his attributes, his Name to be rendered holy, in this world and...

The Ascension and Return of Jesus In this sermon, Bob McEvoy looks at Acts 1:9-11, the account of the Ascension of Jesus,  and sees in this important historical event the pattern and sequence of the Lord's Return.  He challenges us to be ready... 'TableTalk' is a twice monthly event at Ballymacashon Old Reformed Church (Congregational) in Co. Down, Northern Ireland, and during 2020 the g...

In Part One of ‘The Keys of the Kingdom’ we looked at Matthew 16:19 and saw that our catechism instructor teaches us that the ‘Keys of the Kingdom’ is THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL, which opens the door to the kingdom of heaven for those who will come and be saved, and which closes the door of the kingdom of heaven to those who refuse to repent. There is a second way in which the ‘Keys of the Kingdo...

Sandy Peden - the 'Prophet of the Covenant ' You may have been wondering why students of the history of Scottish Presbyterianism sometimes refer to Sandy Peden as ‘The Prophet of the Covenant.’ There’s certainly quite a few strange stories about his strange abilities to discern events, and make uncanny predictions.  In this podcast I'll tell you about just some of those strange events… Hosted...

Is the Pope the 'keeper of the keys?' What exactly are these keys, that we see crossed on papal insignia?  The Heidelberg Catechism teaches us quite clearly what Jesus meant when he said to Peter, in Matthew 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”Q 83. What are the...

The Christian is FORGIVEN.  The Christian will offer FORGIVENESS. If you have read the Heidelberg Catechism, you will remember that it falls into three sections, Guilt, Grace and Gratitude. The premise is that if we understand how great our burden of debt and sin, and we come to realise how much it cost our Saviour to bear all of our sins upon the cross, we will respond with gratitude, repent...

When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, He told them exactly how they are to approach God, what they are to say and how they are to address him.  The Heidelberg catechist instructs us on what Jesus taught us to say when come to God in prayer….  Hint, - it's NOT 'Our Heavenly Mother!' To read the NOTES CLICK HERE . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s ‘TableTalk’ is very different.  In this study I am going to look at a subject which can be upsetting, if not downright alarming. It is not suitable for children, or those who are nervous, for it will evoke images of the lost dead.  We shall ask firstly, is there a difference between the resurrection body of the lost, and the resurrection body of the saved, and secondly, will...

This episode covers Peden's arrest and imprisonment on the Bass Rock, and how  his subsequent deportation into slavery in America is thwarted by God's providence Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Lord’s Prayer – Overview Text. Matthew 6:9 Heidelberg Catechism: Lord’s Day 45C2 – Q119 The catechist has introduced us to the Lord’s Prayer, which is the model prayer for all our prayers.  So in this episode, we move on to look at the model prayer itself, and before we examine the petitions in the prayer,  make a few important general observations about it.  To Read the NOTES C...