The Semper Reformata Podcast

23/03/2024

Living as a Believer, in the Lord’s Church
Ephesians 4:31-32 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

Christians who live like the world, grieve the Holy Spirit, who indwells us. Now, Paul brings this all together in a conclusion. Returning to the issue of speech, what comes out of our mouths, reflecting what is going on in the inner man, he examines the motives of our hearts that underlie our words and deeds, and shows us how we can change our attitudes, how we can put off the old, and put on the new…

Ephesians 4:31-32

21/03/2024

Imprecatory Psalms - Praying For and Against Our Enemies.

Read: Psalm 139:17-24
The psalmist sees no contradiction between intensely hating the enemies of God, and living a humble repentant life, in the presence of God. Such is the nature of the imprecatory psalms. - The word imprecation simply means a ‘curse.’

In this lecture, delivered and recorded at Templepatrick Reformed Church, on Friday 15th March 2014, we consider,

1. How to READ the imprecatory psalms,
2. An exegesis of Psalm 137:7-9,
3. A New Testament perspective,
4. and we ask, in the contemporary world, "Who are our enemies - the enemies of God?"

Praying For, and AGAINST Our Enemies.

19/03/2024

Joel – THE DAY OF THE LORD
Text Joel 1-2:27

The book of Joel is just three chapters long. ”Joel” means “Jehovah is God”, all we know about him is that he is “the son of Pethuel” (1:1), The first chapter of Joel brings us face to face with a great natural disaster in the land. But is it symbolic of a much worse disaster, a terrible judgment for sin and rebellion?

Joel and the Day of the Lord

16/03/2024

The Christian's Edifying Speech

Ephesians 4:29

Paul is still giving us specific examples of how the Christian life will look different from the lives of the pagan world all around, in the city of Ephesus. And there’s another. Christians SPEAK differently. You should be able to recognise a Christian believer by the way that he or she speaks.

Ephesians 4:29

13/03/2024

The Minor Prophets are a collection of twelve books, the last section of the OT. They begin with Hosea and end with Malachi. In our ‘Tabletalk Sessions’ we will be doing a survey of these books for they will help us to understand God’s redemptive plan, how he intervened in history to redeem us from the curse of sin. In this lesson we will simply try to get an overview and introduction to the section. Of course, God spoke to his OT people through different avenues. He spoke to them through the Law, and through the priests who administered the law, and ordered the worship of God in the tent of worship and the temple. Wise men and women gave godly counsel, 2 Samuel 20:16

Introduction to a SERIES on the Minor Prophets

17/02/2024

Stop telling Lies!

Paul has been teaching the Ephesian Christians that they must respond positively to their conversion. He sums this up in verse 24, “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Having established this general principle, Paul gives us some very practical help, and he begins with the most basic problem of all our lives. The Christian must be TRUTHFUL.

Ephesians 4:25

10/02/2024

THE DIFFERENCE.

Christian people should live ‘good’ lives. They should be ‘good’ people, – not in order to curry favour with God, or to get into heaven, – but out of a grateful response to what Christ has done for us, – out of gratitude for his saving goodness, for us on the cross. Our salvation, and our repentance and our new life in Christ will result in changed attitudes and changed lives and a completely different lifestyle from the unconverted world all around us. Paul, in these verses returns to a theme he has introduced in Ephesians 4:1. AMP: – …that is, to live a life that exhibits godly character, moral courage, personal integrity, and mature behaviour—a life that expresses gratitude to God for your salvation… We must be DIFFERENT.

Ephesians 4:17-24

27/01/2024

Growing Old Like Anna

Luke 2:36-38 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.

The events of Bethlehem had passed, all happening in God’s appointed time. Galatians 4:4
Mary had given birth to her son, the promised baby, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost in the womb of a virgin. Jesus was eight days old when his parents brought him up to Jerusalem, as was customary among the Jews, for his ritual circumcision. Luke 2:21-23 It’s at this point that Anna appears in the Temple courts, and there before her an old man is holding a baby, speaking to the baby’s mother. Anna instantly recognised that this baby was different! He was the promised Messiah!

Luke 2:36-38

25/01/2024

The Use of the Media to Manipulate Minds and Change Society

2 Timothy 1:3-8, & 1 Timothy 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

What we watch affects our spiritual wellbeing. And what we are being served up by the entertainment industry is little more than the merciless destruction of the soul, dressed up in the attractive garb of amusement, and pimped to the public by agenda driven media companies. It is the stirring of the basest instincts of the sinful fallen nature of mankind, for profit. It is media prostitution

Templepatrick Winter Outreach

23/01/2024

Catechism Class: Lord's Day 52B The Last Word!

Our very last look at the Heidelberg Catechism in this series.

The last two questions in the catechism concern the ending to the Lord’s Prayer. It’s in the biblical text in Matthew, but not in Luke. It’s likely that these are two separate occasions, for in Matthew Jesus is teaching his disciples, in the Sermon on the Mount, while in Luke he has been praying, which prompts his disciples to ask him to teach them to pray also. Matthew Henry concludes that the differences in the two gospels is a key indication that we should be careful not to use the prayer rigidly as a ‘set prayer.’ But rather to make it the pattern of our daily prayers. So, what does our instructor in the Heidelberg Catechism teach us about the ending to the Lord’s Prayer?

1 Chronicles 29:11-13, Matthew 6:13.

16/01/2024

Join us tonight for Table-Talk from Ballymacashon, in the comfort of your own home!
Table-Talk - OVERWHELMED?
A Meditation on Psalm 62:2
What do you do, where do you go, when life's circumstances overwhelm you? In Psalm 62, David has the answer...

A Meditation on Psalm 62:2

16/01/2024

Catechism Class: Lords Day 52 Temptation

Would God ever lead us into temptation? Let’s not gloss over this. God is not capricious, he never changes, he never wants us to stumble and fall, but wants to bring us all to heavenly glory. Yet there are two parts to this petition, firstly that God in his mercy and grace does deliver us from all evil, but at the same time we are conscious of his sovereignty, for there is nothing that is outside his power and command. Everything that happens to us, whether good or bad, is in some sense ordained by God.

Psalm 51:1-7

16/01/2024

Catechism Class: Lord’s Day 51 Forgiveness
Text: Psalm 51:1-7

In this catechism class lesson we shall examine the fifth petition of the Lord’s Prayer.

The Catechist asks us… Q126. What is the fifth petition? A. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. That is: For the sake of Christ’s blood, do not impute to us, wretched sinners, any of our transgressions, nor the evil which still clings to us, as we also find this evidence of your grace in us, that we are fully determined wholeheartedly to forgive our neighbour.

Psalm 51:1-7

09/01/2024

25/12/2023

Christ's Eternal Kingdom

Unlike anything in this world, Christ's kingdom will last forever - Bob's Christmas Day antidote to the King's Speech!

Luke 1:33

15/12/2023

Catechism Class: LD 50 Our Daily Bread.
Text: Proverbs 30:7-9
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 bread, then our dependence on him will be improved, and our thankfulness be expanded.

Text: Proverbs 30:7-9

05/12/2023

Catechism Class: LD 49 Q124 Obeying the Will of God

Text: Matthew 16:24-26
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 that with Proverbs 14:1 The psalmist has the correct attitude in Psalm 40:8 That’s what we pray for in this petition of the Lord’s Prayer, – Lord, teach us, not only to DO your will, but to take DELIGHT in doing it.

Text: Matthew 16:24-26

28/11/2023

Catechism Class: LD48 Praying About the Kingdom of God

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

The Heidelberg Catechism asks, "What is the second petition?" The answer is, "Your kingdom come. That is: So rule us by your Word and Spirit that more and more we submit to you. Preserve and increase your church. Destroy the works of the devil, every power that raises itself against you, and every conspiracy against your holy Word. Do all this until the fullness of your kingdom comes, wherein you shall be all in all.”

Matthew 6:7-8

22/11/2023

Catechism Class: Lord's Day 47, “Really Knowing God.”
Jeremiah 9:23-24

We continue our examination of the Lord’s Prayer looking at the first petition – and it IS a petition – not a declaration. It is us asking ‘May your name be hallowed.’

Jeremiah 9:23-24

15/11/2023

Catechism Class: LD46, Q120-121 Our Father, who art in heaven.

When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, He told them exactly how they are to approach him, what they are to say and how they are to address him. The Heidelberg catechist instructs us on what we should say when come to God in prayer…

Luke 11:11-13

07/11/2023

Catechism Class: LD45 Q119 The Purpose and Structure of the Lord’s Prayer.

Lord’s Day 45 - Q119
The catechist has introduced us to the Lord’s Prayer, which is the model prayer for all our prayers. So we move on now to look at the model prayer itself, and before we begin to examine the petitions in the prayer, let’s make a few important general observations about it.

Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye:

31/10/2023

LD45 Q118 – What should We Ask God For When We Pray?

Q118. What has God commanded us to ask of him? “All the things we need for body and soul, as included in the prayer which Christ our Lord himself taught us. James 1:17.”

So there is a very simple answer to the catechist’s question. We are pray for and about EVERYTHING. How difficult then is our task! How impossible to bring ALL our needs before the Lord in prayer! That’s why we have confidence that the father knows us better than we know ourselves, and he already knows what we need, even before we ask him. Matthew 6:8

James 1:17

24/10/2023

Lords Day 45 Q117 – The Marrow of our Prayers.
Psalm 145:18-20

In the last catechism class, we looked at WHY God wants us to pray. So, having answered that most basic question of all, the Catechist teaches us about what God wants to hear from us when we pray, what pleases him, and what he pays regard to. Q.117, What belongs to a prayer which pleases God and is heard by him? There are three answers to this question which the catechist wants us to learn...

Psalm 145:18-20

18/10/2023

Catechism Class: Lord’s Day 45A
Why Do We Need to Pray?
Read Matthew 6:5-15.
In Lord’s Day 45 the catechist is still dealing with our grateful response to our salvation. When we enter a relationship with someone it is natural that we communicate with them. Of course, everyone is different, some people are more ‘chatty’ than others andI suspect that the same applies to prayer. As Christians, though, we will want to communicate with the One who created us and who saved us, regardless of how verbose or how verbal we are for prayer is a natural reaction to our salvation. If we appreciate what the Lord has done for us, we will want to tell him so, and want to express that in words. The catechist is going to challenge us with three questions. ‘Why should we pray?’ Q116, ‘How does God want us to pray?’ Q117 and ‘What should we pray about?’ Q118. In this lesson, we’ll deal with the first of those issues. Why does God want us to pray?

Matthew 6:5-15.

13/10/2023

Catechism Class: Lord's Day 44 Q114 and 115. "Can We Keep the Law?"

Can we perfectly keep the commandments, and if not, why are we required by God to Preach the Law? The Catechist has walked us through the Ten Commandments explaining and expounding upon their meaning, comparing them with other Biblical passages and applying them in a very practical manner to our own lives. But before we can leave the subject of the Law of God, there is a serious problem, that we ought to address. How many of us can say, as Christians, that we have perfectly kept the law?

Simul Justis et Peccator

28/09/2023

Catechism Class: Lord's Day 43 Q112 Lying and Liars

Telling lies – is it a sin?
Text. Psalm 15.
Catechism Q.112. What is required in the ninth commandment? A: I must not give false testimony against anyone, twist no one’s words, not gossip or slander, nor condemn or join in condemning anyone rashly and unheard. Rather, I must avoid all lying and deceit as the devil’s own works, under penalty of God’s heavy wrath. In court and everywhere else, I must love the truth, speak and confess it honestly, and do what I can to defend and promote my neighbour’s honour and reputation.

In Q112 the Catechist discusses a real flaw in our fallen human nature, – our innate impulse to tell lies. He is expanding and explaining the words of the ninth commandment, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.” I mean who would do that? The answer is simple! ME! And you. And if you say that you wouldn’t ever bear false witness against your neighbour, you are a liar!

Examining our innate impulse to tell lies.

13/09/2023

Catechism Class: LD41B, Q109 Singleness and Marriage.

READ: 1 Corinthians 7:1-11

Q109. Does God in this commandment forbid nothing more than adultery and similar shameful sins? A Since we, body and soul, are temples of the Holy Spirit, it is God’s will that we keep ourselves pure and holy. Therefore he forbids all unchaste acts, gestures, words, thoughts, desires, and whatever may entice us to unchastity.

The catechist is still dealing with the Seventh Commandment, “Thou shalt not commit adultery” How will the seventh commandment affect me, and my life? His answer is simple. It is God’s will that we keep ourselves pure and holy.

How will the seventh commandment affect me, and my life?

09/09/2023

Catechism Class: LD41 Adultery – What is it?

Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 41A

We live in a deeply sexualised society. We need to remember that God hates adultery, marital unfaithfulness and sexual promiscuity of any kind, and that’s the very point that the catechist drives home in Lord’s Day 41, Q108.

02/08/2023

Is the ‘Quaker’ Movement (Really) Christian?

In a press release, dated 21 July 2018, the Religious Society of Friends in Ireland, the ‘Quakers’ announced that they had agreed to the holding of same-sex marriages in Quaker meeting places. That made them, and the liberal Non-Subscribing Presbyterians, the only two religious denominations on the island of Ireland to approve of homosexual marriages. I’ve been having a quick look at what Quakers believe, and since quakers get a good press in the mainstream media, unlike conservative believers, and and since many of us will probably never actually meet one, let’s ask the question, “Is the Religious Society of Friends a Christian Church?”

A brief look at the 'Religious Society of Friends.'

25/07/2023

In 1637, a riot broke out in Edinburgh - it was precipitated by an event that took place in St Gile's Cathedral, where a woman decided she didn't like to hear prayers being read out of a book - and worse!

How Jenny Geddes changed the course of Scottish history