TableTalk – The Battle of Armageddon
TableTalk – The Battle of Armageddon
Text, Judges 4 and 5, Revelation 16:12
In our last 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 Armageddon is, and then attempt to contrast that with a reformed viewpoint, – a non-millennialist standpoint that will be Biblical.
This Topsy Turvy World
Acts 17:1-9 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews
Paul and Silas and Timothy are at Thessalonica. They have been to the Synagogue, three Sabbaths in a row, and they have been teaching from the Scriptures at Sabbath worship, and when Paul speaks he aways points to Christ, the Messiah, who died and rose again. So effective was his reasoning, his explaining and demonstrating, so persuasive was his passion for the gospel, that some of the Jews were converted, a lot of the Gentile God-fearers who came to the Jewish services, and quite a few of the aristocratic women. But no matter where Paul preaches, his message is divides people into two different groups. The gospel is always thus, for it divides society down the middle, into the saved and the lost, the only two types of people that there are. Jesus warned about this. Matthew 10:34 In Thessalonica the divide is not only obvious, but it is violent.
Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 48
Praying about the Kingdom of God. Q123
The catechist is teaching us about the Lord’s Prayer. Matthew 6:7-8 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 in the Heidelberg Catechism asks, “What is the second petition? 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.” The catechist identifies four different features of God’s kingdom, and teaches us to pray about each of those features. My life is part of the Kingdom of God, His Church is part of His kingdom, His kingdom is the battle against evil and God’s kingdom has an eschatological, ‘end-time’ dimension. All of these areas are part of God’s Kingdom, but every constituent part is worth our prayers.
Read more…Morning Worship, Every Lord’s Day at 11.30am, DV, at
Ballymacashon Old Reformed Church (Congregational)
78 Saintfield Road, Killinchy, Co.Down. BT23 6RN.
During ‘Lockdown 3’ Service lasts max 45 minutes, with no congregational singing, – appropriate sanitary measures and ‘social distancing’ in place. – Other usual services will resume as soon as health conditions and restrictions permit.
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Martin Luther: “at home, in my own house, there is no warmth or vigour in me, but in the church when the multitude is gathered together, a fire is kindled in my heart and it breaks its way through.”
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Catechism Class: Lord’s Day 47, Q 122
Really Knowing God.
READ. Jeremiah 9:23-24 Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; 24 But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord.
Let’s 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.’
Q122. What is the first petition? A. 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 in our lives. So we must know him, who he is and what he is like. So, the Heidelberg Catechism teaches us that ‘hallowed be thy name’ firstly means:-
Read more…TableTalk Extra
Acts 1:9-11
In this podcast on Anchor.fm/bob-mcevoy, we look at Acts 1:9-11, the account of the Ascension of Jesus, and we see in this important historical event the pattern and sequence of the Lord’s Return.
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST BY CLICKING THIS LINK.
We MUST be ready…
TableTalk…
‘TableTalk’ is a twice monthly event at Ballymacashon Old Reformed Church (Congregational) in Co.Down, Northern Ireland, and during 2020 the group had been discussing the doctrine of Eschatology from a reformed and evangelical perspective, while appreciating that other Christians have differing perspectives on ‘end times’ matters. This recorded message, however, although relevant to the TableTalk theme, is from the archives!
TableTalk – Join the Conversation
Christians are FORGIVEN…
Matthew 18:21-35
For Christians, the appreciation and reception of Christ’s sacrificial love, will have a profound effect on our lives. We ought to begin to love others as Christ has loved us, and to forgive others as Christ has forgiven us! This is truly the meaning of Our Lord’s command in His model prayer, when he told us to pray. And forgive us our sins: for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation: but deliver us from evil. Luke 11:4
Paul’s Mission at Thessalonica
Acts 17:1-9, 1 Thessalonians 2.
Paul and Silas and Timothy have left Philippi following the shameful events there, in which Paul and Silas were arrested, humiliated, beaten and imprisoned without trial, and they have travelled down through Macedonia to the town of Thessalonica. He later recalls this in 1st Thessalonians 2:1-2 He is still BOLD in God to bring the message of the gospel.
Firstly, let’s see how he labours in the gospel, and what the results were…
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Catechism Class: Lord’s Day 46, Q120-121
LD46 – Our Father, who art in heaven.
On Sunday 3rd January 2021 the 117th Congress of the United States of America was convened in Washington, and in accordance with tradition, the inauguration of the Congress was concluded with prayer. The person chosen to pray was Democrat Congressman Emmanuel Cleaver, a representative from Missouri and an ordained United Methodist pastor. The United Methodists are one of the most liberal denominations in America. The Congressman ended his congressional prayer with this sentence, “We ask it in the name of the monotheistic God… God known by many names and by many different faiths. Amen, and awoman.” None of that is true. God is not ‘known’ by many different names and nor is he ‘known’ by many different faiths.
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…
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With What Body Shall We Be Raised?
Text. Daniel 12:1-3, 1st Corinthians 15:35-45
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 there be a difference between my present body and my future, resurrection body? When we search the scriptures, we are confronted with two marked contrasts.
What a difference between:
1 The Resurrection Body of the Saved and that of the Lost. Daniel 12:1-3,
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