Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
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Covenant Protestant Reformed Church

 

Ballymena

Rev. Angus Stewart

Lord’s Day, 25 December, 2011

 

"Those that be planted in the house of the Lord

shall flourish in the courts of our God" (Ps. 92:13)

 

Morning Service - 11:00 AM Rev. M. McGeown

The Angels’ Chorus at the Saviour’s Birth  [download]  [youtube]

Scripture Reading: Luke 2:1-20

Text: Luke 2:14

I. Extolling God’s Glory

II. Announcing God’s Goodwill

III. Proclaiming God’s Peace

Psalms: 29:1-4, 10-11; 119:1-8; 148:1-6; 103:1-2, 18-22

 

Evening Service - 6:00 PM Rev. M. McGeown

Jerusalem’s Children Praising Jesus  [download]  [youtube]

Scripture Reading: Matthew 21:1-17

Text: Matthew 21:15-16

I. The Children’s Praise

II. The Enemy’s Opposition

III. The Saviour’s Response

Psalms: 100:1-5; 119:9-16; 118:20-29; 8:1-9

 

For CDs of the sermons and DVDs of the worship services, contact Stephen Murray

If you desire a pastoral visit, please contact Rev. Stewart

 

CPRC website: www.cprc.co.uk

CPRC YouTube: www.youtube.com/cprcni

CPRC Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Ballymena-United-Kingdom/Covenant-Protestant-Reformed-Church-N-Ireland/337347932331

 

Quotes to Consider:

Alfred Edersheim: "The tenderness of the bond which united Jewish parents to their children appears even in the multiplicity and pictorialness of the expressions by which the various stages of child-life are designated in the Hebrew. Besides such general words as "ben" and "bath"—"son" and "daughter"— we find no fewer than nine different terms, each depicting a fresh stage of life. The first of these simply designates the babe as the newly-"born"— "jeled" ... The next child-name, in point of time, is "jonek," which means, literally, "a suckling," being also sometimes used figuratively of plants, like our English "sucker," as in Isaiah 53:2: "He shall grow up before Him as a sucker"—"jonek." The word "jonek" occurs, for example, in Isaiah 11:8, and in Psalm 8:2. On the other hand, the expression in the latter passage, rendered "babes" in our Authorised Version, marks a yet third stage in the child’s existence, and a farther advancement in the babe-life. This appears from many passages. As the word implies, the "olel" is still "sucking"; but it is no longer satisfied with only this nourishment, and is "asking bread," as in Lamentations 4:4 ..." (Sketches of Jewish Social Life, pp. 99-100).

Announcements (subject to God’s will)

We welcome Rev. McGeown to our worship services. Rev. Stewart is preaching in Limerick today.

Back table: The December Covenant Reformed News is available as are Bible reading programmes for 2012.

Don’t forget the lecture this Friday, 30 December, 7:30 PM on "Scripture Alone!" There are flyers for the lecture in a box under the back table. Please take some to distribute to neighbours and friends or others in the area. Help in providing biscuits for the tea afterward would also be appreciated.

The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s Day (Gospel 846MW at 8:30 AM) will be "Be Strong as you Face the Future" (Joshua 1:5-9) by Rev. R. Kleyn.

Sunday Catechism: 1 January, 10 AM - O.T. Juniors

There will be no Monday night catechism this week or next, but it will resume on 9 January, 2012.

Our Tuesday morning Bible study next meets at 11 AM on 3 January.

Belgic Confession Class will meet again on Wednesday, 4 January at 7:45 PM.

The next men’s meeting will be Saturday, 7 January at 8 PM at the Kennedys to study Daniel 10.

Reserve Friday, 27 January, for our congregational dinner at the Adair Arms.

Offerings: General Fund: £649.95.


Encouraging Quotes:

"Hearty greetings in Christ Jesus our Lord ... my donations for the CR News is the only way I can share in the fellowship of the CPRC, together with constant remembrance at the throne of grace ... I praise Him for the interest that is being shown through all aspects of His work through His church institute—the CPRC." - England

"Could you please renew the Standard Bearer for me? It is very good reading and study. Thank you very much for the Covenant Reformed News ..." - Co. Tyrone

"I’m so glad for all the materials on your web site, and thankful for your faithful web administrator. It’s a wonderful use of internet technology and your site is easy to navigate and find things. I’ve put many of your printed and audio materials on CD and mailed or have given them to friends and family—so for those I know of without internet service can benefit too. I also appreciate your YouTube channel. I don’t know of any pastors in my Presbyterian denomination that would debate issues as you have and then make them publicly available. One thing that stands out about PRC pastors: you are communicators! And you actually write articles and books! So many church sites have only audio sermons, which is OK, but I find printed materials extremely beneficial." - Washington, USA

"Just a brief ‘thank you’ letter in respect of you sending me copies of current Covenant Reformed News, which I find very helpful indeed." - S. Wales

"I attach two Afrikaans translations ... Not being able to join the worship services on the Lord’s Day due to my back operation, I benefit greatly from listening to your audio sermons which I download on my Kindle. Last night my wife and I heard your excellent sermons on Ephesians 3:5-6. Thank you for undertaking this much appreciated ministry on the CPRC website." - South Africa

"Let me say how much I appreciate the Belgic Confession Class CDs. Those dealing with the Holy Trinity especially have been such a blessing. This is a doctrine that I’ve always believed to be true, though I’ve not understood much about it; but when it’s pointed out that there can be no salvation except that God is Triune, so much fell into place ... I have finished reading Portraits of Faithful Saints, and again I have gained a clearer perspective on the church catholic and its chronology of faithful witness to the doctrines of grace ... Prof. Hanko’s commentary on Galatians, I am savouring with great delight ... You mentioned in the note you sent to me with the last book, that you were to publish a pamphlet on limited/particular atonement. If copies are now available, would you please let me have a couple of them?" - England

"Thank you for your word in the Covenant Reformed News. I really liked the Mount Sion approach." - Portugal

"Many thanks for the Covenant Reformed News and the booklet ‘For Whom Did Christ Die?’ Your booklet is excellent. It is of vital importance, yet to talk of ‘election’ brings down upon one’s head the wrath of men! ... I am glad to see also that a lecture is to be held in Porthcawl ... Prof. Engelsma’s books are very good ..." - England

"Many thanks for your archived message ‘Does God Desire to Save the Reprobate?’ which I just heard. Many believers are starved for this sort of exposition of Scripture. I have studied the bare bones of the controversy about common grace, and the trouble which caused the church split that produced the PRC. I appreciated your description of the slippery slope produced by the novelty that God loves everyone, or the false piety that would have the man in the pew believe that God strives against His own desires. Would you be able to point me to something written somewhere that parses into simple words the arguments against common grace? Your sermon touched wonderfully on the main points ... I will be listening regularly to your messages online." - USA

"During this last week I downloaded to the printer you series ‘Rome’s Geopolitical Goal’ ... Current activity in the political, economic, and religious spheres is certainly startling, to say the least, and warrants being informed so that these things can be sensibly and soberly compared with what is revealed in the Scriptures. My wife and I still obtain great help from the resources coming from Ballymena ... With greetings and sincere thanks." - Australia

"Thank you for your greetings. I have started translating your article ‘The Gift of Faith’ and hope to send it to you soon. We have been listening to your sermons on the parables and found them such a blessing and great teaching." - England

"I started going through your sermons on ‘The Holy Spirit in Ephesians’ which is refreshing to my soul. We have many, many churches in this small town and so far I know not of one where I would hear this kind of teaching much less even believe in the doctrines of grace. May God bless you as you continue to teach." - Texas, USA

"Enclosed is the payment for the book which I have just received, The Five Points of Calvinism. Thank you for sending it so quickly and for all the additional information you kindly included. I have seen your debate against the Arminian Timothy Ramsay and it was that which brought me to Calvinism ... I myself was an atheist until I was 15, at which point God made himself apparent, and for the last three years I have immersed myself in Christian apologetics ... I think that being prepared to provide a defence for the faith that lives within us is so very important and I hope that I will be able to do this more convincingly now that I better understand sovereign grace and the nature of God’s election." - Scotland