Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
Ballymena
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 22 February, 2009
"Quicken me after thy lovingkindness; so shall I keep
the testimony of thy mouth" (Ps. 119:88)
Morning Service - 11:00 AM
Knowing Our Sins and Misery [download]
Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 2; Jeremiah 17
I. Knowing Our Sins
II. Knowing Our Misery
III. The Blessedness of this Knowledge
Psalms: 63:1-8; 18:1-7; 39:5-12; 32:3-6
Evening Service - 6:00 PM
The Holy Spirit in Ephesians (13)
The Fruit of the Spirit [download]
Ephesians 5:9
I. The Meaning
II. The Application
Psalms: 113:1-9; 18:8-13; 119:1-8; 143:5-11
Contact Sean Courtney (covenantreformedaudiostore@yahoo.co.uk) for CDs of the sermons.
CPRC website: www.cprc.co.uk
Quote to Consider:
Thomas Manton: "Certainly that religion is good which only employeth men in doing good, and obligeth us to seek the welfare of others as we would do our own. It enjoineth us ‘to do good to all, especially to the household of faith’ (Gal. 5:10). We cannot take delight in all, for some are an offence to the new nature which is in us; but we must do good to all, and seek their happiness. The love of benevolence or good will is opposite to the hatred of enmity, and the love of complacency and delight to the hatred of aversion and offence. We cannot take pleasure in sinners, but yet must do them good. Suppose they have disobliged us, yet enemies are not excepted: Matt. 5:44, ‘Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you.’ None can be such enemies to us as we were to God in our natural estate. Now it is the duty of a Christian to revenge injuries with courtesies: Rom. 7:14, ‘Bless them which persecute you; bless and curse not;’ and verse 21, ’Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.’"
Announcements (subject to God’s will):
We welcome Stephen Rushton to our worship services today. Every one is invited to stay for tea after this evening’s worship service.
Catechism:
Monday, 7:00 PM - Campbells at the manse
Tuesday, 4:30 PM - Jacob Buchanan
Tuesday, 5:30 PM - Murrays
Tuesday, 6:45 PM - Hamills
Wednesday, 1:00 PM - Beginners OT Class at the manse
Midweek Bible Study meets on Wednesday, 7:45 PM at the manse. We will consider I Peter 2:1, 4f. on "Living Stones, the Chief Cornerstone and the Spiritual Temple."
The Reformed Witness Hour next Lord’s Day (8:30-9:00 AM, on Gospel 846MW), is entitled "Jesus’ Trial Before Pilate" (Mark 15:1-5) by Rev. Haak.
Next Lord’s Day morning we will take our monthly building fund offering.
The Council meets next week Monday, 2 March, at 7:30 PM at the manse.
Ladies’ Bible Study meets next week Tuesday, 3 March, 10:15 AM, at the Murrays.
Offerings: General Fund - £546.44. Donations: £50 (C. R. News), £26 (lecture), £20 (Building Fund).
Upcoming Lectures:
Limerick, Fri., 6 March, 7:30 PM - John Calvin’s Battle for the Reformation
S. Wales, Fri., 20 March, 7:15 PM - John Calvin’s Battle for the Reformation
Website Additions: A new "Eschatology Resources" page has been added.
PRC News: Immanuel PRC (Lacombe, Canada) has called Rev. W. Langerak (Southeast, MI) to be their next pastor.
Belfast Telegraph and News Letter (11 & 12 February, 2009)
Commenting on Scripture's prohibition of women in church office (pastor, elder or deacon): "I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man" (I Timothy 2:12), John Calvin, the chief formulator of historic Presbyterianism, denounces women in the ministry as "monstrous."
Tragically, in 2009, the 500th anniversary of Calvin's birth, those in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI), like Rev. Stafford Carson, who oppose women office-bearers are in a "minority," as the newly elected moderator himself admitted. This monstrosity (to use Calvin's terminology) is now the majority position of a denomination whose roots lie in the Calvin Reformation. The teaching of the Genevan Reformer and, even more importantly, the Word of Christ regarding church office is rejected. Not "truce" (Rev. Carson) or "muddle" or "fudge" (Alf McCreary) but "monstrous" (Calvin's word) best describes the unfaithfulness of the PCI. Rev. Angus Stewart