Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 28 January, 2018
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed
by the renewing of your mind ...” (Rom. 12:2)
Morning Service - 11:00 AM
Ezekiel’s Prophecies Against Tyre (3)
“I Am a God”
[download]
[youtube]
Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 28:1-19
Text: Ezekiel 28:1-10
I. The Idolatrous Thinking
II. The Fitting Destruction
Psalms: 33:6-11; 66:1-9; 111:1-6; 62:7-12
Evening Service - 6:00 PM
A Small Beginning
[download]
[youtube]
Scripture Reading: Romans 7
Text: Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 44
I. The Teaching of the Decalogue
II. The Significance for the Christian Life
Psalms: 103:1-7; 66:10-20; 119:89-96; 19:9-14
For CDs of the sermons and DVDs of the worship services,
contact Stephen Murray (cprcaudiovisual@hotmail.co.uk)
If you desire a pastoral visit, please contact Rev. Stewart
or the elders
CPRC Website: www.cprc.co.uk • Live Webcast:
www.cprf.co.uk/live.html
CPRC YouTube: www.youtube.com/cprcni
CPRC Facebook: www.facebook.com/CovenantPRC
Quote to Consider
William Greenhill: “‘I sit in the seat of God in the midst of the seas.’ As God is in the heavens, which are inaccessible, none being able to come thither, to wrong or harm him; so am I in Tyrus, seated upon a rock, in the heart or ‘midst of the seas;’ none can come at me to do me prejudice, I am without fear, I am in ‘the seat of God,’ not subject to the malice or power of any mortal whatsoever; all the merchants bring presents unto and adore me; I have power, wealth, honour, and all things glorious and delightful, my seat is no other than the ‘seat of God.’ Here was the great pride of this prince, who arrogated to himself a deity, and affected divine honour” (An Exposition of Ezekiel, p. 613).
Herman Hoeksema on Lord’s Day 44: “The very holiest of the children of God have only a small beginning of the new obedience in this life. Even the person farthest advanced on the way of sanctification and the most consecrated to God and to his service still has only a small beginning. There is essentially no difference between the holiest and the less holy, between the beginner and the advanced Christian. It is not true that some believers have a very small beginning of the new obedience, while others have a bigger beginning. On the contrary, all believers, no matter how far they are advanced, are alike in this respect. Until their deaths all believers have only a small beginning of the new obedience” (Love Thy Neighbor for God’s Sake, p. 200).
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
We welcome Carolyn Prins from Trinity PRC to our worship services.
We thank William & Alison Graham for organizing the congregational dinner and quiz. It was an enjoyable evening of fellowship.
Monday catechism classes:
5:45 PM - Corey & Katelyn (Beginners OT, Book 1)
6:30 PM - Angelica, Bradley, Josh, Samuel & Taylor (Juniors NT)
7:15 PM - Alex, Jacob & Nathan (Heidelberg Catechism, Book 1)
Tuesday Bible Study meets this week at 11 AM to continue our study on the history of the Feast of Tabernacles.
Belgic Confession Class meets on Wednesday at 7:45 PM to continue our study of article 34 looking this time at the meaning of baptism.
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s Day (Gospel 846 MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. R. Kleyn is “God Chastens an Unholy Family” (Ruth 1:1-6).
S. Wales Lecture: Rev. McGeown will speak at Margam Community Centre on Thursday, 22 February, at 7:15 PM.
Offerings: General Fund: £788.
PRC News: Calvary PRC (Hull, IA) called Rev. Huizinga (Redlands, CA).
Living Water
Brian D. Dykstra
“O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is” (Psalm 63:1).
One spring vacation I had the opportunity to tour the public water treatment plant of Keokuk, Iowa, a town of about 20,000 on the banks of the Mississippi River. It was interesting to see how water was pumped from the river and into the plant, where silt and other impurities were removed to provide water suitable for drinking. Our tour guide was happy to mention that the Keokuk plant won a contest for the best tasting water in the state of Iowa.
Water is a necessity for our lives. Our students demonstrate this at the end of recess on hot days because the lines at the drinking fountains are long. However, because we live in Michigan where water is not in short supply, we do not always value it as we should. We receive so much precipitation here that when engineers design subdivisions, they must design ways to get rid of storm water. In Loveland, Colorado, where there is not nearly as much precipitation, water is more valuable so engineers design systems not to get rid of storm water, but to collect as much as possible. Even the snow in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado is viewed as “rain saved up for a sunny day.”
David, the author of Psalm 63, knew the value of water. The land of Israel does not receive as much rain and snow as we do. The average annual precipitation for Jerusalem is about twenty-five inches. Water was often the cause of conflict in Bible times. There were several examples when enemies drove Abraham and his servants away from the wells they dug. On one of the occasions when David fled from Saul, which was perhaps the historical setting of Psalm 63, David mentioned his desire for water from the well in Bethlehem. After some of his men hazarded their lives for this water to give to David, the water was poured out as a sacrifice before God (II Sam. 23:13-17).
During the time David fled from his enemy, he was in a dry and thirsty land. This would have been a hardship for him and his men. The world and false church are also dry and thirsty. To see the lack of good spiritual water, just read the “Religion” section of The Grand Rapids Press each Saturday. There are many church members who prefer the false doctrines and thin preaching which they hear, so we don’t feel sorry for them. However, for those who really desire something better, but cannot find it, we can pray that God will lead them to something better. Rev. Stewart reports an average of about 80-100 videos watched per day on the CPRC’s YouTube website, besides the many sermons, lectures and interviews, etc., listened to on their main website. God’s people need the living water which can be provided only by the Spirit. How many people desire what we sometimes take for granted?
During this school year we, parents and teachers, have directed our covenant children to the only source of living water. We are thankful for our schools which God is pleased to use for the benefit of His children. No, we are not claiming to have taught perfectly, nor have we been perfect examples, yet we trust that an Almighty heavenly Father will be pleased to use our weak and sinful efforts for the good of His church.
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John 4:10-15: “Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.”