Covenant Protestant Reformed Fellowship
Ballymena
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 28 November, 2004
"Honour and majesty are before Him: strength and beauty are his sanctuary"
(Psalm 96:6)
Morning
Service - 11:00 AM
God’s Covenant with Christ’s Seed’s Seed
Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 27; Isaiah 59:21
I. Who is the Author of the Covenant?
II. With Whom Does He Establish His Covenant?
III. What Are the Blessings of His Covenant?
Psalms: 111:3-9; 119:57-64; 103:13-19; 105:5-10
Evening Service - 6:00 PM
Jehoshaphat, the Ecumenical King (8)
Jehoshaphat’s Military Alliance with Jehoram
II Kings 3
I. The Sinful Alliances
II. The Water Supply
III. The Resulting Devastation
Psalms: 33:1-5, 15-17; 119:65-72; 105:38-45; 39:7-13
For audio cassettes of the worship services, contact the bookstore.
CPRF website: www.cprf.co.uk
Quotes to Consider:
Alec Motyer on Isaiah 59:21: "‘As for me,’ underlines divine
commitment. The covenant does not rest on human wish or need but on
divine determination."
Richard Bacon: "Raising covenant children is arguably the most
important thing that Christians do in the Kingdom. God has chosen in
His sovereign wisdom and mercy to make the church herself the ‘seedbed
of election.’
John Calvin: "How sweet is it to godly minds to be assured, not only
by word, but by sight, that they obtain so much favour with the
Heavenly Father that their offspring are within His care?"
Matthew Henry on II Kings 3:15: Elisha "called for a musician, a
devout musician, one accustomed to play upon his harp and sing psalms
to it. To hear God’s praises sweetly sung, as David had appointed,
would cheer his spirits, and settle his mind, and help to put him into
a right frame both to speak to him and to hear from him."
Announcements (subject to God’s will):
This morning we witness the baptism of Alexander Malcolm, infant son
of Colin & Beth Buchanan. May the Lord bless this young child and his
parents as they seek to raise him in the fear of the Lord.
The Special Reformation issue of the Standard Bearer is available
today. Another e-mail from Prof. Engelsma about church membership is
also available. RFPA book club members may pick up their new book,
Doctrine According to Godliness.
Catechism: Monday at 7 PM at the manse with the Campbells, and
Thursday at 7 PM at the Hamills.
Bible Study will be held Wednesday at 8 PM at the manse on Acts 19.
Rev. & Mary Stewart plan to fly to S. Wales on Friday and return
Saturday morning. Rev. Stewart will speak on Irresistible Grace in
Porthcawl on Friday evening.
Upcoming Meetings: Limerick, Wednesday, 15 Dec., Irresistible Grace
Ballymena, Friday, 14 Jan., debate on Psalm Singing Ballymena, Friday,
28 Jan., Problems with Revivals.
The Reformed Witness Hour next Lord’s Day, 5 December (8:30-9:00 AM,
on Gospel 846MW) is "Knowing Whom We Believe: Christ" (Matt. 16:16).
Last Week’s Offerings: £697.52. Donations: £210 (tapes), £132.55
(website).
PRC News: Rev. J. Slopsema declined the call from Edmonton (Alberta,
CAN); their new trio is Revs. Eriks (Loveland, CO), J. Mahtani
(Pittsburgh, PA), and Overway (New Jersey). Rev. A. Brummel (S.
Holland, IL) is considering the call from the Doon PRC. Rev. Bruinsma
(Kalamazoo) is considering the call from Bethel PRC. Hudsonville PRC
extended a call to Rev. Bruinsma.
Encouraging Correspondence
"We remember you all in our thoughts and pray for the success of your
ministry as a catalyst for something bigger in the UK." - England
"We are currently enjoying the speeches from the BRF Conference, which
arrived here a couple of weeks back courtesy of the Ballymena CPRF. We
have much to be thankful for in our contact with you saints there." -
New Zealand
"Great for you to come down last week, great night and really looking
forward to you coming down again. As I said I am getting the CDs and
they are only a blessing to me and I absolutely loved the series on
Chronicles and the ecumenical king. It opened my eyes on some things
and for that I am glad. I am still reading away and studying the word
... For the last few months now I am blessed when I am driving around
the country as not only do I have the New Testament to listen to also
have the CD and tapes. May the LORD continue to bless you and yours
..." - Limerick
"Hoeksema volumes [Triple
Knowledge] and
Upon This Rock both proving a great blessing, so many thanks."
- Wales
"Thank you for your church’s kind offer of providing these psalm
singing CDs for free. I got interested in the Regulative Principle a
couple of years ago and have been singing psalms in my devotional
times each day and am keen to try to encourage others to discover the
joys of singing God’s songs. I hope I will be able to lend these to
other believers to encourage others to discover this joy for
themselves." - England
"I would be interested in receiving a written version of your sermon
on predestination ... I hope to get some night to your fellowship and
hear you preach. I usually work on most Friday nights but can make it
to your fellowship one night soon. I continually pray for you as you
prepare to speak to others. - N. Ireland
"I have a friend ... who wants to send a donation from the US to the
Church in Ballymena ... He has been listening to your series and
reading from the website ... The first reformed church we found was
the PRC. The first reformed sermons we heard were the PRC. We are so
embedded into the PRC, the confessions, lectures, interviews, debates,
that we cannot adjust to just any other church. We feel convicted of
even being there and not at the PRC. Please pray for us. We need much
grace and mercy to go through this every day." - Texas, USA
"Again, thanks for the News, etc. - Wales
"Greetings be to you, and to all your members in the worthy name of
the glorious Saviour our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for your letter
and three cassettes from you. The cassettes that you sent to me were
taken by the government for examining. I was upset ... but now it is
good. They have been sent to me because they found nothing in it but
what was written in the Bible ... I want to continue to have contact
with you ..." - Eritrea
"I enclose the order form for
Ron Hanko’s book which I look forward to very much, and hope it
will be available soon ... Holding as I do, very much to P. R.
teaching, I find very little of interest in current ‘Christian’
literature and so am extremely glad that these books are now
available. I already have the old edition of
Reformed Dogmatics but look forward to re-reading it in a more
accessible format. I own quite a number of P. R. Books and would not
part with them ..." - Scotland
"I received the parcel today. I’m truly thankful to the Lord for all
the pamphlets and I really want to make good use of them. I’ve read
many of the old tracts before in my younger days. The tract ‘The
Covenant of God and the Children of Believers’ by DJE is very
concise and clear. I am trying to introduce this to the church
members. In my church, the majority of them doesn’t believe in infant
baptism due to lack of knowledge of the covenant. It is sad that a
Presbyterian church subscribing to the Westminster Standards
in her constitution is infested with members and worshippers with
baptist, pre-millennial, and Arminian persuasion. Currently, we have
2-3 couples listening to messages every week from the PRC and your
website. I’ve transferred them into audio CD for portability. I am
planning to do a complete series with them from the Heidelberg
Catechism. The Three Forms of Unity you gave me, I could let them
use for reference during the message. Do remember us in your prayers."
- Western Australia
"I want to tell you that I have learned so much from Rev. Stewart and
his teaching. I want to learn more and I wish I could go to his
church." - England
"Thank you very much for sending a flyer for
Upon This Rock. I enclose a cheque ... We continue to be
blessed greatly through listening to the tapes of the worship
services." - N. Ireland
"Thank you very much for the materials you mailed me on the Alpha
course. They are helpful. May God guide and bless you in your work." -
Canada
"I want to express my appreciation for being sent the News
over the past few years. Thank you for sending it to me. I find its
articles very helpful." - England