Covenant Protestant Reformed Fellowship
Ballymena
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 28 August, 2005
"Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants
of the world stand in awe of him" (Ps. 33:8)
Morning Service - 11:00 AM
Thy Will Be Done
Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 49; Philippians 2
I. What We are Praying
II. How This Fits with Other Biblical Teaching
Psalms: 148:1-10; 13:1-6; 119:129-136; 103:17-22
Evening Service - 6:00 PM
The Ark of the Covenant (1)
The Idea of the Ark
Exodus 25:10-22
I. A Place for the Ten Commandments
II. A Place for the Mercy Seat
III. A Place for Divine Revelation
Psalms: 111:1-4, 7-9; 14:1-7; 119:137-144; 99:1-9
For audio cassettes of the worship services, contact the bookstore.
CPRF website: www.cprf.co.uk
Quotes to Consider:
Herman Hoeksema: "How inclined we are to divide life into separate spheres, a sphere of our religious life, in which we serve the Lord and clearly think to discern a calling and office, and another sphere of our every day life, which we may probably mix with some religious exercises, but in which we fail to consider ourselves servants of God, that must ask and do His will! In that case we look upon our daily work, whatever that may be, as something rather profane. We conduct our business in order to make a living, or to accumulate wealth ... We distinguish between a calling and a job. A minister of the gospel has a calling, but outside of that, most people simply have a job. That to work in the shop, or to dig sewers, to make tools, or to build a house, to bear children and to bring them up, to darn stockings and to wash dishes, whatever may be the work that is awaiting us every day, also belongs to our calling from the Lord, and also is an office,—how many of us think of it and live accordingly?"
John Owen on Hebrews 9:4: "This [the ark], with the mercy-seat wherewith it was covered, was the most glorious and mysterious utensil of the tabernacle, and afterwards of the temple; the most eminent pledge of the divine presence, the most mysterious representation of the holy properties of his nature in Christ. This, as the heart of all divine service, was first formed; all other things had a relation unto it (Ex. 25:10-11)."
Announcements (subject to God’s will):
Reformed Dogmatics, vol. 2, is available for RFPA Book Club members who haven’t yet received their copy. A new British Reformed Journal is also available for members and subscribers.
Congratulations to Philip & Julie Rainey who were joined in marriage yesterday at First PRC in Grand Rapids. We wish them the Lord’s blessing as they begin their life together. They arrive back on Thursday, 1 September.
Everyone is invited to the manse for a barbecue this Friday, 2 September, to welcome Philip & Julie. Please come at 6:30 PM or as soon as you can thereafter.
The Reformed Witness Hour next Lord’s Day, 4 September (8:30-9:00 AM, on Gospel 846MW) is entitled "Teach as an Eyewitness" (Deut. 4:9-10).
Offerings: 24 July - £762.30, 31 July - £756.59, 7 August - £526.25, 14 August - £554.72, 21 August - £530.50. Donations: £140.
PRC News: Rev. Bruinsma (Kalamazoo, MI) is considering calls from Loveland (CO) and from Covenant (NJ). Rev. D. Kleyn (Edgerton, MN) is considering the call from Holland and Pittsburgh. Edmonton’s trio consists of Cand. Marcus, Rev. Laning (Hope, MI), and Rev. R. Miersma. Faith has a trio of Revs. Bruinsma, Key (Hull, IA), and R. Kleyn (Trinity, MI). Rev. Cammenga will be installed as theological professor in the seminary this week Wednesday.
Encouraging Quotes:
"It was a joy and pleasure to be amongst you all on the Lord’s Day during my stay with Sean and Roni Courtney earlier this month. I wish to express my gratitude for the hospitality and fellowship in the Lord known among you. The Lord continue to bless the CPRF and bring you, in His time, to be once more restored as an instituted church, and guard you all from every assault of the enemy ... Praying for the blessing of the Lord on you all, Pastor and congregation." - Martin Greasley, England
"Many thanks for sending me the two books [We & Our Children and Believers & Their Seed] so promptly. When I saw [a friend] on holiday last week, I read the beginning of We & Our Children with great interest ... I look forward to reading them both." - Wales
"Thank you very much for sending your C. R. News ... I pray our covenant God to continue to uphold you and prosper your ministry for His own glory." - Australia
"... thank you for all the back issues of the C. R. News that you sent me. I read all of those some time ago and appreciated them tremendously. I think they complement the Standard Bearer and RFPA books very well and I look forward very much to their coming. (I’m reading Reformed Dogmatics at the moment)." - England
"Thank you very much for the lovely message on ‘will worship’ which followed the debate on psalmody ..." - S. Wales
"With my wife and family I spent two weeks in St. Ives in Cornwall for our vacation, During that time I read Unfolding Covenant History, vol. 1. It made the holiday for me. Do you have volume 2 in stock? If you have would you please send it to me? ... I look forward to hearing the tapes of the coming Lord’s Day ..." - England
"Many thanks for the series of Prof. Hanko tapes that you have sent me and the Tsunami tape that Rev. Stewart preached. It’s good to be fed with solid material." - Brighton
"Many thanks for the books and extra pamphlets. I look forward to studying them. Thank you too for the monthly C. R. News. They are much appreciated." - Merseyside
"I have been, and still am, listening to your sermons on ‘The Pre-eminence of Christ.’ Excellent sermons." - N. Ireland
"Thank you for being so loyal in sending the C. R. News by e-mail. I do so much appreciate the articles contained within the C. R. News and have come to learn more over time how important it is to retain a covenant perspective when studying the Bible in order to avoid falling into any form of dispensationalism and driving a wedge between the Old and New Testaments. I do feel there needs to be more attention paid to the reasons for retaining this God-given covenant perspective, especially in today’s church, plus the pitfalls that may arise by not holding to such a view. May the Word of the Lord continue to reveal His truth to us in our generation." - Surrey
"Just a note to thank you for sending me your C. R. News, which I find very helpful indeed ... I have recently received copies of my "Book Club" issues, Reformed Dogmatics, vol. 2 and Unfolding Covenant History, vol. 5. My initial delving into their content is most enlightening, as was Ron Hanko’s Doctrine According to Godliness. To continue my studies, would you please post to me ..." - Cardiff
"God bless you and your family. May your ministry grow under His guiding and loving hands." - London
"Is it possible for you to send me another copy of a tape from last year’s BRF Conference ... Our daughter and son-in-law have asked for the whole set, so they can listen to them at home, and perhaps share them with Christian friends of theirs. We hope this will be a great blessing to them and to others who may hear these tapes ... This coming week will see the notice [for our tape library] in our local paper, of the sermon by Rev. Stewart, entitled ‘God & the Tsunami.’ We wait to see what, if any, response this will bring forth, and also to pray that the Lord will bring about the result which he has already in eternity ordained." - New Zealand
"The literature you sent to me was much appreciated ... I am reading The Voice of Our Fathers at present and that takes time (but well spent). I did read your press cuttings [on limited atonement] and was encouraged by your stand for the reformed truth, some of which I have only come to appreciate fully myself comparatively recently ... please enrol me on your Covenant Reformed News list... I would also like to purchase an unabridged copy of A. W. Pink’s The Sovereignty of God." - England
"Thanks for the C. R. News ... very stimulating reading." - Merseyside
"I’d just like to take this opportunity to say how much I enjoy your magazine [The Standard Bearer] and what a blessing it is to my soul." - Yorkshire