Covenant Protestant Reformed Fellowship

Ballymena

Rev. Angus Stewart

Lord’s Day, 9 November, 2003

 

"I was glad when they said unto me, Let 

us go into the house of the Lord."

(Psalm 122:1)

 

Morning Service - 11:00 AM

God’s Covenant and the Golden Calf (7)

Jehovah Shows His Glory

Exodus 33:20 - 34:9

I. His Face is Unseen

II. His Name is Proclaimed

III. His Servant is Prostrate

Psalms: 103:6-13; 85:6-13; 86:14-17; 145:7-14

 

Evening Service - 6:00 PM

Christian Husbands Avoiding Adultery

Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 41, I Peter 3:7

I. Dwell With Your Wife

II. Know Your Wife

III. Honour Your Wife

Psalms: 141:1-5; 86:1-7; 94:10-15; 101:1-6

For audio cassettes of the worship services, please contact Sean, phone: (028) 25 641200 or e-mail: cprfbookstore@hotmail.com

Quotes to Consider:

Thomas Goodwin: "Where he pitcheth mercy by his will, there the whole God-head is engaged, Jehovah, Jehovah, God gracious and merciful; he brings over all the whole Godhead when he will be merciful" (Works, vol. 8, p. 60).

John G. Butler: "After the revelation, Moses ‘made haste’ to worship ... The more spiritual a person is, the more earnest he will be in worship. On the other hand, the more carnal a person is, the less enthusiasm he will show for worshipping God. This fact certainly reveals that our churches today are in bad shape spiritually, for so many of the members are lacking in enthusiasm for worship. This lack of enthusiasm is most evident in their absenteeism from the worship services. It does not take much to cause them to miss church" (Moses, the Emancipator of Israel, p. 605).

From the Marriage Form: "You, who are the [Christian husband], must know, that God hath set you to be the head of your wife, that you, according to your ability, shall lead her with discretion; instructing, comforting, protecting her, as the head rules the body; yea, as Christ is the head, wisdom, consolation and assistance to His Church. Besides, you are to love your wife as your own body, as Christ hath loved His Church: you shall not be bitter against her, but dwell with her as a man of understanding, giving honour to the wife as the weaker vessel, considering that ye are joint heirs of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered."

C. H. Spurgeon: "A good husband makes a good wife. A gracious disposition in the one influences the other, and little faults are almost insensibly cured. The proverb is equally true in reference to the wife, but she has harder material to work upon, and sometimes she fails to make her husband what he should be."

Announcements:

The Standard Bearers are available today. An RFPA Update, which includes an article about the CPRF bookstore, is also available.

Tapes of the lecture Calvin versus Pighius—Does God Desire to Save the Reprobate, are on the back table today. There is also a sheet of key quotes from Calvin.

Bible Study will be held Wednesday (DV) at 8 PM at the manse continuing with "the last days" in the Old Testament.

5-a-side football is arranged for this Friday, 8-9 PM, at the Antrim Forum.

The Reformed Witness Hour next Lord’s Day, 16 November, (8:30-9:00 AM, on Gospel 846AM/MW) is "Whose I Am" (Acts 27:23).

Last Week’s Offerings: £667.05.

PRC News: Rev. Key (Hull, IA) has received the call from Faith PRC. Rev. R. Miersma is preaching his farewell sermon in LaCombe today as he continues preparations for his move to Ghana.

Quotes from Recent Correspondence:

"I am quite certain I shall find myself at one with what is expressed in the [marriage pamphlets] but I am interested to see how the authors deal with what is a most solemn subject of divorce. I have seen [divorce] is the cause of much trouble in churches. It is my prayerful desire that all is well with the church at Ballymena. I know nothing at all of your circumstance but this much I do know: the devil surely plots your division and break up. Be sober, be vigilant always; ever watching as the devil comes either as a roaring lion or as an angel of light. I often feel moved to pray for you all in the church. May God bless you, pastor and people." - England

"I am enjoying your Covenant Reformed News. Please find enclosed a cheque for your expenses." - N. Ireland

"Please send me the following: The Three Forms of Unity, and The Sovereignty of God (A. W. Pink). I have found real blessing in hearing the messages on Romans 9 and have never heard such clear teaching on this subject. This is what I believe and rejoice in. Is it possible to receive the tapes of the evening service at Ballymena? ... May God richly bless you all." - England

"I look forward to listening to the preaching [on tape]; from what I have heard, the Lord helps your pastor. May He so bless the hearers. God willing, I’ll send a donation once a month to cover expenses, if that is OK with you." - England

"I got your sermons on The New Birth. I listened to the first one today, and greatly appreciated it. I hope to listen to the second one soon ... May God bless your listeners (in Ballymena or through the tape ministry)." - Rep. of Ireland

"... I want to encourage you to know that myself and a brother in Christ do rejoice to have regular news and publications from Ballymena ... I am a member of the BRF and would like to attend the 2004 conference so we may indeed yet meet this side of Jordan." - England

"Thank you for Common Grace Revisited; although the contents are dynamite (!!!) my heart is strangely warmed so I join you ‘outside the camp!’" - England

"Today, I read an article in the Impartial Reporter about the Covenant Reformed News. I would be interested in receiving a copy of this monthly publication, if possible." - N. Ireland

"I recently read the book on ‘common grace’—it was excellent. I just can’t see why people including Richard Mouw can still maintain this doctrine of common grace. If they seriously read the book I find it hard to believe or impossible to believe that they cannot see the truth. I wanted to write to say how well the arguments were defined and how well supported by biblical truth. It was so encouraging, enjoyable and edifying to read Common Grace Revisited" - France

"It is with great agreement I read your clear letter in the English Churchman concerning September 11, 2001—the bombing of the Trade Towers in New York. I do not read many papers, etc. but yours is the first Biblical answer I have read concerning this happening 2 years ago. Thank you. I have lived in this evil world for 85 years and am mercifully kept from newspapers, TV and radio and since late childhood have been ‘kept by the power of God.’ Thank you for your bold stand." - England

"I have been reading the two volumes of the Unfolding Covenant History by the RFPA, and must say that I have enjoyed them immensely. I find the Covenant theology of the PRC most compelling. Have you any idea when the further volumes are due to be published?" - England

"Please find enclosed a cheque towards the cost of producing the Covenant Reformed News." - Wales

"Thank you so much for the News. I think it is thrilling that prophecies about Israel in the OT are said to be fulfilled in the ‘Church’ in the NT. To my mind, that makes it absolutely clear that, if God intended excluding children from the New Covenant, He would have said so. I also appreciate so much Prof. Hanko dealing with difficult verses like I Peter 3:18-20, instead of avoiding them as other Bible teachers often do." - England