Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
Ballymena
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 5 September, 2010
"One generation shall praise thy works to another,
and shall declare thy mighty acts" (Ps. 145:4)
Morning Service - 11:00 AM
Jerusalem and Antioch (1)
Antioch, Jerusalem’s Daughter Church [download] [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Acts 2:37-47; 4:32-5:2; 8:1-5; 11:19-24
Text: Acts 11:19-24
I. The Gospel Spreads From Jerusalem to Antioch
II. Jerusalem Sends Barnabas to Antioch
Psalms: 104:1-7; 74:9-13; 44:18-26; 67:1-7
Evening Service - 6:00 PM
Jerusalem and Antioch (2)
Antioch and Jerusalem: Their Mutually Beneficial Relationship [download] [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Acts 11:19-12:4
Text: Acts 11:25-30
I. The Teaching of Paul and Barnabas at Antioch
II. The Prediction of the Jerusalem Prophets at Antioch
III. The Collection for the Jerusalem Saints at Antioch
Psalms: 68:31-35; 74:14-18; 19:7-11; 112:5-10
Contact Stephen Murray for CDs of the sermons and DVDs of the worship services.
CPRC website: www.cprc.co.uk
CPRC YouTube: www.youtube.com/cprcni
CPRC Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Ballymena-United-Kingdom/Covenant-Protestant-Reformed-Church-N-Ireland/337347932331
Quote to Consider:
John Calvin on Acts 11:22: "The apostles did at that time bear all the burden of the kingdom of Christ; therefore, it was their duty to frame and set in order Churches every where; to keep all the faithful, wheresoever dispersed, in the pure consent of faith; to appoint ministers and pastors wheresoever there was any number of the faithful. The crafty wiliness of Satan is well known. So soon as he seeth a gate set open for the gospel, he endeavoureth by all means to corrupt that which is sincere, [pure;] whereby it came to pass that divers heresies brake out together with Christ’s doctrine. Therefore, the greater gifts every Church hath, the more careful ought it to be, lest Satan mix or trouble any thing amongst the ignorant, and those who are not as yet established in the right faith; because it is the easiest matter in the world to corrupt corn in the blade. To conclude, Barnabas was sent to bring them farther forward in the principles of faith; to set things in some certain order; to give the building which was begun some form, that there might be a lawful state of the Church."
Announcements (subject to God’s will):
We welcome Jennifer Hanko to our worship services today.
On the back table today are the 2010 Acts of Synod of the PRCA and a letter from the Covenant of Grace PRC in Spokane, Washington.
Since it is the first Lord’s Day of the month, the second offering this morning is for the building fund.
The Council meets this Thursday at 7:30 PM at the church.
The Reformed Witness Hour next Lord’s Day (8:30-9:00 AM, on Gospel 846MW) is entitled "The Beginning of Birth Pains" (Matthew 24:7) by Rev. Bruinsma.
Offerings: General Fund: £473.81 (8 August), £754.58 (15 August), £537.90 (22 August), £967.53 (29 August). Donations: £20 (DVDs), £20 (DVDs), £100 (CR News), £100 (DVDs & General Fund), £150 (Building Fund), £250 (Building Fund), $912.63 (from Southwest PRC catechumens).
PRC News: Wingham and Hope have called Rev. Haak (Georgetown). Holland and Edgerton have called Candidate Holstege. Rev. Kuiper (Randolph, WI) is consider the call to Trinity PRC.
On Monday, 23 August, the Lord suddenly delivered Pastor Rinat Fazliev to glory. Pastor Fazliev led a small house-church in Uzbekistan and has been in contact with the PRC through the Contact Committee for several years. He had been sick for some time with a severe kidney disease. Pastor Dilshod Abdulaev, the other PRC contact in Uzbekistan, conducted the funeral. Rinat is survived by his wife, Galina, and his two children, Mark (11 years old) and Yana (7 years old). Let us remember the Fazliev family and the Uzbek churches before our heavenly Father’s throne, and may our gracious God give them the hope of resurrection and life in Him who is the Resurrection and the Life.
"Mrs. Engelsma and I thank the congregation of the CPRC for the delightful send-off after the Sunday evening service, for the lovely gifts you gave us on that occasion and especially for the warm hospitality you showed us during our stay. We feel ourselves bound even more closely to the CPRC of N. Ireland and have her always in our prayers. All we saw and heard indicates God’s powerful blessing on your witness." - Prof. and Mrs. Engelsma
20 August, 2010
Dear saints,
Francesco De Lucia here. Greetings from Grand Rapids, Michigan!
My trip from Ballymena to Walker went smooth enough. Philip Hall very kindly brought me to Belfast, so he was the last saint from the CPRC I saw. He left me with good and encouraging words! From there I took a bus to Dublin and a plane to Chicago. Wow, in the plane I could listen to Bach’s Goldberg Variations from the airport’s entertainment!!! I also managed to read and sleep, though. When I landed in O’Hare (a HUGE airport), I had to wait very, very long for my baggage ...! There Mr. Jack Lenting (from South Holland) picked me up and brought me to Hudsonville. Along the way, we collected Mr. Dewey Van DerNoord, who kept us company! It was a smooth trip. During that trip I was having my first glances of what America is like. But I fell asleep along the way! Man, I left at 6 in the morning on Monday, and by the time I was home it was past midnight! I didn’t realize all that time had gone by! When I got home I fell dead on my bed!
How is America? Well, as someone said, "Everything is bigger and bigger!" Man, is that true! I got to drive Rev. McGeown’s car already. At the minute I write from seminary, where I have free internet. I got here on my own with the car. Some accomplishment, I’ll tell you! Mr. Henry Boer, from Hudsonville PRC, helped me getting a bank account opened and to insure my car. He showed me around a little bit, although here things are so spread apart that it is not easy to remember and locate where is what. But I need to get used to that if I want to survive. Today I intend to go and visit a friend from Canada who is staying in Hudsonville. I never was there, of course. Will I find my way there without roaming about endlessly? That is a matter for prayer!
Yesterday I took a Greek test, which Prof. Dykstra said shows I studied my Greek well. Although I do need to catch up on some things, and do better in some areas. He said that is what the first semester is for! So on Monday courses start. I was given my schedule: Hebrew and Greek languages (the original languages of the Bible), Hermeneutics (how to interpret the Scriptures), Dogmatics (the doctrines of the Scriptures), Church History, Homiletics (how to prepare and deliver a sermon). I already got some books and ordered others which should arrive by mail. The place I am staying is neat, spacious, in the woods. So: perfect silence to get concentrated for studying. Only thing is: mosquitoes! Aaarghhh!!! I got to meet the profs. and Prof. Cammenga gave me a tour of the seminary. A very nice man! I was chatting with my parents yesterday on Skype, and Prof. Dykstra caught me showing my parents around the seminary with my laptop’s camera. He laughed and then he came to say hello to my parents. I introduced them to him and vice versa. It was fun.
Yesterday, Aaron Lim (from Singapore, my housemate) and I were invited by two very kind saints from Hope PRC to go out with them and have a meal together. We had fun and enjoyed a good time of fellowship. They are Richard and Betty Peterson. They had two days of vacation, and they chose to spend one of them with us! Mr. Peterson has some acres of land, and he showed us his sheep! He says they spare you mowing your lawn, plus you learn much from them as an elder (he is one) who has to deal with the people of God. If you hear his explanations you will agree that that is true!
I have a mobile phone: 001-616-309-0008. If anyone is rich and brave enough to attempt a call, I would appreciate it! We can keep in touch through email too, of course, or Skype: francesco_de_lucia.
I feel privileged to be able to study here, and to be among so many, godly saints, in this true church. As in Northern Ireland, here too I am surrounded by so much knowledge, love and help. God is truly with me, as He is with all His true saints. God is great and He deserves our best! I hope that God will give me strength and perseverance to be able to get through my studies. If it truly is His will, I will succeed. If I will not, that only means I never was called to this office in His church. Although I hope that will not be the case : ) Please, keep me in your prayers. I will pray for the CPRC and the LRF.
And the IRF (Italian Reformed Fellowship)!!!
In Christ’s love and truth,
FDL