Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 14 June, 2026
“Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone,
a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste” (Isa. 28:16)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
Christ’s Session at the Right Hand of God [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 1:15-2:10
Text: Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 19
I. Our Heavenly Head
II. Our Righteous Ruler
III. Our Gracious Benefactor
Psalms: 86:8-13; 25:1-7; 110:1-7; 72:1-8
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
The Prophecy of Habakkuk (3)
God Will Raise Up the Chaldeans! [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Habakkuk 1
Text: Habakkuk 1:5-6
I. Habakkuk’s “Unanswered” Prayer—The Lessons
II. Jehovah’s Astounding Work—The Calling
Psalms: 86:1-7; 25:8-14; 10:9-14; 37:1-7
For CDs of the sermons and DVDs of the worship services, contact Stephen Murray
If you desire a pastoral visit, please contact Rev. Stewart or the elders
CPRC Website: www.cprc.co.uk • Live Webcast: www.cprc.co.uk/live-streaming
CPRC YouTube: www.youtube.com/cprcni
CPRC Facebook: www.facebook.com/CovenantPRC
Quote to Consider
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones: “God sometimes gives unexpected answers to our prayers. This, more than anything else, was what really startled Habakkuk. For a long time God does not seem to answer at all. Then, when He does answer, what He says is even more mysterious than His apparent failure to listen to our prayers. Habakkuk was quite clear in his own mind that the need was for God to chastise the nation … But when God replied, ‘I am answering you by raising up the Chaldean army to go right through and destroy your cities’, that was the last thing he could ever have imagined that God would say … We all tend to prescribe the answers to our prayers. We think that God can come in only one way. But Scripture teaches us that God sometimes answers our prayers by allowing things to become much worse before they become better” (From Fear to Faith, pp. 14-15).
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
Family visitation (Titus 2-3) continues this week.
Monday – 1 PM: Spences, 2 PM: Billy and Anne Gould, 3 PM: Grace Gould
Tuesday Bible study meets this week at 11 AM to finish Paul’s first missionary journey in Acts 14.
Ladies’ Bible Study Dessert Social: All the ladies are very welcome to join the Ladies’ Bible study group for their end of season meeting at 7PM on Friday, 19 June, at Kristin Crossett’s house. There will be dessert, fellowship and a chance to share the highlights of what we’ve been learning this season in the book of Titus.
Men’s Bible study is this Saturday, 20 June, at 7:30 PM on-line, treating Psalm 51, using A 30 Day Walk With God Through the Psalms.
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s day (Gospel 846 MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. Spriensma is entitled “O Zion, That Bringest Good Tidings” (Isa. 40:9).
Next Lord’s day evening will be a preparatory service with the view to partaking of the Lord’s Supper on 28 June.
BRF Conference: Castlewellan is charging £12/day for day visitors plus £9/meal or you can book in for the whole week as a visitor and get all your meals for £155. Please let Kristin or Mary know if and when you are planning to visit the conference.
Offerings: £2,068.75. Donations: £300 (New Jersey), £20 (S. Korea).
Translation Additions: 9 Urdu (audios from the Pakistan conference on “The Doctrine of God”).
PRC News: Synod unanimously approved the synodical examination of Mr. Bruce Feenstra and declared him a candidate for the ministry. Rev. D. Holstege (Wingham, ON) declined the call to Grace PRC. Rev. J. Holstege (First, MI) was called to be minister-on-loan to Provident PRC, Philippines.
I Have Refrained My Feet (1)
Herman Hoeksema, an article in the Standard Bearer, vol. 21, issue 20
“I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word” (Ps. 119:101).
Blessed Word of God! That, and the believer’s delight in it, expresses in brief the main theme of this particular section of the psalm.
There is a good deal of similarity, and an intimate relation between this section and the preceding one.
Both extol the Word of God because of its perfection: “I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceeding broad.”
Yet, there is also a rather clear distinction.
In the preceding passage, the psalmist considered that Word of God as it is revealed to us, as such, rather objectively, as it is settled in the heavens, as it is faithful and enduring unto all generations, as all things are ordained by it, and continue to be and to operate as God’s servants according to it, and as, in its saving sense and by its saving power, it quickened the poet.
But in the present section that perfection of the Word of God is the object of the poet’s praise and adoration, this time with the emphasis on the attitude of the psalmist towards it, and his love of that Word of Jehovah. “Oh how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.” That is his theme. He tasted the goodness and perfection and salutary effect of that law. It was the means through which God called him unto wisdom and knowledge, so that he is wiser than all his enemies, and has more understanding than all his teachers; and because he keeps that law, he has more understanding even than the ancients. Since God has taught him, His words have become exceeding sweet to his taste, sweeter than honey to his mouth.
Therefore he hates every false way, every way that is not in accord with the Word of God.
He realizes, by experience, the preciousness of God’s law.
He would, therefore, keep it and continue to live in its sphere.
And in order to continue therein, and to experience the goodness of that Word of Jehovah, he walked carefully. Circumspectly he watched his steps. From every evil way he refrained his feet.
That he might keep God’s Word which was blessed to him above all things.
Precious Word of the Lord! Glorious testimony!
I have refrained my feet from every evil way!
Yet the very form of this testimony is characteristic of the believer in this present world, and beset by constant temptation; of the believer, moreover, as he has, indeed, a small beginning of the new obedience, and a sincere delight in the precepts of his God, but in whose members are the motions of sin actively engaged to lead him astray from the way of righteousness.
For the positive meaning of the words of the psalmist, is, no doubt, that he has walked in the way of Jehovah’s commandments, in obedience to the law of the Lord which he loved. Yet he does not express it that way. On the contrary, he suggests that the keeping of God’s way has been a constant struggle, a battle in which It was required that he be continually on the alert, lest he be seduced into paths of sin and corruption; a battle, moreover, in which he felt a constant urge within him to surrender to the enemy, so that he had to put a restraint on his own members lest they would lead him astray …
I have refrained my feet from every evil way!
I have a delight in the law of God according to the inward man; but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members! That was the experience of the poet.
And as he thus walked in the midst of the world, desirous to walk in the way of the Lord, he found that it was a constant struggle to keep from error and backsliding. Walking in the way of the Word of God, he found that a thousand other roads zigzagged in every direction across his path, confusing his mind as to the right direction, tempting him to depart from the way of truth and righteousness. And, what is more, he experienced that the law of sin which was in his members so affected him that his feet were inclined to slip into those deviating paths, attracted by the seductive smoothness and ease with which one might appear to walk therein, and the pleasures of sin to which they promised to direct him.
He had kept the way of God’s commandments, but only through a hard and constant struggle!
And another way there is not for the believer in this world.
He must needs live in constant antithesis to himself, that is to his flesh, as well as to the world, if he would be faithful even unto the end.
He cannot serve God and Mammon, but neither can he simply serve God without having anything to do with Mammon. He must love the One and hate the other!
As he directs his feet in the way of righteousness in this world, ways of evil cross his path at every step. From every direction “the world” shouts at him that he walks in the wrong direction, beckons him to change his way and to follow after the vain philosophy of man, after the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. It exhibits to him the benefits and pleasures that are to be found and enjoyed in the ways of sin. It offers him glory and honour, the praise of men, power and might, a position of influence, wealth and luxury, the pleasures and treasures of, sin for a season, if only he will depart from the way of uprightness and yield to the service of sin. Or it threatens him with its fury and wrath. It makes the gate very narrow and the path very strait that leads to life. It fills him with reproach and shame, deprives him of a name and position in the world, makes his place impossible, kills him all the day long …
Every evil way is presented in its most attractive appearance, while the way of God’s precepts is steep and rugged and well-nigh impassable!
And from within operates the flesh, inducing his feet to depart from the way of God’s precepts, and to slip into the ways of iniquity.
The motions of sin in his members operate to darken his understanding so that he cannot clearly discern the way of light and truth, and distinguish it sharply from the ways of darkness and the lie, and inducing him to approve of the latter and to follow after the false and vain philosophy of the world. They affect his desires so that he is attracted, by the pleasures and treasures of corruption, and he would strive to obtain his will, that he may prefer the service of Mammon, and to enjoy them. They struggle to affect and control and yield his members once more to the service of unrighteousness. They are the foe within the gates, allying himself with the enemy from without.
And yet, there is another law in his inward man.
The law of grace! The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus!
And according to that other law, he hates every false way and has a delight in the law of God.
And that other law, that new principle of life controls his heart and has dominion. No, there are no two principles within him, the law of sin and death and the law of the Spirit of life. He is no dual personality, both good and evil. He does not live in two radically different spheres, that of light and that of darkness. He is a new creature. He is free. He is delivered from the law of sin and death. The law of sin may operate in his members: it does not dominate his heart …
