Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 26 July, 2020
“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies,
kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering …” (Col. 3:12)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
Called Into God’s Marvellous Light [youtube]
Scripture Reading: I Peter 2
Text: I Peter 2:9-10
I. The Rich Meaning of the Call
II. The Divine Means of the Call
III. The Blessed Direction of the Call
Psalms: 50:1-3; 147:1-3
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
The Blessed Virgin Mary [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Luke 1:26-56
Text: Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 14
I. What Her Blessedness Is Not
II. What Her Blessedness Is
Psalms: 22:8-10; 25:6-9
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
Abraham Kuyper: “Whoever enlists for services in the army of a king must swear an oath of loyalty. The oath binds him, makes loyalty obligatory. True, it requires courage to take that oath, for, although it is made in peace, it must be kept in battle and sometimes at the sacrifice of life. Yet the moment the oath is taken provides no opportunity for one to display one’s courage. It means that on some other day, the morrow, perhaps, one must rush to the king’s defense when one hears the bugle call or sees the banner wave. Then one must rally to the defense with the others, and in perfect obedience to one’s oath, must be willing to sacrifice life and limb for the king. Your public confession is analogous to that. It represents the occasion on which you swear allegiance to your King, the day on which you enlist for service under his banner, the moment in which you arm yourself with his holy armor. When you make your confession, in other words, you swear to be always loyal to him who called you. In one sense, therefore, it is a public confession, for by it you assure your fellow believers that yours is the same faith as is theirs. But more particularly, even, it represents a promise to confess throughout your life. It is in no sense a promise that has once and for all been completed. Unfortunately, it has been that for too many. With a sigh of relief, these exclaimed after their public confession: ‘There! Now I have done with it.’ But theirs was a false confession. The true confessor, on the contrary, exclaims: ‘There! Now I may begin.’ He means that now he may begin to defend Jesus, may begin to put his fullest and best efforts, and those unstintedly, into the Master’s service” (The Implications of Public Confession, pp. 54-55).
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
Tibor Bognar makes public confession of faith this morning. May the Lord bless this brother as he takes this vow and lives as a member of the CPRC.
Samuel and Anganeta Watterson, confessing members of the Limerick Reformed Fellowship, along with their baptized children, Jason, Eleanora and Jonas, have been received as members of the CPRC. The baptism of Lara Zoe is scheduled for next Sunday evening (2 August).
Tuesday Bible study at 11 AM will meet at church to consider the assurance of faith in connection with more Scripture on adoption, etc.
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s day (Gospel 846 MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. Spriensma is entitled, “God’s Everlasting Covenant” (Gen. 17:7-9).
Offerings: General Fund: £1,687.33. Donation: £200 (England).
PRC News: Seminarian Josiah Tan from the CERC in Singapore has begun his six-month internship at First PRC, Grand Rapids. Rev. Bleyenberg has finished his quarantine in Canada and begins preaching in Lacombe today. Rev. Eriks will preach his farewell at Hudsonville PRC on 16 August and be installed as Unity PRC’s first pastor on 23 August.
Myanmar Semi-Annual Update – June 2020
The Council of Hope PRC (Grand Rapids) would like to express our appreciation for your support. We ask that you keep the Hope PRCM and the saints in Myanmar in your prayers as they have also been affected by the pandemic and are restricted from worshipping as normal. The following information is a summary of the recent work in Myanmar in the past six months.
Rev. Titus continues to faithfully carry out his labours of preaching, translating, pastoral training, and doctrinal instruction along with his regular pastoral labours for his congregation. During the spread of Covid-19, the saints of Myanmar have experienced stay at home orders similar to what we have experienced. Rev. Titus leads remote services each Lord’s Day through video apps to most of the members of the Hope PRCM congregation and another group a group north of Yangon. The Lord has used the development of these means of technology in Myanmar for the spread of the gospel and the edification of His saints even in difficult times.
There has been an escalation of war in the Rakine (Chin) State of Myanmar. This area is located several hundred miles northwest of Yangon. This fighting is between the Burmese Army and the Arakan Army rebel group that are supported in large measure by the Chinese. This fighting has affected and beginning to displace members of the group that Rev. Titus has regular contact with around the city or village of Semee that you read about in the last semi-annual update. Rev. Titus is training two of the native pastors, Kyaw San and Shwe Thein in the reformed faith. The Burmese army has shut down access to and from this area and forbids most media reporting. This fighting has hindered the ability of Rev. Titus to stay in contact with these men, much less continue in passing reformed instruction through the means of flash drives. We are reminded of the many ways that the Lord afflicts His saints throughout the four corners of the earth, but yet reigns and works through the still small voice of His Spirit.
There have been a couple points of progress in the translating work of Rev. Titus and the Hope PRCM in the past six months. Last semi-annual update you read of the completed translation and publication of the book, Portraits of Faithful Saints by Prof. Hanko. Rev. Titus has just completed his full translation of the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs into Burmese. It is currently in its final editing stage before being sent off to be printed in bound form. Previously, the only copy of the Bible in the Burmese language was the Armenian slanted Judson Bible. Rev. Titus is also working on the Old Testament and is about 1/3 towards its completion. The Hope Literary Society made up of several young people of the congregation is formulating a new book that consists of the translated stories from the book, Come Ye Children by Gertrude Hoeksema along with the past years of Sunday Digest articles written by Rev. Titus. This book will be sent to the publisher as soon as business opens up in Myanmar. It is very encouraging to us to see the young people take up such a large responsibility in the Church of Jesus Christ. Lord willing we will have pictures of these bound books in our next update.
May our Lord Jesus, the King of the Church continue to establish His glory among the saints in Myanmar and be pleased to grant to us the privilege to share and eat together of the mercies of our Faithful King and High Priest.
For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens. I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, Thy seed will I establish forever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah. (Ps. 89: 2-4)
Sincerely,
The Myanmar Committee (Hope PRC – Grand Rapids)
