Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
Ballymena
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 27 June, 2010
“But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee
more and more” (Ps. 71:14)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
Administration of the Lord’s Supper
Ezekiel’s Vision of the Future (3)
The Restoration of the Davidic Kingdom
Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 34:20-31; 36:21-38
Text: Ezekiel 37:21-28
I. The Coming Kingdom
II. The Fulfilled Covenant
Psalms: 92:1-7; 69:7-15; 144:10-15; 72:15-19
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
Applicatory
Scripture Reading: I Timothy 6
Text: Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 44
I. Its Discovery
II. Its Deceitfulness
III. Its Defeat
Psalms: 103:1-7; 69:16-22; 73:1-9; 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: https://cprc.co.uk/live-streaming/
CPRC YouTube: www.youtube.com/cprcni
CPRC Facebook: www.facebook.com/CovenantPRC
Quotes to Consider:
David J. Engelsma: “The New Testament instructs us to interpret Old Testament prophecy spiritually. In the earthly figures familiar to the prophets and their hearers, the Holy Spirit of Christ foretold the spiritual glories of Jesus Christ, His church, and His new creation. Those earthly features of the prophecy—houses, fruitful vineyards, successful labor, trouble-free days, no crying, long earthly life, Jerusalem—are not the reality of the prophecy. They never were the reality of the prophecy. They were not the reality of the prophecy for the spiritual Israelite at that time. He or she saw through them and beyond them to better and higher prospects …” (Christ’s Spiritual Kingdom, pp. 105-106).
Announcements (subject to God’s will):
The June issue of the CR News is on the back table.
After a week of self-examination, confessing members in good standing are called to partake of the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. Your participation in the Lord’s Supper is in part a witness that you repent of your sins, believe that Jesus Christ is your righteousness and desire to live a new and godly life. As this heavenly food can be taken to one’s judgment (I Cor. 11:28-30) and as the common reception of this food is a confession of doctrinal unity (Acts 2:42), the elders supervise the partaking of the sacrament. Visitors from other denominations must request permission from the Council.
The Council will meet tomorrow night, 28 June, at 7 PM at the manse.
Candidate McGeown arrives into Belfast International Airport from the U.S. this Wednesday at 9 AM.
Have you booked for the BRF Conference yet? Bookings are due by this Thursday, 1 July. Payments can be given to Ivan Reid and the booking information e-mailed or posted to Stephen Rushton.
Rev. & Mary Stewart and Candidate McGeown plan to travel to S. Wales this Friday where Rev. Stewart will give a lecture on “What About Israel?”
Since Martyn McGeown has passed his synodical examination and graduated from the PR Seminary, the Council presents his name to the congregation to call him to be our missionary based in Limerick working with the Limerick Reformed Fellowship. A brief congregational meeting will be held after the evening service on 4 July to vote on this.
The Reformed Witness Hour next Lord’s Day (8:30-9:00 AM, on Gospel 846MW) is entitled “Freedom” (Rom. 8:2).
Offerings: General Fund: £479.52. Donations: £100 (CR News), £200 (DVDs).
Website Additions: A Dutch translation of Michael Kimmitt’s booklet on baptism was added to the website, as well as a (modern) Hebrew translation of the Heidelberg Catechism. A new resource page on Scripture was also added.
Myanmar Update
The congregations and individuals of the PRC have been interested and very supportive of the work of the Council of Hope PRC in Myanmar. What follows is an update concerning our continuing efforts to promote the Reformed faith in that far-away land.
Each month Hope’s Myanmar Committee reports to the Council about the catechetical instruction and Heidelberg Catechism preaching that Rev. Titus is conducting in his congregation in Yangon. Our pastor, Rev. Laning, plays a pivotal role in this work. He does this by providing outline materials and suggestions about how to present these materials in his regular contact with Rev. Titus. The May Myanmar Committee report indicated that they are up to Lesson 13 in Book II of Old Testament History and Lord’s Day 32 in the Heidelberg Catechism. Think about that for a moment: half-a-world away fellow members of the body of Christ in a third world country are receiving the same instruction from the Word of God that we and our children receive in the preaching and catechism. By the way, if the opportunity arises you might want to ask Rev. Laning if the people in Rev. Titus’ church take a summer break from catechism.
While most of our work has been with the Yangon Protestant Reformed Church in Myanmar, we also desire to assist in providing for the spiritual needs of the PRCM congregations in other areas of the country. Recently we have approved the purchase of CD players for some of these congregations. The plan is to use these CD players as a means to have Rev. Titus convey to the members and office bearers of those congregations what he is learning from Rev. Laning. A number of those congregations have expressed an interest in receiving this instruction during mid-week meetings. This sounds easy enough, but it’s not. Concerning the distribution of CDs containing the precious teachings they desire to hear, Rev. Titus explains: “About CDs, except raining season, May to September, easier to find travellers, according to each tribes, somehow they gather in one particular place. I need to go such kind of place and ask, then find one who happy to carry CDs. Only raining season, the roads are block by landslide, not much people travel. That is the best way we do for Chin Hill. But for Kyangin, very easy, every night three buses come and go, we send CDs with those buses.”
The CD program explained in the preceding paragraph is a direct benefit of the trip to Myanmar of Mr. John VanBaren and Rev. Laning last December. The laptop computer that was purchased for Rev. Titus has the capability of “burning” CDs. Thus that computer (and the instruction given to Rev. Titus concerning its use) serves to expand the witness of the Reformed faith in that far-away land. Incidentally, about the laptop Rev. Titus writes: “Laptop works very well, and I am loving to use it than desktop, and now I find small component attach to laptop through USB so that I no more need to use the extra keyboard for various Burmese words… So I like laptop very much and the Bible programme, I always read and study there. Thanks for equipping me with these very useful tools.”
As for equipping Rev. Titus with these “very useful tools,” money from “The Pastor Training Fund-Foreign Lands” has helped with that. This fund of our synod is specifically designated for the training of ministers and office bearers in foreign countries, and has been very helpful in a number of areas of our work in Myanmar. In a recent Council inquiry to the Contact Committee (assigned by synod to provide oversight of this fund) concerning our use of these funds, they wrote: “It is our understanding that you can use these funds for expenses involved in training Pastor Titus and other men. We believe that the uses you mention such as computer, internet hook up, etc. fit this purpose.”
Until next time, keep the Council of Hope, Rev. Titus, and the saints in Myanmar in your prayers.
