Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 3 May, 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, the Resurrection and the Life [youtube]
Scripture Reading: John 11:1-27, 33-46
Text: Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 17
I. The Meaning of It
II. The Promise of It
III. The Response to It
Psalms: 30:1-7a; 22:15-21; 16:6-11; 17:10-15
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
The Oneness of God’s Being [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 6
Text: Deuteronomy 6:4-5
I. Numerical
II. Essential
III. Practical
Psalms: 36:5-11; 22:22-26; 81:8-14; 27:1-5
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
Herman Hoeksema on Lord’s Day 17: “… the resurrection on the third day was not a return to us. In the incarnation, the Son of God assumed the likeness of sinful flesh, though without sin. In that likeness of sinful flesh, he was of the earth earthy, and lived our earthly life, and moved about in all our earthly relationships, had earthly needs, could hunger and thirst and grow weary … But through the resurrection He became entirely other. All that belongs to the likeness of sinful flesh is removed. No longer is He subject to corruption, sorrow, suffering, death. And He is become immortal, not in the sense in which philosophy is wont to speak of the ‘immortality of the soul,’ but in the far deeper and richer sense, that death has no more dominion over Him, that He has entered into ‘eternal life’ … He is the Resurrection and the Life, the Living One. But even this does not fully describe the wonder of the resurrection. For through that resurrection also the image of the earthly was removed, to be replaced by, or changed into the image of the heavenly. Christ assumed, in His incarnation, the image of the earthy: He was of the earth earthy; but through His resurrection He became revealed as the Lord from heaven! And all the apostle writes, in … (I Cor. 15:42ff.), is true, first of all, centrally, principally, of Christ” (The Triple Knowledge, vol. 2, pp. 21-22).
Thomas Watson: “If there be but one God, then there is but One whom you need chiefly to study to please, and that is God. If there were divers gods, we should be hard put to it to please them all. One would command one thing, another the contrary; and are to please two contrary masters is impossible: but there is only one God. Therefore you have but One to please. As in a kingdom there is but one king, therefore everyone seeks to ingratiate himself into his favour, Prov xix 6, so there is but one true God; therefore our main work is to please him. Be sure to please God, whoever else you displease. This was Enoch’s wisdom. He had this testimony before he died, that he pleased God. Heb xi 5” (A Body of Divinity, p. 105).
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
New Protestant Reformed Theological Journals are available free on the back table.
The Council meets tomorrow night at 7 PM.
Tuesday Bible study will not meet this week but will resume 2 June.
Rev. & Mary Stewart plan to leave this Wednesday. They will be in the Philippines for a week and a half with the Protestant Reformed Churches in the Philippines, and then at a conference on the doctrine of God in Pakistan for a week, returning on Monday, 25 May.
Rev. Heath and Deb Bleyenberg of Immanuel PRC (Lacombe, Alberta, Canada)arrive this Friday, 8 May. They will be with us until Monday, 25 May, with Rev. Bleyenberg to preach on Sundays 10, 17 and 24 May.
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s day (Gospel 846 MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. Haak is entitled “Let Not Our Trouble Seem Little to Thee” (Neh. 9:32-38).
Offerings: £1,367.03. Donations: £250 (England), £70 (Co. Antrim).
Translation Additions: 3 Burmese, 3 Dutch, 1 Polish, 2 Spanish and 1 Urdu.
PRC News: Grace PRC will call from a new trio of Revs. D. Holstege (Wingham, ON), Kleyn (Doon, IA) and Smidstra (Holland, MI). Heritage PRC called Rev Eriks (Unity, MI). Faith PRC will call from a trio of Revs. Engelsma (Crete, IL), Eriks and Maatman (Southeast, MI). Byron Center PRC extended a call to Rev. Kleyn for minister on loan to the Philippines. Southwest PRC called Rev. Regnerus (Hull, IA).
Matters for Prayer
In our own congregation
- Pray for the elderly as they struggle with the infirmities of old age.
- Pray for those who mourn the loss of loved ones.
- Pray for those with long-term illnesses and are often unable to worship with us, like Eunice Murray, Billy Gould, Sinead Hanna and John Brooks.
- Pray for those who care for spouses who are ill like Ann Gould, Alan Hermon and Stephen Murray.
- Pray for the parents in their important calling to raise their children in the fear of the Lord.
- Pray for those whose spouses are unbelievers.
- Pray for the Bleyenbergs as they travel and for their time with us.
- Pray for the elders and their work of family visitation which will start in June.
- Pray for the British Reformed Fellowship Conference being held this summer, that those who attend may have good fellowship with saints from around the world and that this will be used as a witness to the truth of the Reformed faith in the British Isles.
Around the world
- Pray for our sister churches in the US, Canada and Singapore.
- Pray for the Protestant Reformed denomination in the Philippines, as Pastor Stewart preaches and speaks there, and discusses a sister-church relationship with them.
- Pray for the Reformed churches in Pakistan and for Pastor Arslan Ul Haq, as he organizes a conference there and translates our minister’s speeches in order to build up pastors, seminarians and believers in the Reformed faith.
- Pray for our other translators that the Lord may use their work to build them up personally in the Reformed faith and spread the Word to others.
- Pray for the spread of the gospel throughout the world that “the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified” (II Thess. 3:1).
Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (II Thess. 1:11-12).
Rev. Stewart’s Speaking Schedule in the Philippines and Pakistan
1) PHILIPPINES
Lord’s Day Services, 10 May, 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM – Provident PRC
Tuesday, 12 May at 10 AM – Sipilay, Negros Occidental
Mini-conference – “The Covenant and Infant Baptism”
Thursday, 14 May at 10 AM – Bacalod, Negros Occidental
Mini-conference – “The Covenant and Infant Baptism”
Lord’s Day Services, 17 May, 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM – Berean PRC
Lecture, 1:30 PM – “The Place of Women in the Church and at Home”
_____________________________________________
2) PAKISTAN
DOCTRINE OF GOD CONFERENCE
Dates: 20-23 May, 2026, Venue: Murree, Pakistan
Wednesday, 20 May 2026
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. | Arrival & Registration
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. | Opening Service – Behold Your God
Thursday, 21 May 2026
7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. | Morning Service
9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. | First Session – The Existence of God
11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. | Second Session – The Knowability of God
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. | Third Session – Incommunicable Attributes
Friday, 22 May 2026
7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. | Morning Service
9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. | First Session – Communicable Attributes
11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. | Second Session – God in Three Persons: The Trinity
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. | Third Session – God’s Providence
Saturday, 23 May 2026
7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. | Closing Service – God with Us
10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. | Departure
Lord’s Day Services, 24 May – several churches
