Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
Ballymena
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 7 September, 2008
“Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help,
whose hope is in the Lord his God” (Ps. 146:5)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
God’s Uncursable Church (8)
Balaam’s Last Attempt to Curse Israel
Numbers 25
I. What Was It?
II. What Were Its Results?
III. Did It Succeed?
Psalms: 29:1-6; 139:17-24; 106:28-35; 1:1-6
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
Honour Thy Father and Thy Mother
Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 39; Ephesians 5:22-6:3
I. The Meaning
II. The Promise
Psalms: 99:1-7; 140:1-6; 78:4-8; 73:23-28
CPRC website: www.cprc.co.uk
Quote to Consider:
A.W. Pink: “Failure to honour father and mother, wherever it is found, is in large measure due to parental departure from the scriptural pattern. Nowadays the father considers that he has fulfilled his obligations by providing food and clothing for his children, and by acting occasionally as a species of moral policeman. Too often the mother is content to be a domestic drudge, making herself the slave of her children instead of training them to be useful, performing many a task which her daughters should do, in order to allow them freedom for the frivolous. The consequence has been that the home, which ought to be—for its orderliness, its sanctity, and its reigns of love—a miniature heaven and earth, has degenerated into ‘a filling station for the day and a parking place for the night’ as someone has tersely expressed it.”
Announcements (subject to God’s will):
Copies of the PRC Acts of Synod are available on the back table.
The second offering this morning is for the building fund. Recently, the CPRC received back over £9,000 for a year’s offerings through Gift Aid. Gift Aid is available for all tax payers. You can begin at any time and you do not have to estimate a figure for your giving. Just notify our treasurer, Mr. Ivan Reid, and start putting your offerings in the envelopes he will give you.
Those interested in attending this year’s ladies’ Bible study on the Sermon on the Mount, please meet in the cry room after this evening’s service. If you cannot attend the study but would like the study sheets, contact Mary Stewart.
The Catechism season begins tomorrow, 8 September. The schedule is
Monday: 5:30PM – Jamie & Debbie Murray, 7PM – Campbells at the manse
Tuesday: 6PM – Jacob Buchanan, 7PM – Mark and Lauren Hamill
Midweek Bible Study starts this Wednesday, 10 September, 7:45 PM at the manse. We will be studying I Peter on living as pilgrims and strangers.
The Reformed Witness Hour next Lord’s Day (8:30-9:00 AM, on Gospel 846MW), is “The Folly of Worrying” (Matt. 6:25-26) by Rev. Bruinsma.
Offerings: General Fund – £610.15.
Upcoming Lectures:
S. Wales, Fri., 10 Oct., on “Marriage, the Mystery of Christ and the Church”
Limerick, Fri. 17 Oct., on “Marriage, the Mystery of Christ and the Church”
Ballymena, Fri. 31 Oct., 8 PM, on “The Reformation’s Teaching on the Church”
Website Additions: 1 Korean, 1 Portuguese and 4 Italian (including “A Defense of Calvinism as the Gospel” and “The Children of the Promise“) pieces were added this week. An article entitled “Why Psalms Only?” was also added.
PRC News: Doon PRC’s trio for the Philippines is Revs. Bruinsma (Pittsburgh, PA), R. Kleyn (Trinity, MI), and VanderWal (Redlands, CA). Rev. Slopsema declined the call to Grace PRC. Calvary PRC (Hull, IA) called Rev. Hanko.
Thursday, 4 September, 2008
Dear saints in the CPRC,
First of all I want to thank you for how you kindly received me and the words of edification which I brought to you in the summer months. It was a joy and privilege to occupy the Ballymena pulpit. Thanks to the CPRC Council for permitting it. It was a great help to me in my training for the ministry and, I trust, an encouragement to you as well.
It seems that there is a bug somewhere in the system because US Immigration delayed me again this year. I was told that there is an entry in their computer which reads “STUDENT VIOLATION,” whatever that may mean. I am now used to being delayed and it was not too inconvenient.
My former housemate / landlord, (Candidate) Heath Bleyenberg has received a call from Providence PRC and I pray that God will guide him as he considers that call. Now that Heath has graduated from seminary I have had to find new accommodation. My new address is 3915 Butterworth Drive SW, Grand Rapids 49534 MI and the telephone number is 616-453-2056. I am not living alone. My fellow resident is Erik Guichelaar who comes from Canada and is a member of the Wingham, Ontario congregation of the PRC. He will be taking several courses in Calvin College as well as pre-seminary Greek with Prof. Dykstra. The day he arrived we had our annual Seminary picnic where it was good to meet all the seminarians, professors and their families and enjoy food, fellowship and volleyball.
Work has recommenced in earnest in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. We are now in our second full week of classes and the usual load of work has been applied. I am taking six courses this semester: History of Dogma with Prof. Dykstra; OT Exegesis, NT History and Dogmatics with Prof. Cammenga; and Church Polity and OT History with Prof. Gritters. On top of that I have practice preaching (which begins, DV, 29th September) and I will be teaching catechism (NT History for Juniors and Seniors) at SE PRC every Monday afternoon beginning 15th September (DV).
As one licensed I also have the privilege of giving words of edification in local congregations. On 24th August I used my Zechariah 4 sermon in First Grand Rapids. Pete and Marilyn Adams (Susan Hall’s parents) invited me for Sunday dinner, and most—if not all—of Julie Rainey’s close relatives came to hear me, some coming from Georgetown and Holland PRC! I used my John 6:44 sermon in Georgetown and Kalamazoo on 31st August. For September I am scheduled to speak in Grandville (this coming Sunday, PM service), Byron Center and First PRC again. The schedule for October has not been published yet but I expect that Dan Holstege and I will be speaking most Lord’s Days. I am enjoying my time in the pulpit (nerves notwithstanding) and the people have encouraged me by the way in which they have received the word. One drawback: I am beginning to wonder if I will see Hudsonville PRC much this school year!
There are some noticeable changes in Seminary. Most obvious is the absence of our much loved and highly esteemed Prof. Engelsma whose retirement dinner was last Friday evening and to which all the seminarians were invited. The new rector (by rotation) is Prof. Gritters who gave us a challenging orientation speech on “The Making of a Minister” (Eph. 3:7-8). We also have two new students, making a student body of ten. The seminarians are as follows and I ask that you keep them and their families in your prayers: Stefan Griess and David Mahtani (first year), Brian Huizenga, Nathan Decker, Jonathan Mahtani and Vernon Ibe (second year), Dan Holstege, David Torlach and I (third year) and Cory Griess (fourth year, on his internship in Hull, Iowa). With so many seminarians the practice-preaching schedule is full Fourteen sermons will be delivered and critiqued in all this semester. Eight Mondays are devoted to it!
On Wednesday we had Seminary convocation and Prof. Dykstra gave an excellent speech on the reciprocal relationship between the Seminary and the churches. His title was “Seminary and Saints: A Reciprocal Sine Qua Non.”
May the Lord be with you all.
Love and prayers,
Martyn
