Preacher:
Pastor McGeown

Morning Service - 11:00 AM
Honouring God-Ordained Authority [mp3/YouTube]
Scripture Reading: Colossians 3:12-4:6
Text:  Heidelberg Catechism LD 39
I. The Authority
II. The  Attitude
III. The Possibility
Psalms: 146:1-6; 49:14-20; 72:1-8; 148:7-14

Evening Service - 5:30 PM
The Killing Letter and the Life-Giving Spirit [mp3/YouTube]
Scripture Reading: II Corinthians 3:1-18
Text:  II Corinthians 3:6
I.     The Contrast
II.    The Effects
Psalms: 65:1-5; 119:65-72; 119:97-104; 40:8-10

Quotes to Consider

Thomas Watson: “[Parents], be careful to bring [your children] up in the fear and nurture of the Lord. You conveyed the plague of sin to them, therefore endeavour to get them healed and sanctified. Augustine says that his mother, Monica, travailed more for his spiritual birth than his natural. Timothy’s mother instructed him from a child. She not only gave him her breast milk, but the sincere milk of the word” (The Ten Commandments, p. 134).

Thomas Watson: “ A father is a looking-glass, which the child often dresses himself by; let the glass be clear and not spotted” (ibid, p. 137).

R. C. H. Lenski: “The meaning of Scripture is one. What the writing records, the Spirit means, that and that alone. No double or multiple meaning exists such as literal and spiritual, patent and occult, ordinary and allegorical, and the like. The writing is the one honest as well as adequate medium by which the Spirit speaks, and what He thus says is spirit and life. All else is imagination, self-delusion, deceit. Luther says in regard to the Schwaermer (fanatics): They cry Geist, Geist! (Spirit), but this Geist is the devil! (Interpretation of First and Second Corinthians, p. 922).   

Announcements (subject to God’s will).

• Bible study continues this Wednesday at 11 The Laurels at 8 PM. We begin at John 12:42.

• Catechism: Chester and Dale Mansona will continue Catechism this week:  Wednesday 7 PM at 11 The Laurels, Lesson 16 (“King David”).

• Offering: 24th July, € 182.

• Rev. McGeown leaves for America on Thursday 4th August. He returns on Thursday 18th August. Next Sunday, 7th August, Rev. Heath Bleyenberg (Providence, Hudsonville, MI) will lead us in worship.

• Special Lecture: Rev. Bleyenberg will give a special lecture on Monday 8th August, 2011, here in Conradh na Gaelige (An Cistin) at 7.30 PM. The lecture topic is “Proper Observance of the Sabbath Day.” Plan to attend and to invite friends and family.  Pray for this witness.

• PRC News:  Hope (Walker, MI) will call from their trio: Rev.  R. Hanko (Lynden, WA), Candidates N. Decker and B. Huizenga; Trinity (Hudsonville, MI) and Cornerstone (IN) have called Candidate Nathan Decker; Edgerton (MN) and Hope (Redlands, CA) have called Candidate Brian Huizenga.  The Candidates have six weeks to consider a call.

Preacher:
Pastor McGeown

Morning Service - 11:00 AM
Remembering the Sabbath Day [mp3/YouTube]
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 58:1-14
Text:  Heidelberg Catechism LD 38
I. The Idea of the Sabbath
II. The  Activity of the Sabbath
III. The Delight of the Sabbath
Psalms: 84:1-6; 49:1-6; 42:1-5; 84:7-12

Evening Service - 5:30 PM
The Gift of Jehovah’s Outpoured Spirit [mp3/YouTube]
Scripture Reading: Joel 2:1-32
Text:  Joel 2:28-32
I.      Its Significance
II.    Its Generosity
III.  Its Fruit
Psalms: 104:1-2, 30-35; 49:7-13; 51:11-17; 143:5-11

Quotes to Consider

Voltaire [French infidel]: “If you wish to destroy the Christian religion you must first destroy the Christian Sunday.”

Walter Chantry: “The fourth commandment stipulates what time is required to express our love to Him. So long as we are creatures of time, love must devote time unto Him who is the object of our supreme love. When time shall be no more, we shall be forevermore in his immediate presence .... Pressures upon our time require of us the discipline of ensuring that we are free from other arrangements if we are going to devote a portion of time to a loved one.  Care must be taken to finish our work so that demands upon us do not spill over into the day given to another. It is just the same with the Lord’s Day ” (Call the Sabbath a Delight, pp. 17, 19).

Walter Chantry: “It is a favourite tactic of those who oppose any moral law to propose extremely difficult circumstances in which application of our code of conduct seems unmanageable, or in which one principle appears to be in conflict with another. In this way the standard is declared absurd and impracticable. The fourth commandment is not exempt from such treatment” (ibid, p. 35). 

Walter Chantry: “It is on the Sabbath Day that the Lord’s good things are served up. On this day the milk and wine may be had without money and without price. A soul may delight itself in fatness. The feast is spread, but those who will not keep the fourth commandment make excuses for not attending. No one who repeatedly excuses himself from the table may expect to feast on the riches of the house. He may pick up a bone here or there but the delicious morsels are served up in the assemblies of God’s house on God’s holy days. Cassette tapes [CDs], books and video recordings [DVDs] are poor substitutes for the Spirit-filled ministry at the family gatherings on holy feast days” (ibid, p. 35). 

Walter Chantry: “Our hearts should look forward to the Sabbath as a favourite day, the most wonderful of days. You should not cast a longing eye at the world and its entertainments. It is offensive to the Lord if we approach him while preferring to be elsewhere” (ibid, p. 36). 

Announcements (subject to God’s will).

• We rejoice with Manuel and Emily-Kate Kuhs on the gift of a son, Sebastian Levi Colm Kuhs, born around 4.45 AM on Saturday 23rd July (8 lbs, 9 oz). Both mother and child are doing well, and Emily-Kate expects to be released from St. Munchin’s Maternity Hospital today or tomorrow. We thank God for His covenant faithfulness to the Kuhs and to us as a congregation. May the Lord give to the Kuhs and to all Christian parents the grace and wisdom to bring up their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord.

• Bible study continues this Wednesday at 11 The Laurels at 8 PM. We begin at John 12:29.

• Catechism: Chester and Dale Mansona will continue Catechism this week:  Wednesday 7 PM at 11 The Laurels, Lesson 15 (“King Saul”).

• Offering: 17th July, € 386.

• Rev. Bleyenberg and his wife Deb arrived yesterday and will preach for the CPRC on 24th July, 31st July and 14th August. Rev. Bleyenberg will also preach for the LRF on 7th August.

• Special Lecture: Rev. Bleyenberg has also graciously agreed to give us a special lecture on Monday 8th August, 2011, here in Conradh na Gaelige (An Cistin) at 7.30 PM. The lecture topic is “Proper Observance of the Sabbath Day.” Plan to attend and to invite friends and family.  Rev. McGeown will be in America on holiday from Thursday 4th August to Thursday 18th August.  He will spend most of that time at the Young People’s Convention of the PRCA held this year in Wisconsin (http://www.prcconvention.com/).

• PRC News:  Hope (Walker, MI) announces a new trio: Rev.  R. Hanko (Lynden, WA), Candidates N. Decker and B. Huizenga; Trinity (Hudsonville, MI) and Cornerstone (IN) called Candidate Nathan Decker; Edgerton (MN) and Hope (Redlands, CA) called Candidate Brian Huizenga.

Preacher:
Pastor McGeown

Morning Service - 11:00 AM
Honouring God’s Name [mp3/YouTube]
Scripture Reading: Malachi 1:1-14
Text:  Heidelberg Catechism LD 36-37
I.  The Glorious Name
II.   The Proper Use
III.  The Wicked Profanation
Psalms: 8:1-9; 48:1-8a; 15:1-5; 138:1-6

Evening Service - 5:30 PM
Teaching Transgressors Jehovah’s Ways (5)
Rejoicing in Jehovah’s Mercy [mp3/YouTube]
Scripture Reading:  Psalm 32:1-11
Text:  Psalm 32:10-11
I.  Receiving Mercy
II.  Escaping Sorrow
III. Expressing Joy
Psalms: 21:1-6; 48:8b-14; 5:7-12; 32:1-2, 9-11

Quotes to Consider

Thomas Watson: “Be glad, there is thankfulness; rejoice, there is cheerfulness; shout, there is triumph. Praise is called incense because it is a sweet sacrifice. Let the saints be choristers in God’s praises. The deepest springs yield the sweetest water; the more deeply sensible we are of God’s covenant love to us, the sweeter praises we should yield” (The Ten Commandments, p. 24).

Charles Spurgeon: “Many sorrows shall be to the wicked. Like refractory horses and mules they have many cuts and bruises. Here and hereafter the portion of the wicked is undesirable. Their joys are evanescent, their sorrows are multiplying and ripening. He who sows sin will reap sorrow in heavy sheaves” (Treasury of David, vol. I. p. 85).

G. I. Williamson: “It [is] wrong to make a [sinful] oath in the first place. It would be doubly wrong to keep it after discovering that it was sinful. However, we must take care that we do not confuse what is wrong with what is painful … God honours the man “that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not” (Ps. 15:4). It is imperative that Christians carefully consider the weightiness of so solemn an act, being certain that he swears to do no more than he is able and resolved to do. Yet when it is discovered that much more hardship and affliction will be entailed than was at first anticipated, one cannot disavow that which is not contrary to the Word of God without being guilty of sin” (The Westminster Confession of Faith for Study Classes, p. 176).

G. I. Williamson: “The taking of an oath with secret intention of double meaning, not disclosed to others, or with mental reservations, whereby the mind silently voices dissent from part or all of what is being sworn, is a sin of enormity. And yet this sin is common today even within churches that officially claim [the] Confession(s)!” (The Westminster Confession of Faith for Study Classes, p. 175).

Announcements (subject to God’s will).

• Bible study continues this Wednesday at 11 The Laurels at 8 PM. We begin at John 12:20.

• Catechism: OT History for Juniors at the Cesars has finished for the season. We shall continue with NT History in late August/early September. Chester and Dale Mansona will continue Catechism this week:  Wednesday 7 PM at 11 The Laurels, Lesson 13 (“The Judges”).

• Offering: 10th July, € 413.

• PRC News:  Trinity (Hudsonville, MI), Edgerton (MN) and Cornerstone (IN) have made a trio consisting of the three new candidates (N. Decker, B. Huizenga and J. Mahtani). Hope (Redlands, CA) has a trio of N. Decker, B. Huizenga and W. Langerak (Southeast, MI).

Preacher:
Pastor McGeown

Morning Service - 11:00 AM
The Proper Worship of God [mp3/YouTube]
Scripture Reading: I Kings 12:1-33
Text:  Heidelberg Catechism LD 35
I.  Authorised
II.   Edifying
III.  Spiritual
Psalms: 126:1-6; 46:8-11; 106:19-25; 97:7-12

Evening Service - 5:30 PM
Teaching Transgressors Jehovah’s Ways (4)
Pardoned Sinners Teaching Sinners [mp3/YouTube]
Scripture Reading:  Psalm 51:1-19
Text:  Psalm 32:8-9
I.  The Instruction
II.  The Example
III. The Warning
Psalms: 86:6-12; 47:1-9; 73:21-28; 32:7-11

Quotes to Consider

Spurgeon: “Consider the causes why a broken leg is incurable in a horse, and easily curable in a man. The horse is incapable of counsel to submit himself to the farrier [blacksmith]; and therefore in case his leg be set he flings, flounces and flies out, unjointing it again by his misemployed mettle, counting all binding to be shackles and fetters unto him; whereas a man willingly resigns himself to be ordered by the surgeon, preferring rather to be a prisoner for some days, than a cripple all his life!” (Treasury of David, vol. I. p. 100).

John Calvin: 'I know how difficult it is to persuade the world that God disapproves of all modes of worship not expressly sanctioned by His Word. The opposite persuasion which cleaves to them, being seated, as it were, in their very bones and marrow, is, that whatever they do has in itself a sufficient sanction, provided it exhibits some kind of zeal for the honour of God.  But since God not only regards as fruitless, but also plainly abominates, whatever we undertake from zeal to His worship, if at variance with His command, what do we gain by a contrary course? ... Since as I have observed, God in many passages forbids any new worship unsanctioned by his word; since he declares that he is grievously offended with the presumption which invents such worship, and threatens it with severe punishment; it is clear that the reformation which we have introduced was demanded by a strong necessity' (“The Necessity of Reforming the Church,” Tracts and Letters, vol. I, pp. 128, 153).

'But what about Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:19? Imagine yourself in Colosse or Ephesus (churches consisting largely of newly converted pagans) and you receive a letter from the Apostle Paul. Paul exhorts you to sing “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.” What would you have understood by that? There is no evidence that the believers of that fledgling church had any hymns (in the modern sense). Where would they have got them? After all, this was a long time before Isaac Watts or Charles Wesley! What did the believers have? They had the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament. That was their Bible, the Bible of the Greek-speaking world, and the version from which the apostles usually quoted. In what we call the book of Psalms there are three main words used to describe the various types of songs: psalmoi, hymnoi and odai. These are the three words Paul uses in Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:19. A striking example is Psalm 76. In the title of Psalm 76 in the Septuagint the three terms—psalmoi, hymnoi and odai—appear together. It seems reasonable to assume, then, that the Ephesians and Colossians would have understood that Paul was giving instruction concerning the full use of the Psalter in their praise. That the Psalms are what Paul meant can be seen from the context of these texts. To blindly assume that “hymns” means what we think hymns are today is to miss the point. Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” The Psalms, not modern “hymns” are the “word of Christ.” The Psalms are filled with “wisdom” and the glory and majesty of God. Some “hymns” are filled with nonsense and degrade the majesty of God. In the Psalms we “teach” one another because they are weighty and full of sound doctrine about God. In the Psalms we “admonish” one another. Many of the “hymns” are sentimental fluff, and either teach nothing substantial or teach error. Read through the Psalms. You can learn more about God in the Psalms, than in a million modern “hymns.” Ephesians 5:18b-19 says, “be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” Since the Spirit authored the Psalms, the way to be filled with the Spirit and to worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:24) is to sing His inspired songs with faith and joy. You can hardly be filled with the Spirit by singing songs written by mere men, many of whom were heretics and many of whose songs promote errors about God in the minds of believers' (“Scriptural Praise,” http://www.cprf.co.uk/articles/scripturalpraise.htm).

Announcements (subject to God’s will).

• Bible study continues this Wednesday at 11 The Laurels at 8 PM. We begin at John 12:1.

• Catechism: Tuesday 7 PM at the Cesars (review); Wednesday 7 PM at 11 The Laurels (Chester and Dale Mansona, we will continue with Lesson 12 [“Israel Enters Canaan”]).

• Offering: 3rd July, € 422.

• PRC News:  Edgerton (MN) called  Rev. A. den Hartog (Southwest, MI). He plans to answer today.

Preacher:
Pastor McGeown

Morning Service - 11:00 AM
Worshipping the One Only True God [mp3/YouTube]
Scripture Reading: II Chron. 14:1-12; 16:1-14
Text:  Heidelberg Catechism LD 34
I.  The Demand
II.   The Prohibition
III.  The Possibility
Psalms: 96:1-9; 45:13-17; 135:15-21; 115:1-1

Evening Service - 5:30 PM
Teaching Transgressors Jehovah’s Ways (3)
Jehovah: The Penitent’s Hiding Place [mp3/YouTube]
Scripture Reading:  Psalm 46:1-11
Text:  Psalm 32:6-7
I.  What?
II.  From What?
III. How?
Psalms: 27:1-5; 46:1-7; 31:19-24; 32:6-11

Quotes to Consider

Thomas Watson: “So would a Christian say, ‘God is my God; what have I to do any more with sin, with lust, pride, malice! Bid me commit sin! As well bid me drink poison. Shall I forfeit my interest in God? Let me rather die than willingly offend him who is the crown of my joy, the God of my salvation’” (The Ten Commandments, p. 24).

Spurgeon: “What a golden sentence! The man is encircled in song, surrounded by dancing mercies, all of them proclaiming the triumphs of grace. There is no breach in the circle, it completely rings him round; on all sides he hears music. Before him hope sounds the cymbals, and behind him gratitude beats the timbrel.  Right and left, above and beneath, the air resounds with joy, and all this for the very man who, a few weeks ago, was roaring all the day long. How great a change! What wonders grace has done and still can do!” (Treasury of David, vol. I. p. 84).

Announcements (subject to God’s will).

• Bible study continues this week at 11 The Laurels at 8 PM. We begin at John 11:49.
• Catechism will be arranged this week. We will study Lesson 25 (“After the Return”). With Chester and Dale Mansona, we will continue with Lesson 11 (“Forty Years in the Wilderness”).
• Rev. McGeown will give a lecture, “What Happened at the Cross?” in Wales this Thursday (The Rest, Porthcawl) at 7.15 PM. Please pray for this witness.
• Offerings for June:  :  5th(€330.50); 12th (€439.50); 26th (€311); donations (£150 and $117).
• PRC News:  Edgerton (MN) called  Rev. A. den Hartog (Southwest, MI); Rev. G. Eriks (Hudsonville, MI) declined Cornerstone (IN); Prof. D. Engelsma declined Hope Redlands (CA); Hope (Walker, MI) called Rev. N. Langerak (Crete, IL); Trinity’s (Hudsonville, MI) new trio consists of Candidates N. Decker, B. Huizenga and J. Mahtani.