• The consistory has considered our need for a new pastor for several months. We have been looking to the Lord for guidance and considering several options. Now, we are happy to report that the consistory is unanimous in our desire to send a pastoral call to Rev. J. TH. Pronk of Sirjansland, The Netherlands to labor among us. We had several opportunities to speak with him when he was here on his visit and he has satisfactorily answered several of our questions in writing since he returned to the Netherlands. The consistory will ask the congregation to vote on this pastoral call at a congregational meeting to be held on Monday, December 9 at 7:30 pm. A 75% majority vote will be needed to send the call.“Behold, as the eyes of servants, look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us.” Psalm 123:2
• We plan to have an evening of Christmas carol singing on December 23. We will begin at church with a pizza supper at 5 pm. We will sing at Hope Network (Leonard Street) at 6:00 pm. We will sing in the church neighborhood at 7:30 pm. We would like to hand out packages with Bibles to the neighborhood residents. Please help us by contributing packaged treats like nuts and snacks that we can include in the packages. There is a table in the basement for the treats.

If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful; he cannot deny himself. 2 Tim. 2:13.

Sins committed appeared but as trifles compared with the sin of unbelief which was their cause, which could not or would not take God at His word. . . . I prayed for faith, but it came not. What was I to do?

When my agony of soul was at its height, a sentence in a letter from dear McCarthy was used to remove the scales from my eyes, and the Spirit of God revealed to me the truth of our oneness with Jesus as I had never known it before. “But how to get faith strengthened? Not by striving after faith, but by resting on the Faithful One.”

As I read, I saw it all! “If we believe not, he abideth faithful.” I looked to Jesus and saw (and when I saw, oh, how joy flowed)! That He had said, “I will never leave thee.”

“Ah, there is rest!” I thought. “I have striven in vain to rest in Him. I’ll strive no more. For has not He promised to abide with me––never to leave me, never to fail me?” And, . . . He never will.

As I thought of the Vine and the branches, what light the blessed Spirit poured direct into my soul! How great seemed my mistake in wishing to get the sap, the fullness out of Him! I saw not only that Jesus will ever leave me, but that I am a member of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. The vine is not the root merely, but all––root, stem, branches, twigs, leaves, flowers, fruit. And Jesus is not that alone––He is soil and sunshine, air and showers, and ten thousand times more than we have ever dreamed, wished for or needed. Oh, the joy of seeing this truth! I do pray that the eyes of your understanding too may be enlightened, that you may know and enjoy the riches freely given us in Christ.

Can Christ be rich and I poor? Can your right hand be rich and your left poor? or your head be well fed while your body starves? Again, think of its bearing on prayer. Could a bank clerk say to a customer, “It was only your hand, not you that wrote that check”; or “I cannot pay this some to your hand, but only to yourself”? No more can your prayers or mine be discredited if offered in the name of Jesus (i.e., not for the sake of Jesus merely, but on the ground that we are His, His members) so long as we keep within the limits of Christ’s credit – a tolerably wide limit! J. Hudson Taylor

AM Worship: 9:15am Student Chris Engelsma

Scripture: Luke 2:22-52
Title: Jesus about His Father’s Business
Psalter 251 all
Psalter 243 vs1-7
Psalter 243 vs11-15
Psalter 429 vs1-3

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PM Worship: 6pm Student Chris Engelsma

Scripture: Numbers 24
Title: The Christmas story according to Balaam
Psalter:  161 vs1-5
Psalter:  390 (all)
Psalter: 3 (all)
Psalter:  The Song of Zacharias (all)

• The consistory has considered our need for a new pastor for several months. We have been looking to the Lord for guidance and considering several options. Now, we are happy to report that the consistory is unanimous in our desire to send a pastoral call to Rev. J. TH. Pronk of Sirjansland, The Netherlands to labor among us. We had several opportunities to speak with him when he was here on his visit and he has satisfactorily answered several of our questions in writing since he returned to the Netherlands. The consistory will, therefore, propose this pastoral call at a congregational meeting to be held on Monday, December 9 at 7:30 pm.“Behold, as the eyes of servants, look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us.” Psalm 123:2

The consistory.

• The offerings for Nov 2019 are as follows:

General $17,397.86

Benevolent   $3,759.00

Christian Education Fund   $1,930.00

Building Fund     $18,253.00

Bonisa Mission   $6,519.05

• Please remember in prayer those who cannot join us in worship today, due to serving in the military, work or school or the weakness of old age or illness.

He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit. John 15:5.

I knew that if only I could abide in Christ all would be well, but I could not. I would begin the day with prayer, determined not to take my eye off Him for a moment, but pressure of duties, sometimes very trying, and constant interruptions apt to be so wearing, caused me to forget Him. Then one’s nerves get so fretted in this climate that temptations to irritability, had thoughts and sometimes unkind words are all the more difficult to control. Each day brought its register of sin and failure, or lack of power. To will was indeed “present with me,” but how to perform I found not.

Then came the questions; is there no rescue? Must it be thus to the end––constant conflict, and too often defeat? Instead of growing stronger, I seemed to be getting weaker and to have less power against sin; and no longer, for faith and even hope were getting low. I hated myself, I hated my sin, yet gained no strength against it. I felt I was a child of God. His Spirit in my heart would cry, in spite of all, “Abba, Father.” But to rise to my privileges as a child, I was utterly powerless.

I knew I was powerless. I told the Lord so, and asked Him to give me help and strength. Sometimes I almost believed that He would keep and uphold me; but on looking back in the evening––alas! There was but sin and failure to confess and mourn before God.

And yet, never did Christ seem more precious; a Savior who could and would save such a sinner! And sometimes there were seasons not only of peace but of joy in the Lord; but they were transitory, and at best there was a sad lack of power.

All the time I felt assured that there was in Christ all I needed, but the practical question was––how to get it out. He was rich truly, but I was poor; He was strong, but I weak. I knew full well that there was in the root, the stem, abundant fatness, but how to get it into my puny little branch was the question. As gradually light dawned, I saw that faith was the only requisite––was the hand to lay hold on His fullness and make it mine. But I had not this faith.

I strove for faith, but it would not come; I tried to exercise it, but in vain. Seeing more and more the wondrous supply of grace laid up in Jesus, the fullness of our precious Savior, my guilt and helplessness seemed to increase.

1. Hudson Taylor  (More next week, D.V.)

AM Worship:  9:15am  Student Zach Dotson

Scripture: Genesis 3; text – Gen 3:9
Title: “Adam where art thou?”
Psalter 94
Psalter 384:1,2
Psalter 384:3,4
Psalter 292

PM Worship:  6pm  Student Zach Dotson

Scripture: Isaiah. 66;  text – Isa. 66:1-4
Title: “True Worship and False Worship”
Psalter 427:1-2
Psalter 1:1-3
Psalter 1:4-5
Psalter 427: 7-8

 

 

Thanksgiving Day Service

Time: 9:30am;
Preacher:  Student Matze

Scripture: Jonah 1 and 2
Title: Thanksgiving in the Trials
1. Jonah’s Misery
2. Jonah’s Redemption
3. Jonah’s Gratitude

Psalter: 378
Psalter: 83
Psalter: 261:1 and 3
Psalter: 311

• Please pray for Pronks as they return to the Netherlands this week.
• The next Lord’s Supper celebration is scheduled for January 12.
• Please pray for Rev. C. Van den Berg and his family. It’s likely that he has preached for the last time two weeks ago. He is now confined to a wheelchair and is very weak.
• The mission offering for November is for Bonisa Mission. The objective of Bonisa Mission is to promote the translation, dissemination and proclamation of God’s Word in China, as well as to provide material assistance wherever God opens doors.
• The youth group Christmas concert is planned for Saturday, December 21. Everyone is invited to participate. There is a sign-up sheet in the foyer.

Meditation

Gadsby Hymn #186

Sung at the funeral service of the late Pastor J.K. Stehouwer

 

God my only Happiness. Ps. 73:25

My God, my Portion, and my Love, My everlasting All,
I’ve none but thee in heaven above, Or on this earthly ball.

 

What empty things are all the skies, And this inferior clod!
There’s nothing here deserves my joys; There’s nothing like my God.

 

In vain the bright, the burning sun, Scatters his feeble light;
’Tis thy sweet beams create my noon; If thou withdraw, ’tis night.

 

And whilst upon my restless bed, Amongst the shades I roll,
If my Redeemer shows his head, ’Tis morning with my soul.

 

To thee we owe our wealth, and friends, And health, and safe abode;
Thanks to thy name for meaner things, But they are not my God.

 

How vain a toy is glittering wealth, If once compared to thee!
Or what’s my safety or my health, Or all my friends to me?

 

Were I possessor of the earth, And called the stars my own,
Without thy graces and thyself, I were a wretch undone!

 

Let others stretch their arms like seas, And grasp in all the shore;
Grant me the visits of thy face, And I desire no more.

 

Isaac Watts

Morning Worship: 9:30am Rev. Pronk

Title: TBA
Psalter 268
Scripture: Acts 13
Psalter 232
Psalter 255
Psalter 304

Evening Worship: 6pm Rev. Pronk

Title: TBA
Psalter 397
Scripture: Acts 14
Psalter 319
Psalter 29
Psalter 345