By: Rev. Herschel Carlson, pastor of Calvary Reformed ARP Church in Alexandria, VABelow is a sample of the invitations that have gone out weekly since April 2020 on Facebook. The responses from around the world have been amazing.
“Please worship with us today, Resurrection Day, at 1:00 here on Facebook Live or at our temporary meeting place, Good News Baptist Church here In Alexandria.”
“Another week has passed, the Lord our God has guided our steps and we have served Him. The joy unspeakable and full of glory has been our strength. We had hoped that before another week had passed we would have seen the Savior in all His beauty at His Coming. That “blessed hope” is our great motivation to persevere without wavering. But waver we have. So we enter the sacred worship of our Triune God falling upon His mercy and while awaiting Christ’s Coming, we look back to the Cross. There we see the cause of our hope and the source of “streams of mercy never ceasing,” the full satisfaction for our sins and the perfect Righteousness of our Redeemer, in which we stand forever! He purchased us and sealed that purchase by His Spirit. And so, if we enter this Sabbath soiled by our failures to glorify God, we will find awaiting us all the streams of mercy Christ’s blood has eternally secured. And those ‘streams of mercy never ceasing’ call for ‘songs of loudest praise!'”
“It is because of forgiveness, freedom from guilt and shame, our full acceptance in the Beloved Son, that we confidently draw near this Day to God. And our purpose is to thank and glorify God for the wonders He has performed and for the Wonder that He is!”
“Today we will glimpse the great thanksgiving of Paul for the Thessalonian converts. The basis for Paul’s Thanksgiving is that God has done it all! What these new and suffering believers are is altogether The Lord’s accomplishment. And His accomplishments will never cease! We enter God’s presence today, at His invitation, to admire Him and pour out songs of loudest praise. Come, worship and bow down, join us in kneeling before the Lord our God, our Maker!”
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Our Hymns and Psalm:
“Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart.”
“O God, No Longer Hold Thy
Peace.” (Psalm 83)
“Moment by Moment.”
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The Westminster Shorter Catechism:
Q. 67. Which is the sixth commandment?
A. The sixth commandment is, Thou shalt not kill (Ex. 20:13).
Q. 68. What is required in the sixth commandment?
A. The sixth commandment requireth all lawful endeavours to preserve our own life (Eph. 5:28-29), and the life of others (1 Kings 18:4).
Q. 69. What is forbidden in the sixth commandment?
A. The sixth commandment forbiddeth the taking away of our own life, or the life of our neighbour unjustly, or whatsoever tendeth thereunto (Acts 16:28; Gen. 9:6).
Q. 70. Which is the seventh commandment?
A. The seventh commandment is, Thou shalt not commit adultery (Ex. 20:14).
Q. 71. What is required in the seventh commandment?
A. The seventh commandment requireth the preservation of our own and our neighbour’s chastity, in heart, speech and behaviour (1 Cor. 7:2-3, 5, 34, 36; Col. 4:6; 1 Peter 3:2).
Q. 72. What is forbidden in the seventh commandment?
A. The seventh commandment forbiddeth all unchaste thoughts, words, and actions (Matt. 15:19; 5:28; Eph. 5:3-4).