Kalamazoo’s minister, Rev. A. Mulder, declined the call extended him from the congregation at Randolph, Wisconsin. Creston’s consistory has presented a new trio to their congregation, consisting of Rev. R.C. Harbach, of Lynden; Rev. A. Mulder, of Kalamazoo; Rev. R. Veldman, of Southeast church in Grand Rapids.
Hull Welcomes New Pastor In the early days of November, 1959, the congregation learned that our pastor, Rev. J. Heys, had accepted the call from our sister congregation of South Holland, Illinois. It meant that we as a congregation would have to face that period of calling, waiting, learning of decisions—perhaps repeated over and over again. We immediately set out to find the man of God’s choosing. As consistory we made a trio and on Nov. 27 called Rev. G. Vanden Berg. We soon learned that it was not the Lord’s will for him “to come over and help us.”
An Important Synod Two issues ago in The Standard Bearer we reported the matter of an overture from Rev. M. Gritters in which he sought an early Synod of the Churches who left us for the purpose of discussing the question of an immediate return to the Christian Reformed Church. Classis West approved of this overture and contacted Classis East to make the arrangements for such a Synod. Classis East concurred in the decision of Classis West and this early Synod met in Grand Rapids October 26 through October 28.
In their commentary on the Church Order, Monsma and Van Dellen sound a warning against certain serious dangers in revising or changing established forms of the churches, such as our Formula of Subscription which every office bearer is required to sign. They also give an illustration in which they show what may be the result of such changes. On page 226 of their book we find the following quotation:
Let us briefly take notice of the various calumnies against the Reformed doctrine of predestination that are mentioned in this Conclusion. It is not our purpose in this connection to explain all these false charges in detail and to refute them. This has been done in connection with the Canons themselves. In fact, in many cases our Canons literally face these same charges and refute them. Here, therefore, we shall simply cite these errors, and point out how and where our fathers, in the body of the Canons, dealt with them.
It can hardly be denied that the Mysticism of the Middle Ages and at the time of the Reformation was a reaction which set in because of certain characteristics which marked this period. There was, first of all, the great development of the Latin or Western Church and of the Roman hierarchy.
We are. We are children of the age in which we live.
Let us now call attention to two passages from the New Testament Scriptures which clearly indicate that the “last times” refer to the New Dispensation from the vantage-point of the Old Dispensation. To come to this conclusion we discussed, in our former article, four passages from the Old Testament. Thus we saw the meaning of the “last times” in the prophetic utterances of a dying Jacob to his sons, the visions of a stubborn Balaam in the plains of Moab; the great and comforting words of Moses, the law-giver, ere he dies, and of the Messianic prophecies of the great...
By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.” Hebrews 11:24-26
As woman, Babylon is symbol of the church, in the first place, as all Scripture plainly indicates. The church, the people of God, the covenant people, appear time and again in Holy Writ under the symbol of a married woman. In the Old Testament, Israel is the wife of Jehovah, pledged to Him in sacred bond of marriage in all faith and truth. And in the New Testament, the church is the bride of Christ. Especially in the book of Revelation, so we found, she appears time and again as the bride of Christ, appears again and again as a...
