Vol 65 Issue 09

Mr. Wigger is an elder in the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. School Activities The students of our Loveland P.R. Christian School in Loveland, Colorado presented their All-School program on December 21. As you might guess, the program had a Christmas theme, “The Four Scriptural Songs of Christmas.” On December 11 the choir and band of Covenant Christian High School presented their Christmas program in our Hudsonville church auditorium in Hudsonville, Michigan. On December 8 the students of the Hope P.R. Christian School presented their All-School program under the theme, “Behold, He Cometh,” at the First Jenison Christian Reformed...

January 11-12, 1989  First Protestant Reformed Church  Holland, Michigan Classis East met in regular session on Wednesday and Thursday, January 11-12, 1989 at the First Protestant Reformed Church of Holland, Michigan. Each church was represented by two delegates. The business of this session was not routine as is evident from the length of time that classis spent in session. After receiving reports from the stated clerk, the Classical Committee, and the church visitors, classis entered into the heavy part of its agenda. First considered was the request from the Covenant Mission Church of Norristown, Pennsylvania for organization. Rev. K. Hanko...

WHAT’S GOOD ABOUT THE GOOD NEWS?, Neal Punt; Northlands Press, P.O. Box 42756, Chicago, Illinois 60642. Available by direct mail at the price of $5.95 plus $1.00 for shipping. 142 pages, paper. (Reviewed by Prof. H.C. Hoeksema) There is nothing basically new in this book in comparison with Punt’s earlier book, Unconditional Good News. And the two are equally heretical. The book under review here is a simplified and more popular version of Punt’s earlier book. As this book comes from the pen of a man who has signed the Formula of Subscription and is supposedly committed to our Reformed creeds—and...

Rev. Kortering is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Grandville, Michigan. After the Lord had given victory over the Canaanitish king Jabin, and his captain Sisera, Deborah and Barak sang a song of praise unto Jehovah. In the opening verses they describe Jehovah their God who alone is worthy of such praise (Judges 5:1-5). By contrast, the people chose new gods and forsook Jehovah; and He sent the enemy against them. The call for help went out to the governors. They responded well and God gave victory (Judges 5:6-11). We have more details how that victory came about. Certain...

It is the Lord (John 21:7) What a wonderful, brief confession and joyful recognition on the part of the beloved disciple of the Lord. This disciple was the writer of this Gospel. He ever stays on the background! He is John! The Greek text can very well be translated “the Lordis He.” it is unmistakably the Lord Himself. It is the Lord of glory who stands there on the shores of Galilee in the early morning mists. This hiddenness is part of the “third manifestation.” He is the Lord of glory, risen from the dead; He is on the way to be...

Rev. denHartog is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Randolph, Wisconsin. Love for God! There is no more noble and holy affection imaginable. Man can ascend to no greater height. He can enjoy no greater joy and ecstasy. To love God is to delight in His knowledge and fellowship. It is to long and yearn after Him as the highest and only good. It is to be filled with personal and warm and zealous affection towards God. To love God is to dwell in the intimate knowledge and blessedness of His covenant. To love God is to have as...

Rev. Flikkema is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Wyckoff, New Jersey. This article is written out of joy and thanksgiving to God and with the desire that the churches and readers of The Standard Bearer might rejoice with us. God in His grace has given to us our own house of worship! Through the years of our existence the Lord always gave us a place in which to worship Him on the Lord’s Day. But not until now do we have our own church building. The history is very long, spanning some ten years. As early as 1975, two years...

Rev. Miersma is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of New Zealand. Greetings from the sunny South Pacific to all of our fellow saints elsewhere! It has been several months since our last newsletter appeared which was written during our winter. As I write this letter we are experiencing summer weather with Christmas Day just around the corner. Celebrating Christmas in the summer is altogether different from what we were used to. It is hard even to think of Christmas without the snow, the cold, the short days, etc. Just imagine yourself observing Christmas on the Fourth of July. The...

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Loveland, Colorado. “On the other hand, the consistory, as representing the congregation, shall also be bound to provide for the proper support of its ministers, and shall not dismiss them from service without the knowledge and approbation of the classis and of the delegates of the (particular) synod.” Church Order, Article 11. Article 11 is closely related to Article 10, as the opening phrase indicates: “On the other hand….” Article 10 concerned itself with the responsibility of a minister with respect to his congregation. He may not forsake his congregation....

A hearty “thank-you” is due for your December 15 editorial “Peace in Church.” Anyone who has been a member of a warring congregation can attest to the priceless value of peace and harmony among members. And yet, it strikes me that often we have difficulty discriminating between “false teaching” and the “chasuble” (or matters of opinion). When Scripture is made to speak on every personal preference and tradition, the inevitable result will be war in the congregation. Most of these wars could be avoided if we concentrated our energies into discovering what God teaches us in Scripture instead of approaching...