Vol 68 Issue 11

Mr. Wigger is a member of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Mission Activities When Rev. B. Gritters and his father, Elder E. Gritters, went to Jamaica to conduct a seminar for the leaders of the Jamaican P.R. Churches, they also, as is customary, brought benevolence gifts with them. For this reason the Consistory of the Hope PRC in Redlands, CA decided to conduct a clothing drive for that purpose in their congregation. On Saturday, January 25, members of the congregation were encouraged to bring any appropriate light-weight clothing for either children or adults. Donations of shoes, eye glasses,...

We have seen repeatedly in our study of Malachi how the prophet’s day and our own are so much alike. The sins present among God’s people then are similar to those of today, especially the mere outward obser­vance of religion and the cold formal worship of the true God. We have also observed how Malachi deals with these sins, namely by always holding them up to the light (brightness) of God in order to show how heinous and treacherous it is when a people sin against the goodness and mercy of the Lord, depart from His ordinances, and render Him...

Mr. Lanting, a member of the South Holland Protestant Reformed Church, is a practicing attorney. The wall of separation between church and state is a metaphor based on bad history, a metaphor which has proved useless as a guide to judging. It should be frankly and explicitly abandoned.—Chief Justice William Rehnquist The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to announce its decision shortly in the public school graduation prayer case of Lee v. Weisman. This pending case gained nationwide attention after the Court recently intimated that it may use the Weisman decision to forge significant changes in church-state law. Constitutional scholars,...

Preaching With Freshness, by Bruce Mawhinney. Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 1991; 258 pp., $12.99 (paper). [Reviewed by Prof. Robert D. Decker.] This book is a novel approach to Homiletics (the art and science of preaching, RDD). It is this because the book is cast in the form of a novel, a story. While Mawhinney deals with the discipline of homiletics and while he sets forth many sound, biblical principles of homiletics, the book is entirely free of technical, theological terms. The author presents his theology of preaching in the form of a fictional account of a young preacher who…....

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Loveland, Colorado. In these assemblies ecclesiastical matters only shall be transacted and that in an ecclesiastical manner. In major assemblies only such matters shall be dealt with as could not be finished in minor assemblies, or such as pertain to the churches of the major assembly in common.  Church Order, Article 30 Introduction Article 30 concerns the proper jurisdiction of ecclesiastical assemblies. The article specifies that the jurisdiction of all ecclesiastical assemblies is limited to ecclesiastical matters. In regard to the major assemblies, the article specifies that their jurisdiction is...

Rev. denHartog is pastor of Hope Protestant Reformed Church in Redlands, California. What a difference there is in the way the Lord deals with various of His children! Some seem to go through much of their life without any trouble. And when they come to the end of their life they are taken to glory in a moment, peacefully, without any struggle and with little suffering. Then there are others of God’s children who have one trouble after another. They experience sorrow upon sorrow. Some of God’s children must suffer long years of sickness and agony before they are finally...

Mrs. Lubbers is a wife ad mother in the Protestant Reformed Church of South Holland, Illinois. Even though you are not a wife or mother, a husband or father; even though your parents may be old or have already died; even though you may not have a brother or a sister, there is a relationship in the Reformed family which can be yours. It is that of friend. How precious is a friend. How blessed for you if you have a close friend. Birth gives us our relatives, but we are allowed to choose our friends. Nor does having a...

Rev. Kuiper is pastor of Immanuel Protestant Reformed Church in Lacombe, Alberta, Canada. The word “example” does not occur in the Old Testament, which is not surprising when we consider that the Old Testament contains many persons and events that are examples for them that should come later. In the Mew Testament there are five Greek words translated “example,” or “ensample.” These five words have their own nuances, but also show a high degree of similarity and agreement. One refers to a mark that a strike or a blow makes, that is to be observed as a dissuasive warning or...

Interest in the T.B.S. In behalf of the Trinitarian Bible Society, I would like to express our sincere thanks for your article in the January 15, 1992 Standard Bearer about the T.B.S. (“Writings Worth Noting”). Since your article appeared, we have had much interest expressed for literature and also received donations. The needs are very great in all parts of the world for the uncorrupted word of God. Jack R. Swets Secretary, Trinitarian Bible Society (U.S.A.) Grand Rapids, MI

A friend lent me the March, April, and May 1991 issues of the Outlook, which contain articles called “Synod-ocracy: Cause and Cure.” The writer’s complaint is that the synod of his church (the Christian Reformed Church) had opened the doors of local church office to women. His solution is virtually a modified form of independency, unless I read him wrongly. . . . Have you read the articles in the Outlook? I would value a response to “Synod-ocracy: Cause and Cure,” unless you agree with the articles, of course. Shall There Be Synod? This was the request of a correspondent...