Vol 71 Issue 20

Mr. Wigger is a member of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Minister Activities On the evening of July 17th, the congregation of the Byron Center, MI PRC met and extended a call to Rev. M. Dick, presently serving our churches in the Immanuel PRC of Lacombe, Alberta, Canada. After Rev. Houck’s decline of a call from the Edgerton, MN PRC, the council there has formed another trio consisting of the Revs. Flikkema, Koole, and Moore. At a congregational meeting last month, they extended a call to Rev. K. Koole, who is serving our churches at Faith PRC in...

Mr. Schipper is a deacon in Southwest Protestant Reformed Church. I am thankful to the brother who has responded to my article with several very good questions.* The issues that he raises are all the more interesting because of his perspective of living in a country that has more social programs than does the US. I preface my response by noting that I do not think there is a simple “yes or no” answer to most of the brother’s questions. The Christian must prayerfully consider the biblical principles that apply as he faces each situation. We believe that the state...

Rev. denHartog is pastor of Hope Protestant Reformed Church in Redlands, California. I recently had the opportunity to preach a special sermon to the young women in our church in connection with the wonderful occasion of the confession of faith of three of our covenant young women. In several places the letters of the inspired apostles of our Lord specifically address various classes of church members. This is rather striking. The vast majority of the exhortations of the Word of God apply to every member of the church. We have a common calling as saints of God no matter who...

Rev. Kortering is a Protestant Reformed minister-on-loan to Singapore. When we first arrived in Singapore, it became evident to me rather quickly that I could not just open my file of sermons which were preached over the past thirty some years and use them here. Interestingly, I find the same thing now in reverse: when we visit in the States on holiday, it is not easy to use sermons written for Singapore to preach there. Though for the most part things are the same, it is in the application of the message that things are quite different. I well recall...

Rev. Woudenberg is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Kalamazoo, Michigan. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.  Genesis 17:7 We have noted in the past that the Liberated churches appear to be committed to quite a different kind of logic than are we. It has always been our position—and, we believe, the position of the Christian church historically and biblically—that logical consistency in the interpretation of the Scriptures and of the...

Repent and Rescind That is the message the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) received from the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). Negative reaction to the CRC synod’s decision to permit women to serve in office by permitting classes to declare parts of the Church Order “inoperative” has been strong and immediate. Fraternal delegates to the CRC synod from the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) and the Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland expressed strong reservations about the decision in their fraternal addresses to the CRC synod. But the strongest reaction to date has come from the PCA, whose Interchurch Relations Committee has previously...

Rev. Kuiper is pastor of Southeast Protestant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We understand an inheritance to be something: that is precious and valuable. An inheritance is a precious possession that a person has no right to of himself; it is something freely and graciously bestowed upon an individual. An inheritance is a legal matter; it has its basis and protection in law. And before one can enter into the possession and enjoyment of his inheritance, the death of the testator must occur. The Hebrew word for inheritance (and related words) means to distribute, to give as a possession,...

Deacons and the State I would like some clarification of the article written by Mr. Gordon Schipper, “The office of deacon: Its function” (Standard Bearer, April 15, 1995). My understanding of the end of the article is that we as Christians should not ask for social benefits from the government, but that as a church we should support anyone that lives in poverty in the communion of saints. I don’t know how it is in the USA but here in Australia we have a very socialistic government, and no one has to live in poverty. I will enclose the latest...

* The address given at the graduation exercises of the Theological School of the Protestant Reformed Churches on June 19, 1995 at Hull, Iowa. The first installment appeared in the August, 1995 issue of the Standard Bearer. Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.  But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing...

This sermon on Christian education by the Rev. Herman Hoeksema was preached in September, 1916, when Hoeksema was still a minister in the Christian Reformed Church. It was published in the September 1, 1927 issue of the Standard Bearer (Vol. 3, pp. 532-536). The sermon is fitting for the beginning of the school year. “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”  Deuteronomy 6:7 That the education of children is one...