Vol 71 Issue 08

Mr. Wigger is a member of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Minister Activities Rev. Michael DeVries, presently serving our churches as pastor of the Edgerton, MN PRC, has accepted the call extended to him to serve as the next pastor of the First PRC of Edmonton, AB, Canada. However, at this time (the week before Christmas) it is believed that the DeVries family will not be able to move until at least February because of immigration procedures. Rev. C. Terpstra, pastor of the South Holland, IL PRC, has declined the call he had been considering to serve as...

Communing with God in the morning When the day is beginning to dawn; Seeking His help and His guidance Enabling me to go on. Communing with God in the noontime In the toil and heat of the day; Claiming the words of His promise, “Lo, I am with you alway.” Communing with God in the evening When the time has come to rest; Trusting in His loving kindness— Knowing He sends what is best. Communing with God at midnight When the world around me is still; Praying that He will protect me Knowing He always will.

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of Southwest Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan. Instructions concerning matters to be considered in major assemblies shall not be written until the decisions of previous synods touching these matters have been read, in order that what was once decided be not again proposed, unless a revision be deemed necessary. Church Order, Article 46 Background Article 46 was written in a day when there were no typewriters, computers, fax machines, copy machines, or reliable mail services. In those days no printed agenda for the major assemblies was sent to the delegates in advance of the meetings. Instead,...

Rev. denHartog is pastor of Hope Protestant Reformed Church in Redlands, California. Recently (SB, January 1, 1995) I wrote a critique of a statement drafted by some prominent Evangelicals and conservative Roman Catholic leaders affirming the need of promoting cooperation between Evangelicals and Roman Catholics. The name of this document is Evangelicals and Catholics Together (ECT). The stated purpose of promoting such cooperation is to present a unified front to the world by these two camps in Christendom to face the great challenges of world evangelism and the challenge of opposing the great moral, social, and political evils of the...

Rev. Haak is pastor of Bethel Protestant Reformed Church in Elk Grove, Illinois. The cleansing of the temple marks the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. The miracle at Cana and the trip to Capernaum (v. 12) were of a more private nature, whereas the cleansing of the temple is performed before many and was something the Jews were not to forget (see Mark 14:57-59; Mark 15:29). By this act Christ enters fully into the work that the Father has given Him to do. More importantly, the work of cleansing the temple reveals the heart of the work of Christ. The temple in Jerusalem was a shadow...

The later Homer Hoeksema was professor of Dogmatics and Old Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. God’s creation of the living creatures (Gen. 1:20-25) It is becoming increasingly common in the church of today to confound the revealed truth of creation and the philosophy of evolution. The result is actually, that the former is denied and lost sight of, and the latter, the theory of evolution, actually prevails in the thinking of the church, so that the confession of the church concerning the origin of things becomes more and more secularized and indistinguishable from the position of unbelief. Today it...

Prof. Hanko is professor of Church History and New Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. Introduction It is a surprising truth of history that oftentimes, in doctrinal controversy, the heretic is a nice man, while the defender of the faith is, from many points of view, a miserable character. Athanasius, vs. Arms: Arms the suave, diplomatic, likeable denier of Christ’s divinity; Athanasius the stubborn and implacable defender of the Nicene Creed. Cyril vs. Nestorius: Cyril the haughty and cruel defender of the unity of Christ’s natures in the one divine person; Nestorius the popular, gifted heretic who insisted that Christ...

Rev. Koole is pastor of Faith Protestant Reformed Church in Jenison, Michigan. Nowhere has this matter of family worship been so thoroughly addressed as by the Westminster Assembly. They made specific reference to this calling in their Confession (Ch. 21, Art. 6). God is to be worshipped every where, in spirit and in truth; as in private families daily, and in secret each one by himself. Already prior to this in Scotland, by the Act of Assembly 1596, the elders, “within the quarter and bounds assigned to each of them,” were instructed to inquire about the matter of family worship....

Prof. Decker is professor of Practical Theology in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. Synodical Baggage The Alliance of Reformed Churches held its annual meeting November 15-17, 1994 at the Lynwood Christian Reformed Church (Independent) in Lynwood, Illinois. One hundred and thrity-seven official delegates representing sixty-two congregations (forty-six independent Reformed, eleven Christian Reformed, four Presbyterian, and one Canadian Reformed) were present. In addition eight congregations sent official observers to the meeting. Fraternal greetings were brought by representatives of the Reformed Church in the United States (formerly known as Eureka Classis), the Canadian Reformed Churches, the Bible Presbyterian Church, and the Free Reformed...

“Living waters,” gushing, flowing Ever from the Fountain free; Came from Him, the Source, the Giver, Down in this poor world to be. Matchless gift from matchless Saviour, When back to the Father’s throne He had gone—His love so perfect To His own thus fully shown. “Living waters,” full, exhaustless, Welling forth a Saviour’s love, Once in this dark world of sorrow All the Father’s heart to prove. Hear, oh hear the wondrous story Of His anguish, groans, and tears, Of those awful hours on Calvary, Where His head the thorn-crown wears. “Living waters,” Holy Spirit, Telling still the anguish...