Vol 72 Issue 06

Mr. Wigger is a member of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Evangelism Activities This year’s catechism collections from the Lynden, WA PRC are being used to support the outreach evangelism of the Trinity PRC in Houston, TX. We thank Lynden for sending the following brief review of Trinity’s outreach in Houston so that we can share it with you. One of the specific areas of outreach for our Trinity congregation continues to be its work among the Hindu Indians, and particularly among a group of people called Sindhis, who originally came from Sind, Pakistan. Over the years a...

Leadership Handbook of Practical Theology: Outreach and Care, James D. Berkley. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House Company, 1994. pp. xvii-480. $19.99 (cloth). [Reviewed by Prof. R. D. Decker.] This book is a “handbook,” i.e., it is intended to provide the pastors and elders of the church a quick, brief reference to a wide variety of practical concerns in the church. This volume has seven main sections dealing in order with the following areas: Evangelism, Missions, Social Involvement, Pastoral Care, Pastoral Counseling, Christian Education, and Chaplaincies. Part V, which deals with mental illness, is particularly helpful. The volume is enhanced by...

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of Southwest Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan. To ward of false doctrines and errors that multiply exceedingly through heretical writings, the ministers and elders shall use the means of teaching, of refutation, or warning, and of admonition, as well in the ministry of the Word as in Christian teaching and family-visiting. Church Order, Article 55 Banning heretical writings The original article is almost unrecognizable in our present Article 55. Originally the article concerned the censorship of books and the banning of heretical writings. The fathers were aware of the power of the pen. They had...

Mr. Lanting, a member of South Holland Protestant Reformed Church, is a practicing attorney. “Oregon’s Assisted Suicide Act withholds from terminally ill citizens the same protections from suicide the majority enjoys. In the process, it has lowered standards and reduced protections to a degree that there is little assurance that only competent terminally ill persons will voluntarily die. The majority has not accepted this situation for themselves, and there is no rational basis for imposing it on the terminally ill.”  Lee v. State of Oregon, U.S. District Court,  Aug. 3, 1995. Oregon’s Suicide Law In November of 1994, Oregon voters...

Rev. Kuiper is pastor of Southeast Protestant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Reformed believer is intensely interested in the use of the word “all” in Holy Scripture. He finds the chief, doctrinal use of this word in connection with God Himself, with God’s works outside of Himself, and especially with God’s salvation. Because the honor and glory of God are at stake according as we interpret the word “all,” the Reformed believer wants to get it right! The all-ness that is in God refers to the infinite goodness and limitless perfections. No limits can be placed upon God’s...

Rev. VanBaren is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Loveland, Colorado. Contemporary Worship An interesting article concerning “contemporary worship” appears in the Outlook, Oct. 1995, written by Rev. Mark Beach. He evaluates “contemporary” worship services and expresses legitimate dismay. Now I have never attended a “contemporary” worship service. I have often wondered what was involved in such a “worship” service – though I could make a reasonable guess. This article explains the “contemporary” service, though it points out as well that not all “contemporary” services are conducted in the same manner. This is what Beach has to say about...

Rev. Kortering is a Protestant Reformed minister-on-loan to Singapore. We focus in this article on the work that the Evangelical Reformed Churches of Singapore are doing in India. This has become Part 2, since India has been “upstaged” by the work in Myanmar. Chronologically, the work in India precedes the more recent work in Myanmar. It is not that the churches in Singapore lack interest in the India work, it is that the opportunities for work in Myanmar seem more pressing. This is due to our contact with students from Myanmar in Singapore and the readiness for the churches there...

Rev. Haak is pastor of Bethel Protestant Reformed Church in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. The time in which this great miracle of our Lord took place is important for us to note. From the other gospel narratives we gather that it happened during the third year of His ministry and at a time when many things were coming together. The twelve had just returned from their mission of preaching to the lost sheep of Israel (Mark 6:30). Herod had beheaded John the Baptist and was eager to see Jesus, believing that Christ was John risen from the dead (Luke 9:7-9)....

Rev. Key is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Randolph, Wisconsin. Laying hold of the truth of Scripture, we consider the question: How did this world come into being? WithHebrews 11:3 we take our stand. “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” We take our position without apology to any scientist. The Theory of Evolution rejected Our viewpoint is affected by our faith. But we would remind every man who considers this question:Your viewpoint also involves religious belief. Our...

Rev. Kortering is a Protestant Reformed minister-on-loan to Singapore. Christmas is a time for good news. The Christian gospel is the good news about the birth of Jesus. We are thankful to God for each one of you here tonight. We want to tell you about the “good tidings of great joy.” The story of Jesus is not an interesting legend that has been handed down for many centuries. There are many such stories in our Chinese tradition. We think of Kuan Yin, or the Goddess of Mercy, the Monkey King, or the Monk Tang Cheng, and the Pig Man....