Vol 75 Issue 06

Mr. Wigger is an elder in the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Congregation Activities Two members of the Bethel PRC in Itasca, IL are currently working on a recording of the entire Psalter. The tunes will be played in order, with up to four stanzas repeated and with an introduction and short ending (piano or organ only). This large project was undertaken for the assistance of one of our missionaries. The recording would consist of approximately 15 CDs and would be available on CD only. The purpose of the recording is for accompaniment with singing as it is done...

Rev. Dick is pastor of Grace Protestant Reformed Church in Standale, Michigan. Many secrets! Jesus has been whispering these to His disciples on this night before His death—secrets recorded in John 14-16. Secrets, these are, of God to men, of Grace to graced, of Love to lovers, of Friend to friends. These are secrets of the covenant, of that blessed relationship “God with us.” What secrets? Secret of God with us in Jesus. Secret of heaven. Secret of the Savior’s love. Secret Spirit. Secret of the fruit of the Vine. Secret of tribulation. Secret of the peace Jesus leaves. Secrets...

Prof. Dykstra is professor of Church History and New Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. *Originally given as a speech at the 1998 Spring Banquet of the Reformed Heritage Christian School, Kalamazoo, Mich. The great value of Reformed, Christian education is a topic that deserves attention. There is little appreciation in the society at large for Reformed, Christian education. There may be, here and there, a desire to have something generally Christian—a school that opens with prayer, teaches morals, has somewhat biblically based discipline. But Reformed, Christian education is not desired. Secondly, there is little knowledge of what Reformed, Christian...

Rev. Kuiper is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Byron Center, Michigan. Of the three special offices in the church of Jesus Christ (those of pastor, elder, and deacon), that of deacon seems to receive the least attention. One man, writing on the subject of the diaconate, says that throughout the history of the church this office “has not found the recognition and appreciation to which it is entitled. It has been either totally discarded or else corrupted, because its true character was lost sight of.”1 In some denominations the office does not exist. In others, although the office...

Rev. VanBaren is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Loveland, Colorado. Preservation of Saints—and Sin Was Clinton’s religion at fault for his sexual escapades? One is constantly amazed at the attempts of many to place the blame of Clinton’s problems on someone or something else. Now an article, appearing in Newsweek, November 2, 1998, seems to place the blame for his sins on his Baptistic views—especially on what we call the “preservation of saints” or “eternal security.” The article states, among other things, this: But Clinton’s troubled personal life—and his repeated verbal evasions—also bears a distinctive Baptist stamp. Like...

Rev. denHartog is pastor of Hope Protestant Reformed Church in Redlands, California. It was my privilege and joy, along with Pastor Richard Smit from our church in Doon, Iowa, to make another visit to the Philippines. We made this visit as representatives from the Foreign Mission Committee of the Protestant Reformed Churches and in harmony with the decisions of the 1998 synod. It was another exciting and eventful visit, about which we can write only a very little in a short Standard Bearer article. The FMC planned that our delegation should spend most of the time in two places: the...

Rev. Key is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Randolph, Wisconsin. We have seen and believe that the only begotten Son of God is very God. And because Jesus Christ is God, He is the unique Son. He alone is the eternal and natural Son of God. He alone is Savior. “There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). But this same Christ is also our Lord. He who has redeemed us from all our sins has also claimed us as His own property. We make this confession in full...

Family Planning Though I routinely enjoy the Standard Bearer and find it to be instructive and encouraging, I am troubled by some statements touching our responsibilities regarding our children in the article entitled “Arrows,” by Rev. D. Kuiper, in his rubric, “A Word Fitly Spoken,”(Oct. 1, 1998). In his attempt to warn us against worldliness, the reverend actually steers us away from responsible decision-making! After quoting the text of the “happiness of the man that hath his quiver full of them” (Ps. 127), he writes: Clearly, the number of children that we have is in view here. We take the...

How many of us will celebrate Christmas as the coming of God’s Christ for the covenant? The non-Reformed churches certainly will not. The worst of them will rejoice that Jesus came to free the poor, blacks, women, and homosexuals. The best will herald Jesus’ birth as simply God’s gift of a Savior for sinful men and women. All ignore the covenant. But what of us who are Reformed? Do we see the birth of Jesus in light of the covenant, indeed as fulfillment of the covenant promise? Do we embrace Him who was born of the virgin as the Christ...

Rev. Houck is pastor of Peace Protestant Reformed Church in Lansing, Illinois. “…and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in….”  Malachi 3:1b In this prophecy Malachi speaks of the coming of the Messenger of the covenant. That Messenger is Christ. The first part of this verse is an obvious reference to another messenger, John the Baptist. We read, “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me….” John the Baptist was the messenger of God who was sent by God to...