Vol 80 Issue 12

Mr. Wigger is an elder in the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Evangelism Activities On February 19 the Evangelism Society of the Covenant PRC in Wyckoff, NJ sponsored a viewing of the video of the Engelsma/Mouw debate on Common Grace, held this past summer in Grand Rapids, MI. The Byron Center, MI PRC sponsored a lecture entitled “The Christian, Politics, and the Antichrist,” by Rev. R. Cammenga, pastor of Southwest PRC in Grandville, MI, on February 12 at their church. Anyone interested was encouraged to join Byron Center for a timely discussion on our calling towards government and our...

The Irish Puritans: James Ussher and the Reformation of the Church, by Crawford Gribben. Darlington, England: Evangelical Press, 2003. Pp. 160. 7.95(UK) $14.99(US) (paper). [Reviewed by the editor.] Little is known among us about the Irish Reformed theologian and churchman, James Ussher (1581-1656) than that he determined from his biblical studies that God created the world in 4004 B.C. This is unfortunate. Crawford Gribben supplies our lack in the well-written, interesting book, The Irish Puritans. Ussher was a significant Calvinist in his day. As archbishop of Armagh, primate, or leader, of the Irish [Protestant] Church, he worked at making Ireland...

Rev. Kortering is a minister emeritus in the Protestant Reformed Churches. In obedience to Christ’s command to make disciples of all nations, the church sends forth missionaries. The task of making disciples is both joyful and difficult. We experience the blessings of this activity when God gives converts. The early church rejoiced when they learned by firsthand experience that the Lord added daily to the church such as should be saved (Acts 2:47). Many a missionary, along with his sending church, experiences that joy today as well. It is a never-ending wonder of God. Mission work does not end with...

Reprinted from When Thou Sittest In Thine House, by Abraham Kuyper, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan. 1929. Used by permission of Eerdmans Publishing Co. Summer Rightly viewed, the Scripture knows but two seasons of year: summer and winter. You hear this in the divine utterance after the Flood: “Henceforth, while the earth remaineth, cold and heat, summer and winter shall not cease” (Gen. 8:22). So in Psalm 74:17, in silence passing spring and autumn by: “Thou hast made summer and winter.” And in the vision of Zechariah (Zech. 14:8) it is said that “living waters shall go out...

“The Passion of Christ”—A Movie Review A movie review?? A movie review in the Standard Bearer? Really?? Why? Do not our churches strongly frown upon and condemn movie attendance? Not too many years ago most Reformed churches forbad movie attendance. (And that was at a time when the movie was relatively “tame.”) Today these churches have rather advocated that children of God strive to “redeem” both the dance and the movie. The result is that some movies featuring violence, sex, and the vilest profanities have been recommended for their “art.” One wonders if the churches have become so much more...

Rev. Kuiper is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church in Randolph, Wisconsin. The first aspect of the fundamental work of the deacons is that of collecting the alms. This must be first in priority, as well as in time, for immediate needs must be immediately relieved. They must be relieved immediately, partly because of their urgency. Such needs must also be relieved immediately as a picture of how our Savior supplies our needs. Our Heavenly Father always gives us our immediate needs immediately. Trusting He will do this, we pray: “Give us this day our daily bread.” And when we...

Rev. Hanko is pastor in the Protestant Reformed Church of Lynden, Washington. The First Prophecy (continued) 13. Then spake Haggai the Lord’s messenger in the Lord’s message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the Lord. The word of encouragement that Haggai brings to the people, who were now obeying God’s command to rebuild the temple, is simple and short, but contains all that the people needed to hear. It is for Judah the promise that the temple, though far less glorious than Solomon’s, would be the house of God Himself, who would live among His people there,...

Prof. Dykstra is professor of Church History and New Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. The two different covenants compared and contrasted in the last installment are the conditional and the unconditional covenants. By the unconditional covenant of grace is meant the relationship of friendship that God sovereignly establishes with Christ (eternally) as the Mediator and Head of the covenant, and in Christ with all the elect. This covenant is not merely a means unto salvation, but is the very goal of God, namely everlasting covenant fellowship with His people. God establishes His covenant unilaterally with His chosen in the...

Silence concerning Murray on Wesley in the UK I am a subscriber to the Standard Bearer. I find constant encouragement and support from the magazine, as also from the literature put out by the fellowship in Ballymena, Northern Ireland and from the books published by the RFPA. In the south of England, where I live and work, there is a scarcity of Reformed church life, although I am not disparaging the small fellowships with whom I huddle for comfort in this evil day. My letter concerns the editorial on Iain Murray’s book about John Wesley, “Wesley and Murray, Who Follows”...

True faith is assurance of personal salvation. Because assurance is certainty—absolute certainty (to be redundant)—true faith is certainty of one’s own salvation. It is certainty of deliverance from sin, death, and hell. It is certainty of acceptance into the fellowship of God, which is life eternal. Faith is assurance of salvation by the blood and Spirit of Jesus Christ according to the electing love of God in eternity. True faith is assurance. Assurance is not the fruit of faith. Assurance is not the reward of faith. Assurance is not a branch or appendix of faith. Assurance is not a later,...