Vol 82 Issue 17

Mr, Wigger is a member of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Minister Activities Rev. J. Slopsema, pastor of the First PRC in Grand Rapids, MI, declined the call he had been considering to serve as the next pastor of the Faith PRC in Jenison, MI. Congregation Activities Catechism classes for our churches have finished their lessons for the season. We can thank our heavenly Father for the privilege of feeding the children and young people of our congregations with the life-giving truths of His Word. In connection with that official work of the church, we ask our readers...

Rev. Kleyn is pastor of First Protestant Reformed Church in Holland, Michigan. Previous article in this series: May 1, 2006, p. 352. When the church gathers in worship, the saints come together in order to humble themselves before God, to praise and adore Him, and to enjoy fellowship with Him. This worship service begins with the salutation. God speaks first, greeting His people with the words, “Beloved congregation in the Lord Jesus Christ.” He assures us at the very start of our worship that we are His beloved people. This gives us confidence in our approach to Him. It also...

Rev. Spriensma is a missionary of the Protestant Reformed Churches, currently serving in the Philippines. “O sing unto the LORD a new song; sing unto the LORD all the earth. Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; show forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.”  Psalm 96:1-4 This is the great calling of Christ’s church, to declare, to make known amongst the peoples, the glory of our God and the glory of...

Rev. Kuiper is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church in Randolph, Wisconsin. Previous article in this series: April 15, 2006, p. 320. The proper work of the deacons includes the care not only of the poor, but also of those members of the church who are sick, widowed, orphaned, disabled, or in other ways physically afflicted. In past articles we have argued this point both from scriptural principles and from the example of other Reformed diaconates throughout the history of the church. Particularly we noted that the deacons in Geneva, during and after the time of Calvin, cared for people...

Rev. Langerak is pastor or Southeast Protestant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. After the ascension, angels told the watching disciples, “This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go” (Acts 1:11). He was taken up bodily, and in like manner He shall one day return. He was also received by a cloud, and so likewise the Son of man will return—He shall come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Dan. 7:13; Matt. 24:30, 26:64). It was significant that Jesus was received into...

Mrs. Miersma is the wife of Rev. Thomas Miersma, missionary in Spokane, Washington. “I don’t have time right now.” “I’ll do that when I have more time.” “I finally have some free time.” “I wish I could just have some time for myself!” How frequently such expressions cross our lips or thoughts and those of our children. Stewardship of time is a challenging subject for us to deal with. God’s Word clearly sets forth the principles, but applying these principles is something that we must each do in the place in which God has set us, in the freedom that...

Prof. Hanko is professor emeritus of Church History and New Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. Previous article in this series: May 1, 2006, p. 354. Introduction Proceeding from a fundamental premise that the Bible is, at least in part, a human document, higher criticism has come up with many strange ways in which to explain Scripture. I am sometimes amazed at the fertility of human imagination, which can invent so many theories to deny that Scripture is the Word of God. It makes one wonder, when one discovers the literally hundreds of books that have been written on this...

Rev. Kleyn is pastor of Trinity Protestant Reformed Church in Hudsonville, Michigan. OCRC Responds Officially to Federal Vision In the April 12, 2006 issue of Christian Renewal(p. 8), we read the following: A special synod of the Orthodox Christian Reformed Churches was held on March 2 in Cambridge, Ontario. The meeting was called to address concerns raised in response to what has come to be known as the ‘Federal Vision.’ The Federal Vision ties together the teaching of a conditional covenant and the teaching of justification by faith. The work and obedience of faith becomes the condition to justification, so that...

By now, all the delegates of the upcoming Synod of the Protestant Reformed Churches have received and begun to study the agenda for the meetings. Each officebearer of every consistory has also received a copy of this year’s relatively slim agenda. Because the agenda is not private, also the membership of the PRC and any interested observers may know what issues the churches will be deliberating at this gathering. Synod is the PRC’s broadest (denomination-wide) assembly. Classis meetings are not as broad; they are regional assemblies, with two delegates from each consistory in the classis. For synod, each classis delegates ten men...

Rev. Slopsema is pastor of First Protestant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.  Ephesians 4:30 We can easily grieve others by our behavior. Our conduct can bring grief to a family member, a fellow saint in the church, a fellow student at school, or some close friend. Everyone has at one time or another grieved someone by his actions or been grieved by someone else. It is also possible to grieve the Holy Spirit. And we are told not to do so. This...