Vol 83 Issue 09

Mr. Wigger is a member of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Congregational Activities  Perhaps you had the opportunity back in December to take in a Sunday School Christmas program at your church. If you did, then you no doubt extend your sincere thanks, along with mine, to all our Sunday School children and teachers for their Christmas programs. What a joy it was to see the Lord’s goodness to us in our children and to hear them confess the wonderful message of God’s love and grace in the gift of His Son. The “News” would also be remiss...

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. Hospitality In His faithful Father-care, that extends to the whole of our human life, God the Lord has not deemed it beneath His divine majesty, in His holy Word, to express Himself even with respect to hospitality. To God’s child nothing happens outside of holy ordinances, and he who fears God will, even in this matter of hospitality, allow himself to be led not by impulse and whim, but by the ordinances of...

Rev. Kuiper is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church in Randolph, Wisconsin. I have a deacons’ meeting tonight. Another night away from the family. Endless discussions. Problems without solutions. And I hardly had time to prepare my report on the benevolent case that I am working on with one of my fellow deacons. Oh, how I dislike deacons’ meetings!” I hope, deacons, that such is not your view of deacons’ meetings. But, because you too are human, such thoughts may have crossed your mind. Reviewing the purpose and benefits of deacons’ meetings should enable us better to appreciate them. Such...

Prof. Hanko is professor emeritus of Church History and New Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. Previous article in this series: January 1, 2007, p. 155. Introduction  Common grace has two parts to it. One part has to do with God’s favorable attitude towards all men, expressed particularly in the gracious offer of the gospel to all. The other part has to do with God’s grace, worked by the Holy Spirit, in the hearts of all men, which restrains sin and enables man to do good. This idea of grace was first proposed by Dr. Abraham Kuyper in a massive...

Rev. Kleyn is pastor of First Protestant Reformed Church in Holland, Michigan. Previous article in this series: January 1, 2007, p. 161. An important element of the church’s worship is the offertory. During this part of worship, the congregation has the opportunity to give money for the causes of God’s kingdom. They give to support the ministry of the gospel, the poor, and various other kingdom causes, such as the Christian schools, missions, evangelism, and so on. Having an offertory in worship is biblical. The Scriptures make clear that the people of God have an obligation to give. “Upon the...

Mr. Brummel is a member of the First Protestant Reformed Church of Edgerton, Minnesota and secretary of the Foreign Mission Committee. The Foreign Mission Committee (FMC) was authorized by Synod 2000 to seek a calling church for a missionary to the Philippines. The FMC asked Doon Protestant Reformed Church to serve in that capacity. They agreed to do so and subsequently were appointed by Synod 2001. After a time, a call was extended to Rev. Audred Spriensma. An invitation was extended to him to visit the field before giving his answer. Rev. Spriensma took the Doon Consistory and the FMC...

Rev. Hanko is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Lynden, Washington. Previous article in this series: January, 1, 2007, p. 150. The Fifth Disputation: Chapter 3:7-12 7. Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? In this fifth section of Malachi’s prophecy he returns again to the sins of the people, this time rebuking them for the sin of robbing God in their tithes and offerings. By...

Rev. DeVries is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church in Wingham, Ontario, Canada. Heinous Ad Campaign It seems that mainline denominations, with their steadily shrinking memberships, are becoming increasingly desperate. Anything goes in attempting to attract attention with a view to reversing that trend. The Record, newspaper of the Kitchener/Waterloo, Ontario region reports in the November 8, 2006 issue under the title, “United Church Launches Lively Ad Campaign”: An ad showing Jesus Christ sitting in a Santa Claus chair is part of a United Church campaign launched yesterday aimed at reaching out to the 30-to-45 crowd in hopes of getting some...

* This is the second half of the speech given at the convocation exercises of the Protestant Reformed Seminary, September 6, 2006. The last editorial (January 15, 2007) explained that Scripture draws a comparison between the labors of a minister and the self-sacrificing work of a mother. The editorial concluded with a call to the churches to continue holding before Christian mothers the calling to lay down their lives for their children. Lacking good mothers in the church, aspiring ministers will lack one great example for them in their ministry. As Calvin put it, explaining II Thessalonians 2:8: “a mother...

Rev. VanderWal is pastor of Hope Protestant Reformed Church in Redlands, California. “O God, thou art my God: early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.” Psalm 63:1, 2  Dry and thirsty! A thirsty soul and a longing flesh in this dry and thirsty land. Such is the condition of the child of God in this world. That child of God is surrounded by the good things...