All Articles For Vol 85 Issue 12 3/15/2009

Mr. Wigger is a member of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Congregation Activities The members of the Georgetown PRC in Hudsonville, MI were invited to their Fellowship Hall after their evening worship service on February 8 for a program on the PR Fellowship of India. Joel and Ellen Bruinooge, along with Dave and Nancy Ondersma, showed slides and gave a talk on their recent trip to Vellore, India. This evening provided a wonderful opportunity for Georgetown to become better informed of their involvement with Paul Raj and the saints under his care. Tom Schimmel also gave a brief...

* Not Anabaptist but Reformed was a pamphlet written by Danhof and Hoeksema in 1923 as a “Provisional Response to Rev. Jan Karel Van Baalen Concerning the Denial of Common Grace.” Translated here from the Dutch by seminarian Daniel Holstege. Previous article in this series: March 1, 2009, p. 256. After Rev. Van Baalen has proven that we differ radically from the Anabaptists on the doctrine of grace, and thus, according to his own spoken judgment, his attempt to brand us as Anabaptistic has failed, failed completely, he comes at it from another side. Once again it must be chanted...

Rev. Haak is pastor of Georgetown Protestant Reformed Church in Hudsonville, Michigan and radio pastor for the Reformed Witness Hour, on which this message was aired. “A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.” Jeremiah 17:12 These words are a very beautiful and powerful affirmation of faith made by Jeremiah in a day of deep darkness and personal anguish. There are very few who have suffered the sorrows and difficulties in the service of God that Jeremiah did. His words, which he faithfully delivered from God, were opposed and ridiculed every inch of the way...

Rev. denHartog is pastor of Southwest Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan. Previous article in this series: February 1, 2009, p. 201. The daily conversation in the covenant home will do much to determine the character of this home—whether or not it is in reality a covenant home. This is beautifully illustrated by the passage we have been considering in this rubric for some time. Moses the man of God commanded the Lord’s people in Deuteronomy 6 to teach the statutes and commandments and judgments of the Lord in their homes from day to day. In the whole book of Deuteronomy Moses...

Rev. Spriensma is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Marriage he title for this article comes from the cover story ofNewsweek magazine December 15, 2008. It included lots of glossy pictures of married bliss of young and old gays and lesbians. “What,” you say, “a liberal American magazine is going to try to make a religious case? They are going to make an argument from the Bible?” When one starts reading the story, he will immediately see that the author of the story, Lisa Miller, is obviously one who has little or no use for religious conservatives or...

Rev. Kuiper os pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church in Randolph, Wisconsin. Previous article in this series: February 1, 2009, p. 199. I digress. My articles in this rubric focus on the office of deacon. The deacons’ work is to care for the poor and the needy. In various ways, but primarily by putting money in the collection plate when the collection for benevolence is taken, the congregation supports the work of the deacons. So the support of the ministry of the gospel by contributing to the General and Building Funds of a congregation differs from the support of the work of...

Rev. Kleyn is pastor of First Protestant Reformed Church in Holland, Michigan. The apostle Peter’s viewpoint in his first epistle is that we, the children of God’s grace, are pilgrims and strangers on this earth. This is so because of God’s decree of election. He has chosen us to be those whose home is not here on earth, but in heaven. We do not belong here below, nor do we long to stay here on earth. We live in hope. We are hopeful pilgrims who are eager for the blessedness of heaven. The hope that characterizes us as pilgrims must...

Rev. Hanko is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Lynden, Washington. Previous article in this series: February 15, 2009, p. 226. Wisdom as “She” That wisdom in Proverbs is identified with Christ is something not at all difficult to prove. One objection to that identification might be that wisdom is also repeatedly described as “she” or “her” in the book (Prov. 1:20, 21; Prov. 2:4; Prov. 3:15, 16, 17, 18; Prov. 4:6, 8, 9; Prov. 8:1, 2, 3;Prov. 9:1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), and is even referred to as a sister and a kinswoman (Prov. 7:4). There are several reasons for this, and...

The year 2009 is the five hundredth anniversary of a most significant event, namely, the birth of one of the greatest men that God ever raised up to serve His church. John Calvin was born July 10, 1509 in Noyon, a city located in the northern region of Picardy, France. This anniversary must be properly observed by Reformed and Presbyterian churches who owe an immense debt to Calvin. To that end, the Protestant Reformed Seminary plans to host a theological conference in September of this year, the Lord willing. The conference title is: “After Five Hundred Years: John Calvin for...

Rev. VanOverloop is pastor of Grace Protestant Reformed Church in Standale, Michigan. “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of which the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.” II Peter 2:1, 2 Knowledge is essential. It is absolutely essential for the being and for the well-being of every child of God. This is the knowledge of faith, which...