All Articles For Vol 88 Issue 18 7/1/2012

Minister Activities Our vacant Hope congregation in Walker, MI extended a call to Rev. John Marcus, presently serving First PRC in Edmonton, AB, Canada, to serve as their next pastor. On Sunday afternoon, June 10, Rev. Doug Kuiper preached his farewell sermon as pastor of the Randolph, WI PRC. Rev. Kuiper chose to preach from the Word of God in II Corinthians 13:11, under the theme, “Finally Brethren, Farewell.” Because of Rev. Kuiper’s commitment as delegate to this year’s synod, he did not preach in Randolph on June 17, and Randolph’s consistory had previously granted him vacation the next two...

May 9, 2012, Georgetown PRC Classis East met in regular session on Wednesday, May 9, 2012 at the Georgetown PRC. All the churches were represented by two delegates. Rev. W. Langerak, in the absence of Rev. K. Koole, chaired this session. The business of classis was routine with the exception of two discipline cases presented by two consistories. Classis noted the careful work done by these consistories and advised these consistories to proceed to the second step of censure for these members. The expenses of classis amounted to $45.60. Classis will meet next in Grace PRC on Wednesday, September 12,...

Commencement exercises of the Protestant Reformed Theological Seminary were held on June 19, 2012 at First Protestant Reformed Church of Grand Rapid. The text of Prof. Cammenga’s address on that occasion begins here, to be concluded, D.V., in our August issue.    Members of the Theological School Committee, fathers of synod, esteemed colleagues, honored graduate, and brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ, the passage of Holy Writ that Rev. Koole read, Jeremiah 1, records God’s commission of the prophet Jeremiah. A commission is authority bestowed on someone in order to perform a certain task, authority to carry out...

Mr. Engelsma is a member of Grandville Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, MI and secretary of the RFPA. His report, appearing here belatedly on the pages of the SB, was read at the annual meeting held on September 22, 2011.   In Psalm 34:3, David writes, “O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.” The Board of the Reformed Free Publishing Association issues the same call to our Association members and friends tonight; let us examine the work of the RFPA over the last year and together let us magnify the Lord and exalt the name of Him...

The gospel of man proclaims that he can do much, more even than God. The gospel of man proclaims God the Father wills to save all men, God the Son died to save all men, and God the Spirit offers salvation to all men and gives them grace to believe. But God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is unable to save them all because man is able to resist and overcome His grace. The gospel of Jesus proclaims something entirely different. Natural man, ungodly man, unregenerated man, is not able. He is not able to live, move, or have...

Synod 2012 of the Protestant Reformed Churches in America (PRCA) met in the Crete Protestant Reformed Church in Crete, Illinois. On Monday evening, June 11, 2012 the pre-synodical worship service was held in the beautiful and spacious sanctuary of the Crete PRC, under the supervision of Crete’s consistory. Rev. James Slopsema, president of last year’s synod, preached the sermon. Rev. Slopsema expounded I Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” The congregation, as well as...

Previous article in this series: June 2012, p. 388. If our churches lose the will to fight, we truly have given up our ability to survive. The church must know that the enemies of God’s truth are like the Middle Eastern terrorist organizations today: patiently waiting, always observing, ever planning another way to slaughter. Unless we are vigilant, we will fall to the enemy, lose the truth, and become a false church, the synagogue of Satan (Rev. 2:9; Rev. 3:9). We must engage in polemics—oppose the lie with “fighting words.” The true church protects herself by combating error with fighting...

This is the abbreviated text of the pre-synodical sermon that Rev. Slopsema, as President of Synod 2011, preached on June 11, 2012 in the Crete (IL) Protestant Reformed Church.   Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. I Corinthians 15:58 Thanks be to God! In the previous verse the apostle Paul gives thanks to God for the victory we have in our Lord Jesus Christ. This victory is the victory over death by the resurrection of the...