Vol 94 Issue 15

Trivia question How many PRC congregations have hosted seminary interns? And which ones have hosted the most interns over the years? Answers later in this column. Mission activities On March 25, Rev. Daniel Holstege, missionary-pastor in the Philippines preached for the first time for a group named the “Bearers of Light Community Church” in Guiguinto, Bulacan. This group had prior contact with Provident Christian Church of Marikina where Rev. Holstege’s labors are centered. For now we are only exploring the possibility of working with them, as they have asked to be taught about the Reformed faith. On March 30 Rev....

Holland, Michigan: From Dutch Colony to Dynamic City, Robert P. Swierenga. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2014. Three volumes; pages xxviii + 2618. Hardcover. $150.00. [Reviewed by Douglas J. Kuiper.] In three hefty volumes, Robert Swierenga provides us with a comprehensive and definitive history of the city of Holland, MI and its surrounding area. He sketches the big picture in 9 chapters. The history begins in the late 1830s when the Congregationalist and Presbyterians began a joint mission work among the Indians, called the Old Wing Mission (chapter 1). Then comes the history of the Dutch settlements...

“Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days” (Eccl. 11:1). A figure is used in this text, the figure of a farmer scattering seed upon the receding flood waters. The seed floats on the waters and slowly sinks into the muddy soil left behind. The seed is apparently lost! But not so, for our text promises that you shall find it after many days. This figure of sowing seed is used often in the Bible for the spiritual sowing of the seed of the gospel. The soil is the hearts and lives of individuals...

Previous article in this series: April 1, 2018, p. 301. I understand that some of my recent articles may be “information overload.” I want to give information, but do not want to overload. To help understand this article, it will probably be best that you have your Psalter open. In my last article I introduced two kinds of lyrical changes that the interdenominational Psalter revision committee is proposing for Psalms 1-40 (Psalter numbers 1-112): changes to existing lyrics and changes that involve adding new lyrics to existing songs. I ended that article by saying, “Next time, I intend to introduce...

Previous article in this series: March 1, 2018, p. 255. “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.” Galatians 3:16 “For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel…. In Isaac shall thy seed be called…. The children of the promise are counted for the seed…. That the purpose of God according to election might stand…. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” Romans 9:6-13 Introduction Dispensational premillennialism is false doctrine...

We count it a special privilege to be in Singapore working among our sister church here for a few months. This is all happening in the years of our retirement—pretty amazing! May the Lord strengthen us for this great task. We have over the years of our ministry spent about ten years serving the church of Christ in Singapore. Our close bond with the saints who are her members includes many who were with us from the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s, as well as those whom the Lord has added to the church over more recent years during the...

Previous article in this series: April 15, 2018, p. 320. The prostitution to idolatry that Ezekiel had already seen, by vision, in the temple of God in Jerusalem must have seemed incredible to the prophet. But then, astoundingly, the Lord says, “Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do” (8:13). This time, the Lord brought Ezekiel to “the gate of the Lord’s house which was toward the north.” And there he saw women sitting, “weeping for Tammuz” (8:14). Nothing more is said here or elsewhere in Scripture about Tammuz. A reputable, recently published Bible dictionary...

Teacher is dismissed for “misgendering” student Two recent stories from the United Kingdom (UK) involving teachers caught my eye; both of them illustrate the liberal agenda in public schools and the intolerance of the “LGBT community.” The first is the story of Joshua Sutcliffe, Christian pastor and math teacher in Oxford, England. His “crime”? He “misgendered” a student! Expect to see that word, “misgendering” in the future. (You will soon find “misgender” as a verb in the dictionary: the word means to address a transgendered person contrary to his/her preferred gender). Mr. Sutcliffe addressed a group of students, one of...

I believe an holy, catholic church. This simple yet profound statement is the confession of countless believers around the world Sunday after Sunday, using the words of the Apostles’ Creed. The churches that use the Nicene Creed fittingly add “…and apostolic…” to their confession. The Heidelberg Catechism beautifully expounds this confession in its fifty-fourth answer as follows: That the Son of God, from the beginning to the end of the world, gathers, defends, and preserves to Himself by His Spirit and Word, out of the whole human race, a church chosen to everlasting life, agreeing in true faith…. The Catechism...

Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. John 10:17-18 We must never in the whole of our Christian lives forget the suffering of our Lord and Savior. For without His suffering there is no salvation. If Jesus had never died on the cross in the way He did, nothing else would matter about...