Rev. Bruinsma is pastor of Kalamazoo Protestant Reformed Church in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Where to Search for a Spouse Jack had been wandering the aisles of a large hardware store for about a half hour before being approached by a store assistant. When asked if he needed help, Jack explained that…
* Calvin’s preface to the Geneva Psalter of 1543. As to public prayers, there are two kinds: the one consists of words alone; the other includes music. And this is no recent invention. For since the very beginning of the church it has been this way, as we may learn…
Mr. Wigger is an elder in the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Congregational Activities The consistory of the PRC in Edgerton, MN called a congregational meeting in late August for the purpose of voting on two proposals. They were to consider a proposal to install central air-conditioning in their…
Rev. Woudenberg is a minister emeritus in the Protestant Reformed Churches. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Acts 2:39 The realization that the covenant view of Herman Hoeksema is,…
Rev. Miersma is home missionary of the Protestant Reformed Churches. It has sometimes been said by the advocates of the offer that as Protestant Reformed Churches we cannot do mission work or preach the gospel in evangelism. Not only is this false, but, as I want to point out, the…
Rev. Key is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Randolph, Wisconsin. In discussing the doctrine of Christ, the Mediator and Head of the covenant, we are called to consider the names by which the Savior is revealed to us. We do well to consider these things. Not simply abstractly.…
Rev. Kuiper is pastor of Southeast Protestant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The word travail is often found in context with the words labor, sorrow, anguish, pain, and vexation. Travail, of course, refers to birth pangs, to the experience that a mother undergoes in the hours immediately prior to…
Rev. Dick is pastor of Grace Protestant Reformed Church in Standale, Michigan. Jesus is in Jerusalem. The feast of “the dedication” is being cel-ebrated by the Jews. This feast, though not authorized by the Hebrew Scriptures, was nevertheless celebrated annually by the Jews. It is still celebrated today. The Jews…
Prof. Hanko is professor of Church History and New Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. Introduction I shall have to write this sketch of someone whom I knew. I did not and could not know him as his family knew him. I did not and could not know him as…
Rev. Kuiper is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Byron Center, Michigan. In the last article we considered the effect which the confusion of tongues at Babel had on language. In this article we will consider how language was affected by the fall, which will set the stage to…
In the September 1, 1997 issue of this magazine, I commented on a recent ecumenical conference of Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and ecumenicals (“‘That They All may be One,’ or ‘The Mystery of the Great Whore’?”). This summer saw another significant ecumenical development. Four large denominations in the tradition of…
Herman Hoeksema was the first editor of the Standard Bearer. For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and…
Mr. Wigger is an elder in the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Evangelism Activities This fall, Christianity on Campus, a group which has for its advisors, members of the Evangelism Committee of the Grace PRC in Standale, MI, is again sponsoring a series of ten lecture/discussions which have to…
September 10, 1997 at Kalamazoo Protestant Reformed Church Classis East met in regular session on Wednesday, September 10, 1997. The churches were all represented by two delegates. Rev. R. Van Overloop chaired this session. The primary business of this classis was the examination of Pastors-elect James Laning and Martin VanderWal.…
September 3 & 4, 1997 at Peace PRC, Lansing, Illinois The September meeting of Classis West was held in Lansing, Illinois at Peace Protestant Reformed Church, Wednesday, September 3 and Thursday, September 4. The meeting of classis was preceded by an officebearers’ conference on Tuesday, September 2. The theme of…
Prof. Engelsma is professor of Dogmatics and Old Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. Worthwhile books in English on the Synod of Dordt and its doctrinal decisions, though rare, are available. All that will be mentioned here are written for the people, and not only for the theologian. Such is…
Rev. Cammenga is pastor of Southwest Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan. When one thinks of the Synod of Dordrecht, 1618-19, what comes to mind first of all are the doctrinal pronouncements made by the synod against the Arminians. Undoubtedly the Canons of Dordt are the great work for which…
Rev. Koole is pastor of Faith Protestant Reformed Church in Jenison, Michigan. When the Enemy launched a full frontal assault against the doctrinal walls of the church, the church responded with a ‘Canons’ blast of confessional truth to ward off the assault, to show that there is plenty of life…
Rev. Terpstra is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Holland, Michigan
Prof. Hanko is professor of Church History and New Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. Introduction The Synod of Dordrecht was the greatest assembly of Reformed churches that ever met. Though some may argue that Dordt was exceeded in greatness by the Westminster Assembly, which met less than 30 years…
Prof. Dykstra is professor of Church History and New Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary.
The story is told of the delegate to the Synod of Dordt who, ever afterwards, when the synod was mentioned, doffed his hat and exclaimed, “Oh, most holy synod!” This is not the attitude toward the synod that prevails in Reformed churches today. But it should be. It is ours.…
The Christian Encyclopedia for the People of the Netherlands begins its article on the Synod of Dordt (1618, 1619), “The Great Synod of Dordt is undoubtedly the most important fact from the history of the Reformed churches in the Netherlands.” Its tremendous importance extends to Reformed churches in all lands.
[ On December 31, 1618, Johannes Polyander preached a sermon on Isaiah 52:7 before the delegates at the Synod of Dordt. Polyander was professor of theology at Leiden. The sermon, originally preached in Latin, appears in Dutch in the “Acts” of the Synod. The sermon as published here is severely…
Mr. Wigger is an elder in the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan.
Rev. Brummel is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church in Edgerton, Minnesota. I intend to write a series of articles which introduce the major false religions of the world. My desire is that these articles will equip the reader both to be on his guard against the lie and to…
Rev. Key is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Randolph, Wisconsin. Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21 That is the gospel, the precious gospel, spoken by the angel of the Lord to Joseph and recorded in Matthew. In…
Mr. Vermeer is the retiring secretary of the RFPA. According to the Constitution of the Reformed Free Publishing Association, the purpose of the RFPA is to witness to the truth contained in the Word of God as expressed in the three forms of unity and to reveal false and deceptive…
Rev. Dick is pastor of Grace Protestant Reformed Church in Standale, Michigan. Thank you for the opportunity to address you tonight at this, the annual meeting of the Reformed Free Publishing Association. Thank you, and may God, Allah, Buddha, Yahweh, Jehovah, Cosmic Consciousness, and “all that is,” bless you! Before…
Rev. Dick is pastor of Grace Protestant Reformed Church in Standale, Michigan. The history recorded in John 11 is about Jesus’ raising from the dead one Lazarus. We do not know much of Lazarus. He was of the town of Bethany, nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs (two miles) off…
Prof. Hanko is professor of Church History and New Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. Controversy In His First Charge From the day Hoeksema entered the ministry in 14th St. Christian Reformed Church in Holland, Michigan to the day he died, his life can be characterized as one of controversy.…
Rev. VanBaren is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Loveland, Colorado. Strange Bed-fellows! Rev. Robert Schuller has a way of getting his name regularly in the press. Recently there has been reported an altercation which took place on a plane. But his association with people of every religion seems…
Sound Works on Amillennialism I am a Primitive Baptist minister from Memphis, TN and a longtime subscriber to the Standard Bearer. I appreciated very much your series of articles on “A Defense of (Reformed) Amillennialism.” Can you recommend other works which are sound on this subject? I have some friends…
Bert Zandstra is a 30-year old adulterer. Married with three little children, he fell in love with a younger woman. He then abandoned his wife and children, to live with his lover. Within a year, he divorced his wife and married the object of his lust. Whether she too had…
Blessed Thought (John 1:12) A child of God am I! God’s love to me is sure! No storms of life can harm me; With Him I am secure. A child of God am I! And thus I’m set apart; I now forsake the things of earth, For Christ lives in…
Herman Hoeksema was the first editor of the Standard Bearer. For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar. Romans 3:3, 4a For what if some did not believe? This…
Mr. Wigger is an elder in the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Minister Activities Rev. J. Slopsema, pastor of the First PRC in Grand Rapids, MI, has declined the call he received to become pastor of the South Holland, IL PRC. Following that decline, the South Holland PRC made…
True Thanks I thank Thee, Lord, for blessings Which Thou hast given me; For health and strength, for freedom To freely worship Thee. For food and drink abundant For body and for soul; I thank Thee for a Savior Who cleansed and made me whole. I thank Thee, Lord, for…
Introduction Part of the mandate our churches gave to Rev. Kortering is that he is to assist the Evangelical Reformed Churches of Singapore (ERCS) with their mission work. For some time now the ERCS have been working among the United Reformed Churches in Myanmar (formerly Burma). The ERCS sent Rev.…
Rev. Cammenga is pastor of Southwest Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan. “The Lord’s Supper shall be administered at least every two or three months.” Church Order, Article 63 “The administration of the Lord’s Supper shall take place only there where there is supervision of elders, according to the ecclesiastical…
Rev. Kuiper is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Byron Center, Michigan. Having considered the effect of the fall on language, we must now examine the relationship between language and salvation. Two distinct aspects of this relationship must be noted: first, God uses language to save us, and second,…
Rev. denHartog is pastor of Hope Protestant Reformed Church in Redlands, California. That God saves only a very small remnant of mankind is one of the greatest of all mysteries of God’s work of salvation. This truth is proven throughout the history of the world. It contradicts all human reason.…
Rev. Dick is pastor of Grace Protestant Reformed Church in Standale, Michigan. Manna and the RFPA All this leads us to the exclusivist, particularist position. We have presented the religious stew, pluralism, and the mush, inclusivism. We have spit both out. But now, what do we eat? What shall we…
The RCA and “The Formula of Agreement” As a member of the RCA, I read with much interest your editorial, “The Sacraments are Still an Issue” (Standard Bearer, Oct. 1, 1997). Over the last years, the Lord has steadily drawn me to what I am convinced are more biblical viewpoints…
About books. About forthcoming books published by our own Reformed Free Publishing Association (RFPA). Two books are to appear before Christmas of this year, God willing. One is a reprint of Herman Hoeksema’s Believers and Their Seed, now subtitled, Children in the Covenant. This is Hoeksema’s definitive, ground-breaking treatment of…
The ethical scandal in evangelical and Reformed churches today is unbiblical divorce and the remarriage that almost certainly follows. By “scandal,” I do not only mean iniquitous conduct that blatantly violates the clear command of Holy Scripture. But I refer to behavior that gives occasion to the ungodly to mock…
Herman Hoeksema was the first editor of the Standard Bearer. For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let…
Mr. Wigger is an elder in the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Evangelism Activities The Evangelism Committee of the Bethel PRC in Itasca, IL has created a sermon tape album on a series of eight sermons taken from the admonition of Philippians 4:8, namely, to think upon those things…
Today’s Gospel and Apostolic Exhortations: A Study in the Presentation of the Gospel, by A. G. Randalls. Windmill Hill, East Sussex, England: The Huntingtonian Press, 1997. 103 pp. Price unknown (paper). [Reviewed by the editor.] Promising much, this book delivers little. It claims to be “the first book to set…
Mrs. Kortering is the wife of Rev. Jason Kortering, a minister-on-loan from the Protestant Reformed Churches in America to Singapore. Tuesday, January 9. Conference carried on as before. I told Tracy that I would really like to meet with the women during the noon break after lunch was finished. Afternoon…