All Articles For Go Ye Into All the World

Previous article in this series: April 15, 2011, p. 313. In our previous articles on this subject, we considered four characteristics of churches that are truly Reformed. They are so in their history, their doctrine, their worship, and their life. We also mentioned that some imagine that only some of these characteristics are needed. They have the idea that when the Reformed faith is taught, they may choose just the parts that they like (as they would when standing at a food buffet). The prevailing thought is that as long as one has Reformed doctrines, he has enough. They do...

Rev. denHartog is pastor of Southwest Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan. Previous article in this series: March 1, 2007, p. 255. In our last three articles we have been considering some of the great statements the inspired apostle Paul makes in I Corinthians 9:15-21. Paul is speaking as the greatest missionary of all times. He is speaking of his own example in order to instruct the church of the New Testament even today in the great and wonderful work of preaching the gospel to all men. We have seen in past articles the great zeal of the apostle Paul for...

Rev. Bruinsma is Eastern Home Missionary of the Protestant Reformed Churches, stationed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Previous article in this series: January 1, 2008, p. 164. To perform the work of missions correctly takes knowledge of the Scriptures. There are right ways and wrong ways to conduct mission work. God demands more of His church and people than the attitude that because other churches are doing it we should be doing it too. Sometimes saints in our churches who take an active interest in missions but are unhappy with the slow results of mission work cast longing eyes on the church...

Rev. Miersma is western home missionary of the Protestant Reformed Churches. Previous article in this series: January 15, 2008, p. 174. As election is the saving purpose of God, reprobation may be called the sovereign righteous and judicial purpose of God. God wills to save His elect from eternity. He has ordained others to be vessels of His wrath from eternity, to serve the magnifying of His grace in election and to reveal His righteous judgment in the way of their sin and hardening (Rom. 9:15-24). As election is known by its fruit in the elect, one may also say...

Rev. Miersma is western home missionary of the Protestant Reformed Churches. Previous article in this series: April 15, 2007, p. 329. When our Lord went preaching and teaching in Galilee and performing wonders, He was fulfilling His Father’s will and His own calling. Jesus labored in the consciousness, not only that He was sent, as we saw last time, but also that He was directed in the work by the will of the Father. We read, for example, in Luke 4:43, 44, “And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am...

Rev. Miersma is western home missionary of the Protestant Reformed Churches. Previous article in this series: June 2007, p. 400. The Lord sovereignly directs the work of missions and evangelism. He directs it to whom He in His good pleasure sends the Word. The saving purpose of that work of God in Christ is the gathering and salvation of His elect out of the nations. This doctrinal truth is an integral part of the Reformed confession. While we preach and witness to all to whom God gives us occasion and opportunity to preach or speak, we know and confess that...

Rev. Bruinsma is Eastern Home Missionary of the Protestant Reformed Churches, stationed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Previous article in this series: November 15, 2007, p. 89. In the last article we defined missions. We also began our treatment of the biblical foundation on which all mission work must be built. If the church is to be zealous in her mission work, she must understand that the Bible teaches the indispensable need to carry on such work. We concluded our last article stating that the necessity of missions rests upon the truth of the covenant. There are two means that God employs...

Mr. Doezema is a member of Southwest Protestant Reformed Church and secretary of the Domestic Mission Committee. Northern Ireland  Though the organization of a church is not the be-all and end-all of the work of missions, there’s no denying that the reaching of that goal brings intense satisfaction to the parties involved—the members of the mission who ask for it, the calling church and the mission committee that evaluate the request, and the synod that finally approves it. With respect to synod, that “intense satisfaction” was clear from the opening lines of its letter to the Covenant Protestant Reformed Church...

Mr. Brummel is a member of the First Protestant Reformed Church of Edgerton, Minnesota and secretary of the Foreign Mission Committee. Organization of a Church in Manila The Foreign Mission Committee of the Protestant Reformed Churches once again presents a brief annual review of the foreign mission work being done by our churches. Even though we have correspondence with various contacts in other countries, the focus of our work continues to be in the Philippines. We had opportunity to remain busy in the work of bringing the gospel and teaching through the faithful labors of our calling church (Doon PRC)...

Rev. Kortering is a minister/missionary emeritus in the Protestant Reformed Churches.   What is an indigenous church  In the history of missions, there has been tension in the Reformed churches as to the proper perspective of what a mission church, established in a foreign land, ought to be. Years ago, when the Dutch government was heavily involved in the colonization of the world, the Reformed churches of the Netherlands combined colonization with mission outreach. This took place through the Dutch East India Company. Let me use Malacca, Malaysia as an example. The French controlled Malacca and, with it, its wealth...