Rev. Mahtani is a minister in the Evangelical Reformed Churches of Singapore. When the invitation came for us to return to India, nobody expected it to materialize in what one might call the “first joint-venture in missions” between the Evangelical Reformed Churches in Singapore and the Protestant Reformed Churches in America. As it turned out, however, Rev. J. Mahtani and Rev. J. Kortering found themselves on Indian soil for 24 days in the months of October and November 1992. What on earth were they doing there? Instead of writing words to explain and illustrate the mission trip, we present a...

Rev. Hanko is a minister emeritus in the Protestant Reformed Churches. Off from the main street of Sioux Center, Iowa stood a small house, in fact, it was a very small house, actually consisting only of a small living room and a still smaller bedroom, with a lean-to for a kitchen. I knocked, and then stooped as I stepped through the kitchen door. On the opposite side of the room, with a table between them, sat an elderly couple. As was customary, he was spending the evening reading the Bible, one chapter after another. Across from his sat his wife,...

Rev. Higgs is a minister in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Australia. It has been four years now since we returned from your country to our own, and just over three years since I was ordained to the office of minister of the Word and sacraments. Life in the ministry is always busy, but never so busy that we forget you as churches, or the many friends that we made in your midst. Indeed, rare is the occasion when we do not pray publicly for you in our congregations — for you as denomination; for your ministers and other officebearers;...

Rev. Bruinsma is pastor of First Protestant Reformed Church in Holland, Michigan. There is a golden link between God’s everlasting covenant of grace and mission work. So much so, that it is hard to conceive of any proper mission work being carried Consider God’s covenant: it is His everlasting bond of friendship on without a deep appreciation of and fellowship with His chosen people in Christ. It is rooted in the life of fellowship God has within the truth of God’s covenant with Himself as the triune God; it is decreed from eternity in God’s sovereign election; and it is...

Rev. Higgs is a minister in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Australia. In my previous article, by way of an introduction to the life of our denomination, I wrote concerning the history of settlement and early life in Australia. This was to set the scene, so that you may understand something of the characteristics, weaknesses, and sins of Australia as a nation, and of her people, generally speaking, as individuals. There is much more involved in trying to understand us Australians. But the settlement of our country and its early history is embedded in our makeup, and certainly helps to...

Rev. Terpstra is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Holland, Michigan Dedication Message for the New Church Building of the First Protestant Reformed Church of Holland, Michigan July 2, 1998 It is a wonderful evening for us as a congregation. Our faithful and gracious God has provided us a new church home in which to worship Him and in which to busy ourselves in the labors and activities of His kingdom. We have a beautiful new church home, inside and out, architecturally and aesthetically. In this respect our new building reflects the beauty of God Himself, as well as...

Rev. Mahtani is pastor-elect of Trinity Protestant Reformed Church in Houston, Texas. I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,) that ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth. I Corinthians 16:15, 16. By the amazing grace of God we have been delivered from the darkness of self-indulgence. We have put away drug addiction, drunkenness, gluttony, and all our former lusts. But we must remember that as new creatures in Christ we are...

Rev. Kortering is a Protestant Reformed minister-on-loan to Singapore. It was my privilege to be present at the annual meeting of the Classis of the Evangelical Reformed Churches of Singapore which met at Covenant Church on Saturday, February 27. It was with great joy that we could observe as well as participate in the discussions which led to the decisions which had to be made. Besides the delegates, Pastor Mahtani was also present to participate. The Lord has greatly blessed these churches, and there is abundant evidence of their increasing ability to handle ecclesiastical matters. Though the denomination consists of...

Richard G. Moore is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hull, Iowa. In this new season of congregational activities, it is good to consider the blessings we have in the fellowship of saints. And in this connection to ask the questions: With whom is our fellowship? With whom do we commune? From the time of the fall there have been two seeds in the midst of this world. The seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. And as God’s people our f4lowship is not to be with the world which is the SI bed of the...

Rev. Houck is pastor of Peace Protestant Reformed Church in Lynwood, Illinois. There are many who do not recognize the power of the preaching. They see the preaching as merely an offer of salvation by God to the lost sinner, an offer which the lost sinner can accept or reject. They say that God loves everyone, and that He therefore sincerely desires the salvation of everyone. He expresses His love and desire by making His generous offer in the preaching. Thus the preaching is merely the presentation of certain information. It is information about man and his need of salvation,...