The Council of Doon PRC announces a trio for missionary to the Philippines:
Revs. A.Brummel (Heritage PRC, Soux Falls, SD), G.Eriks (Hudsonville, MI PRC), C.Haak (Georgetown PRC, Hudsonville, MI).
The congregation plans to call on Sunday, July 5.
The Council of Doon PRC announces a trio for missionary to the Philippines:
Revs. A.Brummel (Heritage PRC, Soux Falls, SD), G.Eriks (Hudsonville, MI PRC), C.Haak (Georgetown PRC, Hudsonville, MI).
The congregation plans to call on Sunday, July 5.
In the sixth century BC, Jerusalem was devastated by the Babylonians. Its temple, its palace, its houses, its city walls—all were reduced to rubble by the ungodly invaders. Along with that, there were very few people of God left. Many were slaughtered or died of famine or diseases. Others were scattered, never to return, and many apostatized.
It is harder for us to understand their deep grief at the physical desolation of Jerusalem, for many of us have never experienced anything like this; we probably have more of a sense of their hardship due to their fewness.
So what does Isaiah do, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to encourage God’s small band of afflicted people? What does he draw upon from earlier biblical history? First, he has recourse to the Abrahamic covenant and the narrative concerning Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 11-25. Second, the prophet writes of Eden, the paradisaical garden of the Lord in Genesis 2-3.
This is what we read in Isaiah 51:1-3: “Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him. For the Lord shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.”
The introductory address, “Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness” (1), does not refer to those Israelites who sought after righteousness by works and who went about to establish their own righteousness. “But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone” (Rom. 9:31-32; cf. 10:3).
Instead of self-righteous hypocrites, God is here speaking to the godly, those who fear the Lord and obey the voice of His servant, the Messiah (Isa. 50:10); those who know righteousness, those who have God’s law in their heart (51:7).
The righteousness of these people is the imputed righteousness of justification (45:24-25). They are also righteous with the infused righteousness of sanctification so that they obey God’s Word not to merit but out of gratitude. They “follow after righteousness” (51:1) by pursuing it diligently.
Let us earnestly follow after righteousness in God’s way and “hearken” to the prophet in the next issue of the News. Rev. Angus Stewart
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Doon PRC, the calling church for the PRC mission endeavors in the Philippines, along with the Foreign Mission Committee, are sending a delegation to the field this week for their annual visit. This is how it was reported in one of our bulletins:
Rev. A.Brummel (Heritage PRC and FMC member) and Elder Jim Regnerus (Doon PRC), with their wives, plan to leave Wednesday, June 24 for the Philippines and return on Thursday, July 9. This will serve as the yearly FMC/Doon delegation, along with Rev. Brummel, providing teaching and preaching assistance for Rev. Kleyn.
From the bullletin of the Covenant Evangelical Reformed Church in Singapore (a sister church of the PRC) we learn of another visit to Kalkata, India, and of God's goodness in providing a place for Pastor Emmanuel and the saints there to conduct their activities.
The delegation of Elder Leong and Pastor Lanning leaves this week for Kolkata, and will be gone from Thursday, 25 June through Wednesday, 1 July. The delegation will be focusing entirely on the work in Kolkata this time, and the main tasks of the delegation will be to discuss the developments since our last visit, and to organize the work between Singapore and Kolkata. The delegation will also join the Fellowship for worship this coming Sunday. As we have sought your prayers before, so we seek them again. Pray for Emmanuel, the saints in Kolkata, and the delegation, that God would gather His church in this part of India, and that He would use us as His unworthy instruments in saving His beloved people.
The Lord has also been good to the saints in Kolkata. Emmanuel recently found a house to rent that can be used for all of the activities of the Fellowship’s activities. It can accommodate worship on Sunday, Bible studies during the week, and any other activities of the group. The house is near public transportation hubs, making it much more accessible than their current facilities. The house is also owned by a Christian, which means the Fellowship will not have to worry about interference with their activities. The house is currently being prepared for use by the Fellowship in Kolkata, and may even be ready for worship by today.
Let us be in prayer for these parties as they travel and as they carry out the missions of their visits.
On Sunday, June 14, 2015, the congregation of Peace PRC (Lansing, IL) voted to call Rev.B.Huizinga from their Council's trio that also included Revs.G.Eriks (Hudsonville PRC) and S.Key (Loveland PRC).
May the King of the church give Rev.Huizinga clear direction with regard to this call and the one from his current congregation, Hope PRC, Redlands, CA.
From our missionary in the Philippines comes this report on the recent Classis meeting of the PRC in the Philippines. We thank him for this update and for the pictures.
The Classis of the PRC in the Philippines met on Friday, June 12, 2015. The meeting was held in the PRC in Bulacan. This was the 5th meeting since the denomination's formation in 2014. Rev. Flores led in opening devotions, and then Rev. Ibe chaired the meeting.
The business of Classis was mostly routine (reports of standing committees, church visitors, clerk, treasurer, etc.) and Classis was able to finish its work by noon.
The main actions were that Classis (1) adopted a constitution for Emeritus work, (2) adopted a constitution for Translation work, and (3) mandated its standing committee which is responsible, among other things, for contact with other churches to correspond with the Contact Committee of the PRCA with a view to establishing a sister church relationship. It is encouraging to know of the PRCP's desire to work toward such a relationship. We trust the standing committee is able to meet sometime in the near future to get that ball rolling.
The next meeting of the Classis is scheduled for Saturday, October 31 in the Berean PRC.
For more pictures from this meeting, visit Rev.D.Kleyn's blog.
The Reformed Book Outlet in Hudsonville, MI has published its June 2015 Newsletter, which includes notice of special summer reading titles from Inheritance Publications. See below for the details!
Of course, at the "RBO" you will also find plenty of sound Reformed books and other good Christian resources to satisfy your need to grow spiritually and to help others do so through gift-giving.
Read the RBO newsletter below (also attached in pdf form),check out their website (also to check on business hours),visit the bookstore, and benefit from the good Reformed literature, music, cards, and other resources available.
Classis East
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Classis West
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