Made Perfect Through the Promise

By Bruinsma, Wilbur

30 Mar

Covenant Reformed News - March 2022

Published in Covenant PRC Ballymena, Northern Ireland

Covenant Reformed News

March 2022 • Volume XVIII, Issue 23

The Four Horses Considered Together

In the last two issues of the News, we have identified and explained the four horses of Revelation 6:1-8. The white horse speaks of the gospel, the red horse brings war, the black horse deals with the selling of food and drink, and the pale horse conveys death. One could say that the white horse treats spiritual matters in the ecclesiastical sphere, the red horse concerns military matters in the national sphere, the black horse involves economic matters in the commercial sphere and the pale horse covers biological matters in the mortal sphere.

The four horses give a helpful perspective on the vital issues of man’s total depravity and God’s sovereign grace. Man’s sin issues in war (red horse), huge economic disparities (black horse) and death (pale horse), for “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). God’s grace comes into this fallen world by the preaching of the gospel (white horse) blessed by the Spirit of Jesus Christ to all His elect. One could sum it all up thus: the first horse deals with the progress of grace in the church and the other three horses with the misery of the curse in the world.

Clearly, the four horses cover key factors or major themes in human history. The movements of the white horse around the globe are traced in books of church history and even factor in studies on world history, though very rarely as prominently as they should. Moreover, is not the history of mankind splattered red with the blood of war, blackened with all sorts of economic woes and famines, and littered with pale corpses?

It is helpful to consider the effect of the four horses upon both those elected in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4) and the reprobate or “the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction” (Rom. 9:22). The pale horse with its rider has authority over both (Rev. 6:8) for all men are mortal since the fall. The black horse affects both believers and unbelievers, for some of both are rich and some are poor and some are in between these two extremes, with I Corinthians 1:26-28 indicating that many of God’s people are lightly esteemed and materially poor in this life. Christians too are involved in various ways in wars (red horse), including serving in the military, navy and air force. Bereavement and disabilities bring pain and grief to both the godly and the ungodly. The white horse rides into cities, towns and communities with the result that the elect are saved, whereas the reprobate are hardened and left without excuse. This occasions spiritual separation between those abiding in unbelief and those mercifully given faith.

All this is the sovereign good pleasure of the Most High, and the purpose of the Lamb who takes the book out of God’s right hand and opens the seven seals, including the first four: the white, red, black and pale horses! Rev. Angus Stewart

Was Nineveh’s Repentance Real?

The question for this article of the News is: “I have read your article on Jonah and Nineveh in the Standard Bearer (15 October, 2021), but can you prove that the people of Nineveh’s repentance was sincere and their faith was in Christ who is the only way of salvation? Did Jonah preach Christ? Nothing in the narrative proves this.”

Was the repentance of the Ninevites genuine? Was it just “the sorrow of the world,” which works death, merely a sorrow for the consequences of their sins and for their threatened destruction? Or was it a “godly sorrow” (II Cor. 7:10)? Many, such as Hugh Martin in his commentary on Jonah, do not believe that it was sincere.

There is clear evidence that Nineveh’s repentance was genuine. First, there is the testimony of Jesus in Matthew 12:41 (Luke 11:32): “The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.” There is no indication in the words of Christ that their repentance was false and every use of the word “repented” in the New Testament is of a real, spiritual repentance, worked by the Spirit of God.

In Matthew 12, Jesus is addressing an “evil and adulterous generation” (39) who refused, in their self-righteousness, to believe and humble themselves. They required a sign from Christ in order to repent and believe. Jesus tells them that no sign would be given but the sign of the prophet Jonah and speaks of Nineveh’s repentance as testimony against them. If Nineveh’s repentance had not been genuine, then it would have been no testimony against those unbelieving Jews.

Second, the Ninevites humbled themselves before God, cried to God and believed God (Jonah 3:5-9). The latter refers to their believing Jonah’s preaching of divine judgment especially but it is also the word that Scripture uses to describe true faith, worked by God’s Spirit. They heard Jonah’s proclamation but they “believed God” (5)! Believing God, they prayed to Him and in praying to Him they humbled themselves before Him. There can be no doubt that these Ninevites were saved as a demonstration of the great truth that “Salvation is of the Lord” (2:9). God did in Nineveh what He would not do in Israel for their hardness of heart and continued idolatry.

That this repentance lasted for only a short time, that is, for that generation, is evident. Within 100 years, the prophets Nahum and Zephaniah would speak again of Nineveh’s evil ways and would prophesy its destruction (Nah. 3:7; Zeph. 2:13). In 612 BC, Nineveh would be destroyed by the Medes.

Nineveh was not saved in its generations. God did not continue His covenant with Nineveh in the Old Testament. That would not happen among the Gentiles until New Testament times. Nevertheless, God demonstrated the sovereignty of His mercy and foretold the New Testament salvation of the Gentiles in Nineveh’s repentance.

The Ninevites, therefore, are an illustration of what the Word says in I John 1:8-9: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” May God grant us all repentance unto life (as He granted it to these Gentiles) and not take away this grace from us (as He took it from Israel)!

Nineveh’s salvation also demonstrates the importance of repentance. We cannot be saved from sin, except in the way of repentance and by faith in Christ. Salvation does not leave us in our sins, but saves us both from the guilt and power of sin. Repentance is turning from sin and is part of our conversion to God, and part of our deliverance from the presence and power of sin.

The reader poses a penetrating question, though, in asking whether Christ was preached to the Ninevites. Without the preaching of Christ, there is no possibility of genuine repentance or of faith. The important passage in answering this second question is Luke 11:30: “For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.”

Jonah cannot be a type of Christ, nor is he identified as a type in Scripture, but he was a sign, a miracle or sign that pointed ahead to the greater miracle or sign of Christ’s coming and work. That is what Christ means when He compares Jonah’s three days in the belly of the fish to His own three days in the belly of the earth. The one miracle points ahead to the other and greater miracle.

That miracle of Jonah’s deliverance from the fish’s belly became part of his preaching in Nineveh, whether he intended it to be so or not. He not only preached to them but he was also a sign to them. It was that sign, as much as Jonah’s actual preaching, which God used for the salvation of the Ninevites. Perhaps it is more accurate to say that Jonah himself, as much as the Word which came from his mouth, was the sermon he preached in Nineveh. In that way, Jonah’s preaching included both the call of the gospel to repentance and the good news of the gospel, the promise that whoever repents and believes will be saved. Thus he preached Christ to them.

We should not be surprised that the gospel was preached in that way in Nineveh. God, in the Old Testament, not only sent His Word through His prophets but very often made them living examples of the Word they brought. Hosea, commanded to marry a whorish woman, was a living sermon to Israel in the days of Jeroboam II, the same king in whose days Jonah prophesied (Hos. 1). Ezekiel, lying on his side in front of an iron pan for some fourteen months, was a sign and sermon to the Jews in the Babylonian captivity in the last days of the Kingdom of Judah (Eze. 4:1-8).

There are those who speculate about Jonah’s physical appearance after being in the belly of a fish for three days. This was a miracle and the Word of God does not tell us what it was like in the belly of the fish or anything of Jonah’s condition after those three days. It was not his appearance but what happened to Jonah, first under the anger of Jehovah and then in his repentance, that was a sign to the Ninevites of God’s justice of His mercy. How the Ninevites learned his story is beside the point but it was the sign, as well as the threat of destruction, that brought them to their knees.

Perhaps the sign was more effective than an actual recitation of the promises would have been, for the Ninevites would hardly have understood a passage like Isaiah 53, had it been preached to them. Many in Israel, who knew of the promised Messiah, did not understand how He could be “as a root out of a dry ground” or like a lamb led to the slaughter (2, 7).

But the Ninevites would have understood from Jonah’s story that the God whom he served, the God of heaven and earth and sea, was different from their idols. They would have understood Jonah’s disobedience, and would have learned from his story that the God of Israel was able to punish, and did punish, sin. They would have listened fearfully, therefore, when that man who had suffered such an awful ordeal preached to them the necessity of repentance. They would have realized, too, from Jonah’s story that the God of Israel, unlike the gods they served, was a God who is not only just but merciful, a God able and willing to save. They would even have realized that there was in God’s sight no difference between Jonah, the Israelite, and themselves.

So Jonah preached in Nineveh by Word and by example. May we, learning from the story of Jonah, have a higher regard for the preaching of the gospel and humbly submit ourselves to it, believing that His Word does not return void (Isa. 55:11). May we never forget that, though it is preached by weak and sinful men, it is “the power of God unto salvation” to all who believe (Rom. 1:16). May we, vomited out of the belly of hell by God’s amazing mercy, continue to give attendance on the preaching of the Word so that, when we fall into sin, as Jonah did, we too may be set again on the path of obedience by the power of the Word. And may all glory and praise be to Him, to whom alone belongs the glory both of the means He has appointed and their good fruit (Canons of Dordt III/IV:17). Rev. Ron Hanko

Westminster Confession 15: Of Repentance Unto Life

Repentance unto life is an evangelical grace, the doctrine whereof is to be preached by every minister of the gospel, as well as that of faith in Christ.
By it, a sinner, out of the sight and sense not only of the danger, but also of the filthiness and odiousness of his sins, as contrary to the holy nature and righteous law of God; and upon the apprehension of His mercy in Christ to such as are penitent, so grieves for, and hates his sins, as to turn from them all unto God, purposing and endeavouring to walk with Him in all the ways of His commandments.
Although repentance be not to be rested in, as any satisfaction for sin, or any cause of the pardon thereof, which is the act of God’s free grace in Christ; yet is it of such necessity to all sinners, that none may expect pardon without it.
As there is no sin so small, but it deserves damnation, so there is no sin so great, that it can bring damnation upon those who truly repent.

Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena, BT43 5DR • Lord’s Day services at 11 am & 6 pm
Website: https://cprc.co.uk/ • Live broadcast: cprc.co.uk/live-streaming/
Pastor: Angus Stewart, 7 Lislunnan Road, Kells, N. Ireland, BT42 3NR • (028) 25 891851
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. • www.youtube.com/cprcni • www.facebook.com/CovenantPRC

27 Mar

PRC and Sister-Church News Highlights for March 27, 2022 *(Updated)

Published in News

Psalm 47 4 Below you will find special highlights of PRC and sister-church news for this thirteenth Sunday of our Lord's year 2022, March 27. We praise and thank the Lord for these weekly spiritual oases on our pilgrimage through this weary world on the way to our heavenly home. May our worship this day be a sweet incense before our faithful God through Jesus Christ our Savior.

O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth. He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet. He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah. ~ Psalm 47:1-4

If you are new to this website and are interested in the PRC, we invite you to join us at any of our services (morning and afternoon/evening). For congregations, locations and times, visit this page.

CONGREGATIONAL NEWS

Last Sunday Rev. D. Kleyn (missionary to the Philippines) received the call to Doon PRC. He is also considering the call to Hudsonville PRC (received March 16).
Rev. E. Guichelaar (Randolph PRC) is considering calls to Peace PRC (Dyer, IN - received March 9) and to First PRC-Edmonton (received Feb.27). *UPDATE: Rev. Guichelaar has declined First PRC-Edmonton's call.
Grace PRC's Council has formed a new trio from which to call a pastor: Prof. B. Gritters (PRC Seminary), and Revs. N. Decker (Grandville PRC) and D. Noorman (SW PRC). The congregation plans to call on April 10.
Classical appointments and pulpit supply for today in the vacant PRCs: Rev. J. Langerak (1st week) in Doon (IA) PRC; Rev. T. Miersma in First PRC, Edmonton, AB; Prof. B. Gritters and Rev. M. McGeown in Grace PRC; Rev. J. Marcus in Peace PRC; Prof. R. Cammenga and Rev. J. Smidstra in Hudsonville PRC. May we count it a blessing of our church federation that we can help one another in these needs. Let us remember to pray for the men who supply these pulpits and for the vacant congregations.
Special Evangelism/missions notices from PRC congregations:
- For those in the Jenison, MI area: Zion PRC's Community Bible Study will meet this Wednesday, March 30, at the Georgetown Public Library. Instruction and discussion with be on Jesus’ miracles of healing a nobleman’s son (John 4:43-54) and healing a lame man (John 5:1-16). Please consider coming with a neighbor or a friend!
- From Georgetown PRC re her work in Vellore, India: "The Sola Gratia Classes are meeting weekly with attendance between 25-30 area pastors and elders. The classes are taught by Pastor Paulraj in Biblical Reformed Doctrines. The new church building continues to make progress. The English Bible Studies continue in the Doctor’s residences. Our brothers and sisters covet our prayers for the work of missions in India and the growth of the PRCV."

prypc logo header 2022

Did you know that...
- registration for the 2022 PR Young People's Convention is now open?! As of yesterday afternoon (too late for this week's bulletins) Faith's PRC Registration Committee let it be known that registration for the young people is open. There's a special link this year for it, and here it is: https://pryp.campbrainregistration.com . Spread the word and watch for more updates from the Faith PRC Steering Committee!
- This is part of the announcement sent out for this week's bulletin: "Faith PRC has a great week planned at Camp Cedarmore in Kentucky from August 1-5, 2022. For the first time, registration will be a fully online process and will run through April. Stay tuned for updates in upcoming bulletin announcements, follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/prcconvention/) or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/prcconvention) for more frequent updates, or visit our website at https://prcconvention.com/. We can't wait to see you there, Lord willing!"
- After two years of no PRYP's conventions, we are hoping to fill the camp with young people hungry for opportunities for spiritual growth in Christ and good Christian fellowship - besides delicious southern food! Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Psalm 63:3

PRC DENOMINATIONAL NEWS

greatcommission1

In accordance with the decision of Synod 2021, the Domestic Mission Committee (DMC) sought out a calling church for Domestic/Home Missions.

We joyfully report that Zion PRC has agreed to be the calling church for home missions and has been officially appointed to this role by the DMC on behalf of synod. Now the Council and congregation of Zion PRC will take the lead in calling a missionary, caring for his needs, and overseeing and supporting his work to publish the gospel of Christ in North America. While Zion PRC takes the lead, the DMC looks forward to helping the congregation in this effort as much as possible with its help and advice.

Please pray that God will bless the efforts of Zion PRC and the DMC to take up the work of home missions again, especially praying that God will provide our churches with a man to serve as a home missionary.

In the service of Christ,
the Domestic Mission Committee of the Protestant Reformed Churches
Classis West: Classis West met March 2-3 in Hope PRC, Redlands, CA. An officebearers' conference was held the Tuesday before. For the official report on this meeting, visit this webpage. There you will also find links to the speeches given at the OBC.
Future Teachers and Ministers: Information for the 2022 PR Scholarship Fund essay competition is now available. Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to receive the essay topics and submission requirements. Completed essays must be submitted by May 31st.

RKleyn sem chapel march 2022
Rev. R. Kleyn (First PRC-GR) spoke for the seminary's chapel this past Wednesday.

PRC Seminary Notices:

The second semester of the 2021-22 school year is now ten weeks in, which is two-thirds of the way through already. Spring break will be held in one week, April 4-8. The schedule and calendar have been posted on the seminary's website and the PRC website. (see special calendars on the right side).
The second round will begin tomorrow (March 28) and continue after spring break (April 4-8).
Rev. R. Kleyn spoke for chapel this past Wednesday. Aaron Van Dyke led devotions this past week. Marcus Wee will be in charge of them this week.
Rev. W. Bruinsma, pastor of the PRC in Pittsburgh, spoke this past Thursday for Prof. B. Gritters' missions class. Zion PRC's Council was also in attendance as she is the new calling church for PRC home missions.
The Theological School Committee met on March 17 at seminary. Pre-sem student Bruce Feenstra (Hope PRC-Redlands and now Hope PRC-Grand Rapids, MI) had made application to enter the seminary this Fall; he was interviewed at this meeting by the TSC and approved for entrance into seminary. Now the PRC Synod must act on this recommendation at its annual meeting this June. We rejoice with this brother in God's leading to this point and pray that He will continue to pave the way for Bruce's training for the ministry of the Word in the PRC.
Student Club is scheduled to meet this Thursday evening, March 31, at Prof. Cammenga's home. The topic will be “Gender Roles in the Church.”
The seminary is open daily (8-5), including the library and bookstore, for our members and friends. The staff is available to assist with any other needs you may have as well. Feel free to call in advance for help with any questions.
The printed edition of the Fall 2021 issue of the PRT Journal was recently mailed out. The digital editions (pdf and ePub) are also available on the seminary's website. Work is being done on the Spring 2022 issue, which will feature the speeches from the seminary's fall conference on preaching. If you want to be added to our mailing list (either print or digital) or wish to pick up a copy, contact Sharon, the seminary secretary.
For the latest seminary news and information, visit the seminary's website.

Castlewellan BRF conference 2022
Beautiful Castlewellan, location of this year's BRF Conference in N.Ireland, July 9-16 (see more details under Covenant PRC news)

SISTER-CHURCH/MISSION NEWS:

Covenant ERC, Singapore and her Kolkata, India mission work:
- Pastor J. Tan is busy serving the CERC faithfully each week as her new pastor. His "pastoral note" to the congregation this week includes this note about pride and humility: "Pride is the greatest obstacle to the worship of God. Worshiping God is extolling and praising the infinite worth of God. Pride is extolling and praising the worth of man over against God. The two cannot be more contrary. ...Only when we humble ourselves before the Sovereign God can we properly worship Him. Only when we confess that God ALONE have saved me from the very depths of hell and unto the heights of a blessed life, then our hearts would desire to extoll the mercy of God. Only when we see the darkness of our sins and total depravity, and yet we are called to come into the presence of the perfectly Just and Holy One, will we from our hearts sing praises of the grace of God."
- The last issue of "Reformed News Asia" was published in December 2021 - #65. Be sure to check it out for the latest news from our sister!

Covenant PRC, N. Ireland:
- Rev. A.Stewart continues to minister the Word faithfully to the saints in Ballymena.
- A March newsletter has been released by the CPRC this month. Visit this page to read it and catch up on all the exciting news out of Ballymena!
- Sign up for the 2022 British Reformed Fellowship family conference at Castlewellan Castle in Northern Ireland from Saturday, July 9, to Saturday, July 16. The speakers, Prof. David Engelsma and Prof. Brian Huizinga will lecture on "Union With Christ." For information see the website (http://brfconference.weebly.com).
- The newest issue of "Covenant Reformed News" has been published - check out the February 2022 edition here. Follow the link to read the latest profitable articles by Revs. A. Stewart and R. Hanko.
PRC in the Philippines and her mission work:
- The latest Philippines Newsletter is available - January 2022 (visit the foreign missions page and see the download at the top of the right-hand column).
- Berean PRC bulletin: Rev. V. Ibe led the worship services today. "The saints in All of Grace Protestant Reformed Fellowship (AGPRF), Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija. will join us in our worship services today via live stream at our Facebook page, D.V." The BPRC March newsletter is now out! See the attached pdf to read a variety of news and activity items about and from the congregation.
- Provident PRC bulletin: Rev. R. Smit preached and lead her worship services today. The services are being livestreamed at the “PPRC and Friends” Facebook page."
- The PRCP Seminary continues with its regular course work in its second semester.

Listen to the Reformed Witness Hour each Sunday - on a radio station near you, on Sermonaudio, or on your favorite podcast - wherever you are!

RKleyn 2020

This month Rev. R. Kleyn (First PRC-Grand Rapids, MI) has resumed speaking for the RWH. The focus will be a series on the life of Joseph, with other special messages interspersed. Today's message is based on Genesis 39:1-6 and titled "Joseph's Diligence in a Strange Pplace and Position."'s Diligence in a Strange Pplace and Position."
The Reformed Witness Hour publishes each month's messages in an attractive booklet. These printed sermons are a great blessing to many and are distributed all over the world, including to many prisoners in the U.S. If you or your Evangelism Committee would like to receive these, let the RWHC know and they will add you to the mailing list (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). You may also find a sample booklet attached to this news post.

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REFORMED RESOURCES FOR EDIFICATION, EDUCATION, and EVANGELISM

ReformedBookOutlet
See the special news items on the Reformed Book Outlet below!

The Reformed Book Outlet (downtown Hudsonville, MI plaza - see photo above) is open five days a week and features Reformed publications, good Christian music, and other practical items (cards, etc.) Come visit the store Tuesday - Friday from 10 am-5 pm, or Saturday from 10 am - 1 pm!
Special notices re the RBO! Reformed Book Outlet is moving! We have found a new building for our store in downtown Hudsonville on Harvey St. after needing to move out of our current location in Keegstra’s Dollar Store. We need to do some renovations to the building before we can move in, and we are holding a drive to help raise $49,200 to do these renovations. We would like to raise $26,400 before starting the renovations on March 26. If you would like to give, you can do so at our website www.reformedbookoutlet.com and typing in Donate to the search bar, or you can send a check made out to Hudsonville PR Church with RBO Drive in the memo, and send to Hudsonville PRC. We could also use some help moving out of our current store on March 30, day or evening. Email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to let us know you’re able to help us move or with any questions!

The last day Reformed Book Outlet will be open in their current location is March 26. We will not be able to move directly into our new location due to the renovations that need to take place, so watch the bulletin or our social media pages for updates on when we will open in our new location. In the mean time, our website will still be open for ordering, for shipping or for local pickup (more details on this to come)!
For sound, distinctively Reformed literature on a variety of subjects and for all ages - including church history and Bible study materials - visit the Reformed Free Publishing Association website or stop in at their Jenison (Michigan) location.
Are you interested in learning more about the doctrines and practices of the PRC? Or, are you in need of some pamphlets and/or articles published by the PRC for use in evangelism and/or witnessing? Or are you simply interested in growing in your faith and walk with the Lord? Visit the Resources pages of this website and the PRCA Evangelism page for a complete list of materials available in digital format or by order from the publishing church.
Do you need some catechism materials for use in your church or family? The PRC publishes catechism materials on Bible history and Reformed doctrine, for children of all ages. Visit this page for more information.
The PR Sunday School Association also publishes complete OT and NT Bible Story Lessons for young children and older children. Visit this page to learn more.

This Week's Thought for Contemplation

“The very fact that in his coming to Jesus the sinner experiences the drawing of the Father is his guarantee that he will surely be received. In the will to come and the coming the sinner experiences the drawing power of God’s grace. God convicts him of sin, and he repents; God enlightens him by His Spirit, and he beholds the Christ in all His beauty of salvation; God allures and attracts, and he longs for the God of his salvation; God seals him, and he appropriates the Christ and all His benefits. How then could he ever be cast out? They that thus come to Jesus shall never be ashamed!” (No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him. John 6:44)

~ Herman Hoeksema, Whosever Will, ch. 10

20 Mar

PRC and Sister-Church News Highlights for March 20, 2022 *(Updated)

Published in News

Psalm 46 4 Below you will find special highlights of PRC and sister-church news for this twelfth Sunday of our Lord's year 2022, March 20. We praise and thank the Lord for these weekly spiritual oases on our pilgrimage through this weary world on the way to our heavenly home. May our worship this day be a sweet incense before our faithful God through Jesus Christ our Savior.

There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. ~ Psalm 46:4-7