25 Sep

Classis West Meeting, Sept.28, 2016 (Updated with Clerk's Report)

CLASSIS WEST met in regular session on Wednesday, September 28, 2016 at Randolph (WI) PRC.

An Officebearers' Conference on Biblical Counseling was held the day before the meeting, Tuesday. Sept.27, in the church (cf. the flyer below and attached).

The professors and students of the PRC Seminary also attended the Tuesday conference.

May the Lord give His blessing to the conference and the meeting of Classis.

Official report:

Classis West met in regular session on September 28, 2016, in Randolph, WI.

Rev. S. Key opened the meeting with devotions and an exhortation based on 1 Thessalonians 2:1-6. He reminded the delegates that God has entrusted us with the gospel. This becomes a source of confidence for us who minister the word, as well as a reason for commitment and the power of divine commission.

Rev. R. Kleyn chaired this meeting of Classis. The agenda was brief. The stated clerk, classical committee, and reading sermon committee all reported routine labors. The expenses of this meeting totaled $6,871.73. Classis adjourned before 11:00, after hearing Rev. Kleyn give a brief parting exhortation based on 1 Corinthians 15:58. Classis is scheduled to meet next on March 1, 2017 in Redlands.

The day before Classis, the delegates and several visitors enjoyed fellowship and instruction at an officebearers’ conference on the topic of “Biblical Counseling.” The two morning sessions were led by Rev. Jeff Doll, pastor of biblical counseling at Cornerstone United Reformed Church, and director of the Institute for Reformed Biblical Counseling. Rev. Doll’s first presentation set forth seven foundational principles for Reformed Biblical counseling. In his second speech he laid out seven steps to follow in counseling God’s people. The afternoon sessions were led by Rev. Garry Eriks and Rev. Rodney Kleyn. Rev. Eriks spoke on

“The Practice and Goal of Biblical Counseling,” and Rev. Kleyn on “Implementing Biblical Counseling in the Local Church.” The instruction was timely and the fellowship pleasant.

Rev. Douglas Kuiper

Stated Clerk, Classis West

biblicalcounseling CW sept 2016 Page 1

24 Sep

Covenant Reformed News - September 2016

Published in Covenant PRC Ballymena, Northern Ireland

Covenant Reformed News

September 2016 • Volume XVI, Issue 5

God’s Longsuffering in the New Testament

In the last two issues of the News, we looked at God’s longsuffering in the Old Testament. Now we turn to the seven New Testament instances.

The first reference to God’s longsuffering in the New Testament is Luke 18:7: “And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?” The object of Jehovah’s bearing or suffering long in this text is “his own elect,” those whom He chose in Christ before the foundation of the world (0. 1:4).

The last biblical references to the longsuffering of the Most High are found in Peter’s two canonical epistles. In I Peter 3:20, we read that “the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.” Here Jehovah’s longsuffering is directed not to the wicked world He destroyed by the flood but to the “eight souls” (Noah and his three sons with their four wives) who were “saved” by water, as a picture of their eternal salvation.

The apostle Peter next speaks of God’s longsuffering in II Peter 3:9: “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Here we are told that God’s “longsuffering [is] to us-ward,” namely, the “beloved” (1), those who “have obtained like precious faith” with Peter and all the saints (1:1), and who are the objects of Jehovah’s “calling and election” (10), as opposed to the “scoffers” (3:3).

Those to whom the Almighty is longsuffering are the ones whom He wills, wishes, wants and desires not to “perish” but to “come to repentance” (9). The sovereign and unchangeable Lord, in His infinite wisdom, power and grace, effectually calls all of His own, for “who hath resisted his will?” (Rom. 9:19). Notice that II Peter 3 explains why Christ has not yet returned. It is not that the Lord is “slack concerning His promise” (9), as the scoffers claimed, but that all of God’s elect church, all the stones in Jehovah’s spiritual temple, all the members of the body of Christ, must be brought to salvation before He comes back to judge the world.

This fits perfectly with Peter’s third and final reference to the Lord’s longsuffering: “And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you” (15).

Notice three things in this text. First, the apostle asserts that “the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation,” for those to whom the sovereign and omnipotent God is longsuffering are always saved! Second, this is to be a theological first principle with Christians in their thinking regarding Jehovah’s longsuffering: “account [i.e., consider, deem, think or reckon with deliberate and careful judgment] that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation.” Third, the effectual and saving power of God’s longsuffering is also the inspired teaching of the great apostle of grace: “even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you.”

In Romans 9:22, that great theologian asks, “What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction …?”

Here we are taught that Jehovah “endured … the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction [i.e., the reprobate].” He puts up with them for a while because He shall display His glory through His holy “wrath” and awesome “power” in His “destruction” of them as “vessels of wrath” for all their sin and rebellion. This is what God desires, wishes and wants: “God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known.” Reprobation (22) serves God’s election of both Jews and Gentiles, whereby he “make[s] known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory” (23).

We need carefully to distinguish between God’s enduring or putting up with the reprobate (cf. Matt. 17:17; Mark 9:19; Luke 9:41) and His being longsuffering towards His elect (Luke 18:7). The Almighty “endured ... the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction [i.e., the reprobate]” (Rom. 9:22). How did He do this? The answer is found in the subordinate clause: “with much longsuffering” towards His elect (22). Remember that “the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation” (II Pet. 3:15).

This is Paul’s other reference to God’s longsuffering in Romans: “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” (2:4). This does not refer to a “goodness” or “longsuffering” of God for the reprobate. First, the text does not say that Jehovah’s goodness or longsuffering merely tries (but fails) to lead the reprobate to repentance; it says that “the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.” Second, the verse speaks not of merely a bit of common grace for the reprobate, as some allege, but of “the riches of his goodness.”

Romans 2:4 is not addressed to man as elect or reprobate but to generic and undifferentiated man. Thus he is addressed in the context as “O man” (1, 3). If we come to differentiation, God’s “forbearance” is for the reprobate, as in Romans 9:22; His longsuffering is for the elect (Luke 18:7) and is always salvific (II Pet. 3:15).

The very same apostle Paul is the great biblical example of Jehovah’s longsuffering to an elect sinner: “Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting” (I Tim. 1:16).

Paul says that God was longsuffering to him “first,” not chronologically but preeminently, since he viewed himself as the “chief” of sinners (15) for he blasphemed Christ and persecuted His church (13). No wonder the apostle speaks of the Lord Jesus manifesting “all longsuffering” towards him, before breaking forth with a doxology: “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen” (17).

In God’s longsuffering to him in his gross wickedness before his conversion, Paul says he is a “pattern” (16). No one is too sinful to be saved, if God wills it. If the Lord can convert Paul who ravaged Christ’s church (Acts 8:1-4), then nobody is too difficult for Him. All must repent of their sins and trust in the crucified and risen Lord Jesus, the only Saviour! Rev. Stewart

Our Saviour’s Weakened Human Nature

A reader asks, “Could Christ have contracted disease while on earth? He had no original sin and had He not had our sins imputed to Him would never have died. Correct?” There are really two questions in what the reader writes. I will try to answer both of them in turn.

Our answer to the first one, “Could Christ have contracted disease while on earth?” must be in the affirmative. We never read that our Lord was sick but Paul does write, “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Rom. 8:3-4).

Christ came not in the likeness of sinless flesh but in the likeness of sinful flesh. We must not take this to mean that Christ could sin for He most emphatically could not. Scripture is clear on that. He is the Second Person of the Trinity who possesses the entire divine nature and He united to it His human nature. He was God in our flesh and God cannot sin: “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man” (James 1:13).

That He came in the likeness of sinful flesh means that He did not come in the strong and powerful human nature that Adam possessed before he fell but in the likeness of our flesh: weak, subject to trouble and disease, easily wearied (for our Lord was weary, hungry and thirsty) and eroded by 6,000 years of sinning. This is why, for example, Hebrews can tell us that He was tempted, even as we are tempted. He knew from experience the power and attractiveness of temptations. As such, He is a sympathetic high priest to whom we may boldly come to seek forgiveness and strength to stand against the wiles of the devil (Heb. 4:15-16).

I remember that long ago my pastor, Rev. Herman Hoeksema, began a sermon on Hebrews 4:15-16 with these words: “Beloved, this is such a beautiful and comforting text that I thought about reading it several times and then sending you home. I am afraid I might spoil it.” He then preached a sermon that was gripping, comforting and spiritually encouraging. The text is possible only because our Lord was born in the likeness of sinful flesh.

Christ was born a baby, weak, helpless, dependent on His mother and crying when He was hungry, yet without any sinful petulance. He did not have a halo on His head, any more than any of us has a halo—even though in our pride we sometimes think we do.

Finally, Psalm 103:3 reads, “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases.” Our Lord could not heal our diseases without experiencing them Himself. He was indeed like us in all things—except sin.

The second question cannot be answered. It is like asking: If Adam and Eve had not eaten of the forbidden tree, and they had lived forever, how many children would they have had? Or, if Adam and Eve had not sinned, would everyone now born have also been born, only in a state of moral perfection?

The fact of the matter is that Christ came into the world in order that sin might be imputed to Him. If one looks at the matter from the historical viewpoint, one would say that Adam and the whole human race sinned, and God provided Christ in order that He might save His elect from the fallen human race through the imputation of their sin to Christ. God sent Christ into the world to bear the sins and guilt of His people. If God had determined not to save a people for Himself, He would never have sent Christ into the world. The moment Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit the sin of the elect was imputed to Him. It was the very purpose for His coming into the world. “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (II Cor. 5:21).

Paul calls this the “great” “mystery” (I Tim. 3:16), for God’s purpose is profound and glorious, and the way of salvation is a wonder of which no mere creature could possibly have thought. Here is where the Arminian, with his heresy of a universal, ineffectual atonement, comes to disaster—with all his false theology. God imputed our sin to Christ. That means that Christ suffered the full penalty of sin for all those whose sin was imputed to Him. He bore the penalty of sin that consisted of death when God drives man from the world and assigns him an eternity of punishment in hell: “To live apart from God is death!”

If God imputed to Christ the sin of all men absolutely, no man any longer can or will perish in hell; all will be saved. But if God chose to glorify Himself through Christ (Eph. 1:3-14), and through Christ by imputing to Him the sins of the elect, then Christ had to die and go to hell for the elect alone.

Blessed gospel! “God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (II Cor. 5:19). Prof. Hanko

_________________________________

For more on Christ’s real, complete, sinless, individual and weakened human nature, plus His virgin birth, temptations and His fulfilment of God’s covenant prophecies, listen to the 8 CDs on “The Incarnation of the Son of God.” The cost for this attractive box set on Belgic Confession 17-18 is £10 (inc. P&P) or listen free on our website.

Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena, BT43 5DR • Lord’s Day services at 11 am & 6 pm
Website: www.cprc.co.uk • Live broadcast: www.cprf.co.uk/live
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

South Wales Lecture

Friday, 30 September, 2016
at 7:15 PM

The Round Chapel
274 Margam Road, Port Talbot, SA13 2DB

Are Unbelievers in God's Image?

Speaker:
Rev. Angus Stewart

All welcome!
_______

Reformation Day Lecture

Friday, 28 October, 2016
at 7:30 PM

at the CPRC
Ballymena, BT43 5DR

John Owen and the Death of Christ

Speaker:
Rev. Angus Stewart

All welcome!
www.cprc.co.uk

The lecture will be streamed live at http://www.cprf.co.uk/live.html

“Behold, I Come Quickly”: The Reformed, Biblical Truth of the End

11 lectures/sermons on CD or DVD
in an attractive box set

These are the speeches at the excellent British Reformed
Fellowship Conference at Castlewellan, N. Ireland, in July

£12/box set (inc. P&P)

Watch free on YouTube or
Order from the CPRC Bookstore
7 Lislunnan Road, Kells, N. Ireland BT42 3NR
(028) 25891851.

Make cheques payable to “Covenant Protestant Reformed Church.” Thank you!

24 Sep

Pittsburgh PRC Updates - September 2016

Published in Pittsburgh PRC Pittsburgh, PA

From our newest congregation - Pittsburgh PRC - and her faithful "reporter", Many Tolsma, comes this newsletter update. The full newsletter is attached as a pdf. The first part is posted here.

Pittsburgh Updates

Our summer began with the annual Memorial Day church picnic. We gathered at a park in Monroeville. We had a delicious spread of hamburgers and hotdogs and many sides to go with them. We played baseball and also everyone, even the adults, enjoyed the toys at the park!
As you know, we experienced the organization of our church in June. Since then, we have picked a name for our church. We are know the Pittsburgh Protestant Reformed Church.
We also have called our own minister, who graciously accepted our call, and who was installed into office by Rev. Ken Koole in August.
Several of the young adults in our congregation have gathered at the park to play tennis this summer. Many have discovered that they need much more practice! We hope to continue getting together and working on this.
We continue to have our fellowship dinners the second Sunday afternoon of every month. No one walks away hungry!
Our NOC committee continues to work very hard on many projects. One of them includes our new website. Check it out! www.prcpittsburgh.org
Our fall lecture is being planned for November 11 with the theme: "The Church in the Last Days: Continuing in Things Learned". Our speaker is Rev. W. Bruinsma.

Special notice: In connection with the organization of Pittsburgh PRC, the Domestic Mission Committee of the PRCA has sent out the following notice:

The Domestic Mission Committee (DMC) wishes to inform the churches that with the organization of the Pittsburgh mission field and with their missionary, Rev. W. Bruinsma, accepting the call to become Pittsburgh’s first pastor, Southwest PRC has asked to be relieved of its responsibilities of being a calling church for domestic missions. With deep appreciation for Southwest’s work the DMC has approved this request and will so inform Synod.

18 Sep

PRC Congregational News, Sept.18, 2016 (Updated re Call to the Philippines)

Published in First PRC Holland, MI

HuizingaBrian On Sunday, Sept.18, 2016, Rev. Brian Huizinga (Hope PRC, Redlands, CA) announced his decline of the call First PRC (Holland, MI) extended to him on August 28.

May the Lord assure this congregation of His knowledge of her need for another undershepherd and of His care for her while she waits for a pastor.

From Hull PRC's bulletin we find this significant notice concerning one of the PRC's emeritus ministers:

With thanksgiving to the Lord of the harvest, we remind our fellow saints of the 45^th anniversary of the ordination and installation into the ministry of Rev. Rodney G. Miersma [September, 1971]. He and his wife, Sharon, have faithfully served our churches in Isabel, SD; Pella, IA; Holland, MI; Wellington, NZ; Lacombe, AB; foreign missionary to Ghana; and Loveland, CO. Our emeritus minister continues to serve our churches in northwest Iowa. So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. (Ezekiel 33:7)

And, finally, this reminder of the upcoming mission call to the Philippines from Doon PRC:

The Council of Doon PRC announces a trio for calling a third missionary to the Philippines. It consists of Revs. A. Brummel (Heritage PRC, Sioux Falls, SD), N. Decker (Trinity PRC - Hudsonville, MI), and R. Kleyn (Covenant of Grace PRC - Spokane, WA). The congregation plans to call on Monday, Sept 19.

NathanDecker At her congregational meeting Monday night, Sept.19, 2016, Doon PRC voted to call Rev. Nathan Decker of Trinity PRC (Hudsonville, MI) to serve as third missionary to the Philippines. Let us remember this pastor and his family in our prayers as he considers this call.

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14 Sep

Classis East Meeting - Sept.14, 2016 (Updated with Clerk's Report)

CLASSIS EAST meets this Wednesday, Sept.14, 2016, at Southwest PRC, beginning at 8 AM.

This will be the first time that there will be delegates from Pittsburgh PRC.

In addition to the usual business, the agenda has two other matters:

1. A report from Southwest PRC of its serving as the committee of Classis for the organization of Pittsburgh PRC.

2. An emeritation request from Rev. Arie denHartog, pastor of SW PRC, effective Dec. 31, 2016.

Let us remember the delegates as they do the work of Christ's church today.

The Stated Clerk's report is now included here (as of Sept.17, 2016). It is also attached in pdf form.

Report of Classis East

September 14, 2016

Southwest PRC

Classis East met in regular session on Wednesday, September 14, 2016 at the Southwest PRC. Each church was represented by two delegates. Rev. C. Haak served as the chairman for this session. Welcome was given to the delegates from Pittsburgh PRC who were attending classis for the first time and to the delegates ad examina from Classis West who were present for the consideration of the request for emeritation from Rev. A. denHartog.

Southwest PRC requested approval for the emeritation of their pastor, Rev. Arie denHartog effective January 1, 2017. Classis granted this approval as did the delegates ad examina from Classis West. Rev. Haak spoke fitting words to Rev. denHartog on this occasion, thanking him for his able and faithful work as a minister of the gospel in our churches.

The Classical Committee reported on their work in approving the 2016 and 2017 subsidy requests from Pittsburgh and of their approval of the transfer of the ministerial credentials of Rev. W. Bruinsma from Southwest PRC to Pittsburgh PRC.

Classis granted classical appointments to Holland PRC. Classis also appointed a search committee to bring nominations to the January, 2017 for the selection of a new Stated Clerk. Classis also informed the Pittsburgh PRC that they did not need permission to ask the churches in Classis East and Classis West for collections for their Building Fund.

The expenses of classis amounted to $1866.99. Classis will meet next at the Georgetown PRC on January 11, 2017.

Respectfully submitted,

Jon J. Huisken, Stated Clerk

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11 Sep

New Trio for Third Missionary to the Philippines

Published in Doon PRC Doon, IA

philmap2 The Council of Doon PRC announces a trio for calling a third missionary to the Philippines. It consists of Revs. A. Brummel (Heritage PRC, Sioux Falls, SD), N. Decker (Trinity PRC - Hudsonville, MI), and R. Kleyn (Covenant of Grace PRC - Spokane, WA).

The congregation plans to call on Monday, Sept 19.

07 Sep

PRC Seminary Convocation - Sept.7, 2016 (Updated)

Sem front May 2016 1

The PRC Seminary held its annual convocation on Wednesday, Sept.7, at Grandville PRC. Rev. Ken Koole, president of the Theological School Committee led in opening devotions.

Convoc 2016 KK

Bryan Westra (SW PRC) performed a beautiful arrangement of "Praise Him, Praise Him" on the piano for the special music.

Convoc 2016 BW

Prof. Russell Dykstra spoke on “The Ezra Model: Having a Heart for the Lord’s House,” expounding the Word of God in Ezra 7 and Nehemiah 8. It was a wonderful instructive and inspirational message (Watch for a link to it on Sermonaudio soon).

Convoc 2016 RD

And at the end of the program Prof. R. Dykstra introduced the four (4) students taking classes this semester (seven seniors are gone for their internships): from left to right, first-year student, Josiah Tan (Covenant ERC, Singapore); then second-year students Darren Vink (First PRC, Grand Rapids, MI), Jacob Maatman (Crete/SW PRCs), and Matthew Kortus (Loveland/Faith PRCs).

Convoc 2016 Students

May the Lord bless the faculty, students, and staff in this new season of instruction and preparation for the ministry of the Word. Let us remember to pray for this important cause in our daily prayers.

Profitable quote (from program - cf. attachment):

It has been shown, that by the faith of the gospel Christ becomes ours, and we are made partakers of the salvation and eternal blessedness procured by him. But as our ignorance and sloth (I may add, the vanity of our mind) stand in need of external helps, by which faith may be begotten in us, and may increase and make progress until its consummation, God, in accommodation to our infirmity, has added such helps, and secured the effectual preaching of the gospel, by depositing this treasure with the Church. He has appointed pastors and teachers, by whose lips he might edify his people (Eph. 4:11); he has invested them with authority, and, in short, omitted nothing that might conduce to holy consent in the faith, and to right order. In particular, he has instituted sacraments, which we feel by experience to be most useful helps in fostering and confirming our faith. For seeing we are shut up in the prison of the body, and have not yet attained to the rank of angels, God, in accommodation to our capacity, has in his admirable providence provided a method by which, though widely separated, we might still draw near to him…. I will begin with the Church, into whose bosom God is pleased to collect his children, not only that by her aid and ministry they may be nourished so long as they are babes and children, but may also be guided by her maternal care until they grow up to manhood, and, finally, attain to the perfection of faith. What God has thus joined, let not man put asunder: to those to whom he is a Father, the Church must also be a mother.
~ John Calvin Institutes of the Christian Religion, 4.1.1.

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05 Sep

Reformed Book Outlet - September 2016 Newsletter & Specials

Published in Hudsonville PRC Hudsonville, MI

ReformedBookOutlet

Hours: Monday 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Tues. – Fri. 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

September – 2016

25% off month!

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Web site: www.reformedbookoutlet.weebly.com

September is one of Reformed Book Outlet’s 25% off sale months.

Almost all of our books, and all Bibles and Bible covers are 25% off all month.

The sale does not include NET books, such as cookbooks, and Psalters.

Nor does it include any music CDs or cards.

Fitting Praises Cds: We still have volumes 3, 4, 6, 8, and 15 left for $3.00 each. These will remain on sale for $3.00 each, only through the month of September. These Cds make great gifts, especially for shut-ins.

Once again school is starting, and soon our Bible societies will begin meeting. You are able to find many helpful books for these needs at RBO.

We stock a large variety of King James Bibles; regular print, large print, extra-giant print, compact size, study Bibles, Bibles with notes for youth, and parallel Bibles.

We keep on hand a good supply of Bible study aides such as Strong’s and Young’s Concordances, and Naves Topical Bible, etc. We have several Bible dictionaries, and Bible atlases.

Our commentary section includes many volumes on one book of the Bible, in addition to a one-volume commentary on the whole Bible, and a six volume commentary on the whole Bible. In addition to actual commentaries, we have many books written concerning certain themes and people of scripture. We can also try to special order any particular book you might need that you can’t find in the store, and if possible – at 25% off.

We carry the entire inventory of RPFA books and study guides - priced at 25% off this month. If your child’s class is using Suffer Little Children or Show Me Thy Ways by Gertrude Hoeksema, you can purchase the book for yourself at RBO for additional help at home; and for your child’s piano lessons – Marilyn DeVries’ Praise His Majesty is also 25% off.

Be sure to stop in at RBO for all your needs as you begin the school year, and the society season.

We will also have a 30% off table during the month of September, with many fiction books, (Lori Wick and Wanda Brunstetter titles among others) and some overstock of Christian living titles.

Let us help build your religious library

News

News

Classis West Meeting, Sept.28, 2016 (Updated with Clerk's Report)

Covenant Reformed News - September 2016