                           The
                     Standard
A Reformed           Bearer
Semi-Monthly
Magazine




                                                 In This Issue:

                      Meditation -- Rev. Cornelius Hanko
                          Mary the Mother of Our Savior....................................................... 122

                      Editorial -- Prof. David J. Engelsma
                          The Birth of Jesus:  Particular Grace ............................................ 124

                      Bring the Books -- John Calvin
                          The Nativity of Jesus Christ ............................................................ 126

                      Go Ye Into All the World -- Mrs. Jeanette Kortering
                          Our Work in Myanmar (3) ................................................................ 129

                      All Around Us -- Rev. Gise J. VanBaren................................................. 133

                      Search the Scriptures -- Rev. Mitchell C. Dick
                          Spikenard Saturday, Palm Sunday ............................................... 136

                      Contending for the Faith -- Rev. Bernard Woudenberg
                          "Extra-Scriptural Binding" (?) ........................................................ 138

                      Church and State -- Mr. James Lanting
                          Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Physician-Assisted
                             Suicide--No Constitutional "Right to Die" ............................... 141

                      News From Our Churches -- Mr. Benjamin Wigger ................................ 143





Vol. 74, No. 6
December 15, 1997


   Meditation                                                                                                                            Rev. Cornelius Hanko



         Mary the Mother of Our Savior

                                              And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary:  for thou hast found favor with God.  And,
                                      behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
                                                                                                                                                   Luke 1:30, 31
                                              Hail, Mary!


       Gabriel, who stands in the very                                the angel imply more than that?                            flesh and bone of her bone.  Here was a
presence of God, was sent to a lowly vir-                                    Still more astounding are his words                 child that looked like his parents, yet
gin in the city of despised Nazareth.  In                             of praise, "Blessed art thou among                         with his own individuality, his own char-
what form he appeared to her we do                                    women!"  She, the lowly, unknown vir-                      acter, personality, and life.  Far more,
not know, but she knew at once that he                                gin?  She bows her head in bewilder-                       here was the beginning of the fulfillment
was a heavenly messenger and, as may                                  ment.                                                      of the promise of the Seed that would
well be expected, she was filled with awe-                                            333    333   333                           crush all the powers of Satan and give
some fear.                                                                   "Blessed art thou among women."                     eternal salvation and victory to God's
       To her amazement he knows and                                         The fall in paradise had been                       people.
addresses her by her name.  Why should                                through the woman.  Even so salvation                             Did Eve for the moment imagine or
she receive a visit from a holy angel?                                was promised through the woman.  She                       hope that this very child might be the
What was the purpose of his coming?                                   would be blessed in bearing children.                      promised Seed?  We can only surmise.
       But she was even more amazed at                                That would be her unique privilege,                               All the saints throughout the old
his message.  He calms her fears by tell-                             since through child-bearing the Christ                     dispensation looked for the Savior.
ing her that she is highly favored by                                 would be born and the church come into                     There were always godly women who re-
God.  She, highly favored?  She deserves                              existence.                                                 joiced in the fact that they were instru-
no such recognition.  He adds that Je-                                       The promise had come to Eve by                      mental in a small way in bringing forth
hovah is with her.  She knows that                                    God's curse upon Satan, "I will put en-                    the promised Seed.  We know such
though her sins are as scarlet she is righ-                           mity between thee and the woman, and                       women as Sarah, Hannah, Ruth the
teous in the promised Savior, whose                                   between thy seed and her seed.  He shall                   Moabitess, and Elisabeth.
coming she awaits.  Surely in that sense                              bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise                            Abraham longed to see His day.
God is with her, but does this word of                                his heel" (Gen. 3:15).                                     Jacob declared in humble worship, "I
                                                                             When Eve's first child was born she                 have waited for thy salvation, O Lord."
                                                                      must have marveled at the wonder she                       The promised Christ made His appear-
Rev. Hanko is a minister emeritus in the                              beheld.  Never could she have imagined                     ance  as  the  Angel  of  Jehovah  to
Protestant Reformed Churches.                                         anything like it.  Here was flesh of her                   Abraham, to Moses, to Gideon, and to


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122/Standard  Bearer/December  15,  1997


others.  The inspired poets sang of            among women, for she was the mother                  We believe in our hearts and we
Christ's coming, while the prophets            of our Savior.  All covenant mothers             confess with our lips that "Jesus Christ
spoke of it.  Particularly Isaiah, stand-      count her blessed because of her son.            (was) conceived by the Holy Ghost, born
ing on the mountaintop of prophecy, de-                  333    333    333                      of the virgin Mary."  The Holy Spirit
clared, "Behold, a virgin shall conceive,          Blessed virgin.                              laid the sperm of life in Mary, the be-
and bear a son, and his name shall be              The angel continues his message:             ginning of a new life, yet the life of the
called Immanuel."  And again, "For unto        "Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found             person of the Son of God.  The triune
us a child is born, unto us a son is given:    favor with God."  In sovereign good              God in His Son joined Himself with us
and the government shall be upon his           pleasure God eternally determined that           by implanting the seed of life in the vir-
shoulder:  and his name shall be called        she should be the virgin to bring forth          gin.  By the overshadowing of the Holy
Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God,          the Christ, our Savior and Lord.                 Spirit this seed developed into an em-
The everlasting Father, The Prince of              Gabriel assures her, "And, behold,           bryo and a fetus and into a fully devel-
Peace" (Is. 9:6).                              thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and             oped child.  The Son of God, who is com-
    The night of waiting had been long         bring forth a son, and shalt call his            pletely divine, took on a complete hu-
and wearisome.  David had occupied the         name JESUS."                                     man nature, as flesh of our flesh and
throne in Israel as a type of the coming           Were more significant words ever             bone of our bone, like unto us in all re-
Conqueror, and his son Solomon pre-            spoken?  God performs the humanly im-            spects except one, He was sinless.  He
figured the glorious King in His king-         possible.  A virgin will conceive.  A son        was without our guilt since He had no
dom even in building the house of the          will be born to her.  And God Himself            human father.  He was without our pol-
Lord.  Kings had come and gone.  Israel        gives this child His name, which is above        lution and depravity because He was
had been in captivity for seventy years        all names:  Jesus, Jehovah saves.                preserved as the holy Child Jesus in the
and had returned to restore the house              The hope and longing of all the              womb of Mary by the Holy Spirit.
of God.  But the time was not yet.             saints throughout the ages is being re-              Great is the mystery of godliness!
    A great darkness fell upon the na-         alized in this young woman.  The re-                        333    333    333
tion of Israel.  They bowed under a for-       peatedly promised, the long awaited                  Mary's response?
eign yoke and were about to be made a          Savior would now come into the world.                To all this Mary responds, "Behold
part of the great Roman empire.  Wicked        A Babe, born of a woman, even as God             the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto
Herod sat on the throne in Jerusalem.          had promised.  He would be the Shep-             me according to thy word" (Luke 1:38).
But, even worse, the cold formalism of         herd-King to occupy David's throne for-              By God's abounding grace Mary
the Pharisees, and the wicked unbelief         ever.                                            surrenders herself in humble trust unto
of  the  Sadducees  controlled  the                No wonder that Mary asked in as-             the will of the Lord.  It is so grand, yet
Sanhedrin.                                     tonishment, "How shall this be, seeing I         so terrifying.
    Yet there was always the light of          know not a man?"  She shows no sign                  In the back of her mind lingers the
the promise shining through the dark-          whatever of unbelief, as did Zacharias           thought, how shall I ever explain this
est night.  And there was always the           when he was informed of the birth of a           to my fianc, Joseph?  What will the
remnant according to the election of           son in his old age.  Her faith embraces          people say when they see me as an un-
grace.  By the grace of God there were         the word of the angel.  But she won-             married, pregnant woman?  Mercifully
those like Zacharias and Elisabeth,            ders, for she is a virgin.  True, she is         the angel suggests to her a temporary
Simeon and Anna, and the shepherds.            engaged to be married to Joseph, but             respite by going to her cousin Elisabeth.
And there was the humble Mary in               why would the angel come to her if Jo-           There she will also be assured of God's
Nazareth, a lone survivor of the royal         seph were involved?  It is all so marvel-        abundant mercies and blessings.
line of David.  In these dark days they        ous, yet so strange, so incomprehensible.            Her soul already rejoices in God her
prayed more earnestly than ever for the        She can but wonder how this will come            Savior!
coming of the promised Savior, the King        about.                                                      333    333    333
who would sit on David's throne, even                    333    333    333                          Amazing sign!
forever.                                           Blessed conception.                              "The Lord himself shall give you a
    Still today the woman is not infe-             The answer of Gabriel expresses one          sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and
rior to the man, simply because the cov-       of the greatest wonders, if not the great-       bear a son, and shall call his name
enant mother has the blessed privilege,        est wonder, of all history.  It is so simple,    Immanuel" (Is. 7:14).
which belongs only to the woman, of            yet so profound, so far beyond all hu-               We see that whatever is impossible
bringing forth and rearing in tender love      man comprehension.  Surely nothing is            with man is possible with God.  Because
the covenant seed of the church.  What         impossible with God.  "The Holy Ghost            of our transgressions and guilt, God's
a blessed calling and privilege to have a      shall come upon thee, and the power of           justice had to be satisfied.  We cannot
part in the gathering of God's church          the Highest shall overshadow thee:               do that.  No animal or angel can suffice
and the coming of His kingdom!                 therefore also that holy thing that shall        for us.  But God has eternally prepared
    Of all covenant mothers, however,          be born of thee shall be called the Son of       for us the way of salvation.
Mary stands out as the most blessed            God" (Luke 1:35).                                    We behold amazing grace, for the

                                                                                                December  15,  1997/Standard  Bearer/123


Most High God whom we have so sorely              We are made partakers of the di-                      cious act and gift of God.
offended with our sins is the God of our      vine nature.  We shall dwell in God's         God acted in the birth of Jesus.  The
salvation in Jesus Christ.                    house.  We shall behold Him and reflect       Holy Ghost worked conception in the
     We shall never cease to marvel at        His glory unto the praise of His match-       womb of the virgin. The Word became
the fact that God condescended to be-         less name forever and ever!                   flesh.  The Father sent His Son into the
come like unto us, in order to make us            Blessed be our God!  Praise His holy      world.  In the birth of Jesus, the triune
like unto Himself in His glory.  A very       name!   u                                     God performed the wonderful work of
similar wonder takes place in us.  We                                                       the incarnation of God the Son.  This
are born again, not of corruptible seed,       The Birth was the central act of God in history.
but of incorruptible by the Word that                                                           God gave in the birth of Jesus.  He
lives and abides forever.  We are re-                                                       gave liberally.  He gave His all, holding
stored in the image of Christ, like unto        of Jesus: nothing back.  He gave His only begot-
the Father.  It is all too marvelous to                                                     ten Son.  In Him, therefore, God gave
comprehend.                                                                                 Himself.  In the birth of Jesus, God gave
     The apostle John writes, "Behold,        Particular the unspeakable gift.
what manner of love the Father hath                                                             The act and gift were gracious.  The
bestowed upon us, that we should be                                                         purpose was the redemption of guilty,
called the sons of God....  Beloved, now                 Grace                                depraved people from sin, death, and
are we the sons of God, and it doth not                                                     everlasting hell unto righteousness and
yet appear what we shall be:  but we                                                        eternal life.  The motivation was the fa-
know that, when he shall appear, we                                                         vor of God toward these wretched sin-
shall be like him; for we shall see him as    We celebrate the birth of
                                                           Jesus  Christ  as  the  gra-     ners.  He loved them and desired to bless
he is" (I John 3:1, 2).                                                                     them.  The objects were--and are--unde-

  Editorial

serving of the act and gift.
     How undeserving we are for whom God acted and to whom He gave in the birth of Jesus is shown by the act and gift.
Nothing would do for our deliverance save the incarnation of God.  How damnworthy, how vile, how otherwise hopelessly lost
must we be whose rescue requires that God Himself empty and impoverish Himself by becoming a man.
     All talk of men's worth and works, all preaching of merits and conditions, and all boasting of fallen man's goodness apart
from Jesus Christ by "common grace" are exposed by the birth of Jesus as idle, empty, profane, and blasphemous chatter.


     It is also the grace of the birth of
Jesus that God acted and gave, although       did desire the birth of Jesus--a Zacharias     the highest" is the celebration of Jesus'
no one wanted the act and gift.  Christ       and Elisabeth, a Mary, a Simeon, an           birth by the true church and by the be-
came unto His own, and His own re-            Anna, the wise men--was the effect, not        liever, as it was the celebration by the
ceived Him not.  There was no room for        the cause, of the birth of Jesus.  The        angels.
Him in the inn.  The hostility toward         grace of God that acted and gave in               Because it is the Word of grace, the
God's wonderful act and unspeakable           Jesus' birth acted and gave in such a         birth of Jesus is gospel.  It is good news
gift on the part of the nations was evi-      marvelous way that it created men and         to everyone who knows himself a guilty,
dent in Herod's attempt on Jesus' life        women who desired and received the act        shameful sinner before the face of the
before the baby was two years old.            and gift.  The act and gift caused their      righteous God and who turns to Jesus
     Jesus Christ was not born because        own reception.  So also they do still to-     Christ for salvation.
man desired Him.  Still less is the expla-    day in all those who embrace Jesus                What a gospel!  He who is rich with
nation of His birth man's effort to pro-      Christ with believing hearts.                 the riches of the Godhead became poor
duce Him, perhaps in cooperation with             The Word of God in the birth of           with the poverty of death, the grave,
God.  Man was excluded in the concep-         Jesus Christ is:  "Grace!"  "Grace alone!"    and hell for our sakes, that we through
tion and birth of Jesus.  That baby had       "Grace to the exclusion of all human          His poverty might be rich with the riches
no human father.  The Power of the            worth, works, and will!"  "Grace that so      of the life and glory of God in the risen
Highest alone worked conception in            humbles fallen human nature as to leave       Jesus Christ.
Mary, and He did so only because God          it nothing but exposure to the wrath of           What a gospel!  The Son of God be-
had graciously willed it and graciously       God and slavery to sin!"                      came poor in the birth of Jesus, not be-
promised it.                                      As the Word of grace, the birth of        cause we desired or deserved it but be-
     That there were some, in fact, who       Jesus glorifies God.  "Glory to God in        cause He Himself was gracious.

124/Standard  Bearer/December  15,  1997


    What a gospel!  Now and to endless         apart from Him are lost and damned.                  A pity!
ages, our enjoyment of the riches given        This is intolerable to the universalistic,           For to deny the birth of Jesus as
by His poverty is not conditioned by our       natural mind of man.  The issue is par-         particular grace is to deny the grace of it.
worthiness or will, but is dependent           ticular grace.                                  If the birth of Christ is grace for all with-
solely on His grace.                                Resentment of particular grace ex-         out exception, the reason why some are
    The birth of Jesus was grace, but it       plains why evangelical and Reformed             benefited by that birth, whereas others
was not grace for all humans in gen-           theologians are now proposing that pa-          are not, is something in them them-
eral.  The birth of the Son of God was         gans can be saved in their heathen reli-        selves:  works!  will!  worth!  Or, we are
particular grace.  The act and gift of         gions, if not by their heathen religions.       to suppose that all without exception
God in the birth of the Savior were for        These theologians are offended at the           will eventually benefit from the birth of
some, definite members of the human            truth that Jesus Christ is the only way         Jesus, even though many never believe,
race, and for them alone.  The birth of        to the Father.  Particular grace is the         never love God, never walk in God's
Jesus was particular grace in the result:      stone of stumbling and rock of offense.         holy ways.  In either case, grace is no
only some benefit from it.  The birth of            No different, essentially, is the uni-     more (biblical) grace.
Jesus was particular grace in the pur-         versalism of much of "evangelical Chris-             And if the birth of Jesus is not
pose of the triune God:  God willed,           tianity" today.  In Christ, God is gra-         grace, it is not the wonderful act and
wished, and desired that the birth ben-        cious to all men without exception.             unspeakable gift of God in the incarna-
efit only some, not all.                       Christ was born for all; Christ died for        tion of the eternal Son on behalf of
    This is how God Himself described          all; the risen Christ now offers Himself        needy, miserable sinners.  In this case, I
His act and gift in the birth of His Son.      to all.  The reason is that God loves and       have no further interest in the birth of
Filled with the Holy Ghost, Zacharias          has chosen all.  "Evangelical Christian-        Jesus.
proclaimed Jesus' birth as God's visit-        ity" hates particular grace as much as               Particular grace!
ing and redeeming His people (Luke             do Rome and the liberals.                            The only reason for celebrating the
1:68).  In explanation of the baby's                The very same opposition to par-           birth of Jesus Christ.
name, Jesus, the angel declared, "for He       ticular grace appears in supposedly con-             Particular grace!
shall save His people from their sins"         servative Calvinistic churches in the                The only confession that celebrates
(Matt. 1:21).  Reflecting on the incarna-      teaching and practice of the "well-meant        the birth of Jesus Christ.   u
tion, the author of the epistle to the He-     offer of the gospel."  God is gracious in                                              --DJE
brews taught that the Son of God "took         the preaching of the gospel of Christ to                        The
part" of flesh and blood for the children      all who hear without exception.  He
whom God gave Him (Heb. 2:14).                 loves all, sincerely desires the salvation
    Who they are for whom Jesus Christ         of all, and offers Christ to all with the       Nativity of
was born is determined by the God who          wish that all will accept Him.  The grace
acted and gave in that birth.  He deter-       of God in the birth, death, and resur-
mined them by the eternal, gracious de-        rection of Jesus is for all without excep-                Jesus
cree of election.  Jesus Himself said that     tion.  The ministers and churches who
He came down from heaven to save "all          teach and practice this stumble over the
which He (the Father) hath given me"           doctrine of particular grace.  They                       Christ*
(John 6:39).  If men and women them-           stumble over the particular Jesus, just
selves distinguish themselves from oth-        as do the liberals and the open "free
ers as those for whom Jesus was born,          willists."
the grace of the birth of Jesus is denied.          How many Reformed preachers, this          We know that it is our
                                                                                                               good, our joy and rest to
    Exactly this is the offense of the         season, will boldly proclaim the grace of                       be united with the Son of
birth of Jesus Christ to many.  Many           God in the birth of Jesus as grace in-          God.  As He is our Head, we are His
stumble at this, that the birth of Jesus       tended for and made available to all            body, so also from Him we hold our life
was particular grace.                          without exception?                              and               our          salvation
    This is at the bottom of theological            How many Reformed preachers, af-
liberalism's rejection of the incarnation      ter having paid lip service (and very
and virgin birth.  If it is indeed true, as    quickly) to election, will go on, in the        *    An excerpt from a sermon by John
the Bible teaches, that in the birth of        application,  to  offer  the  child  of         Calvin on Luke 2:1-14.  This, no doubt,
Jesus God was manifest in the flesh            Bethlehem as a Savior who graciously            is the sermon that, according to the
through a virgin conception and birth,         desires to save all in the audience, if not     translator, Calvin preached on Christ-
there is salvation only in this Jesus.         in the world, if only people will accept        mas Day.  The complete sermon is found
Such a Jesus is the one and only Savior        Him?          How many Reformed preachers       in the recent publication, Sermons on the
from sin and death.  Only those who            will teach the act and gift of God in the       Deity of Christ (by John Calvin).  The
know and trust in Him by faith are, and        birth of Jesus without saying one word          book consists of 20 sermons by John
can be, saved.  All who live and die           about that act and gift as particular grace?

                                                                                               December  15,  1997/Standard  Bearer/125


Calvin on the birth, passion, resurrec-       already He had approached in His birth,      our miseries and a sure and infallible
tion (one of which was preached by            when He clothed Himself in our flesh         protection we must begin at His birth.
Calvin on Easter Sunday), ascension,          and He made Himself our brother.  We         Not only is it recited to us that He was
and final advent of Jesus Christ, and         could not now have our refuge in our         made man like us, but that He so emp-
on Pentecost.  The book is published by       Lord Jesus Christ's being seated at the      tied Himself that scarcely was He re-
Old Paths Publication, 223 Princetown         right hand of God His Father in heav-        puted to be of the rank of men.  He was,
Road, Audubon, NJ 08106.  It sells for        enly glory, unless He were abased as far     as it were, banished from every house
$25.00.  The excerpt is printed here with     as being made mortal man and having          and fellowship.  There was nothing ex-
permission. --Ed.                              a condition common with us.  That is         cept a stable and a manger to receive
                                              also why, when He is called "Mediator        Him.
and all good. In fact, we see how miser-      between God and men," this title "man"           Since it is so, then, we know here
able our condition would be unless we         is especially attributed to Him.  As also    how God displayed the infinite treasures
had our refuge in Him, to be maintained       for  the  same  reason  He  is  called       of His goodness when He willed that His
under His keeping.  However, we could         "Emmanuel," that is, "God with us."          Son might be thus humbled for our
not reach so high (seeing that scarcely           Yet when we seek our Lord Jesus          sakes.  Let us recognize also how our
can we crawl upon the earth), unless          Christ to find in Him alleviation of all     Lord Jesus Christ from His birth so suf-
from His side He approached us, and                                                        fered for us that when we seek Him we
                                                                                           need not make long circuits to find Him

  Bring the Books                                                                                              John Calvin



nor to be truly united to Him.  For this cause He willed to be subject to every shame, in such a way that He was, as it were,
rejected by the rest of men.  But let us also learn to be little to be received by Him.  For it is reasonable at least that there be
conformity between the Head and the members.  Men need not empty themselves to be of no value.  For by nature already they
will find such poverty in themselves that they will have good reason to be thoroughly dejected.  But let us know of what sort we


                                              and appear as witnesses sent by God to
are, that we may offer ourselves to our       show that our Lord Jesus Christ, being       marked, as it were, by the hand of God,
Lord Jesus Christ in true humility and        thus abased for the salvation of men,        so that He may be received without any
that He may recognize us and acknowl-         never ceases to be King of all the world     difficulty, as Him from Whom we must
edge us as His own.                           and to have everything under His do-         expect salvation, and by Whom we are
    However, we also have to note that,       minion.                                      received into the Kingdom of God, from
in the history which St. Luke here re-            Then the place, Bethlehem, gives         which we were previously banished.  For
cites, on the one hand we learn how the       proof that it was He who had been            we see that He has in Himself a Divine
Son of God emptied Himself of every-          promised from all time.  For the prophet     majesty, since the Angels recognize Him
thing for our salvation, nevertheless, on     Micah had spoken thus:  "And thou            as their superior and their sovereign
the other hand He did not fail to leave       Bethlehem, though thou be in great con-      King.  We ought not to doubt, when we
certain and infallible testimony that He      tempt, as a village which is not much to     shall be under His keeping, that He has
was the Redeemer of the world prom-           look at, and which is not densely popu-      all that is needed to maintain us.  Let
ised from all time.  Even though He took      lated, yet from thee shall come forth to     us know, however much He was abased,
our condition, He was able to maintain        Me He Who is to govern My people, and        it in no wise takes away from His Di-
His heavenly majesty.  Both sides are         His goings forth will be from all eter-      vine power nor hinders us from being
here shown to us.  For our Lord Jesus         nity."  We see, then, here on the one        securely under His guidance.
Christ is here in a manger and He is, as      hand how our Lord Jesus Christ did not           Now we see the summary of this
it were, rejected by the world.  He is in     spare Himself, so that we might have         history.  That is, in the first place, we
extreme poverty without any honor,            easy access to Him and that we might         know that the Son of God, even our Me-
without any reputation, as it were, sub-      not doubt that we are received even as       diator, has united Himself to us in such
ject to servitude.  Yet He is magnified       His body, since He willed to be not only     a way that we must never doubt that
by Angels from Paradise, who do Him           a mortal man clothed in our nature, but,     we are sharers both of His life and of all
homage.                                       as it were, a poor earth-worm stripped       His riches.  Let us know also that He
    In the first place, an angel bears the    of all good.  May we never doubt, then,      brought with Himself to us everything
message of His birth.  Then the same          however miserable we may be, that he         that was required for our salvation.  For
one is accompanied by a great multitude,      will keep us as His members.                 (as I have already said) He was not thus
even by an army, who are all present              On the other hand, we see Him here       emptied without always retaining His

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Divine majesty.  Although before men           who had been promised must come in             to be strengthened by this admonition:
He was made of no reputation, yet He           great pomp, and that He must subject           namely, that the Son of God loses noth-
always remained not only heir of this          all the world, in such a way that He           ing of His majesty and of His glory, and
world (since He is the Head of the             would have only prosperity, that they          that it is not decreased in His humilia-
Church), but also always true God.             would get wealth in abundance to glut          tion for our salvation; but rather we
    Besides, let us learn from those who       themselves, and they would amass all           ought to be enraptured by it, knowing
are here ordained as teachers and lead-        the riches of the world.  Here, then, was      His inestimable goodness and the love
ers how we must come to our Lord Jesus         a scandal which could make these poor          He has borne toward us.
Christ.  To be sure, the wise men of this      people lose courage, so that they would            This, then, is how we must practice
world are so inflated with pride and pre-      never have come to our Lord Jesus              this doctrine, that we do not fail to come
sumption that scarcely will they conde-        Christ, but rather that they would have        to our Lord Jesus Christ, although at
scend to be scholars of unlearned men          been entirely alienated from Him, when         first sight we do not find in Him what
and poor shepherds from the fields.  But       it is said to them that they will find Him     our flesh, that is, our natural senses,
it is all our wisdom, nevertheless, that       in a stable and wrapped with rags.  The        desire.  But although He was wrapped
we learn from these shepherds (of whom         sign given to them of the Redeemer is          in rags at His birth, and although He
it is here spoken) to come to our Lord         that He will be laid in a manger as if He      had been laid there in the manger, may
Jesus Christ.  For although we may have        were cut off from the rank of men.  Yet        we know and be resolved that He did
all the sciences of the world stuffed into     even that does not turn them away.             not, however, cease to be Mediator to
our heads, of what use will it be when         They come, then, to know Him as Lord,          draw us to God His Father, to give us
life fails us?  How will it help us to know    confessing how God has had pity on             an entrance into the Kingdom of heaven
"Him in whom the treasures of all wis-         them and that finally He willed to fulfill     from which we were entirely shut out.
dom are hidden," as St. Paul says?  Now        His promise which He had given from            Still more today, although He does not
we see where we must begin.  It does us        all time, and they are assured by such a       rule in pomp, and although His Church
no harm to follow those who have               spectacle.                                     is despised, and although there is a sim-
shown us the way to come to our Lord               Since, then, the faith of these shep-      plicity in His Word which the great men
Jesus Christ.                                  herds was so great that it fought against      of this world reject, as for us, may we
    God gave this honor neither to the         everything that could turn them from           never cease on that account to cling to
great ones of this world, nor to the wise,     coming to our Lord Jesus Christ, we            Him and to subject ourselves to His do-
nor to the rich, nor to the nobles, but        shall be doubly guilty and stripped of         minion in a true obedience of faith.  For
He chose shepherds.  Since it is so, let       every excuse, unless we learn in their         example, when one preaches, according
us follow that order.  It is true that Wise    school, and unless the birth of our Lord       to our custom it is not anything to draw
Men came from the East to pay homage           Jesus Christ (although He appeared             us much.  We hear a man speaking.
to our Lord Jesus Christ.  But the shep-       without dignity or pomp or nobility of         And who is he?  He is not of great dig-
herds had to come first, in order that         this world) be not a scandal to hinder         nity and reputation.  Then, in summary,
all presumption might be abolished, and        us, or to make us turn away from the           there is only the word.  On the other
that he who would be reputed Chris-            good way, and unless we come to yield          hand, in what is preached by the Gos-
tian must be as a fool in this world.  So,     to Him as to our sovereign King, and to        pel there are many things which seem
let us not bring a foolish presumption         Him to Whom all dominion is given both         to us to be against all reason, when we
to judge by our imaginations the admi-         in heaven and on earth.  In fact, we           wish to judge them according to our
rable secrets of God, but let us adore         need such an admonition.  For, as I have       taste.  So let us know we cannot draw
them in all simplicity.                        already mentioned, the doctrine of the         near to what God shows and declares
    Further, let us look at the faith          Gospel brings only scandal to those who        to us, unless we have first bowed down.
which was in these shepherds.  Then it         are preoccupied with pride and folly and           As a confirmation which He adds
will no longer be difficult to follow them.    who repute themselves wise men.                for our sakes to His Word we have the
They come to adore the Redeemer of the             We see also how many fanatics re-          Sacraments.  And would a drop of wa-
world.  And in what condition do they          ject everything which is contrary to their     ter suffice to assure us of the remission
find Him?  There He is laid in a manger        brains.  There are, on the other hand,         of our sin, and that God adopted us as
and wrapped in a few little cloths, and        many mockers who have never been               His children, and, though we are feeble
it is the sign which had been given to         touched by any feeling of their sins.  Be-     and frail, yet we shall be clothed with
them by the Angel.  Now it surely              cause they are profane people who think        His heavenly glory which will never fail
seemed that this was to astonish them          they will never be brought to an ac-           us?  Could we find a guarantee and as-
and even to make them turn their backs         counting and they do not know whether          surance of things so great and so excel-
in such a manner that they might no            there is a better life than the one they       lent in a little water?  In the Holy Sup-
longer recognize Jesus Christ as their         see here below, they reckon that it is only    per would a piece of bread and a drop
Savior.                                        foolishness so to follow the Son of God        of wine suffice to assure us that God
    For the Scribes and Teachers of the        and to acquaint oneself with Him.  Let         accepts us as His children, that we live
Jews surely thought that the Redeemer          us see, then, how much more ought we           in Jesus Christ, and that He has shared

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everything with us?  For it seems that          Son, when He sent such a multitude of          today we do not see the Angels who ap-
such ceremonies which have no great             Angels to declare that He was the Re-          peared only for an instant, yet this tes-
pomp can have no value.  So then, we            deemer Who had been promised.  It is           timony is registered so as to be authen-
see still better how what is here men-          vain, then, for us to be satisfied in our      tic.  For the Holy Spirit spoke by the
tioned about the Shepherds pertains to          unbelief, as we see many stupid people         mouth of St. Luke.  Let us be satisfied,
us and how we should profit by it to-           who do not take account of everything          then, to have such a witness from God,
day.  That is, let us not cease to draw         that is contained in the Gospel.  There        Who declares to us that the Angels ren-
near to our Lord Jesus Christ and to be         are even mockers of God, who are so            dered testimony of the birth of our Lord
assured that it is He in Whom we shall          careless that it makes no difference what      Jesus Christ, so that, knowing how He
find all good, all rejoicing, and all glory,    is preached to them.  They pay no more         was made man, that is, that He emptied
although it seems that He is still, as it       attention than they would to fables.           Himself for our sakes, we may be so de-
were, in the stable and in the manger,              There is also something to convict         lighted as to aspire to the Kingdom of
wrapped with swaddling clothes.  That           of an obstinate and devilish rebellion all     heaven, so as to adhere to Him in true
is to say, there might be many things           those who do not subject themselves to         union of faith.   u
which could debauch us and dazzle the           our Lord Jesus Christ to do Him hom-
eyes of a few that they might not per-          age.  For since there are unbelievers, they     Our Work
ceive the heavenly glory which was              will have an infinite multitude of An-
given to Him by God His Father, I say,          gels from Paradise who will testify
even in the human nature He took from           against them.  For these are the minis-                         in
us.  For since He is God, He has every-         ters of the truth of God.  So then, though
thing from Himself (as it is said in the        all the wicked and all those who are
17th chapter of St. John), but with re-         steeped in their vices and corruptions,          Myanmar
spect to His humanity He received as a          take pleasure in it and are hardened as
free gift everything that He brought to         much as they wish in their unbelief, they
us, that we might draw from His full-           have more-than-sufficient witnesses to                       (3)
ness, and that we might find in Him             testify their condemnation.  For the An-
everything that is desirable, and that we       gels of Paradise appeared so that there
might have all our rest and contentment         might no longer be any excuse for us           Monday, January 15.
in Him alone.                                   not to receive Jesus Christ as our sover-
    Besides, let us note well that the          eign King, humbly bowing ourselves be-         Dad's 60th birthday, and how
                                                                                                        special it was to spend it in
Holy Spirit also wished to assure us that       fore His majesty.                                       Myanmar!  We had an outing
in following the shepherds who are here             However, let us note on the other          that day with about 30 people.  We vis-
ordained as teachers and guides, we             hand that God procured our salvation           ited the Zoo.  Dad and I felt as if we
should have no fear of making a mis-            when He sent such a multitude of An-           probably would have fit in better had
take.  For if the shepherds had had no          gels, so that we might be able to come to      we been in a cage along with the ani-
other sign than the stable and the man-         our Lord Jesus Christ with a ready cour-       mals, judging from the way people were
ger, we could say, "Look at the poor idi-       age and that we might no longer be held        looking at us.  We were told that many
ots who make themselves believe fool-           back by dispute or scruple, but that we        people in Myanmar have never seen a
ishly and without reason that He was            might be fully resolved that we shall find     Westerner  before.    We  saw  the
the Redeemer of the world."  That would         in Him all that is lacking in us and that      Shwedagon Pagoda, which is the larg-
be altogether too easy for us.  We could,       He will have something to supply all our       est in the world and has been covered
then, be in doubt.  But the Shepherds           wants and miseries.  Briefly, it is He by      many times with gold.  Enshrined in the
were confirmed by other means to be             Whom God willed to communicate Him-            pagoda are eight hairs of Buddha.
certain that He was the Son of God, He          self to us.  Do we wish to seek our life       (What a lot of idolatry!  It makes one
Who was thus laid in the manger.  That          except in God?                                 sick to see all these people bowing down
is, when the Angel appeared to them,                There is all fullness of the Godhead       and praying to their gods.)  We then
then they heard this song which St. Luke        in Jesus Christ.  When, then, we have          went to the seaport and rode around
adds, where all the Kingdom of heaven           such a testimony, it is just as if God         Yangon, through the downtown.  Our
renders testimony to our Lord Jesus             extended His two arms to make us feel          guides pointed out various buildings,
Christ, that He has all power over crea-        His inestimable goodness:  and to show         like the American Embassy, etc.
tures, in heaven as well as on earth.           that only when we have faith in Jesus              After all that activity, we went back
    Let us learn, then, to receive (to be       Christ (I say a faith without hypocrisy)       to Grace Church for a birthday party.
assured in the faith of Jesus Christ) ev-       leaning only upon Him, knowing that it         Moses' son also had a birthday that day,
erything here proposed to us.  For it is        is from Him that we must receive ev-           his 17th, so it was a double birthday
certain that God willed to convict of in-       erything, then we shall be sharers of all      party.  Moses said a few words in Bur-
gratitude all those who today do not            the benefits which are lacking in us and       mese, and then they asked Dad to make
condescend to do homage to His Only             for which we starve.  Besides, although

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some remarks.  He shared some parting               Our first quiet day at the hotel.  We       up because it would require a setting
thoughts, testimony, and words of ap-           stayed there all day.  The hotel has a          for each stone.  We'll have to take them
preciation, and he assured them of our          nice green area complete with tables with       to a jeweller and have them evaluated
prayers.  We sang Happy Birthday and            sun umbrellas and chairs, so it was very        first before deciding what to do with
had birthday cake.  Then there was one          pleasant sitting outdoors.  We both did         them.
request:    "Can  Pastor  and  Mrs.             a lot of writing that day, which is help-           Grace Church wishes to do an out-
Kortering sing a song for us?  We hear          ing me greatly in writing this account          reach by providing a home for elderly
Mrs. Kortering singing alto and it              of our stay there.  Dad made notes for          people, and Hla Hla will be the one to
sounds so nice."  So we sang "How Great         his report.  Tracy called on the phone          manage it.  Arrangements are already
Thou Art," and Paul, son of Moses, ac-          and asked if she, Hla Hla, and Moses            in place for a house which will be pro-
companied us on the guitar.  While sing-        could come to the hotel to visit us for         vided by a widow lady who will be one
ing the chorus after the last verse, we         just a little while.  Much to our sur-          of the residents.  They have to do a little
had our first electrical blackout.  All the     prise, Tracy gave me a shawl which was          renovating on it.  They like to have some
lights went out, but we continued on,           handmade by her mother.  Up in the              non-Christians so they can witness to
"How great thou art, How great thou             Chin state, they have special shawls            them.  She says, "It may be that the Lord
art."                                           which are made for certain occasions.           will save them, so they do not have to
    Then it was time to say good-bye to         This was one of those.  The background          fear when they die."  This home will ac-
all those who were at the conference.           is black with a very colorful design wo-        commodate ten people.
By that time a real bond of friendship          ven on it.  By the way, Tracy was call-
had been established, so the hugs and           ing me "Mother" soon after we got there.        Wednesday, January 17.
handshakes were quite meaningful.  This         She feels as if she has gained five sis-            Dad had agreed to speak for the
was done by candlelight, and by the time        ters.  She wanted to know about all of          chapel services at the Far Eastern Fun-
we were getting in the car to go back,          you, so I told her I would tell you that        damental Bible College.  We had to be
the lights came on again.  We reached           they have a new sister by the name of           there at 8:30 and we arrived just on
the hotel around eight.  We hadn't eaten        Tracy from Myanmar who is 26 years              time.  He had a speech on demons, that
a thing since breakfast, but we really          old, in addition to their Singapore sis-        he had made in Singapore.  He thought
didn't feel all that hungry either.  So,        ter, AiChoo.  Hla Hla gave me a little          he could  use it nicely here, and it went
some more fried rice.  The people there         package also and wanted me to open it           very well.  All the classes at Far Eastern
are used to two meals a day, so they            (usual custom is like Singapore -- don't         are taught in English.  They do this be-
didn't plan to take anything.  And we           open gifts till later).  In the package were    cause they want all their students to
have to be careful not to give them the         jade stones laid out in size for a neck-        learn English, as there are more books
impression of buying all the time.  They        lace, bracelet, and earrings.  Her son-in-      available in English for their Bible study.
were very happy, though, to share in            law, who lives in Kale Province, is a           Remember my talking about Rev. Titus,
the bag of candy I brought along.               stone cutter, and these were cut by him.        who is studying in Singapore in order
                                                It all looks very pretty, but I suppose it      to be a professor in this school?  He is
Tuesday, January 16.                            could be quite costly to have them made         so Reformed and gets all excited about

  Go Ye Into All the World                                                                       Mrs. Jeanette Kortering



learning from Dad.  Just can't get it fast enough.  It's his uncle that is at the head of FEFBC.  Titus attends Far Eastern Bible
College in Singapore and is basically repeating all the instruction he has had before in order to get his degree.  He is grateful to
have learned Hebrew and Greek.  We also met Titus' wife (no English) and little daughter and her mother.  While Titus is in



                                                Singapore, his wife is staying at the hos-      an outreach of the church for the chil-
                                                tel at FEFBC.  He has a year and a half         dren in the neighborhood.  It is run by
                                                here yet.   When  he  went back  to             two women of the church.  All these chil-
                                                Myanmar over Christmas, he talked               dren are from homes within walking dis-
                                                with the professors about covenant the-         tance of the church.  Forty-eight of them!
Mrs. Kortering is the wife of Rev. Jason        ology.  He said they were quite open to         There was one who was 2 , and the
Kortering, a minister-on-loan from the Prot-    listen, which was encouraging to him.           rest are between 3 and 5.  If anything
estant Reformed Churches in America to              After that we went to the Kinder-           melts your heart, it's that!!
Singapore.                                      garten at Galilee.  The Kindergarten is             The charge for Kindergarten is one

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kyat per day.  That's one US cent.  They       another piece left.  I felt bad about that.      genuinely happy people, which shows
told us that some of the parents cannot        I gave the teachers what I had left of           that happiness does not come in mate-
afford it, and then they let them come         Granola  Bars, etc., to share with the           rial possessions.  They express a real joy
free.  While Fung Dun was in Singapore,        school children.                                 in the Lord.  They're very eager to learn
he got some discontinued school uni-                    The Kindergarten is an outreach of      and understand.  They sing so enthusi-
forms from a Kindergarten, so most of          the church.  The teachers get to speak           astically.  And they show such love and
the children wore identical little green       with the parents of the children and can         concern for each other!  It was just a
outfits.  The Kindergarten is held in the      share the gospel with them.  Several of          real joy to be with them for those couple
same building as the Galilee Church            the children are members of the church           of weeks.  One of the ladies told me
which I described at the beginning.  We        but the majority are not.  One Buddhist          through an interpreter that she felt so
cross a little board-bridge from the road      family (father, mother, and children)            bad that she could not speak English.
to the steps.  The building is small, made     have been converted and have joined              Believe me, I felt bad that I could not
of bare wood, with a bare wooden floor.        the church.                                      speak Burmese or Chin.  Right now a
Because it's built on stilts, you can see               Steven was driving us around that       person could not enter Myanmar as a
light come up between the floor boards.        day, and Fung Dun and Moses were                 missionary, but we realize how impor-
    We got there just at lunch time.  The      with us.  After that, Steven took us to          tant it would be, if a person were to
room is so small that the children in it       the university which he attends and in-          work there, to know the language.  These
seemed like a human carpet.  The kids          troduced these Western people to his             people are content to have their very
take their own lunch -- rice and perhaps        teachers.  He was skipping school that           basic needs supplied.  They don't ask
something with it.  They share the wa-         day to show us around, but when a                for money to improve their living con-
ter, using only a few cups for all of them.    friend told him they would be having             ditions.  Right now the Singapore
Some of the kids ate using their fingers,      an English test at 3 P.M., he promptly           churches are going to have to work
and others had spoons.  Teachers had           drove us back to the hotel  so he could          through this and decide how much we
to go around helping them a little.  Af-       take the test.                                   can help.  The cost of the conference
ter lunch they could go outside for just                                                        was paid by the ERCS -- travel for the
a few minutes.  During that time, one of       Thursday, January 18.                            delegates, food, and Dad's travel.  We
the teachers swept the rice from the                    Our last day.  We took it slow in       paid for my trip.  And the others who
floor, pushed it to an opening, and down       the morning and left the hotel around            went from Singapore paid their own too.
it went to the ground.                         11 a.m. to do a little souvenir shopping              The money each church needs is
    We asked them if the children could        and looking around.  We bought some              just enough for their pastor to live, and
sing a couple of songs for us when they        tangerines for our lunch.  (One has to           the rest is for outreach.  Many of their
came in.  They sang two choruses in En-        learn how to find decent restaurants in          families are large--one pastor has 11 chil-
glish.  I caught some the words -- one          Yangon.  We saw plenty we didn't care            dren, others have 4, 6, 7.  There is an
must have been about the Trinity be-           to go into.)  We went back to the hotel          Indian family in Grace Church.  The
cause I heard "three in one, three in one,"    and packed things up.  Had roasted               mother gave birth on Saturday night to
and the other was "Jesus Loves You and         chicken for dinner--definitely not our best       their 10th child.  Many Indian children
Me."  Then it was nap time.  One of the        meal.                                            are pretty, and those little kids were
teachers opened a wooden box in the                                                             quite lovable.  The father was in church
corner and started handing out pillows,        Friday, January 19.                              with the family on Sunday morning, and
and all the kids lay down on the floor.                 The send-off group was Moses,           they sang a song together, with the fa-
They were all so sweet and precious.           Fung Dun, Moses' neighbor, Rev. Bawi             ther playing the guitar.  We observed
What really struck me was that they            (pronounced Boy), Rev. James, Tracy,             that the church people have plenty of
were all so well-behaved and orderly.          and the driver, Lian Te.  Saying good-           time (some are unemployed--someone
    Absolutely nothing in there -- no           bye was not easy.   They hope and pray           told us unemployment is 150%) so they
chairs, no tables.  I don't know if they       we will be able to come again sometime,          do a lot of thinking and planning for
ever get to write and color.  On the           and so do we.  We really came to love            outreach, but they don't have the money
chalkboard they had the ABC's and              them as dear saints in the Lord.  Flight         to carry it out.  In Singapore the people
numbers, so I guess they are trying to         home was good, and Pastor Lau was at             have plenty of money, but they are so
teach them that, but neither of the teach-     Changi Airport to pick us up and take            busy working that they don't have time.
ers really speaks English either.  We          us home.                                         Up in the northern part (Kale and
communicated with them through Fung                                                             Falam) there are some farmers, so things
Dun.                                                    Now just a few more interesting tid-    are a bit easier up there and there is
    We went outside with the teachers          bits.                                            more possibility of their being self-sup-
to take a picture, and other neighbor                   We found the people to be very          porting in a few years' time.
children started gathering around.  They       warm-hearted and friendly.   Even                     Yangon is a large city, bigger than
probably recognized me as the lady with        though the people we met are so very             Singapore, with a population of around
the candy, but by that time I didn't have      poor, they do not complain.  They are            three million.  The city itself is quite nice,

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although it would be quite a culture              Weather was absolutely beautiful--          '97 up in Kale Province.  From all the
shock for one coming from the US.  We         like the best of California.  No rain,         churches, they hope to have about 100
were surprised to see digital countdowns      sunny, clear blue sky.  Cool at night,         in attendance.  They would very much
beneath their traffic lights.  We had         and even though it was hot during the          welcome visitors at their conference
never seen that before, so here in this       day it wasn't humid like Singapore.            from the Singapore churches or the PRC.
undeveloped country it seemed like            Wow!  did we ever notice the humidity              For clothing, men and women wear
something quite modern.  When the light       when we came back home!  People in             longyis (pronounce lon/gie).  This is
changes green or red, the digital timer       Myanmar wear jackets, sweaters, and            made from two yards of fabric sewn to-
counts down from 30 seconds, so it's          scarves in the morning when it is a bit        gether with one seam to make a circle.
possible to tell just how long before the     cooler, but to us it was very refreshing       Women's longyis may have several darts
light changes again.  People in Myanmar       and we didn't put our sweaters on once.        sewn in back to lie smooth, and a band
drive on the same side of the road as         Mosquitoes are abundant in the evening--        sewn on top, especially if made from a
we do in the US, but the funny thing is       another reason why it was good we              silky fabric.  Women step inside, pull
that they get a lot of their used vehicles    could get back to our hotel early.  One        the extra fabric to the left, hold it tight
from countries which drive on the other       time Kip Vel gave me a mint-green cro-         against their body, and then pull the
side, so the steering wheels are on the       cheted shawl when she returned from            extra fabric to the right and tuck it in.
right side of the car.  If they are going     Myanmar.  With Singapore heat, I knew          Men stand in the center of theirs and
to pass on the left, they have to pull out    I would never wear it here, so I had it        pull the extra fabric from both sides to
so far before they can see if another ve-     on the coffee table for awhile.  Now I         the center, forming a pleat, and they
hicle is coming.                              know what I am supposed to do with it.         have some special way of flipping it over
    Main roads are paved and quite            The women fold up these pretty shawls          and making a knot.  You see people all
wide.  There might be a center dividing       and set them on top of their heads, or         over, anywhere and everywhere, adjust-
line but no lane marks.  Lines wouldn't       wind them around their heads with              ing their longyis.  They pull them apart
mean anything anyway.  People pass on         some of the fringes hanging down, to           and re-do them.  Some fabrics are a bit
the right and on the left, and simply         keep the sun from their heads.                 dressier than others and they are worn
blow their horns all the time to signal           We met the friend of Fung Dun who          with shirts, blouses, T-shirts, and sweat-
they are passing.  In the villages, the       so generously loaned us the truck all          ers.  Everyone looks very decently
people walk down the roads, so drivers        week.  In visiting with him (English-          dressed.  I saw shorts only one time.
also blow their horns to get them to          speaking, by the way), we learned that         Children are seen with dresses and dif-
move over.                                    he earns 1,250 kyats per month.  He has        ferent kinds of clothing.  The churches
    There are some modern buildings           a family of four children and, because         in Singapore have already had a cloth-
in the city.  Shops are set up on the         they have quite a few guests in their          ing drive for Myanmar.  We saw men
sidewalks.  In town we saw suit jackets       house, they need two large bags of rice        occasionally with trousers, and the
folded and set in piles right on the side-    per month.  One bag (probably 50-75            women might have other clothing, but
walk, and lots of fabric was just lying in    pounds) costs 1,250 kyats.  There is no        it's more rare.  For bathing, the women
heaps.  There are many little coffee          way that people can survive there with-        just wear their longyi higher up under-
shops.  Stools are tiny (about 8 to 10        out making deals or working the black          neath their arms.  Bathing is a very fa-
inches high) and the tables a little          market.  He told us that the prime min-        miliar sight in the villages.
higher.  It looks like toy furniture.         ister has a salary of 3,000 kyats per              Much work is done manually in
    A very familiar sight in Myanmar          month.  It's only the government offi-         Myanmar--construction, road work, un-
is all the Buddhist monks walking             cials and their families that are rich be-     loading ships, etc.  The government can
around.  They have shaved heads and           cause of all the kickbacks.  Officially you    require a person to work for a month
they wear saffron-colored ... I can't re-     can buy only two gallons of petrol per         without pay on a road project or what-
ally call them robes--I think they are just    week, reasonably priced, so you are            ever.  We saw streams of people carry-
long pieces of fabric wrapped a certain       forced to buy what you need on the black       ing baskets of cement to a construction
way around their bodies, with one             market at a higher price--190 kyats per         sight, and we saw the same thing at the
shoulder exposed.  Most Buddhist boys         gallon.  You have to know how to look          seaport with loading and unloading.  I
will spend one or two of their school         for these places.  You park along the          forgot to tell you earlier, but one time
years in a monastery, so you see young        road, and they bring the petrol to the         while Dad was lecturing, he paused for
children dressed this way too, with their     car in a large metal pitcher and pour it       Fung Dun to interpret and, when noth-
heads shaved.  Some may decide to stay        in using a funnel.  If an official would       ing was said, Dad looked over at him.
on after that, but otherwise they return      catch you doing this, he would fine you,       Fung Dun had a frustrated, worried look
back to their homes.  Aside from that,        but then you just pay him a bribe and          on his face, and he motioned for his
one doesn't see a lot of Buddhist reli-       you're on your way.  There are "under          brother Moses to go outside.  The front
gious activity, as there is in Singapore      the table" deals all the time.                 door was open and there was a govern-
with the burning of joss sticks and hell          The young people are trying to ar-         ment truck outside with some officials
money, etc.                                   range for a youth conference in April of       looking in the direction of the church.

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For a moment he was scared, but he felt       all the lectures because that kept me                 lions of non-Christians will be con-
everything would be all right because,        busy during the translating parts.  Dad               signed to an "eternity of everlasting fire
prior to the conference, they had gotten      did very well and he enjoyed it im-                   defies all moral sense and contradicts
the OK from the local councilmen.  On         mensely.  This was real mission work!                 everything we know about God," he
Tuesday noon we had had a picture-            We did so much talking about every-                   writes.
                                                                                                      ...Fundamentalism is on the rise
taking session out in the middle of the       thing while we were there, and there's                around the world, he said, not only
road, and it could possibly be that some-     so much to discuss now as to method,                  among Christians, but also among other
one reported something going on.  Ev-         money, etc., etc.  It's all very interesting          faiths.
erything turned out all right.  Moses ex-     and a real blessing to be involved in this              "It's a great threat to peace and secu-
plained, and the government officials         work.                                                 rity, and is based on a misreading of
were satisfied, I guess, because they                                       Much love to all,       Scripture."
drove off and we didn't hear a thing                                           Dad and Mom            This Christian exclusivism has also
from them.                                                                                          turned many people off religion, be-
    That Tuesday noon there were                                                                    cause they see religion as creating vio-
                                                                                                    lence instead of peace, he said.
many group pictures taken, and then                                                                   "What I'm advocating is a pluralist
everyone had to have his picture taken        s      Different Paths to Salvation??                 theology that accepts God's grace in the
with Dad on one side and me on the                                                                  great religions of the world, and calls
other -- their little keepsake.  Some of       We  have  heard  the  cry  for
                                                         unity--first it was a "unity" of all        us to see people of other faiths and tra-
them showed us their pictures.  I don't       "Christian" churches, but increasingly it             ditions as brothers and sisters...."
know what our smiles looked like toward       is a cry for a certain "unity" of all world
the end.  I'm sure there were over 50         religions.  With that, there is the ex-                 In the November 1, 1997 issue of
pictures taken.                               pressed thought that those of other than            the same paper, there is a report on the
    Tracy, the niece of Moses, and liv-       Christian religions can be saved--and                moderator of the United Church of
ing with their family at present, works       that, apart from the cross of Christ.  It           Canada.   It states, "Rev. Bill Phipps
full-time for the church, doing some          was the Rev. Richard Rhem of the Christ             wants to `mend a broken world' by ex-
translating and secretarial work.  She        Community Church in Muskegon, MI                    horting his flock to focus on social is-
receives a little pocket money for it.        who  was  condemned  by  Classis                    sues, not religious doctrine."  The article
When she was 10 years old her aunt            Muskegon of the Reformed Church for                 continues:
and uncle took her along to the US and        his teachings concerning this.
promised her mother that they would                  But the idea of salvation through                ...During a recent interview with the
return her to Myanmar at age 18.  (Her        other religions, and apart from Christ,               editorial board of the Ottawa Citizen,
father died when she was three years          is becoming a dominant cry heard in                   Phipps challenged some long-held
old.)  She lived in Atlanta, Georgia,         many churches and from many of the                    Christian beliefs.
                                                                                                      "Is heaven a place?  I have no idea.  I
where her uncle was a Baptist minister.       clergy of many denominations.                         believe that there is a continuity of the
Now the aunt and uncle are living in                 I was given two articles which ap-             spirit in some way, but I would be a
Guam.  By the time Tracy came back,           peared in the Religion section of the                 fool to say what that is."
she had completed school through grade        Edmonton Journal.  The first is dated                   ...Phipps, 55, told the Citizen that he
10.  She was in Myanmar for a year            October 11, 1997.  In its headline it re-             doesn't accept the Bible as a valid his-
and then went to India for six years and      ports:  "Anglican bishop condemns some                torical record and questioned the idea
taught English.  Now she has been back        Christians' narrow view of the divine                 of Jesus as the son of God.
in Myanmar for a year, but she desires        plan."  The article states in part:                     "I don't believe Jesus is the only way
to go for more training to a Bible school                                                           to God," he said.  "I don't believe he
                                                                                                    rose from the dead as a scientific fact.
or Christian college in Singapore or the             It's time for Christians to drop the           I don't know whether those things hap-
US, to acquire a degree so she would be            idea that Christ is the one sure way to          pened.  It's an irrelevant question."
able to teach  in a Bible school in                salvation, says Vancouver Anglican                 Statements like that have set the
Myanmar, work in translations, teach               Bishop Michael Ingham.                           Christian  world  on  its  ear,  and
other women, and witness in the vil-                 In a controversial new book, Mansions          prompted a mini-revolt inside his own
                                                   of the Spirit, (Anglican Book Centre,
lages.  Her heart is really set on helping                                                          church.  Last  Sunday,  Rev.  Allen
                                                   $18.95) Ingham says he doubts what has
people in her own country.  It's hard to                                                            Churchill told his Ottawa congregation
                                                   been a central tenet of the Christian faith
slow such enthusiastic people down a                                                                that Phipps' views were a "serious em-
                                                   for most of the last 2,000 years: that God
bit and tell them they must be patient                                                              barrassment" to the church.
                                                   can be known only through Christ.
and wait for the Lord's leading in all of            That conviction is increasingly un-              Then there is the transcript of an
this.  She's a very nice girl.                     tenable in a world where we now regu-          interview by Dr. Robert Schuller (of the
    I guess this brings me to the end of           larly encounter members of other faiths
                                                                                                  Crystal Cathedral and minister in  the
my story.  It was a wonderful experi-              "whose depth of intimacy with God is
                                                                                                  Reformed Church in America) of Dr.
ence for us, and we're glad we were able           evident and radiant," he says.
                                                     The fundamentalist belief that bil-          Billy Graham on the Hour of Power tele-
to share it together.  I took notes during

132/Standard  Bearer/December  15,  1997


vision broadcast of May 31, 1997.  I                that they have never seen a Bible or            above all that is called God, or that is
quote from the Christian News of Octo-              heard about a Bible, and never heard of         worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in
ber 20, 1997:                                       Jesus, but they've believed in their            the temple of God, shewing himself that
                                                    hearts that there was a God, and they've        he is God" (II Thess. 2:4) is being ful-
    SCHULLER: Tell me, what do you                  tried to live a life that was quite apart       filled.
  think is the future of Christianity?              from the surrounding community in
    GRAHAM: Well, Christianity and be-              which they lived.
                                                           SCHULLER: ...I'm so thrilled to hear
  ing a true believer--you know, I think
  there's the Body of Christ.  This comes           you say this.  There's a wideness in
                                                                                                    s      Promise Keepers (Again)
  from all the Christian groups around the          God's mercy.
  world, outside the Christian groups.  I                  GRAHAM: There is.  There definitely      We  continue  to  read  of  the
  think everybody that loves Christ, or             is.                                                        "Promise Keepers."  Now that
  knows Christ, whether they're con-                                                                several years have passed since their in-
  scious of it or not, they're members of                  According to the report in the Chris-    ception, it becomes ever clearer what
  the Body of Christ.  And I don't think          tian News, "Billy Graham's first great            these really are.
  that we're going to see a great sweep-          city-wide evangelistic campaign was held                 World Magazine, October 18, 1997,
  ing revival, that will turn the whole           in Los Angeles in 1949.  At that time he          has a feature article about Promise Keep-
  world to Christ at anytime.  I think            made a public promise that he would               ers and their huge rally in Washington,
  James answered that, the Apostle James          never have any theological modernists             D.C.  The article points out the wide-
  in the first council in Jerusalem, when         (theological liberals) on his platform."
  he said that God's purpose for this age                                                           spread approval given this group.  But
                                                  But now he declares that he will be in
  is to call out a people for His name.                                                             it also points out growing opposition to
  And that's what God is doing today,             heaven with those of many other reli-             the Promise Keepers and their program.
  He's calling people out of the world for        gions who attain salvation apart from
  His name, whether they come from the            faith in Christ.  Schuller, minister in                  Other pastors are leery about ele-
  Muslim world, or the Buddhist world,            good standing in the Reformed Church                   ments of Promise Keepers--a parachurch
  or the Christian world or the non-be-           in America, agrees.  Scripture states,                 usurping of church authority, the char-
  lieving world, they are members of the          "How is their gold become dim!" (Lam.                  ismatic orientation of some leaders, and
  Body of Christ because they've been             4:1).                                                  the putting aside of doctrinal distinc-
  called by God.  They may not even                        Leaders in the church world openly            tions....
  know the name of Jesus but they know            deny what Christ Himself taught, "This
  in their hearts that they need something                                                                 The opposition also comes from
  that they don't have, and they turn to the      is life eternal that they might know thee         some strange sources:
  only light that they have, and I think          the only true God, and Jesus Christ,
  that they are saved, and that they're go-       whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3).  And:                  Elizabeth Toledo of the National Or-
  ing to be with us in heaven.                    "Neither is there salvation in any other:              ganization for Women (NOW) was
    SCHULLER: What, what I hear you               for there is none other name under                     starkly honest in explaining to ABC's
  saying is that it's possible for Jesus          heaven given among men, whereby we                     This Week audience the opposition of
  Christ to come into human hearts and            must be saved"  (Acts 4:12).                           NOW to Promise Keepers.  She decried
  soul and life, even if they've been born                 How  openly  and  rapidly  the                the emphasis on male headship within
  in darkness and have never had expo-            churches and their leaders are chang-                  the family (Scripture "is no excuse for
  sure to the Bible.  Is that a correct inter-                                                           putting men in charge"), attacked an
  pretation of what you're saying?                ing!  Surely the time of Christ's return
                                                                                                         "agenda that is not tolerant to lesbians
    GRAHAM: Yes, it is, because I be-             must be at hand when the prophecy that                 and gays," and complained that the
  lieve that.  I've met people in various         he "who opposeth and exalteth himself                  large PK crowds "could affect our ef-
  parts of the world in tribal situations,                                                               forts to achieve equality for women."

   All Around Us                                                                                           Wow!! NOW is against Promise
                                                                                                                    Rev. Gise VanBaren

                                                  Those things which ought to be empha-             also  denominations.    Doctrinal
Keepers!  One would almost be inclined            sized and taught in the church itself,            distinctives are not important.  The
to say, "If they are against it, then I am        this para-church organization has taken           story is told that at one of the rallies
for it!"  Sadly, the elements which they          over.  These are the very truths which            (perhaps, then, at all of them!) the large
oppose are exactly those which would              we would also teach.                              audience was asked to shout loudly the
appeal to the godly man and woman.                         But there is the "dark" side of Prom-    name of the church or denomination to
                                                  ise Keepers.  They have widely pro-               which they belonged.  Of course, there
                                                  claimed, "Break Down the Walls!"  It was          was cacophony!  Then the audience was
Rev. VanBaren is pastor of the Protestant         their rallying cry a few summers ago.             to shout the name "Jesus."  Now the
Reformed  Church  of  Loveland, Colorado.         Those "walls" which must be broken                single word stood out clearly and could
                                                  down, are walls which divide race, but            be distinguished by all!  The lesson was

                                                                                                    December  15,  1997/Standard  Bearer/133


clear.  Differing denominations only cre-          that salvation is a free gift from God and    For the humble and yet triumphant King
ate confusion.  We must all be united on           cannot be earned by any human effort."        of our salvation!
the main thing: Jesus.                                                                               Celebrate Jesus with love and
    World Magazine points out further                    So the walls are being further "bro-    honor!  Spikenard Saturday!  Palm Sun-
attempts to "break down the walls."  It          ken down."  The article quoted above            day!  Every day!
reports:                                         concludes correctly, "Fundamentally,
                                                 there is only one (question): Is sola fide             For Meditation &
    Last October, article 5 of PK's state-       the official theological position of Prom-
  ment of faith read, in part, "man...because      ise Keepers, or is it not?"   u                             Discussion
  of sin, was alienated from God.  That
  alienation can be removed only by ac-                                                          1.  Setting: John 12:1.
  cepting through faith alone God's gift                                                             It was six days before the Jews'
  of salvation which was made possible           Spikenard passover.  This is the third passover
  by Christ's death" (emphasis added).                                                           mentioned by John as having occurred
    Today, the statement reads, "Only
  through faith, trusting in Christ alone         Saturday, during Jesus' public ministry (the other
  for salvation which was made possible                                                          two are mentioned in John 2:13ff. and
  by his death and resurrection, can that                                                        6:4).  Unless the unnamed feast of John
  alienation be removed."                                     Palm                               5:1 is another passover, the fact that
    What's missing?  Faith alone, sola fide,                                                     Jesus' ministry spanned three passovers
  the core doctrine of the gospel.  As of                                                        establishes the length of His earthly min-
  at least last October, PK stood with the                Sunday                                 istry at a little over two years.  So much
  Reformation, itself a movement that re-                                                        done in such little time!  Should He not
  claimed, among other truths, the clear                                                         be given more, much more time to ac-
  Bible teaching that salvation is by faith
  alone in Christ alone.  Only through                   (John 12: 1-19)                         complish much more?  Will it not be a
  trusting in God's mercy in the sacrifice                                                       tragedy when the Lord Jesus must die
  of Jesus Christ on our behalf can man                                                          not many days hence?
  be saved.                                      As Jesus' public ministry
                                                             came to a close it became               There are parallel passages: Mat-
    Now, according to PK, it is not faith                    very clear:  He was the kind of     thew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9.  Luke 7:36-
  alone in Christ that saves; it is faith in     person you either loved or you hated.           38 is similar, but seems to be an alto-
  Christ alone that saves.  The latter is the    His ministry compelled one to take a            gether separate incident.  Make a list of
  classic teaching of the Roman Catholic                                                         the differences in each report (Matthew,
  church, that faith is a necessary but in-      stand either for or against Him.  One
                                                                                                 Mark, and John) of the incident recorded
  sufficient condition of salvation; trust       could not halt between two opinions.
  in Christ's death merely begins the pro-       His person, His visage, His words, His          in John 12.  How are these differences
  cess of salvation, which is "completed"        deeds worked faith and love for Him-            to be harmonized?
  as Christ enables us by grace to partici-      self, or, exposing sin and unrepentance
  pate in works of righteousness.                in reprobate men, they hardened sin-            2.  Love and Hate at
    ...Even if the distinction is no big deal      ners.  Light has this way about it:  it         Messiah's Table
  to evangelicals--though it should be--it is      brings out the children of the light who            Comment on how the following
  a big deal to Catholics, according to the      welcome the light with joy, and causes          show either love or hate at this supper
  Catholic weekly Our Sunday Visitor.  Its                                                       with Jesus (you will want to compare
  July 20 edition reported that PK changed       the rats to scurry into their holes.
                                                                                                 the parallel passages):
  its statement of faith to accommodate                  John 12, being a record of the be-
  Catholics who wanted to join but               ginning of the end of Jesus' earthly min-           *Martha: v. 2
  couldn't, because to embrace "faith            istry, reveals just this point: Jesus is the        *Lazarus: v. 2,10-12
  alone" would "force them to reject their       One you either love or hate.   We see               *Mary: vv. 3-8
  Catholic faith."                               this at a certain supper to which Jesus             *Judas Iscariot: v. 4-6
    World reporters sought out PK's side         and others were invited on a Saturday               *The disciples: Matthew 26:8, 9
  of the story.  Staffers in the public-re-      night before the passover: people hon-              *Much people of the Jews: v. 9
  lations office issued a statement that         oring Jesus, others hating Him and all              *The chief priests: vv. 10, 11
  claims the change "has not altered the
  meaning of this key principle in any           He stood for.  We see this when, the
                                                                                                 3.  Mary, the Spikenard,
  way.  Our objective was only to bring          next day, Jesus rides into Jerusalem for
  more clarity to this important funda-          the last time in His earthly ministry: the      and the Savior: vv. 3-8.
  mental truth of Christianity."  More-          King coming, sitting on the colt of an              At this supper with Jesus, Mary
  over, PK maintains, the revised state-         ass.                                            took a pound of spikenard and anointed
  ment of faith "expresses Ephesians 2:8-                Do you love Him?  Or do you hate        the feet of Jesus with it.  Matthew 26:7
  9 more accurately than the old state-          Him?                                            and Mark 14:3  record that she also
  ment, thus we felt we were being truer                 Let us search the Scriptures: with      poured it on Jesus' head.
  to Scripture.  Promise Keepers believes        love!  Love!  For the Lord's anointed!              This anointing was the event of the

134/Standard  Bearer/December  15,  1997


supper.  It highlighted the importance           Him at this time, "wrought a good work"        works that they had seen (Luke 19:37).
of Jesus.  It brought out who were for           on Him (Mark 14:6), and that against                    So lavish the praise given to Jesus,
Him, who were confused about Him, and            (or "for") the day of His burying she did      so fervent and frenzied the crowd sur-
who were against Him.                            this (John 12:7; cf. Matt. 26:12; Mark         rounding Him as Jesus rides into the
        Spikenard was a fragrant oil ex-         14:8).  He honors Mary further when            city, that it is no wonder that the whole
tracted from a plant native to northern          He says: "wheresoever this gospel shall        city of Jerusalem was moved (Matt.
India.  It is still used today as a per-         be preached in the whole world, there          21:10).  It was a movement of seismic
fume for hair.  It was, in Jesus' day,           shall also this, that this woman hath          proportions!  At the entry of the great
very expensive.  It would be imported            done, be told for a memorial of her"           King, who was riding on a donkey,
in sealed alabaster boxes which would            (Matt. 26:13; Mark 14: 9).                     Jerusalem was shaken in its very soul!
be opened, and the spikenard used, only              What is the significance of this
on very special occasions (according to          anointing?   Is there evidence to suggest      5.  Blessed the King
the New Bible Dictionary, J.D. Douglas,          that Mary understood, or did not under-        of Israel! (v. 13).
Ed.).                                            stand, the necessity and significance of                How is Jesus the King?  List several
        Mary thinks it is a special occasion.    Jesus' death and burial?                       mighty works which Jesus did to show
She takes a pound of the oil, which ac-          4.  Triumphal entry and                        He is King of Israel, King of the uni-
cording to the reckoning of the day was          lavish praise: vv. 12-19.                      verse!
worth some 300 pence, or denarii (v. 5).             This passage records Jesus' final en-               The words of praise offered at this
That is, the oil Mary poured on Jesus'           try into Jerusalem.  Matthew 21, Mark          royal entry into Jerusalem were many.
head and feet was worth about a year's           11, and Luke 19 complement the in-             The words recorded in the gospel nar-
wages (figuring the daily wage at 1              spired John's record.                          ratives are:
pence or denarius: Matthew 20:2).                    From John and the other gospel ac-                  Matthew 21:9: "Hosanna to the son
Imagine that!  Imagine Mary doing that           counts we learn that from Bethany,             of David: Blessed is he that cometh in
today: taking something worth $30-               where Jesus had His supper with                the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the
40,000 (average yearly salary today),            Lazarus and others, Jesus had sent two         highest."
and pouring it on Jesus!  What would             of His disciples to acquire a donkey for                Mark 11:9,10: "Hosanna; Blessed is
your reaction have been?                         Him to ride upon.  From there He would         he that cometh in the name of the Lord:
        Judas and others (including the          ride the two miles or so to Jerusalem.         Blessed be the kingdom of our father
other disciples, Matthew 26:8,9) protest!        As He did, a procession of people gath-        David, that cometh in the name of the
Their argument: it would have been bet-          ered around Him and rendered great             Lord: Hosanna in the highest."
ter to sell this precious ointment and           praise.                                                 Luke 19:38: "Blessed be the King
give the money to the poor! What was                 Lavish praise indeed!  The disciples       that cometh in the name of the Lord:
revealed at this time about the nature           had saddled the coat with their own gar-       peace in heaven, and glory in the high-
and establishment of Jesus' kingdom              ments, to comfort their King.  A great         est."
which caused such indignation at the             many gathered and spread their coats                    John 12: 13: "Hosanna: Blessed is
woman's deed?  What was the differ-              on the way in  the path of the donkey          the King of Israel that cometh in the
ence between the indignation of most of          so that the donkey could walk on them.         name of the Lord."
the disciples, and that of Judas (cf. John       Others cut off branches of palm trees                   What Scriptures are quoted in these
12:4-6, Matt. 26:14-16, and Mark 14:10,          and waved them  and laid them in His           words of praise?  Discuss the signifi-
11)?                                             path in honor.  All the while words of         cance of these words.
        Regarding the reaction of some to        praise were rendered about Jesus and
Mary's anointing of Jesus, D.A. Carson,          to Jesus.  And by a great many people!         6.  Necessary praise (cf. Luke 19:39, 40).
in his commentary on John, writes: "If           The Pharisees even cry: "Behold, the                    Some of the Pharisees, true to form,
self-righteous piety sometimes snuffs out        world is gone after him" (John 12:19)!         urge the Master to rebuke His disciples
genuine compassion, it must also be ad-              It seems that there were two groups.       for all the praise they are giving to Jesus
mitted, with shame, that social activism,        Some came from Bethany to travel with          (Luke 19:39).  Jesus answers them: "I
even that which meets real needs, some-          Jesus to Jerusalem.  Another group came        tell you that, if these should hold their
times masks a spirit that knows noth-            from Jerusalem, especially, according to       peace, the stones would immediately cry
ing of worship and adoration" (p. 429).          John 12, to see and praise this Jesus who      out."
Is there evidence today in Christendom           had recently raised Lazarus from the                    There will be praise of Jesus!
of either "self-righteous piety" that            dead.  These groups, the one from                       Among the Pharisees there is the
snuffs out genuine compassion or of so-          Bethany, and the other from Jerusalem,         intense desire that Jesus be not praised,
cial activism which masks  "a spirit that        apparently met at the top of the Mount         but put away.  Why did they, and why
knows nothing of worship and adora-              of Olives overlooking the city of Jerusa-      do unbelievers today, seek to squelch the
tion"?  How do we guard against either           lem.  There is the climax of praise!  There    praise of Jesus? What evidence is seen
extreme?                                         the whole multitude rejoice and praise
        Jesus says that Mary, in anointing       God with a loud voice for all the mighty

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     Search the Scriptures                                                                                    Rev. Mitchell Dick


today of the history-long anti-Jesus campaign? How is this seen today in Christian celebrations, such as Christmas and Easter,
when there is supposed to be all praise given to Messiah?
      Praise of Jesus there will, however, be.  There will be praise of Jesus when He is exalted.  God has ordained Him to have all
the preeminence (Col. 1:15ff.).  God will give Him a name which is above every name (Phil. 2:9).  And at the very name of Jesus
every knee, every disciple's knee, every Pharisee's knee, every rock knee shall bow!
      But also now, that is, when Jesus is entering into His passion week and into the depth of His humiliation as the suffering
Savior.   There must be praise now!
      Discuss these three reasons why there must be praise of Jesus at the royal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem for the last time on


earth:
*     The reason why praise of Jesus is        bearer is all, now simply, terribly, to be crushed....
so necessary is that His kingship and                  Despite all the lavish praise ... is there evidence in Scripture that most of the
glory are so obvious and great that even
if people will not acknowledge it, lifeless
objects, such as stones, will!
                                               people missed the significance of Jesus'          Binding"
*     Praise at this time is necessary in
order that prophecy might be fulfilled         riding in on a donkey, and, also, that if
(cf. John 12: 14-16!  What prophecy?).         they had understood it,  their praises
                                               would have turned to mocking and curs-                             (?)
*     Jesus' entry into Jerusalem now,
though in humiliation, is a foreshadow-        ing?
ing of His return in glory as King to                  For what kind of king and kingdom
judge the wicked and gather His church.                                                                If there be therefore any consolation in
                                               were the people hoping?                        Christ, if any comfort of love, if any
                                                       How do we show we understand
7.  Praise for the King                                                                       fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and
                                               and are willingly involved in the praise
riding on a donkey.                                                                           mercies,
                                               of the King of the cross?
      Jesus had need of a donkey (Luke                                                                 Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be like-
19:30,34).  He may enter into Jerusalem                                                       minded, having the same love, being of one
                                               8.  Perspective, John 20:31
no other way.  Strange way to come and                                                        accord, of one mind.
                                                       List the several ways Jesus is re-
to establish a kingdom!  Did not kings                                                                 Let nothing be done through strife or
                                               vealed in the events described above to
usually come in state, in pomp, on a fine                                                     vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let
                                               be the Christ, the Son of God.
horse, or in a chariot drawn by ten                                                           each esteem other better than themselves.
                                                       From the examples both of faith and
horses?!                                                                                                                   Philippians 2:1-3
                                               unbelief in response to Jesus' anointing
      Jesus rides the colt of an ass.  This    by Mary and His royal entry into Jerusa-
is because He establishes His kingdom          lem, discuss the several characteristics
in the way of humiliation.  He is the          of pure faith in the suffering Messiah.
                                                       Compare several things that money      Extra-Scriptural Binding--A
                                                                                                          New Danger  is the title of a
sin-bearer.   He comes to take sin away                                                                   recently published translation of
by suffering for it in His people's place.                                                    Dr. Klaas Schilder's answer to our Brief
                                               can buy with the blessings Jesus has
He comes to conquer not the Romans,                                                           Declaration of Principles, as a series of
                                               purchased for us through His suffering
but sin and death.  His weapon will be a                                                      articles in The Reformation, a magazine
                                               and death.  Do they compare?
cross and not a sword.                                                                        of which he had long been the editor.
                                                       O Israel, Praise!  Thy King cometh!
      How  does  the  prophecy  of                                                            The title speaks for itself.  Schilder main-
                                                         Praise!
Zechariah 9:9-11, fulfilled here, point out                                                   tained not only that the content of the
                                                       With oil!  With praise!  With palm!
the significance of Jesus' riding on a                                                        Declaration was outside the bond of
                                                       In Spirit!  By word!  In deed!
donkey?                                                                                       Scripture, but that its "binding" nature
                                                       Thy King cometh unto thee!   u
      He had come unto His own, already,                                                      was unusual and constituted a serious
in the form of a babe, born in a lowly                                                        new danger.
                                                         "Extra-
cattle stall.  He had willingly hid His                                                                This is surprising, inasmuch as few
full glory in the form and weakness of                                                        could be expected to be more conscious
human flesh.  Now He joins with the                                                           of Article 31 of the Church Order of
                                               Scriptural
donkey, lowliest of animals, burden-                                                          Dordrecht than the churches to which
Rev. Dick is pastor of Grace Protestant                                                       he belonged, their official name being,
Reformed Church in Standale, Michigan.                                                        Reformed Churches (according to Article 31);

136/Standard  Bearer/December  15,  1997


and it is this article which stipulates that       this gathering such that it could be          to keep the unity of the Spirit in the
"whatever may be agreed upon by a ma-              called a synod.  The latter is always a       bond  of  peace ."    And  again  in
jority vote (of a broader ecclesiastical           representative gathering.  Its members        Philippians 2:1, 2:  "If there be therefore
body--BW) shall be considered settled and           are delegated by and receive their com-       any consolation in Christ, if any com-
binding unless it be proved to conflict            mission from the churches that delegate       fort of love, if any fellowship of the
                                                   them.  But the meeting at Jerusalem was
with the Word of God or with the ar-               constituted of the apostles and elders of     Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfil
ticles of the church order."  In other             the church at Jerusalem, together with        ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, hav-
words, the binding nature of the Decla-            Paul and Barnabas, who had been sent          ing the same love, being of one accord,
ration was not unusual at all, for all             by the church of Antioch and who rep-         of one mind."  While behind this was
decisions of the broader assembly in Re-           resented more particularly the churches       always that foundational prayer of
formed churches are just that, without             among the Gentiles.  Hence, we may            Jesus, John 17:21:  "That they all may be
any suggestion that this might be dan-             more properly characterize this gather-       one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in
gerous.  Still, it is well that we should          ing as a convent under the direct guid-       thee, that they also may be one in us:
understand what the implications of this           ance of the apostles.                         that the world may believe that thou
article are.                                                                                     hast sent me."  It is within the com-
                                                 In the early church there was no need
                  - - - - - -                                                                    munion of the saints that the Holy Spirit
                                                 for, nor is there any record of, the kind
     To begin with, there is no sugges-                                                          works and grants to the church to rise
                                                 of broader assemblies which we now
tion here that ecclesiastical assemblies                                                         above the weaknesses of one or a very
                                                 hold.  These were the creation of a later
have some kind of an unction from God                                                            few.  It is on and within the unity of the
                                                 age; and although we may certainly be-
granting them a special authority over                                                           church that we must live.
                                                 lieve they came to be through the guid-
the people of God.  This, after all, is not                                                          Ideally, of course, such unity would
                                                 ance of the Holy Spirit and out of a per-
even so of those offices which are insti-                                                        include the whole body of Christianity
                                                 fectly sound biblical principle, they cer-
tuted in Scripture, as was evident al-                                                           in a united institution; but God has not
                                                 tainly have no special innate authority
ready with Peter, who at one moment                                                              seen well to provide the degree of sanc-
                                                 in themselves.  In the end, God has left
was declared by Jesus to be the recipi-                                                          tification which this needs.  Rather, as
                                                 us with one authoritative standard of
ent of infallibly inspired truth with an                                                         time has passed, the institute of the
                                                 truth, the divinely inspired Scriptures;
apostolic position in the foundation of                                                          church has become increasingly frag-
                                                 and conformity to it provides the only
the church (Matt. 16:17), and yet imme-                                                          mented on every side.  Still, the need
                                                 final authority as to what is to be be-
diately thereafter, when he thought to                                                           for unity is there, if not with all, at least
                                                 lieved and done.  And yet our church
rely on his own discernment, was re-                                                             among those by whom a common con-
                                                 order does stipulate that decisions of our
buked for serving Satan (Matt. 16:23).                                                           viction is shared.  Nowhere was the
                                                 assemblies are to "be considered settled
No one, not even an apostle, can claim                                                           sense of this more evident than in the
                                                 and binding."  On what is that based?
authority such as that, and much less                                                            great Reformation.  Repeatedly the Re-
                                                     Within the historical record of the
those who follow him in lesser positions.                                                        formers searched the Scriptures in an
                                                 New Testament, we are told of the insti-
And, if so, certainly neither can our                                                            effort to demonstrate to those who re-
                                                 tution of the Christian church with its
ecclesiastical assemblies, which have no                                                         jected them that their positions were of
                                                 instituted offices (pastors, elders, and
distinct institution in Scripture.  There                                                        God and should be accepted by all.  And
                                                 deacons), men ordained of God for the
are those, of course, who claim they do,                                                         then, when it became evident that this
                                                 guidance and rule of His church; but
insisting that the counsel or convent in                                                         was not to be, they took these formula-
                                                 their authority is not within themselves,
Jerusalem described in Acts 15 was ac-                                                           tions and used them as common confes-
                                                 or in the rights of the offices they bear.
tually a first synod; but this is hardly                                                         sions through which they might be
                                                 It is only in their knowledge and appli-
valid, as Herman Hoeksema explained                                                              joined together in the Word, guided in
                                                 cation of the teachings of Scripture that
at the first synod of the Protestant Re-                                                         their quest for an ever deeper under-
                                                 they can claim the right to be heard;
formed Churches:                                                                                 standing of what God has made known,
                                                 and it is to that which they must be com-       and protected from falling back into
                                                 mitted.  But the fulfillment of this is not
  This gathering, which was held about                                                           those ancient errors which have always
  the year AD 50, has sometimes been             easy.  We are all weak and sinful, and          tended to reappear.  So denominations
  called the first synod.  But this is hardly    prone to misuse God's Word.  So it is           were formed.
  correct.  For, first of all, we may remark     that Paul often instructed those who                Basically, therefore, a denomination
  that there can hardly have been room           work within the church not to work              is a group of congregations united un-
  for a synodical gathering as long as the       alone, but in unity with each other, as
  apostles still lived.  They were directly                                                      der a common faith into a single ad-
                                                 in Ephesians 4:1-3:  "I therefore, the pris-
  guided by the Spirit.  They had author-                                                        ministrative unit.  In its own way it is a
                                                 oner of the Lord, beseech you that ye
  ity over all the churches.  And the ap-                                                        kind of natural spiritual response to a
                                                 walk worthy of the vocation wherewith
  ostolic authority was final.  As long as                                                       common belief.  When believers hold the
                                                 ye are called,  With all lowliness and
  the apostles lived, therefore, there was                                                       same faith, there is a natural affinity
  neither need of, nor occasion for, a           meekness, with longsuffering, forbear-          which draws them together for fellow-
  synod.  Nor was the constituency of            ing one another in love; endeavouring           ship, worship, and mutual assistance in

                                                                                                 December  15,  1997/Standard  Bearer/137


the needs of life.  Because of weaknesses     lated by the church order.  These mat-          all, to the three forms of unity (the
and frailties, Christians often struggle      ters are of two kinds.  First, there are        Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Con-
with problems bigger than they; and the       those which arise out of the local con-         fession, and the Canons of the Synod of
churches need advice and assistance           gregations after it has become apparent         Dordt) under which they as churches
from those who believe as do they, par-       that the local consistory is unable to          of the Reformation worship; and then,
ticularly when it comes to matters of cor-    handle them by itself.  In such instances       in the second place, to the church or-
rection and discipline of those members       they are to be brought to the classis to        der, which binds them together in func-
in a congregation with whom they are          which that congregation belongs for con-        tioning as the body of Christ.  In good
too personally involved to make objec-        sideration and advice, and, if they can-        faith to each other, they promise never
tive judgment on their own.  And be-          not be settled there, passed on to the          to militate against this union either in
sides that, there are also matters which      next meeting of synod for final advice.         its creeds or in its common functions,
are too great for individual congrega-        And, secondly, there are matters which          and to accept the decisions which are
tions to care for by themselves, matters      concern the churches as a whole, mat-           made.  It is not a matter of binding the
regarding such things as missions and         ters of missions, training for the minis-       conscience.  Even regarding the creeds
the preparation of young men for the          try, and mutual assistance of those             it is recognized that there may be things
ministry.  For all of these, denomina-        churches where special need is found.           which an individual does not see to be
tional union is needed.                       It is simply a matter of all things being       in harmony with Scripture as he under-
    For such a union to work, however,        "done decently and in order" (1Cor.             stands it; and in such a case it is to the
there must necessarily be a moral com-        14:40).                                         Scriptures that he must submit his faith.
mitment to respect and honor those de-            In all of this, however, most crucial       But at the same time he is also free to
cisions which are mutually made; and it       of all is the good faith of all participants    show to the churches where his prob-
is for this that the Church Order of          which alone can establish trust.  There         lem is, and to seek to prove it is so.  But
Dordt was devised, with its heart in Ar-      must be a common commitment by those            when this is done, and if he has failed
ticles 30 and 31.  In this church order it    who participate, individually or through        to prove his point, he must accept the
is agreed that all the congregations          their representatives, to respect that          decision given as that which will be
which are so joined together, as repre-       which is done by the whole.  In fact, the       maintained in the church, or leave for
sented by their ordained consistorial         heart of the Reformed church relation-          one more in agreement with what he be-
officebearers, will be divided into vari-     ship is that they "bind" themselves to          lieves.
ous geographical groupings, classes,          such a mutual commitment in Article                               - - - - - -
(particular synods, when warranted),          31.  It is not a matter of special ability           And so it was with the Declaration
and general synods, all of which are          or right on the part of those who gather        of Principles.
temporary gatherings which exist only         and take part in these assemblies, but a             One must understand that at its be-
while they are in session, and by which       common pledge which these believers             ginning  the  Protestant  Reformed
only ecclesiastical matters are to be con-    make to each other when they join them-         Churches were founded on the convic-
sidered in the ecclesiastical way stipu-      selves in this denominational relation-         tion that the theory of common grace,
                                              ship.  They commit themselves, first of         adopted and forced upon the churches

    Contending for the Faith                                                                  Rev. Bernard Woudenberg



by the Christian Reformed synod and classis in 1924, was contrary to the Word of God as set forth in the Reformed confessions.
If it were not so, it would have been unethical for them to refuse to submit to what was decided, even if they disagreed.  But, by
the same measure, this also meant that the rejection of this common grace became a commonplace of the Protestant Reformed
Churches, an agreed starting point about which they were formed.  For anyone then to join these churches while refusing to




                                              accept this as that which would be taught among them would have been highly
                                              unethical and contrary to the principle of Article 31.  It was a matter "settled and
                                              binding" from the start.
                                                  With the Liberated Churches in 1944, however, it was different.  Within the
                                              Reformed Churches (Gereformeerde Kerken) in the Netherlands it had been decided
Rev. Woudenberg is a minister emeritus in     from their beginning, and confirmed by synodical decision in 1905, that two differ-
the Protestant Reformed Churches.             ent views of the covenant were to be acceptable among them, including the condi-
                                              tional view held by Schilder and his followers with its implicit element of common

138/Standard  Bearer/December  15,  1997


grace.  Thus when the synod of 1944           we hope to see.   u                           statutes making it a crime to aid an-
simply threw them out because of their                                                      other person to attempt suicide.  Al-
covenant view, without reconsidering                                                        though many proposals to legalize as-
and rescinding its 1905 decision, it was           Supreme                                  sisted suicide have been introduced in
in direct violation of its own church or-                                                   state legislatures across the nation, none
der.  Among our people this aroused a                    Court                              have been enacted, notwithstanding in-
great deal of sympathy for Schilder and                                                     tense lobby efforts by "right-to-die" pro-
his followers, even while we realized that                                                  ponents.
doctrinally their views were quite dif-              Upholds                                    But then in 1996, federal appellate
ferent from ours, particularly regarding                                                    courts in New York and Washington de-
their view of the covenant.  From the                                                       clared the laws criminalizing physician-
beginning Rev. Hoeksema pointed this                  Ban on                                assisted suicide in those states to be un-
out, and sought to discuss it, but with                                                     constitutional (see Standard Bearer, vol.
little response.  And then suddenly it                                                      73, p. 162).  Both of these cases were
was learned that Dr. Schilder had spo-           Physician-                                 appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
ken out in repudiation of common grace                                                      This summer the Court unanimously
to the confusion of everyone.  The re-                                                      overruled the lower courts, holding that
sult was that Rev. Hoeksema invited Dr.              assisted                               state laws criminalizing physician-as-
Schilder to come here so that they could                                                    sisted suicide are not constitutionally de-
discuss the matter together and see if                                                      fective.
common ground might be found doctri-           Suicide--No
nally as well.                                                                              The Washington Case
     As it turned out, however, although      Constitutional                                    In 1994, four physicians and Com-
Schilder came, this discussion did not                                                      passion in Dying, a nonprofit organiza-
take place--primarily due to the fact that                                                   tion that counsels people considering
Rev. Hoeksema had fallen ill.  And, af-            "Right to                                suicide, sued the state of Washington
ter touring all our churches, Schilder an-                                                  seeking a declaration that Washington's
nounced that essentially he agreed with                                                     law penalizing physician-assisted suicide
our covenant view as well; and he was                      Die"                             was violative of patients' constitutional
convinced that we could and should                                                          rights.  In a decision that shocked the
work toward a sister-church relation-                                                       nation, the federal court of appeals
ship, so that when their members would            We disagree with the claim that the       struck down the Washington law ban-
immigrate to this country they could be-      distinction between refusing lifesaving       ning assisted suicide, holding that the
come members of our churches.  For us         medical treatment and assisted suicide        law violated a newly discovered consti-
there continued to be a problem because       is "arbitrary" and "irrational."  Granted,    tutional right of a terminally ill patient
of our doctrinal differences, however;        in some cases, the line between the two       to "determine the time and manner of
and when these people began to arrive,        may not be clear, but certainty is not        one's death" or the "right to choose a
we warned them that there would be no         required, even if it were possible.  By       humane, dignified death."
common grace, directly or implied in our      permitting everyone to refuse unwanted            Although there was absolutely no
doctrine of the covenant, taught in our       medical treatment while prohibiting any-      legal precedent for this novel decision,
churches.  And then it was learned that       one from assisting a suicide, New York        the appellate court nonetheless fearlessly
Schilder's men were instructing these         law follows a long-standing and ratio-        forged this innovative "right to die," re-
same people privately to spread propa-        nal distinction.                              lying almost exclusively on the abortion
ganda concerning their view of the cov-            Vacco v. Quill, U.S. Supreme Court       decisions.  The appellate court, finding
enant, with its implicit common grace,                                    (June, 1997).     the abortion decisions "highly instruc-
in our churches, a clear violation of Ar-         In the last decade or so, the U.S.,       tive" and "almost prescriptive" ruled:
ticle 31.                                     Canada, Britain, and other countries
     That was why our Brief Declaration       have been embroiled in an intense de-           Like the decision of whether or not to
of Principles  was set forth, a reminder                                                      have an abortion, the decision how and
                                              bate over the morality and legality of
of what had been settled and binding                                                          when to die is one of "the most intimate
                                              physician-assisted suicide.  The "Death
since our origin as churches.  And the                                                        and personal choices a person may
                                              with Dignity Act" adopted in 1994 by a
greatest disappointment was that, after                                                       make in a lifetime, a choice central to
                                              voter  referendum  in  Oregon,  Dr.             personal dignity and autonomy." ... the
all those years, Dr. Schilder had failed      Kevorkian's continued antics in Michi-          Constitution encompasses a due pro-
to recognize this fact, and instead gave      gan, and cases filed in Canada have             cess liberty interest in controlling the
forth with the indignant cry found in         heightened the controversy.                     time and manner of one's death--that
this book.  At the same time, it brings           Forty-four states in the U.S. have          there is, in short, a constitutionally rec-
out how essentially different we were--as                                                      ognized "right to die."

                                                                                            December  15,  1997/Standard  Bearer/139


                                               court's view "the ending of life by with-      and rational distinctions," and are,
                                               drawal of life-support systems is noth-        therefore, constitutionally valid.
Supreme Court Rejects                          ing more or less than assisted suicide."
a Right to Die                                 Consequently, it is unconstitutional, the      Comment
    The Supreme Court found the ap-            court held, for New York to permit with-           Reformed Christians, Right-to-Life
pellate court's argument unpersuasive.         drawal of life-support systems for the         proponents, and others breathed a sigh
The Court noted that for over 700 years        terminally ill, but criminalize administra-    of relief this past June when the Su-
the Anglo-American common-law tradi-           tion of lethal drugs, when both result in      preme Court overruled these two fed-
tion has always punished or otherwise          hastening death.                               eral appellate decisions which would
disapproved of both suicide and assist-            But the Supreme Court likewise             have  struck  down  all  state  laws
ing suicide.  The Court also reviewed          overruled the New York case, rejecting         criminalizing physician-assisted suicide.
recent unsuccessful attempts to revoke         the notion that the assisted suicide ban       But the battle is hardly over.  Right-to-
assisted suicide bans in numerous states,      violated the Equal Protection Clause of        die advocates, bitterly disappointed by
and noted that an "overwhelming ma-            the Constitution by treating similar cases     the Supreme Court decision which
jority" of state legislatures continue ex-     differently.  The Court ruled that nei-        would have repealed the assisted sui-
plicitly to prohibit assisted suicide.  The    ther the assisted suicide ban nor the law      cide laws in some forty states, have an-
Court also attempted to distinguish the        permitting patients to refuse medication       nounced that they will re-double their
abortion decisions, arguing that those         treatment treats anyone differently from       efforts to sponsor voter referenda to re-
decisions (generating the controversial        anyone else or draws any distinction be-       peal these laws on a state-by-state ba-
"right to choose an abortion") do not          tween persons.  This is because everyone       sis.  They can do this because, although
"warrant the sweeping conclusion that          has the right to refuse unwanted medi-         the Supreme Court held that the Con-
any and all important, intimate, and           cal treatment; no one is permitted to as-      stitution does not give Americans a right
personal decisions are so protected."          sist a suicide.                                to physician-assisted suicide, the Court
    The Court also declared that the               Most importantly, the Court vehe-          nonetheless invited states to resolve the
state ban on assisted suicide is related       mently rejected the lower court's con-         controversial issue through the political
to legitimate government interests:  pre-      tention that refusing lifesaving medical       process.
serving human life; protecting the in-         treatment "is nothing more or less than            Oregon has accepted the invitation.
tegrity and ethics of the medical profes-      assisted suicide":                             On November 4, 1997, Oregon voters,
sion; the protection of vulnerable groups                                                     by a resounding 20% margin, approved
(the poor, elderly, disabled) from abuse,          Unlike the Court of Appeals, we            the  state's  1994  controversial
neglect, and mistakes; and finally, avoid-       think the distinction between assisting      groundbreaking law legalizing physi-
ing the path that leads to voluntary and         suicide and withdrawing life-sustaining      cian-assisted suicide.  Consequently, Or-
involuntary euthanasia.  In this regard,         treatment, a distinction widely recog-       egon is now the first state in the U.S. to
the Court noted the alarming reports             nized and endorsed in the medical pro-       allow physicians to assist the "terminally
                                                 fession and in our legal tradition, is
from the Netherlands, where assisted             both important and logical.  When a pa-      ill" end their lives by ingesting lethal
suicide has been legalized, including a          tient refuses life-sustaining medical        drugs.  This unprecedented law has gen-
1990 Dutch government study which                treatment, he dies from an underlying        erated widespread concern that the U.S.
discovered some 6,000 death cases where          fatal disease or pathology; but if a pa-     has now embarked on a course many
physicians administered lethal drugs             tient ingests lethal medication pre-         fear will lead to euthanasia--"compassion-
without the patient's explicit request or        scribed by a physician, he is killed by      ate death" for the elderly, incompetent,
consent.                                         that medication.                             and infirm.  Physicians for Compassion-
                                                                                              ate Care, a group of doctors opposing
                                                   The Court then entered into a some-        assisted suicide, declared the new Or-
The New York Case                              what philosophical discussion attempt-         egon law to be a "monumental paradigm
Also Overruled                                 ing to distinguish acts that may have          shift" in the history of law and medi-
    Another federal appellate court on         the same consequence, but are done with        cine.
the east coast struck down New York's          widely different intents (e.g., when a             Press releases in the past few weeks
ban on physician-assisted suicide, but         physician administers a palliative drug        reported that right-to-die advocates
for different reasons than the Washing-        to lessen pain, that drug may in fact          have now launched a ballot initiative in
ton court.  This court held that the chal-     hasten death, but because the physician        Michigan, hoping that Michigan will be
lenged law violated the terminally ill pa-     does not intend to kill the patient, such      the next state to bypass the state legis-
tients' equal protection rights because        procedures are moral and legal).               lature and legalize assisted suicide by
New York penalizes terminally ill per-             The Court concluded that New               voter referendum.  Experts are divided
sons who wish to hasten their deaths           York's laws permitting everyone to refuse      on whether Michigan and other states
by self-administering prescribed drugs,        unwanted medical treatment while pro-          will follow the Oregon experience, but
but allows others to do so by removing         hibiting anyone from assisting a suicide       recent surveys show that the voter ini-
life-support systems.  In the appellate        are in accordance with "long-standing          tiatives may have quick success.  Polls

140/Standard  Bearer/December  15,  1997


show that an ever increasing percent-           Helping Hands Committee of the              along with other interested young
age of voters approve of suicide for "ter-      Hudsonville, MI PRC sponsored a food        adults, made a trip to the Scriptorium
minally ill patients."  A 1996 survey pub-      drive for members of their congregation.    in Grand Haven, MI on November 20.
lished in the New England Journal of            Hudsonville's members were encouraged       The purpose was to acquaint the young
Medicine found that 56% of responding           to use this as an expression of thank-      people with the various forms in which
doctors in Michigan preferred legaliz-          fulness for what they have been given,      the Bible has been written and preserved
ing assisted suicide.  Another survey           both spiritually and materially by their    throughout its history.
disclosed that 60% of the responding            Lord and Savior.
doctors in Oregon supported legalizing              Women from our Georgetown PRC
assisted suicide.  As right-to-die propa-       in Hudsonville, MI have met this fall       Mission Activities
ganda continues to influence doctors            for  a  weekly  Bible  Study  at  the
and the general population, it is sadly         Beaverdam Christian Reformed Church         Rev. C. Terpstra and Mr. Gary
                                                                                                    Kaptein traveled to Spokane, WA
predictable other states may soon fol-          in Beaverdam, MI.  As an expression of      on November 7 on behalf of our Domes-
low Oregon's example and repeal laws            thanks to Beaverdam for the use of their    tic Mission Committee to visit with the
criminalizing assisted suicide.   u             church, Georgetown brought donations        leaders and members of the Sovereign
Congregational Activities                       for the Zeeland Food Pantry, a project      Grace Reformed Church.  This small,
If you  read  this magazine on  a supported by Beaverdam.                                   currently independent Reformed congre-
  regular basis, then you probably have             Mr. Angus Stewart and Mr. Philip        gation is seeking to affiliate in some way
discovered by  now that there was some-         Rainey, the two men from the Covenant       with us and requested the visit.
thing missing between pages 95 and 96           PRC in Northern Ireland who are at-                 Rev. W. Bruinsma and Mr. Gary
of the November 15th issue.  The miss-          tending our seminary, have settled into     Kaptein visited the San Luis Valley, CO
ing words were these:  "...spoke on the           their home near the seminary and have       mission in mid-November, also on be-
subject of Christian Education.  The con-       been attending our Hudsonville, MI          half of our Domestic Mission Commit-
gregation of the Edgerton, MN PRC met           PRC.  In an effort to get to know them      tee.
recently and approved putting perma-            better, Hudsonville's congregation has
nent...."  Our apologies to the readers of        been taking turns every Sunday having
the "News" and to both Rev. Haak and            them over for dinner.  Besides getting      Young Adults' Activities
our congregation in Edgerton.  At least         better acquainted, it also provides the
now we know what subject Rev. Haak              men with a home-cooked meal and per-        The Young Adults' Fellowship of
                                                                                                    our Hope PRC in Redlands, CA in-
spoke on, and who is sitting on newly           haps even a few leftovers for the week.     vited their whole church to an ice skat-
padded pews.                                        The Monday evening catechism            ing party on November 22.
    Once again the deacons and the              classes of our First PRC in Holland, MI,            Young adults around west Michi-
                                                                                            gan were invited to a "Retreat" at the
  Church and State                                                                                      Mr. James Lanting


Benton Harbor, MI Quality Inn on October 31.  Rev. C. Terpstra led the discussion centered on the theme "Submitting to God's
Will."


Evangelism Activities
In                      a                      continuation                       from                     our                   De-
  cember 1st "News," we mention some more lectures sponsored by various of our churches in celebration of the Reformation.
    The Reformed Witness Committee of the Hope PRC in Walker, MI sponsored a lecture on November 7 at their church.  Prof.
R. Dykstra spoke on "A Restored Treasure of the Reformation:  Sovereign Free Double Predestination."
    The same night Prof. D. Engelsma spoke at our Randolph, WI PRC on the theme, "The Reformation's Influence Upon the


                                                  Family:  Blessing and Bane."
                                                      The Evangelism Committee of the Immanuel PRC of Lacombe, AB, Canada
                                                  sponsored a Reformation Day lecture.  Their pastor, Rev. R. Miersma, spoke on
                                                  the "Necessary Reformation of the Church."
                                                      Rev. R. Moore was the featured speaker at a lecture sponsored by the Evan-
                                                  gelism Committee of the First PRC in Edmonton, AB, Canada.  He spoke on
Mr. Lanting, a member of South Holland            "Reformation for the Church Today."
Protestant Reformed Church, is a practicing           A public lecture was sponsored by the Lynden, WA PRC on October 31.
attorney.

                                                                                            December  15,  1997/Standard  Bearer/141


Rev.  G.  VanBaren,  pastor  of  the
Loveland, CO PRC, spoke on the topic,
"Satan--And the Mother of All Battles."

            Food for Thought
     "Calvinism is that sight of the maj-
esty of God that pervades all of life and
all of experience."
                             --B.B. Warfield   u




                    NOTICE!!
     Please note this change in your 1997 Year-
book:
                    Bulletin clerk
           for First PRC (Grand Rapids):
                Melissa Looyenga
                4568 Blackfoot Dr.
              Grandville, MI  49418
                  (616) 530-2933

     And please note also that Grace Protestant
Reformed Church began holding its first service
at 11 A.M., instead of 1 P.M., November 30, 1997.



          RESOLUTION OF  SYMPATHY
     The council and congregation of the First
PRC of Holland express their Christian sympa-
thy to Mr. Henry VanderKolk and to Mr. and
Mrs. Greg (Pam) Bos in the death of their wife
and grandmother,
         MRS. LORRAINE VANDERKOLK.
     It is our prayer that they may be comforted
with the Word of God as found in Revelation
21:4:  "And God shall wipe away all tears from
their eyes; and there shall be no more death,
neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be
any more pain:  for the former things are passed
away."
                     Rev. Charles Terpstra, Pres.
                              Glenn Kotman, Clerk





142/Standard  Bearer/December  15,  1997


  News From Our Churches                          Mr. Benjamin Wigger





Mr. Wigger is an elder in the Protestant
Reformed  Church  of  Hudsonville, Michi-
gan.

                                             December  15,  1997/Standard  Bearer/143


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Standard
 Bearer                                           PERIODICAL
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  Grandville, MI  49468-0603                      Michigan





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144/Standard  Bearer/December  15,  1997


