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The VOLUME 60 NO. 3 MARCH 2013 EDITION >> Messenger 2 Church News 3 One Invitation to Many Weary People = FAITH 6 A Goodly Heritage - 5 11 Gleanings From The Churches 12 The Miracles of Christ - 12 14 Book Review 18 “Legalization” of Education - Part 3 23 Gleanings From The Churches 24 Radio Evangelism: “Utterance Please, Lord!” 27 News from PRTS 28 Announcements THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE FREE REFORMED CHURCHES OF NORTH AMERICA>> MARCH 2013 I THE MESSENGER 1 CHURCH NEWS MINISTERIAL CALLS: HAMILTON FREE REFORMED CHURCH OFFICE-BEARERS’ CONFERENCE Rev. Joel Overduin of the Free Due to construction of a new church All former and current office-bearers are wel- Reformed congregation of building on the current site, please come to the joint Free Reformed and Heritage Mitchell, Ontario declined a call note the following changes effective Reformed Spring Conference to be held at from the St. Thomas, Ontario March 3, 2013: Temporary place of London Free Reformed Church,1274 Tote Rd, congregation. He also received worship: Dundas Free Reformed London, ON a call from the Vineland Free Church - New Times: 11.30 am and Saturday, March 23rd, beginning at 10:30 Reformed Church to be its 6.00 pm. a.m. minister, which he accepted. Dr. Joel Hamstra, member of the Free Reformed Rev. David Kranendonk of the POWASSAN, ONTARIO CHURCH PLANT Ethics Committee, Assistant Clinical Professor of Free Reformed congregation of Powassan (south of North Bay, Anesthesia at McMaster University and Director Bornholm received a call from Ontario, off Hwy. 11) of Obstetrical Anesthesia at St. Joseph’s Health- the Oxford Preaching Station. Services are held every Sunday at 11:00 care in Hamilton, will give a presentation on AM and 2:00 PM with a fellowship “Medical Ethics: A Reformed Perspective” OXFORD COUNTY, ONTARIO lunch in between. When no ministers Lunch will be provided at noon. PREACHING STATION are scheduled to preach, the worship Discussion time will be at 1:00 p.m. The Free Reformed Preaching services of the Brantford Free Reformed Station of Oxford County meets Church are broadcast. For information SYNOD 2013 at the Woodstock Seventh-Day and location, email info@nipissingfrc. The Free Reformed Churches of North America Adventist Church, Highway 59, com, call Albert Wassink (705-724-3519) are scheduled to meet in synod from June 3 ½ km south of Hwy. 401. Worship or John Janssen (705 493-0259). Check through 7, 2013, the Lord willing, in the Free services are held at 12.30 p.m. online: www.nipissingfrc.com for the Reformed Church of Dundas, ON. and 6.30 p.m. every Lord’s Day. preaching schedule, detailed directions As the convening church for this synod, the For Bible study times or other and other information. consistory of Bethel Free Reformed Church of information, please contact Mr. Pastor: Rev. Rob Van Doodewaard, 604 Mitchell, Ontario, gives notice to consistories Peter Kuivenhoven at 519-879- Lindquist Line, Powassan, ON P0H 1Z0; and synodical committees that overtures, re- 6263 or email: [email protected] Tel. 705-724-5070; Email: vandood@ ports, and any other correspondence must be (Oxford County includes the gmail.com city of Woodstock, the towns received in electronic format (Word or Excel) of Ingersoll and Tillsonburg). by the clerk before April 20, 2012, in order to PLEASE NOTE NEW TIMES OF be included on the Agenda for Synod 2012. WORSHIP: Effective March 3, Bethel Free Reformed Church of Mitchell 2013 – 10.00 am and 3.00 pm. Gerald Pol, Clerk; [email protected] FREE REFORMED PUBLICATIONS OUTREACH & FOREIGN MISSIONS HOME MISSIONS THE YOUTH MESSENGER Keep contact with your missionaries on: Bert Marskamp The semi-annual publication http://www.frcmissions.org 78 Windsor Dr., P.O. Box 126 for youth is under the St. George, ON N0E 1N0 direction of the Youth & EDITOR: Rev. E. Moerdyk CANADA Education Committee of the P.O. Box 224, Coalhurst, AB T0L 0V0 CANADA Tel. 519.448.1763 Free Reformed Churches of Tel. 403.381.7770 • E: [email protected] E: [email protected] North America. Financial support for the various Outreach and Foreign REFUGEE FUND EDITORS Mission non-profit funds should be directed as follows. James Van der Zwan Derek and Frances Baars 26829 – 33B Ave. 4995 Governors Road, FOREIGN MISSIONS Aldergrove, BC V4W 3G8 R.R. #2, Lynden, ON L0R 1T0 William F. Laman, Treasurer, All funds should be CANADA Tel. 519.647.0769 remitted to: Peter Luth, Financial Administrator Tel. 604.818.3423 Email: [email protected] R.R.7, Dresden, ON N0P 1M0 CANADA E: [email protected] Tel. 519.683.2243 • E: [email protected] ASSISTANT EDITOR CHRISTIAN MINISTRY Rev. T. Bergsma RADIO Evangelism TO ISRAEL 10 Ellwood Ave. Banner of Truth Radio Broadcast John Wilbrink Chatham, ON N7M 3K3 Ken Vandenberg 8 Weneil Drive, Freelton, ON Tel. 519.354.3100 19 Majestic Court, Brantford, ON N3P 1N2 CANADA L0R 1K0 CANADA Email: [email protected] Tel. 519.770.3639; [email protected] Tel. 905.659.7413 E: [email protected] 2 THE MESSENGER I MARCH 2013 The Messenger One Yoke + Two Oxen + MARCH 2013 • VOLUME 60 - NO.3 One Invitation to EDITOR Many Weary People = Rev. C. Pronk 655 Park Road North, Unit 29 Brantford, ON N3R 0A2 CANADA Tel/Fax: 519 751-4470; Email: [email protected] The Editor reports to the Synodical Publications Committee FAITH >> Unsigned articles are by the Editor MEDITATION REV. TIM BERGSMA Assistant EDITOR Dr. G. M. Bilkes Email: [email protected] Faith, we know, is absolutely vital to the Christian life. Faith is what connects all that Jesus accomplished in life and in death for salvation, COMMITTEE MEMBERS with my experience and possession of this salvation. These verses in Rev. D. H. Kranendonk, Secretary Matthew 11, give one of the clearest, most powerful, most compelling 69 Albert Street, SS1, Mitchell, ON N0K 1N0 descriptions of faith in all of Scripture. To see this, you have to understand Tel/Fax: 519 348-0436; the imagery used here, the people to whom the Lord Jesus is speaking, Email: [email protected] and the way in which He says it to them. • Dr. G.M. Bilkes • Dr. L.W. Bilkes • Rev. C. A. Schouls • Rev. J. Koopman “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy • Rev. J. Overduin • Mr. H. VanDoodewaard The Imagery laden, and I will give you • Rev. J. Lewis It’s all based on a picture—an image that the Lord Jesus creates as He speaks: That rest. Take my yoke upon SUBSCRIPTION RATE of a yoke. An old, wooden, farming yoke. you, and learn of me; for Canada & U.S.A. - $30.00 annually I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find for individually mailed subscriptions. This is what a yoke is: A heavy, wooden pole rest unto your souls. For The Messenger is published 11 times per year. (or shaft) that is placed over an ox, which my yoke is easy, and my allows that ox to pull something—like a SUBSCRIPTIONS/REMITTANCES burden is light” Requests for subscriptions, all payments and cart, or a plow. A farming yoke like this can Matthew 11:28-30 inquiries regarding rates, invoices, and all be a single yoke, (it can be made for just one remittances should be addressed to: ox), or it can be a double yoke (one that is shared between two oxen). In a double-yoke—with one ox on one side, THE MESSENGER and the other on the other side—together they share the weight and the c/o Janey Slingerland, Administrator load of whatever they are carrying or pulling. 18 Chapala Crescent S.E., Calgary, AB T2X 3M4 Tel. 403-254-6591; Email: [email protected] In normal practice, a farmer would yoke a weaker and less experienced ANNOUNCEMENTS/NOTICES ox, together with a stronger, more experienced ox. So an ox who didn’t All notices for family announcements, obituaries, know his owner’s commands perfectly would be teamed up with another anniversaries, and non-commercial advertisements who did. In this way a weaker ox could come into this yoke and together for the April 2013 issue should reach the with this stronger, more experienced ox beside him, he could plow acre copy editor, Frederika Pronk, no later than Tuesday, MARCH 12, 2013, and should after acre of land. This is the picture the Lord Jesus is painting for us be sent to: here. THE MESSENGER The People 655 Park Road North, Unit 29,Brantford, ON Now here are the people before whom He was setting this picture: He N3R 0A2 CANADA was speaking to 1st century Jews—who were people living under a Tel/Fax: 519 751-4470 very strict religious system. They were surrounded by teachers of the Email: [email protected] law (the scribes and the Pharisees) who had put the Old Testament law Read The Messenger on the on them, like a yoke, and said, “You need to do all of these things, if you Free Reformed website: www.frcna.org MARCH 2013 I THE MESSENGER 3 MEDITATION CONTINUED... >> want to be right with God.” And if that wasn’t enough, to yoke is the need to be made right with a holy God. And this law they added 613 more of their own laws—rules we all have this burden. If you remain in your own yoke, and regulations—that they loaded upon these people’s and then go and try to “plow this field”—try to meet shoulder and told them to follow. this demand of being right with God—all you are doing is adding a religious life to your yoke with all these do’s So you had religious people who were living under all of and don’ts, and that burden becomes all the heavier.