VOLUME 64 Number 10 November 2017 EDITION the OFFICIAL
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
VOLUME 64 NUMBER 10 NovemBER 2017 EDITION THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE FREE REFORMED CHURCHES OF NORTH AMERICA THE MESSENGER November 2017 • voLUme 64 NUmber 10 WISDOM’S LOVE AND WISDOM’S EDITOR: Dr. Gerald m. bilkes 2692 bridge Place Ne, Grand rapids, mI 49525 USA • T: 616.977.0599 ext.121 e: [email protected] ASSISTANT EDITOR: rev. David H. Kranendonk e: [email protected] • T: 226-980-9607 The Editors report to the Synodical Publications PROMISE Committee. COMMITTEE MEMBERS: I love them that love me; and those that Hans vanDoodewaard, Secretary P. o. box 534, St. George, oN N0e 1N0 seek me early shall find me. T: 519.414.0090 • e: [email protected] • rev. Ian macleod Proverbs 8:17 • Dr. Gerald m. bilkes • rev. Joel overduin • rev. Jerrold Lewis • rev. robert vanDoodewaard • mr. Herman DenHollander • mr. John DenDekker, Treasurer • rev. John Procee SUBSCRIPTION RATE Canada & U.S.A. - $31.50 annually per subscription. The messenger is published 11 times per year (July & August issues are combined). SUBSCRIPTIONS/REMITTANCES MEDITATION Subscription requests, invoices, and payments should be addressed to: Janey Slingerland (Publications Administrator) 18 Chapala Cres. S.e., Calgary, Ab T2X 3m4 CANADA T: 403-254-6591 • e: [email protected] n this meditation, the focus is on two great truths. The first is Wisdom’s love for SUBMISSIONS/ANNOUNCEMENTS/NOTICES Wisdom’s friends. The second is Wisdom’s promise to Wisdom’s early seekers. All articles, notices for family announcements, obituaries, anniversaries, and non-commercial I advertisements for the December 2017 issue should Wisdom’s Love for Wisdom’s Friends reach the editor no later than Friday, December 3, 2017 and should be sent to: (“I love them that love me...”) mrs. rhonda Kroesbergen (messenger Administrator). e: [email protected] The important question is, “Who or what is Wisdom in the eighth chapter of the Proverbs THE YOUTH MESSENGER of Solomon?” Some say that Wisdom is Wisdom personified. Wisdom is one of the attri- This semi-annual publication for youth is under the direction of the Free reformed Youth & education butes of God. Others say that Wisdom is Christ. The latter explanation is the correct one. Committee. editors: rev. Timothy bergsma: T: 519.354.3100; In this chapter, Wisdom is Christ. It is not correct to say that whenever we read about e: [email protected] wisdom in the book of Proverbs, it always refers to Christ. However, in the eighth chapter, rev. Joel overduin: T: 905-327-3844; e: [email protected] and especially in the latter part of the chapter, Wisdom definitely alludes to the preincar- OPEN WINDOWS nate Christ, to Christ the Saviour. This bi-monthly publication for children is under the direction of the Free reformed Publications Just read the following verses: “The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, Committee: before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the rev. Jerrold Lewis, General editor 160 West Parkway, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444 earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains e: [email protected] abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR MISSIONS AND OUTREACH CAUSES SHOULD BE DIRECTED forth” (Proverbs 8:22-25). AS FOLLOWS: Christ loves His friends. The love of Christ is a very special love. You cannot think of a FOREIGN MISSIONS Dietrich DeKruyff, Financial Administrator love more valuable, precious, and comforting. The love of Christ is the purest, the stron- 14 Southland Drive, London, on. N6P 1C2 e: [email protected] gest, and the deepest love that the human heart can possess and experience. You cannot Keep in contact with your missionaries online: possibly measure how long, how wide, and how deep it is. It never can and never will be RADIO EVANGELISM broken. Many waters cannot quench it. Even floods cannot drown it. Sorrows and trials banner of Truth radio broadcast mr. John denDekker, Treasurer cannot hinder the love of Christ. Sickness and pain cannot lessen its depth. Even death 16726 – 80th Avenue, Surrey, bC v4N 0G8 CANADA T: 604.576.8935 • e: [email protected] cannot separate the believer from his Saviour’s love and care. Christ loves His friends. He HOME MISSIONS says, “I love them that love Me.” Christ does not say, “I love everyone.” No, He only loves mr. bert marskamp, Treasurer 78 Windsor Dr., P.o. box 126, St. George, oN N0e those who love Him. 1N0 T: 519.448.1763 • e: [email protected] We may ask, “Are there any that love Christ?” The Bible teaches that by nature no one REFUGEE FUND loves Christ. The Word of God also teaches that there are those who do love Christ. For James van der Zwan, Treasurer 26829 – 33b Ave., Aldergrove, bC v4W 3G8 instance, in the Gospels, we read that the disciples loved the Saviour. The Apostle John T: 604.818.3423 • e: [email protected] made this abundantly clear. He expressed it in this way, “We love him, because he first CHRISTIAN MINISTRY TO ISRAEL mr. John Wilbrink, Treasurer loved us” (1 John 4:19). Likewise, when the risen Christ questioned Simon Peter about his 8 Weneil Drive, Freelton, oN L8b 0Z6 T: 905.659.7413; e: [email protected] love for the Saviour, Peter responded, “Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that Read The Messenger on the Free Reformed website: I love thee” (John 21:17). Thus we conclude on biblical grounds that there are those who www.frcna.org 2 NOVEMBER 2017 Rev. Gerald Hamstra love Christ, and there are those, sad to say, who do not love Him. CONTENTS Why do certain people love the Saviour? Have they changed their own hearts? Is it through their works or efforts that they have been so blessed? No, definitely not. What makes the difference? It all can be said with one precious, powerful little word: GRACE. Grace produces faith in the heart; this faith works by love. Love is the best mark of grace. Why is 02 that? Because love is the most basic mark of a child of God. At the same time – and this is notewor- Meditation thy – love is the most blessed mark of God’s own dear people. When the grace of God enriches our The Glory of the Reformation lives, what happens? Something very amazing takes place at that time. What is it? A drop of the love God and Christ is poured into our hearts. That precious love causes us to respond. We love Him, because He first loved us. 0 6 EDITORIAL: Wisdom’s Promise to Early Seekers Canada’s Reformed Heritage (“... those that seek me early shall find me”) How precious are these words! They are Wisdom’s promise to early seekers. We may also say they are Christ’s promise to children. What does Christ promise? He promises something very special. 09 The LORD on the He promises those who seek Him while they are young that they shall find Him. We cannot find a Throne (1) greater and richer Treasure than Christ. Why is Christ such a special and valuable Treasure? It is because He is a most loving, wise, and powerful Saviour. Christ is able to save from the greatest of all troubles, and He provides the richest 12 Interview of all blessings. He even saves from sin and its fearful wages. Sin is ugly; it opposes the perfect Law With Dr. A. Neele of God. Christ’s own words are very clear as to what the Law of God requires of us: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind… And… Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” See Matthew 22:34-40. God made man so that he perfectly obeyed 14 God. However, man chose not to continue in this precious, loving obedience to God. When tempted Calvin’s View of to sin against God, man voluntarily yielded to the temptation. Thus man became an enemy of God. Suffering in the Christian Life He lost the favour of God and was under God’s displeasure and justly deserved to be punished with death, even with eternal death. It was the Lord’s great mercy that He promised and provided a very special Deliverer. In this way, man could be freed from the burden of sin and of its dreadful punish- 17 ment. Preparing for the God’s own dear Son was the Deliverer, who became the most gracious Saviour from sin. The Lord’s Supper blessed Son of God assumed a human nature. This was the greatest wonder ever! God became man, a man without sin, so that He could bear the punishment that sinful man deserved. In harmony 24 with His Father’s will, the loving Saviour willingly chose to suffer on behalf of sinners, so that they ANNOuNCEMENTS NOVEMBER 2017 3 MEDITATION Continued... could be saved from their sin and guilt and become entirely reconciled to a holy God. The Word of God teaches that every sinner, whether old or young, may and must seek this precious Saviour. Those who seek for very special and valuable treasures often experience certain obstacles and difficulties in seeking them. Often the most precious treasures are the hardest to find. This is no different for those who seek for the Treasure of all Treasures. Their seeking, even in the days of their youth, is not without troublesome hindrances. Wisdom, that is Christ, knows quite well that those who seek Him meet with difficul- ties in their search for Him.