From: The Standard Bearer

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Bert Mulder
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From: The Standard Bearer

Bericht door Bert Mulder »

Volume 83, Issue 19
Taking Heed to the Doctrine

The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper (2)
By Rev. Steven R. Key

To claim to be members of Christ's church, and not to partake of the Lord's Supper, is a monstrosity, a deformity in the church. It is a misrepresentation of all truth concerning what it is to belong to Christ.

One cannot belong to Christ and ignore His fellowship at the table of the covenant.

There is a rather constant danger that we fall into the sin of a self-willed religion. We like to do things "when we feel like it" or "the way we feel like it." That is to put self before God.

The celebration of the Lord's Supper is not a matter of our pleasure or our feelings; but it is the command of the Lord of lords to His church.

Our young people must understand their obligation in this connection. I don't mean that our young people must make confession of faith just for the sake of taking communion at a certain age. That must never be the case. To say in that confession that you love Christ in the truth as taught in this Christian church, when you don't, is to speak a lie of profound proportions. Confession of faith must be made spiritually, as a matter of one's knowledge, experience, and spiritual desire. But we must understand that to belong to Christ compels us to make that confession.

Under normal circumstances a man or woman in his or her youth will confess faith and partake freely of the fellowship of Christ's body. We must. A young person ought to be able to take that stand before making such significant life decisions as further education, employment, or marriage. Nothing is of greater significance or priority than taking the stand of confession of faith and thus becoming a spiritual partaker of the Lord's Supper. To neglect that, or to postpone it unnecessarily, is to walk in disobedience against the Lord Christ.

Still more, if I contemplate skipping the sacrament because things are not right in my own life, or because things are not in order with a fellow church member, the Lord's command stands. In such a case He tells me that I had better take care to put my house in order and to make things right so that I can partake properly of His holy Supper.

"This do in remembrance of me."
Read the whole article here:

http://sb.rfpa.org/index.cfm?mode=narro ... t_search=0
Mijn enige troost is, dat ik niet mijn, maar Jezus Christus eigen ben, Die voor mijn zonden betaald heeft, en zo bewaart, dat alles tot mijn zaligheid dienen moet; waarom Hij mij ook door Zijn Heilige Geest van eeuwig leven verzekert, en Hem voortaan te leven van harte willig en bereid maakt.
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Bert Mulder
Berichten: 9086
Lid geworden op: 28 aug 2006, 22:07
Locatie: Grace URC Leduc Alberta Canada
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The Covenant of Sovereign Grace (9)

Bericht door Bert Mulder »

The Covenant of Sovereign Grace (9) or The Decisive Influence of the Reformation Gospel upon the Orthodox Doctrine of the Covenant in the Netherlands
By Prof. David J. Engelsma

Of course, the Reformed churches in the Netherlands, like the Reformed and Presbyterian churches everywhere in those glorious early days of the Reformation, alive by the gospel of salvation by sovereign grace as proclaimed especially by John Calvin, confessed the covenant of sovereign grace. This was simply the gospel of the Reformation applied to the covenant.
You can read the whole article in The Standard Bearer
Mijn enige troost is, dat ik niet mijn, maar Jezus Christus eigen ben, Die voor mijn zonden betaald heeft, en zo bewaart, dat alles tot mijn zaligheid dienen moet; waarom Hij mij ook door Zijn Heilige Geest van eeuwig leven verzekert, en Hem voortaan te leven van harte willig en bereid maakt.
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Bert Mulder
Berichten: 9086
Lid geworden op: 28 aug 2006, 22:07
Locatie: Grace URC Leduc Alberta Canada
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Supervising Preaching...Edifying Congregations (3)

Bericht door Bert Mulder »

Volume 83, Issue 20
Editorial


Supervising Preaching...Edifying Congregations (3)
By Prof. Barrett L. Gritters
Previous article in this series: August 2007, p. 437.
The quality is best described as spirituality. God-honoring sermons are spiritual sermons. Edifying sermons are spiritual sermons. Spiritual with a capital "S." That is, they are sermons that have their source and power in the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ. An elder may not find this quality in a sermon manuscript he might read. The people of God may not see it in an outline distributed to the congregation. But they know it when they hear it. We preachers do, too.

There is something about a good sermon, therefore, that goes beyond orthodoxy. Without denying the absolutely essential element of orthodoxy, and without doing anything to minimize the importance of truth (God forbid), what must be emphasized is a dimension in the preaching that an unspiritual man cannot have. Balaam's ass can bring a word from God, a true word. King Saul can work for a time among the prophets. But God does not often edify believers and gather His elect through donkeys and unregenerate men.
Mijn enige troost is, dat ik niet mijn, maar Jezus Christus eigen ben, Die voor mijn zonden betaald heeft, en zo bewaart, dat alles tot mijn zaligheid dienen moet; waarom Hij mij ook door Zijn Heilige Geest van eeuwig leven verzekert, en Hem voortaan te leven van harte willig en bereid maakt.
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Bert Mulder
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Lid geworden op: 28 aug 2006, 22:07
Locatie: Grace URC Leduc Alberta Canada
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All Around Us

Bericht door Bert Mulder »

Harry—the Atheist

The last of the seven-volume series about Harry Potter is finally off the press. Its author, Joanne K. Rowling, already is the owner of three fancy houses and has more money than the Queen of England (Time magazine, July 23, 2007) as a result of the books (and movies based on them). It is safe to say, I believe, that many also in our churches have been avidly reading these books and were looking forward to the final volume, Deathly Hallows. How are we to evaluate these books? How do others evaluate them? For your consideration I present the following quote from the above issue of Time (hardly a conservative and surely not a religious magazine), by Lev Grossman:
Rowling’s work is so familiar that we’ve forgotten how radical it really is. Look at her literary forebears. In The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien fused his ardent Catholicism with a deep, nostalgic love for the unspoiled English landscape. C.S. Lewis was a devout Anglican whose Chronicles of Narnia forms an extended argument for Christian faith. Now look at Rowling’s books. What’s missing? If you want to know who dies in Harry Potter, the answer is easy: God.

Harry Potter lives in a world free of any religion or spirituality of any kind. He lives surrounded by ghosts but has no one to pray to, even if he were so inclined, which he isn’t. Rowling has more in common with celebrity atheists like Christopher Hitchens than she has with Tolkien and Lewis.

What does Harry have instead of God? Rowling’s answer, at once glib and profound, is that Harry’s power comes from love. This charming notion represents a cultural sea change. In the new millennium, magic comes not from God or nature or anything grander or more mystical than a mere human emotion. In choosing Rowling as the reigning dreamer of our era, we have chosen a writer who dreams of a secular, bureaucratized, all-too-human sorcery, in which psychology and technology have superseded the sacred.

When the end comes, where will it leave Harry? He’ll face tougher choices than his fantasy ancestors did. Frodo was last seen skipping town with the elves. Lewis sent the Pevensie kids to the paradise of Aslan’s Land. It’s unlikely that such a comfortable retirement awaits Harry in the Deathly Hallows.

That’s a sobering evaluation. What do you think of the evaluation and its accuracy?
You can read the whole article
here
Mijn enige troost is, dat ik niet mijn, maar Jezus Christus eigen ben, Die voor mijn zonden betaald heeft, en zo bewaart, dat alles tot mijn zaligheid dienen moet; waarom Hij mij ook door Zijn Heilige Geest van eeuwig leven verzekert, en Hem voortaan te leven van harte willig en bereid maakt.
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jvdg
Berichten: 12063
Lid geworden op: 12 okt 2006, 14:07

Bericht door jvdg »

Bert,

I am pleased with the articles from the Standard Bearer.

But, please inform us/me, what is this SB.

And what is your "target" with publishing this.

PLease enter and set up a discussion by these articles.
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Jager
Berichten: 226
Lid geworden op: 11 sep 2007, 09:12

Bericht door Jager »

May I try to answer as well? :)

I suppose it should be taken up as "worth reading". So not meant for discussion, but just presented for consideration. Had it been in Dutch, I guess it would be placed in "Theologie - Bezinning". Just have a break... from all the, though admittedly interesting, discussions!

From the website:
For over seventy years the Standard Bearer has faithfully and boldly witnessed to the faith of the Protestant Reformation as set forth in th Reformed and Presbyterian creeds.

This semi-monthly, 24-page magazine explains and defends Reformed doctrine (e.g., sovereign, particular grace, grounded in eternal election); teaches the Reformed life of the church and believer (e.g., Reformed church government and the covenantal life of the Reformed family); and vigorously combats old and new errors that threaten the Reformed faith and life (e.g., denial of the infallibility of Holy Scripture; advocacy of a universal love and grace of God; and the charismatic movement), root and branch.

In an age of confusion and compromise, the Standard Bearer is a trumpet giving a clear and certain sound (cf. Ezekiel 33; I Corinthians 14:8 ). Unashamed of the gospel of salvation by grace alone and of the law that regulates the life of holiness, the Standard Bearer not only calls Protestant saints to the great battles of our time but also explores and develops the riches of the Reformed faith.

The Standard Bearer is mailed to many countries.
It is published by The Reformed Free Publishing Association, which "is an independent, non-profit organization that publishes twenty-one issues a year of the Standard Bearer, a semi-monthly periodical, and Reformed books in the Calvinistic tradition."

Perhaps we can compare it with "Om Sions Wil"? (Bert?)
Laatst gewijzigd door Jager op 14 sep 2007, 21:58, 1 keer totaal gewijzigd.
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jvdg
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Lid geworden op: 12 okt 2006, 14:07

Bericht door jvdg »

Seen the reponse of "Hunter" my interest in the SB is increasing.

Let's wait for Bert's response.
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Bert Mulder
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Lid geworden op: 28 aug 2006, 22:07
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Bericht door Bert Mulder »

jvdg schreef:Seen the reponse of "Hunter" my interest in the SB is increasing.

Let's wait for Bert's response.
Thanks Hunter (sic)

All that being said, the Standard Bearer is the unofficial church paper of the Protestant Reformed Churches of America. The publication of the Standard Bearer was started way back when, because Rev. Hoeksema was prevented, in the doctrinal dispute then going, from publishing in the paper "The Banner" of the Christian Reformed Churches of which he was a member and pastor.

Instead of having been set up as an official church publication, it was set up as independent. In that sense it can be compared to "Om Zions Wil". The articles published in the SB, however, almost exclusively are authored by people from within the PRCA or its sister churches.

The reason it was set up as independent is to prevent a hostile synod from curtailing publication of material opposing its views, and thus to promote free dialogue. Of course all officebearers of the PRCA are bound by their formula of subscription sworn when they took office.

The Standard Bearer is free in electronic form, at this address:

http://www.rfpa.org/Scripts/standardbearer.asp

where also all back issues are available.

A subscription to a Dutch address is available at US$10 per year, for the first year, US$20 thereafter.

The Standard Bearer does not accept any commercial advertisement.

Anything else anyone would like to know?

Oh yeah, I am not breaking any copyright laws, as, per the REPRINT POLICY: "Permission is granted for the reprinting of articles in our magazine by other publications, provided: a) that such reprinted articles are reproduced in full; b) that proper acknowledgement is made; c) that a copy of the periodical in which such reprint appears is sent to our editorial office.

RFPA is aware of my activity here.
Mijn enige troost is, dat ik niet mijn, maar Jezus Christus eigen ben, Die voor mijn zonden betaald heeft, en zo bewaart, dat alles tot mijn zaligheid dienen moet; waarom Hij mij ook door Zijn Heilige Geest van eeuwig leven verzekert, en Hem voortaan te leven van harte willig en bereid maakt.
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jvdg
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Lid geworden op: 12 okt 2006, 14:07

Bericht door jvdg »

Many thanks Bert.
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Bert Mulder
Berichten: 9086
Lid geworden op: 28 aug 2006, 22:07
Locatie: Grace URC Leduc Alberta Canada
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Supervising Preaching...Edifying Congregations (3)

Bericht door Bert Mulder »

Because the Spirit is like a fire (Matt. 3:11), spiritual sermons will be fiery sermons. Fiery, not only in that they call to holiness, but fiery in their zeal. The Word of Jesus Christ burns within the preacher. Jeremiah said about God's word: It "was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay" (Jer. 20:9). Like that prophet, Spirit-filled preachers today cannot restrain themselves when they come to the pulpit; they weary of holding back. To use different biblical figures, they must unburden themselves of the Word's load. They bubble over with what the Spirit puts in them.

The Spirit works in preachers in such a way that the love of God for His people in Jesus Christ oozes, as it were, from every part of the minister's being. To the simplest hearer it is obvious that the minister groans to make the Word clear to him. To the distressed members it is plain that the minister wants the Word to comfort them. And the hardened sinner really senses that the minister has been praying that the words of the sermon will be sharp arrows to pierce his rock-hard heart.

Read the whole article
here
Mijn enige troost is, dat ik niet mijn, maar Jezus Christus eigen ben, Die voor mijn zonden betaald heeft, en zo bewaart, dat alles tot mijn zaligheid dienen moet; waarom Hij mij ook door Zijn Heilige Geest van eeuwig leven verzekert, en Hem voortaan te leven van harte willig en bereid maakt.
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Bert Mulder
Berichten: 9086
Lid geworden op: 28 aug 2006, 22:07
Locatie: Grace URC Leduc Alberta Canada
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The Covenant of Sovereign Grace

Bericht door Bert Mulder »

When, very early in their history, the Reformed churches in the Netherlands confessed that the covenant of grace has its source in, depends upon, and is governed by election, they were simply applying Calvin's teaching concerning election specifically to the covenant. In the covenant, the objects of God's grace in Christ, particularly among the physical children of believers, are determined by election. In the covenant, all the blessings of salvation, including union with Christ, regeneration, conversion, justification, sanctification, and perseverance, are bestowed and worked by the Spirit of Christ according to election. In the covenant, God's grace depends upon His election. In the covenant, therefore, God's grace and saving work are sure, so that no one in whom God begins the work of salvation shall fall away and perish. It is preposterous to suppose that the early Dutch Reformed churches, hearing and reading the gospel of grace as preached and written by Calvin, would have concluded that, although election is the source of grace and salvation, the grace and salvation of the covenant are excluded; although God's saving works in Christ depend upon election, in the covenant they depend upon something else (namely, a condition fulfilled by the children); although election determines the objects of grace, in the covenant many more are the objects of grace than the elect; although the grace of God in Christ is effectual and irresistible, in the covenant many successfully resist the grace once bestowed on them, so that they forfeit the grace and perish; although God's gracious gifts and calling are without repentance, in the covenant the gifts and calling of God can be, and often are, revoked.

Of course, the Reformed churches in the Netherlands, like the Reformed and Presbyterian churches everywhere in those glorious early days of the Reformation, alive by the gospel of salvation by sovereign grace as proclaimed especially by John Calvin, confessed the covenant of sovereign grace. This was simply the gospel of the Reformation applied to the covenant.

Read the whole article
here
Mijn enige troost is, dat ik niet mijn, maar Jezus Christus eigen ben, Die voor mijn zonden betaald heeft, en zo bewaart, dat alles tot mijn zaligheid dienen moet; waarom Hij mij ook door Zijn Heilige Geest van eeuwig leven verzekert, en Hem voortaan te leven van harte willig en bereid maakt.
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Bert Mulder
Berichten: 9086
Lid geworden op: 28 aug 2006, 22:07
Locatie: Grace URC Leduc Alberta Canada
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The Meekness Required in the Servant of God*

Bericht door Bert Mulder »

When the faithful pastor is criticized, he listens very carefully. Not to prepare a defense against and attack on his critic. Rather, he seeks to know what of the criticism is true. (Not whether it is true, but what part of it is true. His thinking is: What can I learn from this, in order better to serve my God.)

Read the whole article
here
Mijn enige troost is, dat ik niet mijn, maar Jezus Christus eigen ben, Die voor mijn zonden betaald heeft, en zo bewaart, dat alles tot mijn zaligheid dienen moet; waarom Hij mij ook door Zijn Heilige Geest van eeuwig leven verzekert, en Hem voortaan te leven van harte willig en bereid maakt.
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Bert Mulder
Berichten: 9086
Lid geworden op: 28 aug 2006, 22:07
Locatie: Grace URC Leduc Alberta Canada
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Bericht door Bert Mulder »

A minister who lacks humility will become unfaithful as a messenger of God. He once vowed to speak only God's Word to His people. But a preacher who lacks meekness will strike out. He might bring his reply to his critics into his congregational prayers. Or, in the study, he suddenly "finds" in the text the perfect answer to his critics, and he rushes to the pulpit to defend self and accuse his critics in preaching! And then adds, "Thus saith the Lord."

Read the whole article
The Meekness Required in God's Servant (2)
Mijn enige troost is, dat ik niet mijn, maar Jezus Christus eigen ben, Die voor mijn zonden betaald heeft, en zo bewaart, dat alles tot mijn zaligheid dienen moet; waarom Hij mij ook door Zijn Heilige Geest van eeuwig leven verzekert, en Hem voortaan te leven van harte willig en bereid maakt.
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Bert Mulder
Berichten: 9086
Lid geworden op: 28 aug 2006, 22:07
Locatie: Grace URC Leduc Alberta Canada
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The Work of the Minister of the Word*

Bericht door Bert Mulder »

Two dangers are to be avoided. One is exhortation without teaching. In this case, there is mere emotional and oratorical bluster. We have all heard the radio preacher, or seen the television evangelist, whose exhortation is empty bellowing, consisting of loud repetition of some command, whether "love your neighbor," or "don't get drunk."

The other danger is teaching devoid of exhortation. In this case, there is dry logic and abstract dogma.

Read the whole article:


The Work of the Minister of the Word*
Mijn enige troost is, dat ik niet mijn, maar Jezus Christus eigen ben, Die voor mijn zonden betaald heeft, en zo bewaart, dat alles tot mijn zaligheid dienen moet; waarom Hij mij ook door Zijn Heilige Geest van eeuwig leven verzekert, en Hem voortaan te leven van harte willig en bereid maakt.
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Bert Mulder
Berichten: 9086
Lid geworden op: 28 aug 2006, 22:07
Locatie: Grace URC Leduc Alberta Canada
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"The Covenant Doctrine of the "Fathers of the Sece

Bericht door Bert Mulder »

Fundamental to the doctrine that the covenant is governed by election is the truth that the covenant promise refers to the elect children of believers in Jesus Christ, and to the elect children only. Regarding these objects of the covenant promise to Abraham, that God will be the God of Abraham and Abraham's seed, Hendrik deCock wrote: "That promise did not refer to all the children of Abraham's family, head for head, but to all the elect children, which God would later indicate (Rom. 9:7, 8)." He added:
For a child that went lost circumcision could not be a sacrament sealing the promise to this child, because the promise was not made to that child, but to Abraham, not with respect to every child head for head, but with respect to the elect children, to whom that reprobate child did not belong (Rom. 9:7, 8; Gen. 17:10
).6

Simon VanVelzen, the outstanding Reformed theologian of the Secession, also taught that the covenant is governed by election.


Read the whole article:


The Covenant Doctrine of the "Fathers of the Secession"
Mijn enige troost is, dat ik niet mijn, maar Jezus Christus eigen ben, Die voor mijn zonden betaald heeft, en zo bewaart, dat alles tot mijn zaligheid dienen moet; waarom Hij mij ook door Zijn Heilige Geest van eeuwig leven verzekert, en Hem voortaan te leven van harte willig en bereid maakt.
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