MISSION TIDINGS

GIFTS RECEIVED FOR MISSIONS IN JUNE 1977

CLASSIS EAST SOURCE AMOUNT

Friend in Prospect Park Gift $ 10.00

Franklin Lakes Pentecost Collection 1,045.00

CLASSIS MIDWEST

St. Catharines Pentecost Collection 2,382.07

Norwich Pentecost Collection 1,375.50

Unionville Pentecost Collection 1,307.93

Friend in Michigan Gift 150.00

Kalamazoo Pentecost Collection 601.00

Norwich Mission Books 155.00

Friend in Kalamazoo Gift 10.00

Friend in Chicago Hts. Gift 100.00

Friend in Grand Rapids Gift 100.00

CLASSIS WEST

Friend in Pella Gift 25.00

Friend in Sioux Center Gift 500.00

Sioux Center Pentecost Collection 1,459.00

Rock Valley Pentecost Collection 1,042.28

Sioux Falls Pentecost Collection 230.33

Rock Valley Ladies Aid Gift 600.00

Friend in Boyden Gift 75.00

Sheboygan Pentecost Collection 480.85

Waupun Pentecost Collection 699.50

Sioux Falls Mission Books 60.00

CLASSIS FARWEST

Lethbridge Ladies Aid Gift 1,500.00

Sunnyside Pentecost Collection 175.33

Linden Pentecost Collection 275.00

Fort Macleod Pentecost Collection 188.00

Artesia Pentecost Collection 76.30

Edmunton Pentecost Collection 90.00

Friend in Manhattan Gift 500.00

TOTAL: $15,213.09

Dear Friends,

Again we want to thank you all for your generous support for the mission work, and may the Lord bless you and your gifts. This month we list many Pentecost Collections that were taken on Pentecost Sunday when we commemorated the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. What a blessed day it must have been. May the need be felt that the Lord again would bless us with the outpouring of His Holy Spirit at home and abroad. We are very busy at present and hope to write more about the mission the next time, the Lord willing.

American General Mission Fund

Netherland Reformed Congregations of United States and Canada

John Spaans, Treasurer

Plankinton Box 17 RR3

South Dakota 57368

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The Banner of Truth Tract Mission committee hereby expresses its sincere appreciation for gifts received for the publication and free distribution of tracts. Tracts to be published will consist of suitable articles taken from the denominational publication, “The Banner of Truth”, as authorized by Classis East and Mid-West. Personal gifts are encouraged for the furtherance of this endeavor and will be gratefully received. Gifts may be mailed to The Banner of Truth Tract Mission, 540 Crescent St. N.E., Grand Rapids, Mich. 49503. Gifts received during the months of April, May, and June 1977 are as follows:

Church Collections $1,850.45

Miscellaneous 79.35

Total $1,929.80

MISSION DAY 1977

On Saturday, April 30th, we had our yearly Mission Day, which was held in the Expo-Hall at Hilversum, in the Netherlands. The President of the Mission, Rev. H. Rijksen, opened the morning session by requesting the assembly to sing Psalm 86:5. He then read Isaiah 53 and asked for a blessing upon the meeting. After that he spoke some words of welcome to all present and especially to the representatives from the American and Canadian sister congregations, n.l. Rev. Suyker and Elder Spaans, also a few words of welcome to Rev. Vreugdenhil and his wife, who are on furlough here from the mission fields. He also spoke a few words of welcome to the parents of all the other mission workers and the Ministers present. Rev. Rijksen spoke about how great it is, that the Lord gives us the opportunity to work for the missions, on the other hand it is His work and nothing can come from us, not even the guaranty for the fruits thereof. The Word of God teaches us in Isaiah 53: “and the pleasure of God shall prosper in His hand.” This Word should serve to humble ourselves, but also to encourage us. This Word shows us the blessed completion of the mission work. This Word points us to Christ, Who received the promise of the Father: “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.”

Isaiah shows us in this chapter Jesus Christ as the Servant of the Lord, Whose whole life has been one of suffering. The prophet brings us in a way into the treasures of the good pleasures of the Lord. He brings us to the springs of eternal love, where lost Adam’s children can drink. Christ did not suffer for any sins that were found in Him, but the good pleasures of the Lord required the death of the beloved Son of the Father. The good pleasures of the Lord is the sacred plan of God to call sinners out of the darkness to His marvellous light. In order to fulfil that purpose, then the Servant of the Lord had to give His soul as a sacrifice. The good pleasures of the Lord shall through His hand, succeed, this is: “Certain and prosperous.” His days were lengthened when His Father delivered Him out of the grasp of death, and triumphantly raised Him from the grave. Yes, when the heavens were opened for Him, then he received a place at the throne of his Father. Now He may see a seed born out of His suffering on the cross, and added to, through the work of the Holy Ghost. All His people who are dispersed in all nations of the earth shall be brought to Him. This is the guarantee for the work and the fruits of the mission. After singing Psalm 22:14, Rev. Rijksen read the greetings from our mission team in Nigeria to this gathering. A telegram was sent to Her Majesty, Queen Juliana, in the remembrance of her birthday and 2 verses of the well known national anthem were sung.

The treasurer, Rev. Honkoop, found it difficult to change over to the financial section, because the Word of God had been the central point of the meeting. But these matters have also to be taken care of. The total income for the year 1976 showed an increase of 24% . Included in this was the portion for a helicopter. Rev. Honkoop said: “The Lord reigns”! This is particularly revealed in the protection of his Church, in the proclaiming of His Holy Word, and in the extension of His Kingdom. He guarantees his work, sometimes in a drastic way. If we may experience what it means that He reigns, then we are no more our own master, and we learn then to surrender ourselves.

When the final collection was taken, 4 verses of Psalm 93 were sung, about the God who reigns. After the collection, Rev. Blok spoke about the visitation trip to Irian - Jaya. In answer to his lamentations, if his trip to the mission field was not only in the name of the Deputies, but that he also could rely upon the approval of the Lord, the Lord gave him a strong instruction out of Psalm 98: “All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God”. The Lord works there, according to Rev. Blok, the same as He has worked through all generations, to build up His Kingdom. He told how he had spoken at the Langda post about a people that walked in great darkness and would see a great light. He spoke about that unforgettable Sunday in the Pass-Valley, where he attended a sermon delivered by Thomas; from his meeting with Kokpan and many others; from his visit to Landikma where the Lord was so visibly in their midst; from the chieftain, who as an enemy had lived on the broad way to destruction, but whose eyes were opened by the Lord; from the Sunday afternoon when he with our own mission workers held the Lord’s Supper. What happened on the way to Emmaus, was also fulfilled here. He became known unto them through the breaking of the bread. Rev. Blok also told about his trip to Nispan. At the place where the enemy looked like he would triumph, there the strength of God’s grace was apparent. On the return from Nispan, in the middle of the jungle, we felt the communication of Saints. After Rev. Blok had read some parts of a letter from Thomas, he asked the assembly to sing Psalm 98:2.

After the singing, Rev. deGier presented, on behalf of the congregations, a miniature helicopter with a check for 538,910.98 guilders ($215,565.) Rev. deGier mentioned that this amount is to be used for the purchase of a 3rd helicopter for the M.A.F. He expressed his wishes that hereby, the means of this helicopter will be used by the Lord to convert people to God. So that Christ shall be glorious in His administration to His Church, and that His people shall come from all nations.

Rev. Suyker spoke on behalf of the American and Canadian churches. He presented a check for the amount of $24,000.00. Rev. Suyker said: Our work looks so insignificant and with no hope for success. But what a blessing, that the Word of God gives us hope. The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. The world goes on; satan goes on, but also God fulfills His work, but we do not see this all the time. The works of God shall end in eternity. Where John spoke of when he saw a great multitude, which cannot be counted. There shall be the white European, the black Negro, the red Indian, the yellow Chinese and the brown Papua. They shall all stand before the throne of the Lamb.

ARE WE ALSO INCLUDED?

Rev. Suyker asked the assembly to sing Psalm 117, verse 1, closed the morning meeting with prayer, and asked for a blessing for the meal to be served.

At 2 P.M. Rev. v.d.Poel from Yerseke opened the afternoon meeting with the request that the assemble sing Psalm 108, verse 2. He then followed with prayer. He spoke a few words out of Revelation 6, verse 2: “And I saw, and behold a white horse; and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him; and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.” In the Word of God, the horse is mostly used in connection with war. John saw the Exalted Mediator riding on a white horse. From eternity He gave himself for His people as a Surety, to bring them complete justice. He has been in strife for His Church. He has conquered hell; world; sin; death and grave. Now His people are in Him more than victorious. John saw Him on a white horse. This points to the Holiness and the peace which He obtained. John also saw that He carried a crown on His head. This signifies His victory. Blessed is the man for whom the time will be there when he is injured by the arrow of His Godly bow. Then the inward hatred will be broken, and the sinner will be born again. Christ will fulfill His triumphant procession till the end of days and to the ends of the earth. He will gather his Church from the East and the West, from the North and the South. Rev. v.d. Poel ended his address with the request to sing Psalm 45, verse 3. A collection was taken while singing Psalm 72, verses 8 and 10.

After the collection, Mr. J. Moerland from Goes presented a mission story especially for the children. In this story it became very clear that it is the duty of the mission to sow the seed of God’s Word. After that comes a time that we have to wait, because we do not know what this seed will do, but the Lord will give it in His time, for the fruits of our labours.

After the singing of Psalm 87, verse 4, our mission Minister, Rev. Vruegdenhil spoke about the mission work in Irian - Jaya. In the Jali language he brought greetings from the new church there. When he asked Thomas what he should say, he answered: “The brothers are greeting you, greet the brothers with name.” It is an incomprehensible wonder that the Lord will use also our church to bring the Word of God to the ends of the earth. At Irian - Jaya live brothers in Christ. Regarding those people we can say that they are not strangers any more, but that they are fellow citizens with the Saints and of the household of God. There is a surprising tie between the young church in the mission field and the mother church in Holland. In Irian - Jaya, and in Holland, live a people that can call themselves brothers through the mercy of God. Rev. Vreugdenhil also brought greetings from the other mission workers in Irian - Jaya, and told us something about the work there. He told us that the Jali people have no critical points in view of God’s Word. When the Bible says it is so, then they accept this, but sometimes they do not understand it completely. The Word of God takes its course in their hearts. It is true that there are also “Name Christians,” but in Holland we also have those people. The Church of Christ shall always have chaff and wheat. As an answer to the question if all people born and baptized, also belong to the Children of God, Rev. Vreugdenhil said that alas, sometimes the reverse is true. But God has His people there also, bought with the blood of his beloved Son. And if God glorifies His grace in the hearts of the Jali’s, then they will show the same fruits as in the lives of God’s people here. The Jali people like to sing. In former days they were singing their war songs, but now we hear them sing the Psalms. Rev. Vreugdenhil played a tape cassette of the Jali’s singing Psalm 84. He asked the question: “Are the heathens going before us?” He finished his speech with the following words: “Finally brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified, even as it is with you.”

The President received from Rev. Vruegdenhil a check for more than 6,000.= = guilders. This was part from the proceeds of posters sold, and also a gift of 15,000.= = guilders from the congregation of Middelburg, which he received there. Rev. Rijksen asked the assembly to sing standing, Psalm 121, verses 3 and 4 in connection with the work and return to the mission fields. Rev. Rijksen spoke a few words of thanks to those who helped to make this meeting a success, and thanked also the workers on the home front. Rev. Elshout asked the assembly to sing Psalm 72, verse 11 and closed this 21st mission meeting with prayer.

Monring Collection fl. 45,649.45

Afternoon Collection fl. 27,923.97

Total Collection fl. 73,573.42

Translated out of the “PA ULUS” mission magazine of our sister congregations in Holland.

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