CHURCH NEWS

Calls Extended:

To Rev. J.M. Kleppe, of Woerden, the Netherlands, by the Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, Congregation.

To Rev. J.J. VanEckeveld, of Zeist, the Netherlands, by the Rock Valley, Iowa, Congregation.

To Rev. J. Beeke, of Sioux Center, Iowa, by the Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Congregation.

To Rev. C. Vogelaar, of Genemuiden, the Netherlands, by the St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, Congregation.

Calls Declined:

To the Sunnyside, Washington, Congregation, by Rev. A.M. DenBoer, of Norwich, Ontario, Canada.

To the Lynden, Washington, Congregation, by Rev. A.M. DenBoer, of Norwich, Ontario, Canada.

To the Bradford and Unionville, Ontario, Canada, Congregations, by Rev. C. Harinck, of Dordrecht, the Netherlands.

To the Clifton, New Jersey, Congregation, by Rev. J.J. Van Echeveld, of Zeist, the Netherlands.

FOR THE NEW YEAR 1981

At the entrance of the new Year we wish God’s blessing upon our readers, upon the administrators, and all who are laboring for our church paper. May the contents of the Banner be a blessing for our church life. May it be used to strengthen the mutual bonds, to also make our young people more and more interested in what is happening in our denomination, in its churches, schools and mission work. But above all that the needs and wants of our souls may be realized and that they may drive us out to the throne of grace. We must always consider what we read in Ps. 127:1, “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” Also in Prov. 10:22 we read, “The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich.”

From our side everything is sinned away. We have no right either in or outwardly. Oh, that we all the time might live under that deep impression. We are unworthy, but for God’s own Name’s sake, for Christ’s sake, may He look upon us and graciously bless all our endeavors in the church, in our schools, and on the mission fields. May He also grant a blessing to our own hearts as travelers to that great and never-ending eternity.

May the Lord watch over us so that the truth, the only truth, as it is in Christ Jesus and Him crucified, Who both merited and applies salvation, may be preserved among us; God all, and man nothing.

The late Rev. G. H. Kersten who defended and fought for the true doctrine, wrote in his days already that more and more we see a spirti of dissatisfaction with what our fathers taught us on the basis of the Word of God. Today people want something new. But those “new ideas” are not from the Lord. He is unchangeable. Those new ideas are snares of the devil who seeks to deceive our poor souls.

God’s Word teaches us the sovereignty of God above everything, and the total depravity of man. Ephesians 2:1 tells us that man is dead in trespasses and sins. We do not deny the responsibility of man, no, absolutely not, but in that respect we must not come with the gospel, but the Lord brings His people back to paradise, where we all have sinned and came short of the glory of God (Rom. 3). In church and in school never deny the responsibility of man, and never ascribe anything to man that he is not able to do. Faith remains a gift of God. If there was no predestination, there would be no hope for a sinner, but now there is hope for the greatest of sinners, for God’s people not only will be saved, but definitely shall be saved: that is God’s sovereign will and good pleasure in His beloved Son Jesus Christ.

Young and old, remove not the old landmarks which thy fathers have set. Jeremiah 6:16 says, “Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.”

May the Lord remember in this year all the ministers, elders, and deacons, the principles of the schools, from the East to the West, with all those that are laboring in church and school and mission fields, far and near. The King of the church strengthen and enlighten the Rev. A. Vergunst who hopes to come over from the Netherlands to serve the church in Kalamazoo and also to instruct our student, brother J. Spaans. May it all be in God’s favor, also for the family of our brother Vergunst, who hopes to serve here in our country for the second time.

The Lord remember the widows of the deceased ministers: Mrs. M. Romeyn, and Mrs. J. VanZweden, for both body and soul.

May the Lord send more labourers in His vineyard. That He gladden the vaeant churches with ministers who preach the full counsel of God.

May God’s blessing also rest upon the work of The Inheritance Publishers Committee, The Macedonian Mission Society, The Banner of Truth and its Tract Mission, and all the work that is being done for or in the name of our denomination, and those that help me by translating and typing.

May the Lord also remember the ministers and congregations in the Netherlands and wherever they have organized congregations. Do good in Thy good pleasure unto Zion: build Thou the walls of Jerusalem (Ps. 51:18).

Above all, if it would be the year appointed by the Lord for us to die, may we learn to die before death comes, that the day of our death may be better than the day of our birth.

Finally, may the Lord give our new President grace to call all of us back to the law and to the testimony, otherwise we shall have no light. May He bless our fields and industries, and all the work of our hands, remembering mercy in the midst of wrath.

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