A BLESSED MESSAGE FOR THE CHURCH OF CHRIST

-Matthew 28:20b.

All things in this world change. Time changes, creatures change, but God is the unchangeable God. Paul writes: “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Woe to the wicked; but blessed are those which “shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord God,” those who have been brought out of a state of death into a state of life and grace by the almighty God.

The year 1972 is before us. It may be that this year we shall die. It is a wonder of God’s goodness and mercy that we are yet in the land of the living. A new year lies before us, but also death is before us. What a solemn word! Is it well with us? Well with our never dying soul? Paul says, Rom. 8:1: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” No condemnation! No, not forever! What a wonderful word! Yea, what a blessed word for the followers of the Lamb, who by grace tread in His footsteps. Jesus has assured them that He shall never leave nor forsake them, that He will be with them in life and death, that He shall be with His Church even unto the end of the world. Ah, how safe is that people that belongs to the Lord. Many fears and doubts may be in the soul, but that does not change the blessed Word of God. Innumerable evil spirits and wicked servants of Satan cannot change that. Oh, had they more faith and trust in the unchangeable God and in His Word. Luther has written:

“And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God has willed
His truth to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim,
We tremble not at him;
His rage we can endure,
For lo! his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.”

“I am with you always.” Jesus spoke these words. He, the Son of man but also the Son of God, Who is coequal God with the Father and with the Holy Ghost. These three are One.

Christ has spoken these blessed words; and is He with His Church alway, then a triune God is with her and this blessed people shall share, as a servant of God has written, in the electing love of the Father, the redeeming love of the Son, and the sealing and comforting love of the Holy Ghost.

The Good Shepherd shall be with His people alway. It is the Savior, Jesus, Who delivers His people from all their sins and washes them in His all-atoning blood. They all need that washing, seeing and feeling how terribly black they are with sin. O do hear them cry here and there, even upon their beds at night when sin, terrible sins, withhold sleep from their eyes:

“Wash me, make me pure within,
Cleanse, O cleanse me from my sin.
Make me pure, Thy grace bestow,
Wash me whiter than the snow.”

They are at times in great misery, in agony and distress. They have no words to express it. They can only breathe it out in sighing and crying to Him, Who is their refuge and Helper. He says: “Cast all thy burdens upon Me. Call upon Me in the day of trouble, I shall deliver thee, and thou shalt honor Me.” Yes, upon this very day, and throughout this year, and as long as they are in this howling wilderness, He shall say it. At times they experience a little hell, as much as they can bear, in their soul; but He that has tasted hell and death for them shall never leave nor forsake them.

He is as strong as He is faithful; He is the Almighty and ever Faithful Jehovah. He is at all times present in the burning bush of His Church and shall never leave nor forsake her. Therefore, no one shall ever see the ashes of this living Church that has been bought with the blood of the Lamb.

He is with His people even when they must cry with Job in the furnace: “Behold, I go forward, but He is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive Him.” Or when they say with Heman: “Wilt Thou shew wonders to the dead? Shall the dead arise, and praise Thee?” (Ps. 88).

It did actually seem as though Christ has left His dear disciples, that He had left them for good; but He was nevertheless with them, and appeared unto them, and turned their sorrow into joy as promised. After His resurrection, when He appeared unto His Thomas, He drove the devil, unbelief, and all darkness away, and made this soul exclaim: “My Lord and my God!” Have you also experienced this? Perhaps you cannot come farther than to pray:

“Light and truth, my way attending,
Send Thou forth to be my guide,
Till Thy holy mount ascending,
I within Thy house abide.”

There is a blessed promise for those souls in darkness, but who beg for light: “But unto you that fear My name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in His wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.”

“I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” In these words the blessed future of the Church is assured. The mouth of the Lord has spoken it. No matter what happens, the Church shall exist and is safe; the gates of hell shall not prevail against her. Christ, and in Him the whole Church, is triumphant at the right hand of the Father in heaven. The Church militant shall soon be the Church triumphant forever. Hallelujah!

“Lo, I am with you.” Jesus is with His people, every one of them: The babe in grace, the young man in grace, the father in grace. He cares in His great love for the lambs and the sheep. They may not be able to see or believe it, and may even say with the Church in olden times: “The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me!” But hearken to the voice of the Good Shepherd: “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands; thy walls are continually before Me.” Isa. 49:15, 16.

If the Lord is alway with His people, oh, then it is well with Joseph in the prison, with David in the depth of misery, with Job in the furnace of trial, with Jonah in the belly of the fish, with Daniel in the lion’s den, etc. How wonderfully will Jesus’s left hand then be under their head, and His right hand embracing them.

How can all those, belonging to the spiritual family of Christ, feel that need that He shall be with them in His love and mercy, to comfort, protect, deliver, teach, and lead them! And He shall be with them all the time they must travel through the wilderness, and then lead them safely through Jordan into Canaan. Hearken to a believing pilgrim exclaim: “This God is our God for ever and ever: He will be our guide even unto death.”

Christ shall always be with them, and nothing can separate them from Him and His love. He has all power in heaven and earth. “They are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” 1 Peter 1:5.

O blessed words for the whole Church of Christ throughout all ages: “And lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Amen! I do believe it; I desire it. The mouth of the Lord has spoken it: “The whole earth let His glory fill. Amen: so let it be.”

May the Lord bless this brief meditation to the hearts of the readers. In only one or a few holy words there may be a spiritual blessing for a soul, applied to the soul by the Holy Ghost.

O that this year many sinners may come to repentance and cry out: “What must I do to be saved?” That the year of Jubilee may arrive soon for those that must cry: “I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.” That Christ may be the hope and joy of all His dear people at all times in all ways, and all shall be well. Amen. J. V. Z.

Calls Extended:

To Rev. D. Hakkenberg of Dordrecht, the Netherlands, by the Sunnyside, Washington, Congregation.

To Rev. W.C. Lamain of Grand Rapids, Michigan by the Waardenburg, the Netherlands, Congregation.

To Rev. J. VanHaaren of Amersfoort, the Netherlands by the Sioux Center, Iowa, Congregation.

To Rev. P. Honkoop of Kampen, the Netherlands by the Clifton, New Jersey, Congregation.

Calls Declined:

To the Clifton, New Jersey, Congregation by Rev. P. Honkoop of Kampen, the Netherlands.

To the Corsica, South Dakota, Congregation by Rev. A.M. DenBoer of Redderkerk, the Netherlands.

To the Unionville, Ontario, Canada, Congregation by Rev. J. VanHaaren of Amersfoort, the Netherlands.

To the Norwich, Ontario, Canada Congregation by Rev. W.C. Lamain of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Gifts received for the Banner of Truth in December 1971.

Anonymous gift from Kalamazoo $ 108.00

With appreciation

The Banner of Truth Committee

THE REV. M. ROMEYN HAS PASSED AWAY

(Sept. 15, 1913-Dec. 20, 1971)

On Monday evening, December 20, after a long illness death came, still unexpectedly to the minister of Chilli-wack, British Columbia. Both on Sunday and on Monday he spoke of the longing in his soul that he might be delivered from the body of sin and death, and what a wonder it would be if the Lord would grant that to such a great sinner. On that same afternoon he intended to visit a member of his church with the Rev. A.W. Verhoef of Lethbridge. While on the way he did not feel well and decided to return home. Having arrived home, he collapsed, vomited blood, and entered eternity. What a blow it was for his wife, for his children, and for the whole congregation.

That same evening Rev. Verhoef called us up, asking us to come for the funeral, which would take place on Thursday, December 23. Because of the holidays it was almost impossible to obtain passage. Finally after two hours of telephoning from one airport to another, we succeeded in making a reservation. Rev. Verhoef, who also had to change his reservation had to stay in Chilliwack until Wednesday, December 29.

Notwithstanding the difficulties of traveling and the roads that were slippery with snow, people had come from Choteau, Fort Macleod, Sunnyside, Lethbridge, and Alberni. The Rev. Verhoef, the moderator, spoke in Dutch in the church on Rev. 21:6. Upon request I spoke in English on Isa. 54:9.

There was much sorrow in the family, the consistory, and the congregation. Elder R. Wierks spoke words of heartfelt sympathy in the name of the consistory. Elder L. Bouma of Choteau spoke words of appreciation in the name of the classis, in whose midst Rev. Romeyn had labored 14 years as minister. Elder L. Vanden Dorpel in the name of Mrs. Romeyn and the children thanked them all for the love they had shown.

Because of the snow only the family and Rev. Verhoef could go to the cemetery.

In the next Banner of Truth we hope to give a more detailed report.

Rev. L.

SHORT BIOGRAPHY AND SOME EXPERIENCES OF THE LATE REV. J. C. WIELHOUWER

“The memory of the just is blessed.” It is with joy that we recommend this book, not only to those who knew Rev. J. C. Wielhouwer but also to those who were not acquainted with this esteemed servant of God. This book is not written to glorify in the creature, but to exalt God who stops sinners on their way to everlasting destruction and sets their feet in the way leading to Zion.

Early in life, Rev. Wielhouwer was brought to see the vanity of all here below and to seek for treasures that would not perish. His ministry began in the Netherlands near the turn of the century. In 1906, he became pastor of the Haledon Ave. congregation in Paterson, N. J. He remained there until 1915 when he accepted a call from the Turner Ave. congregation in Grand Rapids, Mich. He labored there faithfully until ill health and growing loss of sight forced him to relinquish his labors in 1944. His health continued to decline until Dec. 13, 1956 when he exchanged his mortal abode for “that mansion prepared for him in the presence of Him who had bought him with His precious blood.”

In addition to reviewing his life, this book also includes several letters which give us an insight into his concern for God’s honor in this world. While certain letters are devoted to the encouragement of those who fear the Lord, other letters deal honestly with the Lord’s controversy with His people.

This book also contains a preface by Rev. C. Hegeman and an account of Rev. Wielhouwer’s last days written by one of his daughters.

We heartily recommend this book for your perusal. It may be obtained from:

Mr. Jacob Van’t Zelfde

804 Darby Lane

Kalamazoo, Mich. 49007

79 pp. Price $1.00

John Beeke

God hath His hedge of special providence about His saints; and the devil, though his spite be most at them, dares not come upon God’s ground to touch them without particular leave.

-GURNALL.

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen