• and Mrs. David Hoogmoed were blessed with the birth of a baby girl, Elise Vivian, last Friday. Mother and baby are doing well.
• John Rademaker plans to celebrate his 93^rdbirthday on this Thursday, July 29. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. Ps. 118:29.
• The installation of office bearers is scheduled during this evenings service. David Meeuwse will be installed as elder and Jason Klaasen will be installed as deacon.
• The family camp is planned for September3 and 4 at Cranhill Ranch in Rodney, MI. The topic for the family camp is, The Family and Crisis. Please sign-up (deadline tomorrow) online at:

http://providencereformed.org/family-camp-sign-up/

• The mission collection today is for the William Carey Foundation. This foundation supports the Calvin Institute of Theology which is located in Oikonomos, India, and trains local pastors to lead reformed Churches in India.    williamcareyindia.org
• Please respond to Silvia Boerkoel with your Mystery Dinner date preference by Wednesday, July 28.

“Come; for all things are ready.”  Luke 14:17.

The reason why they should come—”For all things are now prepared.” Thus is mercy offered to the people of the Jews, where their God made all external means (as the word and sacrament) ready for them. So that he says, in Isaiah  65:2, He stretches out His arms, and holds them out all the day long. (Prov. 1:20), “Wisdom crieth without, she uttereth her voice in the streets.” Here God is crying, shouting, and casting out His arms, Matt. 23:37, crying and shedding tears. He would have them turn and live. But as it is true of the Jews, so it is of us; He has dressed the whole Supper Himself, covered the table, and there is no more for us to do, but sit down and eat. If we look to this dressed Supper, Christ dressed it all Himself, in the furnace of God’s wrath, and the bread that we here eat is His flesh, which He gave for the life of the world. John 6:51, The wine which is mingled and drawn is His blood. Not one dish is mis-cooked, all is set before us in the gospel, and Jesus craves no more for all His pains, but only that His friends come to the banquet and eat and be merry; and if ye will come, Christ will pay all the reckoning. When the Israelites were fed with manna, they needed to go out of the camp, and gather it themselves; but we furnish nothing of this Supper. God be thanked, Christ bears all the expense. Alas! that the unhappy world will not eat heartily, since Christ pays for all. The poor sons of Adam were all sick and at the point of death, and their stomachs were so spoiled with a sour apple that Adam did eat, that they were famished and not able to eat. In comes Jesus and makes a medicinal dinner of His own flesh and blood; lays down Himself and is slain to make medicine of His crucified body for us, in order to affect our cure. It is just they die for hunger, and lose their stomach for evermore, who loathe this meat. In the sacrament all things are ready; whatever the soul wants, it shall find at the Table. All the hungry shall find Christ meat and drink. John 6:55, They who are poor shall find Him gold, they who are naked shall find Him garments, they who are blind shall find Him light to the eyes. Look to the Supper and ye shall find it very expensive to Christ, for the fire that made it ready was the wrath of God; the fuel and the firewood was Christ, and a great burden of the sins of the elect on His back. And if Jesus had not been green timber He had been burnt all to ashes.  And the sourest sauce in this supper to Christ, was His dear Father hiding Himself. And when all is done ye cannot do Him a worse turn than not to eat heartily. Now, for the Lord’s sake, beloved, please the good man of the house, and eat and welcome. The last wine will be the best. What would ye have! Here is sweet company, eat, ye are heartily welcome. A curse upon them who bring in Mary’s Milk, with Martyrs’ Blood, as a dessert! No, Christ’s blood is in every dish, Christ’s flesh is in every serving, and Christ’s merit is a sweet sauce to all the servings. Other meats have no taste at this Supper. Samuel Rutherford

“Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”  Romans 8:12,13.

So then, brethren, etc. This is the conclusion of what has been previously said; for if we are to renounce the flesh, we ought not to consent to it; and if the Spirit ought to reign in us, it is inconsistent not to attend to his bidding. And this is the case, when we renounce carnal lusts, so as to devote ourselves, as those who are bound, to the righteousness of God.

For if ye will live after the flesh, etc. He adds a threatening, in order more effectually to shake off their torpor; by which also they are fully confuted who boast of justification by faith without the Spirit of Christ, though they are more than sufficiently convicted by their own conscience; for there is no confidence in God, where there is no love of righteousness. It is indeed true, that we are justified in Christ through the mercy of God alone; but it is equally true and certain, that all who are justified are called by the Lord, that they may live worthy of their vocation. Let then the faithful learn to embrace him, not only for justification, but also for sanctification, as he has been given to us for both these purposes, lest they rend him asunder by their mutilated faith.

But if ye by the Spirit, etc. He thus moderates his address, that he might not deject the minds of the godly, who are still conscious of much infirmity; for however we may as yet be exposed to sins, he nevertheless promises life to us, provided we strive to mortify the flesh: for he does not strictly require the destruction of the flesh, but only bids us to make every exertion to subdue its lusts. For whosoever are led by the Spirit of God, etc. This is a confirmation of what has immediately preceded; for he teaches us, that those only are deemed the sons of God who are ruled by his Spirit; for by this mark God acknowledges them as his own people. Thus the empty boasting of hypocrites is taken away, who without any reason assume the title; and the faithful are thus encouraged with unhesitating confidence to expect salvation. The import of the whole is this — “all those are the sons of God who are led by God’s Spirit; all the sons of God are heirs of eternal life: then all who are led by God’s Spirit ought to feel assured of eternal life. But the middle term or assumption is omitted, for it was unquestionable.

But it is right to observe, that the working of the Spirit is various: for there is that which is universal, by which all creatures are sustained and preserved; there is that also which is peculiar to men, and varying in its character: but what he means here is sanctification, with which the Lord favors none but his own elect, and by which he separates them for sons to himself.

John Calvin

• The installation of office bearers is scheduled for the evening service on July 25. David Meeuwse will be installed as elder and Jason Klaasen will be installed as deacon.
• The family camp is planned for September3 and 4 at Cranhill Ranch in Rodney, MI. The camp brochure is on the book rack in the Narthex. The topic for the family camp is, The Family and Crisis. Pastor D. Kranendonk is scheduled to lead the topic on Friday and Saturday morning. Daryl and Kara Dedert plan to lead the topic on Friday evening. Please sign-up online at:

http://providencereformed.org/family-camp-sign-up/

• Collections for June are as follows:

General $  6,767.50

Building $  2,911.00

CEF $  1,142.00

Benevolent $     231.00

Nigerian Reformed Church $11,780.20

Ministry Support Fund $15,501.00

 

• The July mission collection will be taken for The William Carey Foundation. This foundation supports The Calvin Institute of Theology which is located in Oikonomos, India, and trains local pastors to lead reformed Churches in India.    williamcareyindia.org

• The installation of office bearers is scheduled for the evening service on July 25. David Meeuwse will be installed as elder and Jason Klaasen will be installed as deacon.
• The family camp is planned for September3 and 4 at Cranhill Ranch in Rodney, MI. The camp brochure is on the book rack in the Narthex. Please sign-up online at:

http://providencereformed.org/family-camp-sign-up/

• Dear church family, Thank you very much for showering us with a multitude of gifts during this exciting time in our life. We truly appreciate each and every one of you. Corey and Anastasia
• The consistory has scheduled Wednesday evening as a time to view and discuss a movie entitled In His Image. Recommended for those that are 12 or older. The movie is acritical and urgent message designed to equip the church to answer culturally controversial questions about gender and sexuality from a biblical perspective.
• Save the dates:

Sumba Fund Raiser at the Meeuwse Farm on September 11.

Youth Group Fund Raiser Mystery Dinner October 2 or 9.

“O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ.”  Romans 7:24, 25.

This passage is indeed remarkably fitted for the purpose of beating down all the glory of the flesh; for Paul teaches us, that the most perfect, as long as they dwell in the flesh, are exposed to misery, for they are subject to death; nay, when they thoroughly examine themselves, they find in their own nature nothing but misery. And further, lest they should indulge their torpor, Paul, by his own example, stimulates them to anxious groanings, and bids them, as long as they sojourn on earth, to desire death, as the only true remedy to their evils; and this is the right object in desiring death. Despair does indeed drive the profane often to such a wish; but they strangely desire death, because they are weary of the present life, and not because they loathe their iniquity. But it must be added, that though the faithful level at the true mark, they are not yet carried away by an unbridled desire in wishing for death, but submit themselves to the will of God, to whom it behoves us both to live and to die: hence they clamor not with displeasure against God, but humbly deposit their anxieties in his bosom; for they do not so dwell on the thoughts of their misery, but that being mindful of grace received, they blend their grief with joy, as we find in what follows.

I thank God; etc. He then immediately subjoined this thanksgiving, lest any should think that in his complaint he perversely murmured against God; for we know how easy even in legitimate grief is the transition to discontent and impatience. Though Paul then bewailed his lot, and sighed for his departure, he yet confesses that he acquiesced in the good pleasure of God; for it does not become the saints, while examining their own defects, to forget what they have already received from God.

So I myself, etc. A short epilogue, in which he teaches us, that the faithful never reach the goal of righteousness as long as they dwell in the flesh, but that they are running their course, until they put off the body. He again gives the name of mind, not to the rational part of the soul which philosophers extol, but to that which is illuminated by the Spirit of God, so that it understands and wills aright: for there is a mention made not of the understanding alone, but connected with it is the earnest desire of the heart. However, by the exception he makes, he confesses, that he was devoted to God in such a manner, that while creeping on the earth he was defiled with many corruptions. This is a suitable passage to disprove the most pernicious dogma of the Purists, which some turbulent spirits attempt to revive at the present day. John Calvin

• After a struggle with cancer, Mr. Orie Vander Boon passed away last Monday. Please remember with sympathy and prayer the Vander Boon family as well as the Hoffman family.
• During the evening service today baptism will be administered to the following children:

Tobias Mark, son of Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Kelderman

Oliver Harvin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Case VerBeek

• Please make a note of the new address for David and Leonna Hoogmoed.      919 N. Hermitage Ave, Unit 1, Chicago, IL 60622.
• The Lord Supper is scheduled for the morning service of July 25 and the installation of office bearers is planned for the evening service.
• The consistory has scheduled the evening of July 14 as a time to view and discuss a movie entitled In His Image. Recommended for those that are 12 or older. The movie is acritical and urgent message designed to equip the church to answer culturally controversial questions about gender and sexuality from a biblical perspective.

“The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee.” Psalm 102:28.

In what sense is “children” taken? Either the children of their flesh, or of their faith. Some say the children of the same faith with the godly teachers and servants of the Lord, begotten by them to God, as noting the perpetuity of the church, who shall in every age bring forth children to God. It is the comfort of God’s people to see a young brood growing up to continue his remembrance in the world, that when they die religion shall not die with them, nor the succession of the church be interrupted. This sense is not altogether incongruous; but rather I think the children of their body are here intended; it being a blessing often promised: see Ps. 103:17. “The mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children.”

“Shall continue; “”shall be established.” In what sense is it spoken? Some think only pro more faederis, according to the fashion of that covenant which the people of God were then under, when eternity was but more darkly revealed and shadowed out, either by long life, or the continuance of their name in their posterity, which was a kind of literal immortality. Clearly such a kind of regard is had, as appears by that which you find in Ps. 37:28. “The LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever.”  How? since they die as others do: mark the antithesis, and that will explain it. “They are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.” They are preserved in their posterity. Children are but the parents multiplied, and the parent continued, it is nodosa aeternitas;when the father’s life is run out to the last, there is a knot tied, and the line is still continued by the child. I confess, temporal blessings, such as long life, and the promise of a happy posterity, are more visible in the eye of that dispensation of the covenant; but yet God still takes care for the children of his people, and many promises run that way that belong to the gospel-administration, and still God’s service is the surest way to establish a family, as sin is the ready way to root it out. And if it doth not always fall out accordingly, yet for the most part it doth; and we are no competent judges of God’s dispensations in this kind, because we see Providence by pieces, and have not the skill to set them together; but at the day of judgment, when the whole contexture of God’s dealings is laid before us we shall clearly understand how the children of his servants continue, and their seed is established. Thomas Manton.

• At the annual congregational meeting, Mr. Dave Meeuwse was chosen as elder and Jason Klaasen was chosen as deacon. If anyone has a lawful objections, bring it to the consistory before Sunday, July 4.
• On July 4 at the evening service, the Lord willing, baptism will be administered to the following children:

Oliver Harvin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Case VerBeek

Tobias Mark, son of Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Kelderman

• Thank you so much for the collection taken for our Titus 2 Women’s Group. It is wonderful blessing and will help us continue blessing those  in our congregation, away for mission work/school and activities in the neighborhood.Sincerely,     Titus 2 Women
• At the congregational meeting, the consistory introduced a new fund that will be administered by the deacons. It is named Ministry Support Fund. Funds collected will be used for the support of theological students and other ministry support as opportunities arise. Envelopes are provided on the collection tables and a collection will be taken every fifth Sunday.
• The ‘mission’ collection today is for the members of the Nigerian Reformed Church in Izi Nigeria who were brutally attacked earlier this month. Some were killed or injured and many fled their homes and villages. These funds will be transferred through Word and Deed.
• The consistory has scheduled the evening of July 14 as a time to view and discuss a movie entitled In His Image. Recommended for those that are 12 or older. The movie is acritical and urgent message designed to equip the church to answer culturally controversial questions about gender and sexuality from a biblical perspective.

“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:10.

Oh, often look upon ‘the recompense of the reward’. Not all the silks of Persia, the spices of Arabia, the gold of Ophir, can be compared to this glorious reward. How should the thoughts of this whet and steel us with courage in our sufferings! When they threatened Basil with banishment, he comforted himself with this, that he should be either under heaven or in heaven. It was the hope of this reward which so animated those primitive martyrs, who, when there was incense put into their hands and there was no more required of them for the saving of their lives but to sprinkle a little of that incense upon the altar in honour of the idol, they would rather die than do it. This glorious reward in heaven is called a reigning with Christ. ‘If we suffer, we shall also reign with him’. The wicked first reign and then suffer. The godly first suffer and then reign. The saints shall have a happy reign. It shall be both peaceable and durable. Who would not swim through blood to this crown? Who would not suffer joyfully? Christ says, ‘Be exceeding glad’ (verse 12). The Greek word signifies ‘to leap for joy’. Christians should have their spirits elevated and exhilarated when they contemplate the weight of glory.

If you would be able to suffer, pray much. Beg of God to clothe you with a spirit of zeal and magnanimity. ‘To you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake’ (Philippians 1:29). It is a gift of God to be able to suffer. Pray for this gift. Do not think you can be able of yourselves to lay down life and liberty for Christ. Peter was overconfident of himself. ‘I will lay down my life for thy sake’ (John 13:37). But Peter’s strength undid him. Peter had habitual grace, but he lacked auxiliary grace. Christians need fresh gales from heaven. Pray for the Spirit to animate you in your sufferings. As the fire hardens the potter’s vessel which is at first weak and limber, so the fire of the Spirit hardens men against sufferings. Pray that God will make you like the anvil that you may bear the strokes of persecutors with invincible patience.

—Thomas Watson.