Archives for February 2015

The Word of God is the seed of new life for sinners. Christ calls us to sow the seed, even when we do not know what kind of soil it will reach. The Kinnelon Heritage Reformed Church is working alongside the Free Reformed Church and two local United Reformed Churches to post Bible verses to billboards in the New York metro area, such as John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” The billboards direct people to their website, www.truthisreal.org, where people can find a simple gospel message, and a way to find a biblical church through www.sermonaudio.com. It would help to raise awareness if you would “like” them on social media. You may also want to help to support this outreach financially. Most of all, pray that God’s Word, posted by the highway and on the internet, would powerfully affect many people for their eternal good.

Wilhelmus à Brakel, The Christian’s Reasonable Service, 4 vols., trans. Bartel Elshout, ed. Joel R. Beeke (Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 2015), Retail $150; available from RHB for $100 plus postage (www.heritagebooks.org)

Exciting news—Reformation Heritage Books has reprinted the 4-volume set of Wilhelmus à Brakel’s The Christian’s Reasonable Service which arrived today. This is the sixth printing of this classic set since the 1990s.

In my opinion, this is one of the most valuable set of books available in English today. I don’t say this because I had the privilege of organizing the task, raising the funds for its translation and printing, and serving as its final editor a quarter of a century ago, but I believe this is true because of the rich doctrinal, experiential, practical, pastoral, and ethical content this classic conveys. When one reads Brakel, one is not surprised to learn that for centuries this set of books was as popular in the Netherlands as John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress was in English-speaking countries. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, most Dutch farmers who were of Reformed persuasion would typically read a few pages of “Father Brakel,” as he was fondly called, every evening to his family as an important part of their family worship. When he completed the entire work, he would start over!

This massive work may be considered in three parts. The first part is found in volume 1, much of volume 2, and small portions of volumes 3 and 4. It consists of a traditional Reformed systematic theology that is packed with clarity of thought, thoroughness of presentation, and helpfulness of application. The concluding applications at the end of each chapter, applying the particular doctrines discussed to the lives of believers and unbelievers, are the highlight of this section. I believe that à Brakel’s practical casuistry in these applications supersedes any other systematic theologian, both in his day and ever since. They represent Reformed, Puritan, experiential theology at its best.

The second part expounds Christian ethics and Christian living. This part covers the concluding section of volume 2, all of volume 3, and most of volume 4. It is the largest and most fascinating section of à Brakel’s work, packed with salient applications on a variety of topics pertinent to living as a Christian in this world. In addition to a masterful treatment of the ten commandments (chs. 45–55) and the Lord’s Prayer (chs. 68–74), this part addresses topics such as living by faith out of God’s promises (ch. 42); how to exercise love toward God and His Son (chs. 56–57); how to fear, obey, and hope in God (chs. 59–61); how to profess Christ and His truth (ch. 63); and how to exercise a host of spiritual graces, such as courage, contentment, self-denial, patience, uprightness, watchfulness, neighbor love, humility, meekness, peaceableness, diligence, compassion, and prudence (chs. 62, 64–67, 76, 82–88). Other topics treated most helpfully include fasting (ch. 75), solitude (ch. 77), spiritual meditation (ch. 78), singing (ch. 79), vows (ch. 80), spiritual experience (ch. 81), spiritual growth (ch. 89), backsliding (ch. 90), spiritual desertion (ch. 91), temptations (chs. 92–95), indwelling corruption (ch. 96), and spiritual darkness and deadness (chs. 97–98).

The third part (4:373–538) is devoted to a history of God’s redemptive, covenantal work from the beginning to the end of the world. It is reminiscent of Jonathan Edwards’s History of Redemption, though it is not as detailed as Edwards; à Brakel’s work confines itself more to Scripture, and has a greater covenantal emphasis. It concludes with a detailed study of the future conversion of the Jews from six passages of Scripture (4:511–38).

The Christian’s Reasonable Service represents, perhaps more than any other work, the Puritan heartbeat and balance of the Dutch Further Reformation. Here systematic theology and vital, experiential Christianity are scripturally and practically interwoven with a covenantal framework, the whole bearing the mark of a pastor-theologian deeply taught by the Spirit. Sweeping in coverage, nearly every subject treasured by Christians is treated in an unusually helpful way, always aiming for the promotion of godliness.

In my opinion, this pastoral set of books is an essential tool for every pastor and is extremely valuable for lay people as well. Happily, you can now read it in contemporary English. Buy and read this great classic. You won’t be sorry. As publisher, we have already sold more than 20,000 sets and have never received a single complaint about it; rather, we have been inundated with encouraging comments about its merits.

View of Cartagena, Colombia from Our Hotel

(The following post was written by my wife, Mary)

Monday morning we left the cold and headed for the warmth—from Grand Rapids to Atlanta to Bogota, Columbia. As we took off from Atlanta on a brand new 757, Joel said, “I always feel better when we are up in the air.” I replied, “I always feel better when we are on the ground again.” One hour later, snack service was abruptly halted. The captain came on, “We are heading back; the weather radar is not working, and we need it to navigate the thunderstorms over the Andes.” They fixed it and we were on our way again. We arrived four hours late, took a taxi to the hotel (arriving at 4:00 a.m.), slept one hour, and greeted Bill and Marlene Greendyk. Bill heads up the Trinitarian Bible Society [TBS] in Grand Rapids (www.tbsbibles.org). We then flew one hour to Cartagena, where the ministers’ conference was held. Noe and Mimi Acosta were the organizers and Bill assisted. Noe is director of Gospel through Columbia (www.gospelthroughcolombia.org).

With Some Speakers, Organizers, and My Translator

There is an awakening for the Reformed faith among the churches in Latin America. Ministers and their congregations are increasingly turning from Arminianism, Pentecostalism, and Roman Catholicism to embrace the doctrines of grace. There was electricity in the air as Sugel Michelen, Burk Parsons, Sergio Ruiz, Tom Woodward, Keith Maddy, Noe, Bill, and Joel spoke to 200 pastors. My husband spoke four times on topics that related to the theme, “The Church against the Gates of Hell.” He was very grateful for an excellent translator, a young pastor named Eduardo, and for a very encouraging response from the ministers in attendance. I spoke twice to a small group of pastors’ wives, with Marlene Greendyk as my able translator.

With Brethren from Bolivia

Attendees were from Columbia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Dominican Republic, and Florida. Bill and Marlene brought two suitcases of books for the Venezuelans as they are not able to obtain books, due to 70% inflation, corruption, and Communism. Donations brought the Bolivian brothers to the conference, one of whom has suffered persecution recently for having become Reformed, having his effigy burned in protest of his preaching. Again we met people whose spiritual pilgrimage was drastically altered by reading A. W. Pink’s Sovereignty of God. Several men shared how my husband’s book Puritan Reformed Spirituality and other books translated into Spanish have changed their lives, and led them in a Reformed and experiential direction in their preaching. After Joel’s address on worldliness, a minister came up to him with tears in his eyes and said, “I am a worldly minister.” Another said, “I need to go home and repent to my wife.”

Bill Greendyk Speaking on the New Spanish Bible Translation

TBS is nearing completion of the translation of the New Testament into Spanish. They are taking a reliable version from 1904 and modernizing it to make it easier to read. There are donors who are very interested in paying for the translating of the Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible notes into Spanish, in order to supply many thousands of study Bibles to pastors throughout Spanish-speaking countries. Words cannot describe the joy of witnessing the light in the eyes of these men when they hear biblical truths preached with passion, and connections being made between people with means and projects that promote the gospel. The whole conference was so uplifting; the hunger of the attendees was palpable. By the Spirit’s grace, it appears that we are on the cusp of very exciting things happening in the Spanish-speaking world for the glory of God and the spread of the gospel. Praise and honor be to God!

With Pastor’s Wives and Marlene Greendyk

The Puritans excelled in being diligent in and devoted to prayer. Yet, even though they were well practiced in the art of praying, they recognized acutely the many infirmities and hindrances to prayer. This no doubt sheds light on their great pastoral sensitivity. Experientially, in the Christian life, they knew the believer often goes through seasons of greater or lesser difficulty in praying to God. In addition, there are what seem to be “ever present” impediments, as James Ussher notes: “Roving imaginations, inordinate affections, dullness of spirit, weakness of faith, coldness in feeling, faintness in asking, weariness in waiting, too much passion in our own matters, and too little compassion in other men’s miseries.”

Nothing must ever be allowed to remain in discouraging us from speaking to God. Calvin often noted that the Christian must ever be as a child, climbing up into the lap of his heavenly Father to speak to Him. Such is the intimacy which he may have with God in Christ.

Because of the reality of these hindrances, it is good to take careful note of the things which threaten to weigh us down in being drawn up to God in prayer. There are at least eight hindrances we may note:

1. Little sense of sin. We need the convicting work of the Spirit to show us who we truly are. The man who sees his state may truly cry to God for mercy. Pray to God to increase your knowledge of your misery, that you may be brought more and more to seek His face.
2. Pleading on grounds outside of Christ. Too often our hearts rest on something else than Christ, often our own self-righteousness. This no doubt explains in part why it is so hard to pray to God when struggling with sin. We must learn to seek Christ alone and pray in His name alone. The Father’s heart is opened to the sinner in Christ. To pray to God on any other grounds is to dishonor the one who died for His church. Plead to God in Christ (John 14:14).
3. Separating prayer from the Word. The promises of God in Scripture are the substance of our prayers. This is why Jesus commanded that we pray, “Thy will be done.” It is the will of God, revealed to us in the Scriptures, which we must pray for. Robert Murray M‘Cheyne said, “Turn the Bible into prayer.” One of the ways we must do this is to memorize and meditate on Scripture. We must steep ourselves in the Word and therefore be stooped before God in prayer. Saturate yourself in the Word of God daily, praying that the Spirit may teach you to use the Word of God as you approach the living God.
4. Unbelief. We must learn to rest in and believe that God is a rewarder of those who seek Him in faith. The Christian must ask “in faith” (James 1:6), trusting that, as Martin Luther said, “Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance. It is laying hold of His willingness.”
5. Too busy. Maybe we are busy even with lawful activities. We still must make use of the means of grace diligently, making all other activities secondary. Thomas Manton said, “Why, if you have time for other things, you should have time for God…. Hast thou time to eat, drink, sleep, to follow thy [work] (how dost thou live else?), and no time to be saved—no time to be familiar with God, which is the greatest business of all? Get it from your sleep and food, rather than be without this necessary duty.”
6. Lack of dependency on the Spirit. Ask the Spirit to groan within you and teach you to pray (Rom. 8:26). Without the Spirit, Thomas Boston said that men pray “like [deaf] people making a roar.” Too often we do not pray in the Spirit, and this is a great hindrance to us. Robert Traill wrote, “The voice of the Spirit is the best thing in our prayer; it is that God hears and regards.”
7. Spiritual dryness. Recognize that you may often not feel like praying, but happily prayer does not depend on your feelings. The command still stands: “Be faithful in prayer” (Rom. 12:12). Know too that many times we feel spiritually dry because we have neglected prayer in the past. Speak with God, and refresh in Him your heart.
8. Shame on account of sin. When we are ashamed of our lives and evil hearts, we often avoid coming to God in prayer. But this is precisely the time we must go to God (Gen. 3:8; Heb. 4:13). Humble yourself before Him, and plead the merits of the Son!

Against all these hindrances, listen to the answer from the Word of God. Jesus lovingly invites all those who are laboring and are heavy-laden to come unto Him. Do not cling to yourself but trust in Christ and His righteousness. Your prayers will never be satisfactory without being washed in the blood of Christ. Christ does not demand that you come with a perfect prayer, but invites sinners to put on His righteousness: “Ho every one that thirsteth, come ye to the water, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Isa. 55:1). May God teach each of us to cry back to Him in prayer.