“Be Ye Holy is the best book I have ever read on sanctification and is as confessional as you could get.” – Republic of Ireland

“Be Ye Holy has been a great resource to pass out to visitors, and to mail to prisoners and others who are eager for doctrinal dispute, but need better to understand the calling to holiness.” – USA

Some say that the Reformed doctrines of election and God’s covenant with believers and their children discourage or even impede missions and evangelism. Though those claims are erroneous, the reality is that some in Reformed circles have often inadvertently given them credibility by neglecting evangelism and maintaining a self-focused church culture. 

But that does not have to be so.

In Go Into All the World, Daniel Holstege demonstrates that, far from impeding missions, a proper understanding of the doctrine of God’s covenant actually encourages evangelism. Go Into All the World starts from the inner life of the Triune God, who sent His Son into the world as the chief missionary, and ends with the final consummation of God’s covenant with His people. While waiting for that final day, not only ministers but all Christians are called by the Lord to bear witness of the gospel of Jesus Christ to their neighbours. The task can be difficult and intimidating. But whether you need doctrinal clarity, practical advice, encouragement for personal or church witness or a combination of these, Go Into All the World will help you grow in your ability and zeal to be a witness of Jesus Christ, according to your gifts and calling in life. 

Daniel Holstege is the pastor of Wingham Protestant Reformed Church (Wingham, ON). He was a missionary in the Philippines for five years.

What others are saying about this book:

“Daniel Holstege has written an important book on the importance and necessity for every church to be engaged in outreach and evangelism. Every church would benefit from reading through, absorbing, and putting into practice what is here written.” — Paul T. Murphy, pastor of evangelism, Messiah’s Reformed Fellowship (New York)

“I read Daniel Holstege’s book with appreciation and joy. He ably shows how the covenant of grace, even if one sees that covenant differently than him, should inspire us to preach the gospel to the nations. Too often we limit the covenant to discussions of parents and their children, when in fact the covenant is about that and so much more. The covenant demands that we also be outward-focused, preaching the gospel to those who are ‘far off.’ Holstege connects all these dots and urges Reformed churches to develop a culture of missions. Any Reformed reader (and beyond) would benefit from the well-researched and well-presented argument of this book.” — Eric Onderwater, pastor of Grace Canadian Reformed Church (Brampton, Ontario)

“With a passion for both covenant theology and the Great Commission, Daniel Holstege offers a compelling call for churches to embrace their ‘covenantal mission mandate.’ Drawing from Scripture and the Reformed tradition, he challenges believers to see that God’s covenant is not only for our children but also extends to the nations through the preaching of the gospel. Even where readers may differ on certain covenantal nuances, they will find this book to be a biblically grounded and stirring reminder that the church must proclaim Christ to all people, trusting that God will gather His own. A valuable and timely encouragement for those who long to see missions thrive in a covenantal framework.” — Tim Bergsma, pastor of Living Hope Free Reformed Church (Chatham, Ontario)

“Here is an important book on missions that is scriptural, doctrinal, practical, personal, and concise. What a unique and important work! God’s people will be blessed as Daniel Holstege recounts his experiences as a missionary to the Philippines and his own personal development in love for the mission mandate of the church, all while carefully expounding that mandate for our benefit. Avoiding an imbalanced position, Rev. Holstege has developed a mature and holistic view of God’s purposes that can be of great help to the church and the individual child of God. May God use it to grow many in love for Him and the fullness of His covenant!” — Cory J. Griess, Professor of Practical Theology and New Testament Studies Protestant Reformed Theological Seminary (Wyoming, MI)

“Go Into All the World by Daniel Holstege is proving to be a wonderful book. The questions after each chapter provoke further study and deeper cconsideration. The book is very gripping and carries a freshness on doing evangelism biblically! This is the best book I’ve read on missions. God willing in the future I can buy further copies.” – England

Prayer brings us into God’s sanctuary. True prayer has requirements and Jesus has given one model for all our prayers. Line by line, Hoeksema analyses, explains and applies the principles found in Jesus’ perfect model prayer. The reader is taught that prayer is given by the Spirit of God and that he must pray in a God-honouring way. The author stresses how prayer is thanksgiving to God, reflecting fellowship with our heavenly Father.

“I must know him, the only true God, in order to be able to pray at all. But I cannot know him out of myself, I cannot find him out … Only he can make known to me who he is, and what he is. Hence I must begin to let him speak to me before I can even begin to speak to him. This he does in his word, in the holy scriptures,” writes Rev. Hoeksema. As readers, we are compelled to exclaim, “Lord, so teach me always to pray in accordance with Thy will!”

“This book contains eleven expository sermons on the Lord’s Prayer, preached by Herman Hoeksema, the founding father of the Protestant Reformed Churches of America. These sermons were first preached as a series over the radio in the early 1940s and because of their popularity they were later published in book form. Let me quote a portion from the first petition in order to whet your spiritual appetite to want to read this book for yourselves. ‘Hallowed be thy name’ is concerned with the glory of God. Hoeksema writes, ‘We must not overlook this position: for it teaches us at once that the chief and only purpose of all things is the glory of God, and that the desire for the realisation of this purpose should be uppermost in our hearts and minds and should occupy, therefore, the first place in all our prayers’ (p. 37). Hoeksema also explains the spiritual disposition necessary in the heart of the believer in order to make these petitions, which makes these sermons also very devotional.” – Singapore

“When reading the treatment of the address, ‘Our Father which art in heaven,’ I could not believe how deep it is … absolutely amazing!” – Co. Antrim

“My daughter is loving the book. It has been an eye opener for both of us. She was saying that the way she feels about praying the Lord’s prayer is now completely different from before she read the book.” – Co. Antrim

REVIEW

IN THE SANCTUARY, Expository Sermons on the Lord’s Prayer, by Herman Hoeksema; Reformed Free Publishing Association, 1982; 116 pages (paperback). (Reviewed by Prof. H. Hanko).

Many of our readers will know that this book is a reprint of a book which first appeared in the Forties, but has long been out of print. It was published soon after Rev. Hoeksema delivered a series of radio sermons on this subject. The book is a published form of those radio messages. 

I wish that there was some way in which this book could be put in the home of every Christian family to be read and studied. I say this because the book speaks of prayer, and God’s people today are badly in need of instruction concerning prayer. Not only is this true because of the sorry corruptions of prayer which are so common in our day; nor is this true only because God’s people do not pray as much as they ought; but it is also true because prayer is a holy art, and God’s people themselves know how much they need to be instructed in it. This book is admirably suited to this purpose. 

The book has an introductory chapter on prayer and a chapter on the general principles of the Lord’s Prayer; these are followed by an exposition of the address, the six petitions, and the doxology with which the Lord’s prayer closes. It is an incisive exposition of each part in which the petition itself is explained and the spiritual disposition of the heart necessary to pray is set forth. Rev. Hoeksema, as all who knew him know, had the ability to make the profound clear, and the clear interesting and gripping. These things come through in this book. 

In expounding the Lord’s Prayer the author has the opportunity to discuss all the principles which underlie true prayer, to warn against evils in prayer, and to point out repeatedly the deepest truth that God is God. 

The book can be read as meditative readings, and this is indeed a thoroughly enjoyable way to read the book. But, more importantly, any child of God who takes seriously the petition, “Lord, teach us to pray. . .” must get this book. It will be an answer to his prayer.

John Calvin wrote in his commentary on Galatians 5:22 about the fruit of the Spirit,

There have often appeared in unrenewed men remarkable instances of gentleness, integrity, temperance, and generosity; but it is certain that all were but specious disguises. Curius and Fabrieius were distinguished for courage, Cato for temperance, Scipio for kindness and generosity, Fabius for patience; but it was only in the sight of men, and as members of civil society, that they were so distinguished. In the sight of God nothing is pure but what proceeds from the fountain of all purity.

Richard Smit explains positively this wonderful fruit:

… the Spirit produces in his living branches this delightful, covenantal fruit. A heavenly and spiritual sweetness and goodness characterize and permeate the whole fruit. Yet, the Spirit shows us in Galatians 5:22-23 that this one fruit has many distinct sections, which in their own unique way are filled with the spiritually delicious sweetness and goodness of the Spirit … That is the fruit that is delightfully tasty to our Father in heaven and also to our fellow saints upon earth who see and taste this fruit and are consequently delighted by it (pp. 16, 17).

This beautiful paperback of 155 pages, suitable for young and old, discusses the nine aspects of this sweet fruit of the Spirit (found in Galatians 5:22-23) that proceed from that fountain, Christ, and which by His Spirit He works in His saints. The book encourages branches of believers and their seed unto a life of good fruit-bearing.

New author Richard J. Smit first wrote about the fruit of the Spirit in a series of articles that appeared in the Standard Bearer and now appear in book form in this new publication. Rev. Smit has served as a pastor in several churches in the Protestant Reformed Churches in Canada and America. He has also served as a missionary to the Philippines twice, ministering for over a decade to the saints there, to whom his book Fruit of the Spirit is dedicated.

The following review was written by Ava Langerak on the book The Fruit of the Spirit of Jesus Christ by Richard J. Smit (Jenison, MI: Reformed Free Publishing, 2012). This review was originally published in the August 2023 issue of The Grandville Gleaner.

The author, Richard J. Smit, starts the book by laying out the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and temperance. Next, he draws attention to the fact that the fruit is not simply produced by us but instead by the outstanding work of Christ, by the Spirit, in and through us. 

The author takes the time to explain each different fruit in its own chapter, explaining how that individual fruit is worked in us by Christ and how we can continue to exercise and enjoy that fruit in our walk of faith with Christ. The author also quotes from Scripture to provide the basis behind what each chapter teaches you.

He then ends each chapter with a list of questions to make you pause and reflect and in turn take time to make sure you understand the chapter. These 5-6 questions ending each chapter cause the reader to process what they just read about instead of just looking over the words. They test their understanding, with some questions being simple and others tat the reader must take time to think about.

The whole book is only 155 pages separated into 11 short chapters making it easy to read. The book is clear enough in its explanations that most readers can read it and understand what it is teaching. This book is great for personal use to learn of the wonderful fruit of the Spirit and all of their different aspects that can be seen in a Christian’s way of life.

“My son has been ploughing through the book first, and he’s trawling through it slowly. He’s finding the book very rewarding and challenging. So the book is very encouraging.” – Cornwall, England

“I have needed the challenge of The Fruit of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.” – Yorkshire, England

“I can’t thank you enough for The Fruit of the Spirit of Jesus Christ book. What a privilege it is to be blessed every time I read from it.” – England

How many Christians can confidently say that they have “mastered” the art of prayer?

Probably no one.

What is blessedly refreshing about Professor Hanko’s work, When You Pray, is his admission that none of us is good at prayer—including himself—yet over the years of one’s life, the author assures us, a person can make progress in praying.

Professor Hanko shares with his readers homely yet highly meaningful lessons he learned from growing up in a covenant family and covenantal church community. He also tells the specific benefits of praying to the sovereign God of the universe, who knows our sins and weaknesses but love us still. Valuable is the professor’s clear explanation of how God can be likened to the father of an earthly family, loving and caring for his own dear children.

An eye-opening and very helpful part of his book is the author’s pinpointing of misconceptions people have about God and prayer that bar them from praying in a God-honouring way.

Prayer that does not clash with Scripture is of prime importance for the author, whose sensitivity to scriptural truths has been honed in more than thirty years of study and teaching as professor of New Testament and church history in the Theological School of the Protestant Reformed Churches in America. Professor Hanko is a down-to-earth writer, one who very much feels with his readers the struggle that it sometimes is to take the time to engage in heartfelt, sincere prayer. His apt illustrations from everyday life make the underlying theology of prayer vividly understandable.

If you have found your devotional life to be frequently barren, reading what the author has learned the hard way—over fifty years in the ministry—will not discourage you further, but will give you a renewed desire to fellowship with your Father in prayer.

“This book helped me more than anything else I have heard or read on prayer.” – S. Wales

“I have a copy. Recommended reading.” – Philippines

“I’ve been benefitting from reading Prof. Hanko’s book on prayer at the minute [i.e., during the days of restrictions due to COVID-19].” – Co. Antrim

“Thank you so much for continuing to send me your C. R. News and the other supporting leaflets … I have just received my copy of When You Pray by Prof. Hanko—being a member of the Book Club—and have only just peered inside for a foretaste! The standard of the book’s format and binding is excellent (I do much prefer ‘hard cover’ productions!) and I am sure that its contents will be even greater. Please arrange to forward me a set of the tapes ‘Covenant with Adam’…” – South Wales

Click here to read a review of this book published in the Beacon Lights.

To watch the video of the author interview concerning this book, click here.

Is it important that we witness? How are we to do it? What are we to say? What is our motivation and goal? Does the Bible have much to say about this subject? This new book, consisting of the speeches at the 2012 British Reformed Fellowship (BRF) Conference, gives scriptural answers on our vital calling as God’s witnesses.

—————————

“We desire that the one to whom we witness comes to share our hope. Our desire is not to win the argument, but to win the person. Our desire, if God will grant it, is not even simply to establish the truth, victoriously, beyond contradiction, shutting the opponent’s mouth, but to establish the truth in the soul of the one to whom we witness, so that also his mouth is opened to confess the truth with us …

In our witness, whether to an unbeliever or to an erring or weak brother, our purpose must be to gain and save him, if God wills. This will control the manner of our witness. This love for him will manifest itself in how we speak to him.

Such witness—truth in content, meekness and love in manner—God may use to gather and save His own to His glory.

What a motivation to witness!

What a motivation to witness properly!”

(David J. Engelsma, Ye Are My Witnesses, pp. 89, 90)

“I have enjoyed reading Ye Are My Witnesses, which I purchased recently. It is a great antidote to the Arminian idea of witnessing and I found the last chapter on mission work very helpful” – Middlesex, England

“Thank you for Ye Are My Witnesses which I received on Saturday. I am digging into it with ever growing appreciation …” –South Africa

CONTENTS

Foreword

Part 1
Chapter 1: The Divine Calling to Witness
Chapter 2: The Content of Our Witness
Chapter 3: The Official Witness of the Church
Chapter 4: Personal Witnessing by the Word
Chapter 5: The Personal Witness of a Godly Life
Chapter 6: The Manner of Christian Witnessing

Part 2
Chapter 7: By the Spirit of the Lord
Chapter 8: The Martyr-Church’s Witness to the Ascended Lord

Part 3
Chapter 9: Mission Work: Message and Methods

Appendix
About the British Reformed Fellowship 128

FOREWORD

The Bible is a book of witness. It is God’s written testimony to the world and it records the witness of His people to His glory, from the corporate witness of the worshipping church (Gen. 4:26) and the (largely rejected) preaching of Enoch (Jude 14-15) and Noah (II Pet. 2:5) before the flood, all the way to the book of Revelation penned by the Apostle John, who was exiled to Patmos “for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 1:9).

This witness is rich and varied, coming from God’s people of various backgrounds and ages, with both life and lip, to both believers and unbelievers, and highlighting different aspects of the character and salvation of the God of the covenant.

What a witness of faithfulness and contentment was Joseph who was sold into slavery by his brothers, slandered by his master’s adulterous wife and imprisoned for a crime he did not commit (Gen. 37; 39-41)! Moses and Aaron testified courageously to hard-hearted Pharaoh and his court (Ex. 5-12). The faith and works of the harlot Rahab in Jericho are a great witness (Josh. 2; Heb. 11:31; James 2:25-26).

Who can forget Ruth the Moabitess’ moving plea to her mother-in-law, Naomi?

Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God (Ruth 1:16).

Listen to the Israelites at the temple with their baskets of firstfruits, confessing with joy and gratitude that Jehovah redeemed them and gave them the promised land (Deut. 26:1-11). Remember the little Jewish girl’s word to Naaman the Syrian’s wife of God’s power to heal through His prophet Elisha (II Kings 5:3-4). The four young men from Judah were a fine witness to Nebuchad­nezzar and his pagan court by their faithfulness to God’s law and diligence in studying (Dan. 1).

If anything, the theme of witnessing is even stronger in the New Testament. Think even of the earliest history contained in its pages: the Virgin Mary’s joyful witness to Elisabeth (Luke 1:46-56), the praise uttered by the formerly dumb Zacharias (vv. 67-79), the shepherds who spread abroad the things they had seen and heard on that marvellous night in Bethlehem (2:8-20) and the words of the “wise men from the east” to King Herod (Matt. 2:1-2).

John 1 repeatedly describes John the Baptist as a “witness” who “bare record” of Jesus Christ (vv. 7-8, 15, 19-20, 32-34; cf. vv. 26-27, 29-31, 36-37, 40). During His public ministry, the Lord’s followers witnessed of Him, such as, the man born blind, with quick-witted responses to His interrogators (9:24-34); Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector, by generous giving and restitution (Luke 19:8); the children in the temple, with praise to the Son of David (Matt. 21:15-16); and the penitent thief, with sharp rebukes of his fellow criminal and a beautiful request for inclusion in Christ’s kingdom (Luke 23:40-42).

The Lord Jesus, “the light of the world” (John 8:12; 9:5), came to earth to “bear witness unto the truth” (18:37), through his preaching, parables and miracles, as well as His conversations with individuals, such as Nicodemus at night (ch. 3) and the Samaritan woman at the well (ch. 4). It all climaxed with His atonement on the cross and the “good confession” that He “witnessed” “before Pontius Pilate” (I Tim. 6:13; cf. John 18:33-38). The women at Christ’s tomb testified of His amazing resurrection on the third day (Matt. 28:1-10).

Especially after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2), the apostles were witnesses of the risen Lord (1:22; 2:32; 3:15; 4:33; 5:32), as Christ had earlier promised (John 15:26-27; Acts 1:8). Acts is a book of the witness of the early church by apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, elders, deacons and believers; faithful Jews and Gentiles; young and old—often reviled and persecuted but always victorious in Jesus Christ.

Sometimes, the testimony to the Lord Jesus was made in legal settings, especially by Paul in his various trails before religious and civil rulers (chs. 22-26). This even took him to Rome itself, for he appealed to Caesar (25:11, 21, 25; 26:32; 28:19).

Not only do the holy angels witness to saints on many important occasions in the Bible, but also the sufferings of the apostles (and even of the church) are “a spectacle” to angels (I Cor. 4:9).

Thus we are surrounded by a great “cloud of witnesses” (Heb. 12:1), consisting not just of Old Testament believers (e.g., ch. 11) but also of children of God in the New Testament Scriptures and even of Christians in the two millennia of the post-apostolic church.

Like many other parts of the world, the British Isles has a noble history of witnessing, including Saint Patrick in fifth-century Ireland; John Wycliffe, the fourteenth-century English pre-Reformer; Bishop Robert Ferrar, martyred in Carmarthen, Wales, in 1555; and the great sixteenth-century Scottish Reformer, John Knox.

Add to this the godly pastors, profound theologians, faithful missionaries and vibrant Christians whom God has raised up in these islands to testify of His rich saving truth at home and abroad, and summarized in the gospel promise:

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Rom. 10:9-10).

All of this stands in sharp contrast to the development of “the mystery of iniquity,” which has been working for two thousand years (II Thess. 2:7) and which will culminate in the Man of Sin and his big lie, for he “opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (v. 4; cf. Rev. 13:6). Yet, most will follow him and perish in God’s just judgment of them for their not receiving “the love of the truth” (II Thess. 2:9-12; cf. Rev. 13:3-8).

The British Reformed Fellowship (BRF) seeks to increase and strengthen godly witnesses and true witnessing in the British Isles and further afield by the grace of the Holy Spirit. To this end, the BRF organized its twelfth biennial Family Conference in Lorne House, by the north coast of County Down in N. Ireland with the theme of “Ye Are My Witnesses” (28 July – 4 August, 2012). Now the BRF has published this excellent material in the book you are reading. The cover photo is of Blackhead Lighthouse on the east coast of County Antrim, to which a number of Lorne House conferees walked during one of the day trips.

Part 1 consists of the six main lectures by Profs. Herman Hanko and David Engelsma, dealing with the calling, content and manner of our witness, both of the official witness of the church and the personal witness of the believer by word and life. Since the two Sunday sermons by our two main speakers developed aspects of our great theme, they are included in Part 2.

Part 3, “Mission Work: Message and Methods” by Rev. Martyn McGeown, gives a concrete and practical application of the biblical teaching on witnessing from one man in one missionary work, the Limerick Reformed Fellowship. This originally constituted the special lecture at the 2012 BRF Family Conference and is included especially for the instruction and encouragement of others involved in mission work or small churches.

Ye Are My Witnesses is the fifth BRF book co-authored by Profs. Engelsma and Hanko, the others being Keeping God’s Covenant (2006), The Five Points of Calvinism (2008), The Work of the Holy Spirit (2010) and The Reformed Worldview (2012).

I hope you read this latest BRF book prayerfully, and that it stirs your soul to witness more faithfully. May the truth of God’s Word, set forth here, resonate in all our hearts: “Ye are my witnesses” (Isa. 43:10)!

Rev. Angus Stewart
BRF Chairman

This book can also be read on-line.
This book can be read on-line in Hungarian.

Book Review

Ye Are My Witnesses
David J. Engelsma & Herman Hanko
British Reformed Fellowship, 2014

How can churches grow in these days? This question was raised by members of the British Reformed Fellowship, and answered from Scripture by the speakers at the 2012 British Reformed Fellowship Ulster Conference. the addresses given have now been collected and edited into this important little book, and made available to a wider audience.

Professors Engelsma and Hanko show that in all ages the church has grown by three means: a) from within as covenant children are born and raised by believing parents within the church, b) by the witnessing of believers, and c) by evangelism. this is the balanced pattern of the Bible, and thus church members play a vital role as witnesses: a point enforced from Scripture in the nine chapters of this book.

These chapters cover “The Divine Mandate to Witness,” “The Content of our Witness,” “The Official Witness of the Church,” “The Personal Witness of a Godly Life,” “The Manner of Christian Witnessing,” “By the Spirit of the Lord,” “The Martyr-Church’s Witness to her Ascended Lord,” and “Mission Work; Message and Methods.”

We are shown that witnessing is a divine mandate for all believers, but when and where is not our choice: God brings about the opportunities. What we witness is also not our choice for Scripture has many warnings about false witnessing. God’s Word provides the message. Believers must never be tempted to “leave evangelism to the professionals.” All are required to study the Word, and be ready to explain and defend their faith at any time. The core message is always to be the proclamation “Jesus is Lord” and there must be an emphasis on the Law (10 Commandments) as God’s rule for life on earth. The visible church must have a stated, confessional, doctrinal stance, should ensure that this is as Scriptural and God-honouring as possible, and must faithfully hold to it. This is the on-going witness of the organised church. Words can soon be forgotten: a consistently Christian life, distinct from that of the world, is a powerful witness. Witnessing must be in love, meek when called for, but bold and uncompromising when the truth must be defended. Witnessing will inevitably also raise opposition. Faithful witnesses are never alone: they are supported by the Holy Spirit. “Witness” and “martyr” are interchangeable terms. It is very possible that in the near future there will be an ever heavier price to pay for witnessing for Christ in word and life. These issues are also in the sovereign hands of God, but we must be prepared to stand faithfully until Christ returns.

The final chapter, “Mission Work: Method and Message” by Martyn McGeown, is a challenging and encouraging narrative of missionary church planting in Limerick, Ireland.

… [It] presents material from a Scriptural basis that all concerned Christians would do well to ponder and pray over. A wide circulation of this book would do much good.

(British Church Newspaper, 12 June 2015)

To order in N. America, please contact Crete Protestant Reformed Church, Crete, Illinois