The Western Classis convened at Covenant Reformed Church at Grass Valley, CA, on March 8-9, 2011. The delegates were received by the host congregation with a warm welcome and Christian hospitality. The opening devotion was given by Rev. Dennis Roe, pastor of Covenant Reformed Church at Grass Valley. He preached a message from Ezekiel 7:23-27 on the subject of "The Elder as the Watchman for the Church of Today." The Western Classis meeting proceeded with the President, Rev. Jim West, calling the meeting to order and Rev. Vernon Pollema led in prayer. The Stated Clerk, Rev. Hank Bowen, took the roll call of delegates present, which showed there was a quorum consisting of sixteen ministers and eleven elders.

The proceedings of the Western Classis meeting manifested a spirit of loving unity among the brethren and a commitment of obedience to God's Word as well as faithfulness to the RCUS confessional standards.

Last year at the 25th Annual Western Classis meeting, a special committee was established to compile a history of the Western Classis. The special committee is continuing its work this year. The Classis requested "that each congregation of the Western Classis write and submit a one-page history of their congregation to the Special Committee on the History of the Classis." The Classis also requested "that pictures be collected for submission into the publication of the history."

Since the previous Annual Western Classis meeting of 2010, the Executive Committee of Western Classis had a great deal of ongoing business to address as they affirmed in their committee report saying, "The Executive Committee had a very busy year with eight circulars, twelve recommendations, a number of matters before it, and several hundred emails to deal with: there were a number of changes in pulpits, and the President was compelled to call for a Special Classis meeting to deal with a very serious ethical matter regarding a minister of the Classis."

Providentially, the Western Classis has had several changes for pastors in the place of their ministerial calls. Rev. Thomas Mayville was installed as pastor of Trinity Reformed Church at Modesto on July 28, 2010. Rev. Paul Treick was elected as Pastor Emeritus at Trinity Reformed Church in Modesto, CA. Rev. Eric Bristley was installed as pastor of Grace Reformed Church in Willows, CA on November 12, 2010. Rev. Jay Nelken was removed from the pulpit of Grace Reformed Church at Lancaster, CA. Rev. Scott Henry has received and accepted a call from Grace Reformed Church at Lancaster, CA. Rev. Jay Fluck has transferred his credentials to Covenant East Classis in order to accept a call from Sovereign Grace Church at Gettysburg, PA, and Rev. Neale Riffert has been "granted permission to labor outside the bounds of the Western Classis in Texas with the consent of the South Central Classis."

Each of the ministers of the Word gave a parochial report of their labors in their particular charge during the past year. Following the reading of every two reports, prayer was offered on behalf of each minister's labors in their congregations. The parochial reports reveal a hearty desire to be obedient to the Word of God, faithful to our confessional standards, and to faithfully bear the marks of a true church. In difficult economic times some congregations are concerned about sustaining their fiscal responsibilities. Thank the Lord other pastors were able to report of the Lord's bountiful provisions. It should be our daily prayer that the Lord "shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:19).

The Western Classis gave honor and recognition for the Christian service of Elder Cornelius Van Egmond who went to be with the Lord on June 7, 2010. He served at Providence Reformed Church in Lodi, CA, as a deacon and later as an elder for many years. Frank Krivohlavek, a beloved Elder, was also taken from us and added to "The Church Victorious." Elder Krivolavek was a great stalwart of the faith, serving for many years at Covenant Reformed Church at Grass Valley, CA. These brothers are greatly missed, as is the great contributions they made to Christ's kingdom.

At the Tuesday evening worship service Rev. Neale Riffert, Pastor Emeritus of Grace Reformed Church at Lancaster, CA, preached a message on the subject of "The Struggling Prince," taken from the text of Genesis 32. Morning devotions were conducted by Rev. Paul Henderson and Rev. Vernon Pollema.

The next morning the President, Rev. Jim West, was not well physically and unable to attend the rest of the Western Classis Meeting. The Vice-President, Rev. Paul Henderson, took on the responsibilities of Chairman until the end of the meeting.

It was noted by the Christian Education Committee of the Western Classis "that there are excellent educational materials developed within the RCUS, of which our members may not be aware." In order to track these resources "the Christian Education in the Church Committee developed the Western Classis Resource List of educational and written instructional materials authored by ministers and members of the RCUS, which are currently inventoried in the RCUS Book Depository. The resource list includes the titles of the materials, authors, and current availability information, all of which will be updated annually."

A new committee was formed to write a book to be used in the instruction of new members, similar to Confessing Christ by Rev. Calvin Cummings. This new work would employ the Three Forms of Unity and add the distinctive practices of the RCUS.

For many years the Heidelberg West Youth Camp has been held at Camp Peaceful Pines. This year the campsite has been switched to Sierra Christian Service Camp at Posey, CA. Visit www.sierrachristianservicecamp.org for further information about the campsite. The date set for the camp is June 13-17, 2011. The theme of this year's camp is "Loving God's Word."

The work of the 26th Annual Western Classis Meeting progressed efficiently and expeditiously so that the business of Classis was completed by the second day on March 9, 2011. When the reports of the standing committees were effectually completed, there was a heartfelt expression of appreciation to the host church for its care and hospitality to the delegates. Before the adjournment Elder Steve Wilbur led in the closing devotion and prayer. After the Vice-President pronounced the Benediction, the 26th Annual Western Classis Meeting closed with the singing of the doxology. Next year, the 27th Annual Western Classis Meeting is scheduled to convene at Grace Reformed Church at Lancaster, CA.

Rev. Jonathan Merica, Pastor
Calvary Reformed Chapel, Stockton, CA

Matthew 15:21-28

How often have you reasoned within yourself saying, "If only I didn't have this one heavy burden in my life, then I would be truly happy?" Like the Psalmist, your heart's cry is, "Oh that I had wings like a dove! For then would I fly away and be at rest!" (Psalm 55:6). Perhaps you are now facing what seems to be the greatest crisis of your life, and you are wondering how you will find deliverance. You long for that peace of God you once knew in former days.

If you, as a Christian, are worried about whether you will find relief in your present distress, let not your heart be troubled. For the Lord Jesus Christ has shown mercy to multitudes of others and He has reserved mercy for you as well. He is more desirous to help His people, than they are to ask good things of Him. The Heidelberg Catechism Q46 asks, "Why did Christ command us to address God thus: ‘Our Father'"? The answer is, "To awaken in us at the very beginning of our prayer that childlike reverence for and trust in God, which are to be the ground of our prayer, namely, that God has become our Father through Christ, and will much less deny us what we ask of Him in faith than our parents refuse us earthly things."

Our Lord's encouraging promise that He will answer prayer in Matthew 7:7-8 says, "Ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." In other words, your heavy burden can be lifted by God's grace in persistently asking, persistently seeking, and persistently knocking with a believing and pure heart. We know that our pleading to God does not merit our deliverance, but the Lord works through the means of importunity (persistence). The Lord would have us to be as Jacob when he wrestled with the Angel of the LORD in prayer. The Angel of the LORD said to Jacob, "Let me go for the day breaketh," Jacob responded by saying, "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me" (Gen. 32:26). Beloved of God, you too must persistently knock at mercy's door as you "cast all your care upon Jesus Christ for He careth for you" (1 Pet. 5:7).

To encourage you to cast your heaviness of heart upon the Lord, please note the great mercy of our Lord, which He declared of Himself saying, "I am sent to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound" (Isaiah 61:1).

In our Scripture text, Matthew 15:21-28, our Lord illustrates His tender mercies to miserable sinners, when He is confronted by a Gentile woman who cried out to Him for mercy. The misery of this poor woman was very great. By her persistent knocking at mercy's door, the woman's pleas were graciously answered by the Lord Jesus Christ.

It was while our Lord was in the coasts of Tyre and Sidon that He met the Canaanite woman. The Jews were taught to keep themselves separate from the Gentile Canaanites, lest they become spiritually polluted. The cities of Tyre and Sidon were Gentile cities on the Mediterranean coast in the land of Phoenicia. It was in these Gentile cities that our Lord had the occasion to minister to a poor, miserable Gentile woman.

It is not explicitly stated why "Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon" (15:21). It may be that Christ came in amongst the Canaanites to get free of the Pharisees, who were a menace to His ministry in Galilee. While in Galilee of Israel, the Pharisees came from Jerusalem to Galilee and were interfering with the ministry of His disciples. The Pharisees faulted the disciples of Christ for not washing their hands after the ceremonial washings of the Jews. Though the Pharisees would travel to Galilee of the Jews, they would not follow Christ amongst the Canaanites, because the Canaanites were spiritually defiled. We learn in Mark 7:24, that Jesus in coming into Canaan, "arose and went into an house, and would have no man know it; but He could not be hid." Jesus did not want His coming into Canaan to be public knowledge.

While in Canaan a Gentile woman, when hearing about Jesus coming into the area where she lived, sought the Lord. Matthew 15:22 says, "And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil."

The Canaanite woman's misery was two-fold. The first ground of her misery was that she was a Gentile. A woman of Canaan by birth, and in the eyes of a Jew, she was no better than a dog. She was of the stock of people that were cursed above all peoples. It is said of her nation in Genesis 9:25, "Cursed be Canaan, a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren." She was "an alien from the commonwealth of Israel and a stranger from the covenants of promises having no hope, and without God in the world" (Eph. 2:12).

The second ground of the Canaanite woman's misery was that her daughter was possessed of a devil. Day after day she had to live with the misery of seeing her daughter in great torment. She said in verse 22, "O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil" (lit., "she is badly demonized").

Her great misery drew her to Christ for mercy from God. Her cry was very intense, she literally cried with loud shouting. It is apparent her cry was from a heart of trust in the divinity of Christ for she called Him "Lord." She believed Christ to be the true promised Son of David for she called him the "Son of David."

Although her calling upon Christ was for her daughter, it was a personal cry as though it was for herself. "Have mercy on me," was her plea to Christ. Added to all her misery concerning her daughter's condition were some disappointing considerations as she made her intercession for her daughter. Our Lord in verse 23, "answered her not a word, and His disciples came and besought Him, saying, ‘Send her away; for she crieth after us.' "

The woman of Canaan handled her great discouragements in coming to Christ with an unwavering persistence. She knocked at mercy's door until she was unburdened of her grievous misery. How often are you under the heavy load of discouragement, and are kept from persisting in prayer as you should? We must never cease praying because of discouragement. Rather, that is the time when we need to be persistent in prayer. Doesn't Scripture warn us that we have not the things we desire of God because we ask not? We must take our colossal needs to Christ, as Jacob did, and say, "I will not let Thee go, except thou bless me" (Gen. 32:26).

Although the woman cried to Jesus in verse 23, "He answered her not a word." He gave no immediate verbal response to her urgent request. It is very humbling to call to someone, and they do not answer. Christian, have you prayed and your prayers seemed not to reach the throne of grace? Don't stop praying when discouraged, because others have felt the same way. Job 23:8-9 says, "Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him." David in Psalm 28:1 says, "Unto thee will I cry, O Lord my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit." You must remember that God may not always answer prayer when you first pray.

The Canaanite woman did not turn back from pleading for mercy because she was a Gentile. She did not give up when the disciples said, "Send her away; for she crieth after us." On the contrary, she cried out all the more unto the Lord. She cried out repeatedly, so that the disciples wanted her to go away and stop making a spectacle of herself before the Lord. She prayed to Christ without ceasing! She would not leave off crying until the Lord answered her urgent request.

Although our Lord told the woman very plainly in verse 24, "I am not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel," yet she hoped in the mercy of the Lord. She would not cease crying for mercy from God until she received it. Clearly, the ministry of Jesus Christ was to the lost house of Israel. Romans 15:8 says, "Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promises made unto the fathers." So then, she could not lay any hope of her request based upon being of the Jewish nation. She must rest completely upon the infinite mercy of God. No doubt her hope rested upon the contemplation, "Lord, Thou art merciful, be merciful to me." So, she meekly cried out to Jesus, "Lord help me!" (v. 25).

After making her pitiful plea for mercy, she is humbled with these words from the Lord, "It is not meet to take the children's bread and to give it to dogs" (v. 26). In the Old Covenant the Jews were the people of God. The Jews referred to all other nations as dogs. The Jews looked at Gentiles as dogs, because they were spiritually unclean. A dog was doubly unclean to a Jew, because it neither "parted the hoof" nor "chewed the cud." The pig was more clean than a dog, because a pig parted the hoof, but a dog had both the marks of an unclean animal.

The meaning of our Lord's analogy of not giving the children's bread to dogs is to show the folly of taking a meal prepared for one's precious children and feeding it to dogs. Spiritually, the bread speaks of the gospel of Jesus Christ by which we have eternal life. Although this woman is well aware of her misery, she must also learn to be humbled for her sins. By God's grace she accepts her humiliation, and does not despair after hearing the humbling words of our Lord. This women trusted that God is gracious, and she was willing to come to Christ as a miserable dog. She said it is true that the father should not give the children's bread to dogs, "yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from the master's table" (v. 27). In other words, she believed a crumb of God's mercy was well able to unburden her of all her sins and misery and to heal her daughter.

Her faith would not allow her to take her focus off the mercy of Christ. It was faith that kept her meekly knocking at mercy's door. Her faith in the Lord made her confident in the abundance of God's mercy. Surely after the children are fed there are crumbs of mercy, as when the 5,000 people were fed by Christ and twelve baskets were left over. Oh Christian, never be downcast or wonder whether there is mercy reserved for you. Be assured there is hope of receiving mercy in your darkest hour, for our God's mercy is infinite and everlasting.

Beloved of God, the lesson that you and I must learn from this Canaanite woman is that persistence with a believing heart always prevails at the throne of God's grace. So keep asking, and it shall be given you. Keep seeking and ye shall find. Keep knocking and it shall be opened unto you.

The Canaanite woman's urgent request is granted after four denials, because of her persistent reliance upon Christ's mercy. "Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour" (v. 28). The mother is commended of the Lord for her great faith. What is great faith? It is faith that continues knocking at mercy's door until what is asked of God is received from the throne of grace.

Dear reader, do you have an ear to hear what the Spirit of God is saying to you in His Word? It is this: persistence in prayer prevails with God. If God gives His children's crumbs to dogs, then what a great feast awaits you if you will believe His promises written in His Word.

Oh dear Christian, what will you do with that great burden you are bearing? You must without delay take that great burden and by faith cast it upon the Lord. Jesus Christ has promised, "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name; that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." If you will persistently cry to God in faith "Lord, help me," you will also have Jesus' answer, "O dear Christian great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt" (v. 28).

The verses that follow the healing of the Canaanite woman's daughter ought to encourage everyone of us to come to the Lord and knock at mercy's door, because of the many miracles that followed the healing of the Canaanite woman's daughter. Though Jesus went into Canaan for a time, Matthew 15:29-30 says that "Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there. And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them: Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel." These all came knocking on mercy's door, and it was opened unto them. To all who by faith come meekly knocking at mercy's door, it shall be opened unto them so that God may be glorified by His mercy, grace, and power.

Rev. Jonathan Merica
Stockton, CA

Psalm 121:1-8

As we enter a new year, our hope is to receive new blessings which will be accompanied with greater joy, prosperity and happiness. It is the custom of people to welcome the New Year with new resolutions, hoping to improve upon their quality of life for the future. Although we do not know what the future holds, as Christians we know that everything in this life is working for our good, because the Lord is our Helper and Preserver. The blessed future of the believer is revealed in Scripture, and is confirmed by the past mercies and goodness of God to His people.

The Bible is a book revealing many accounts of God's mercy in helping and delivering His people for the glory of His name. We do not know what a day may bring forth, but we know for certain that the Lord delivers and helps all those who put their trust in Him.

When Israel was attacked by the Philistines, Samuel, the prophet, made an intercessory prayer to God that Israel would defeat the Philistines. When Samuel prayed, God answered his prayer and it "Thundered with a great thunder" and God slew all the Philistines. In glorifying God for that great victory, Samuel took a stone "And called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, hitherto (from the past to this present day) the Lord helped us." As did Samuel so also every true believer can say in looking at the past, "Hitherto (to this present day) the Lord helped us." Having experienced God's help and preservation in the past we have the assurance that God will be our refuge and strength in the days to come.

There are many dangers, troubles and sorrows that confront us in this life, and that threaten the safety and security of our body and soul. When going through distressing times, believers learn by faith to trust in God's protection and preservation and to rest upon the promises of Scripture.

God's Word is rich with promises for help and deliverance for His people. Psalm 121 is given to comfort our hearts with the hope that God is our Helper, by resting in His infallible promises. In summarizing the sense of this Psalm, Matthew Poole says, "The matter of this Psalm sufficiently showed that the Psalmist was conflicting with great difficulties and oppositions, and looking hither and thither for help, as men in such cases used to do, and then turning his eyes to God and His providence, and encouraging himself by God's promises to His people." Matthew Henry, in summing up the meaning of Psalm 121, says, "This Psalm directs and encourages us to repose ourselves and our confidence in God, and by faith to put ourselves to His care, which we must do with an entire resignation and satisfaction."

Although well-meaning "resolutions" seem to many to be a good beginning in starting out the new year, the Word of God instructs believers to turn their eyes to the Lord in faith for their refuge, strength and blessing all the days of their lives.

Psalm 121 is called a Song of Degrees, as are Psalms 120-134 also called Songs of Degrees or "Songs of Accent," because (as some suggest) it is believed these Psalms were sung by Jewish pilgrims traveling up the road to Jerusalem for the major feasts which God commanded Israel to observe.

The purpose of Psalm 121 is to direct the hearts of believers to fully trust in God alone for divine protection, help and blessing in time of need. The message of this Psalm could be summed up in the words of Psalm 20:7, "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God."

The Psalmist in Psalm 121:1-2 says. "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth." From these inspired words believers are encouraged to look with eyes of faith to find help in the Lord's ever present power and protection of divine providence.

Christian, the next time great trouble arises in your life, don't panic, don't worry or become distressed by discouraging thoughts, but rather remember the words of the Psalmist, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help."

The hills around Jerusalem were a reminder to the Psalmist of God's constant presence to give protection and salvation to His people. The hills formed a natural wall around Jerusalem, and the hills were always there. The hills were a natural protection to the city on every side; so also, God's everywhere present power is there for His people to aid and assist in every extreme circumstance in which they may find themselves. When the Psalmist says, "I will lift up mine eyes to the hills" his resolve is to focus his eye of faith upon God's ever-present power and protection. His heart is comforted and encouraged by trusting in God's preservation.

Psalms 125:2 reflects upon how the hills (mountains) around Jerusalem are like God's constant presence and ability to meet every need in every circumstance: "As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about His people from hence forth even forever." God will always abide with His people. He will never leave them nor forsake them.

The efficacy of God's power to help and to preserve His people is demonstrated in His power as creator, "The Lord, which made heaven and earth." The Lord's infinite strength in creating heaven and earth is confirmation to us that God's all-sufficient power is ready at all times to remedy every distress or circumstance that may confront us and disrupt our peace.

God, by His wisdom made heaven and earth out of nothing and by His same wisdom He can do what is impossible for man to do to help and deliver us. By God's infinite power He spoke all things into existence in a short period of time. It is equally as easy for God to make all things work for our good in a very short period of time, by His Word. The next time you are faced with a seemingly impossible circumstance, rest in this hope of the Psalmist, "My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth."

Not only is God our ever-present Helper, Who has the power and will to supply all our need in time of distress, but we see further in verses 3-8, God is our Preserver at all times and in every circumstance of life.

In verse 3 through verse 6 the Psalmist says of God, "He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night."

In declaring that God is our Keeper, the Psalmist reveals that God is One who maintains a constant watchful eye over His people as a guardian to protect and secure their safety. The Lord is our Good Shepherd. As a true and caring Shepherd, He keeps a constant watchful eye over his sheep to keep them from danger. In verses 3 and 4 we should note as our Keeper and Guardian, God never takes His eyes off of us. The Scripture says, "He that keepeth thee will not slumber, Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep." In Acts 12 the Apostle Peter was in prison for the sake of the gospel, but God who never "slumbers or sleeps," sent an angel in the middle of the night, to awaken Peter and to release him from prison to keep him from death which Herod had scheduled for the next morning.

As our keeper God not only keeps a constant vigil over His people, but in verse 3 we are taught that God our Keeper prevents our foot from sliding into a hurtful fall. "He keeps thy foot that it be not moved." The moving of the foot is figurative language for getting into trouble or falling into a sinful act and its miserable consequences, which could result in serious injury or death. As our Keeper, God keeps us from falling into a temptation and eminent danger all around. The journey to Jerusalem over the Judean Hills was treacherous and could result in a dangerous fall to the body, but God makes His beloved ones' steps to be safe spiritually. It is said of the wicked "their foot shall slide in due time," (Deut. 32:35) meaning their fall and destruction is inevitable, when God's appointed time comes. The steps of the righteous shall be established that they shall not slide. God keeps our feet from sliding so that we fall not into sin or temptation as Jude 24 says, "The Lord is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy."

This keeping of God's people from hurtful falls is not something that God does for only a select few in the church, but on the contrary, verse 4 assures us that He keeps all Israel saying, "Behold, he that keepeth Israel (all the church) shall neither slumber nor sleep." This promise is well illustrated in God's promise to Jacob, "Behold, I am with thee and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest." (Gen. 28:15)

Every true believer is under the guardianship of God so that He keeps all His people from trouble and He is pleased to do so. The Lord keeps us from evil and affliction as a "shade" or "shield" keeps away the heat of the sun and the frost-biting cold of a moonlit night as we read in verses 5 and 6 saying, "The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night."

We do not need to wonder why the enemies of Israel in the Old Testament were repeatedly defeated. It was not because of Israel's might or power but it was because God is Israel's "shade" and "shield" that the "sun" and "moon" of their enemies' destructive designs could not harm them. The Lord was their Keeper and He restrained Israel's enemies.

Perhaps you are thinking that it's not always God's will to keep the enemies of His people from afflicting or harming believers. That is true. The Church of the Old and New Testaments has a long history of persecution and bloodshed at the hand of its enemies. God allowed Israel to be afflicted by their enemies to chastise Israel's sin and disobedience. God sometimes allowed Christians of the New Testament to be persecuted and martyred for the furtherance of His Kingdom and glory. But it is God's common practice to preserve His people as they go through much evil and trouble in this life.

Thus the Psalmist in verses 7-8 assures us that God's general benevolence to His people when going through affliction is that, "The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: He shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out (into public places of duty, or the beginning of our work day) and thy coming in (private places of duty, or the ending of our work day) from this time forth, and even for ever more."

As saints of God we are sometimes exposed to great spiritual and bodily evil done by our enemies. The Apostle Paul was beaten until blood flowed from his lacerated back, his soul was exposed to spiritual perils, "by the heathen, and among false brethren," but God preserved him through them. Paul groaned from the painful thorn in the flesh, but God preserved him through it to show that His divine grace is sufficient in suffering. God was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when they went through the fiery furnace, so that they were preserved and emerged from the furnace without even the smell of smoke upon them.

Whatever good or evil circumstances we are in now or shall find ourselves in in the days ahead, throughout the whole course of our life, we have this promise, "for evermore. . . the Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: He shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore."

The meaning of these words was well-stated by a good minister of God from the past when he said, "You may be assured that as thou hast put thy whole trust and confidence in God, He will be thy continual portion and defense in all places, in all times in all actions, in life, in prosperity, in adversity, in death, in time and in eternity."

Dear Christian, you can search in heaven above or in the earth beneath among the great kings of the earth, the mighty, the powerful or those of nobility and you will find there is no Helper or Preserver to save your life except God alone in Whom is our trust. Psalm 20:6 says, "Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand." We have God's own promise that there is no other helper or deliverer to trust in time of trouble, for God says, "I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no Savior." There is no other helper or preserver beside God. He has been your Helper in time past, and He will be your Helper the rest of your days.

Be assured that God is working in your life. He will work all things for your good in the days ahead. As troubles arise in the new year, remember to follow the Psalmist's remedy for every crises when he said,

"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills (That is, trust in the ever present power and protection of God), from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth."

Psalm 121:1-8

As we enter a new year, our hope is to receive new blessings which will be accompanied with greater joy, prosperity and happiness. It is the custom of people to welcome the new year with new resolutions, hoping to improve upon their quality of life for the future. Although we do not know what the future holds, as Christians we know that everything in this life is working for our good, because the Lord is our Helper and Preserver. The blessed future of the believer is revealed in Scripture, and is confirmed by the past mercies and goodness of God to His people.

The Bible is a book revealing many accounts of God's mercy in helping and delivering His people for the glory of His name. We do not know what a day may bring forth, but we know for certain that the Lord delivers and helps all those who put their trust in Him.

When Israel was attacked by the Philistines, Samuel, the prophet, made an intercessory prayer to God that Israel would defeat the Philistines. When Samuel prayed, God answered his prayer and it "Thundered with a great thunder" and God slew all the Philistines. In glorifying God for that great victory, Samuel took a stone "And called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto (from the past to this present day) the Lord helped us." As did Samuel so also every true believer can say in looking at the past, "Hitherto (to this present day) the Lord helped us." Having experienced God's help and preservation in the past we have the assurance that God will be our refuge and strength in the days to come.

There are many dangers, troubles and sorrows that confront us in this life, and that threaten the safety and security of our body and soul. When going through distressing times, believers learn by faith to trust in God's protection and preservation and to rest upon the promises of Scripture.

God's Word is rich with promises for help and deliverance for His people. Psalm 121 is given to comfort our hearts with the hope that God is our Helper, by resting in His infallible promises. In summarizing the sense of this Psalm, Matthew Poole says, "The matter of this Psalm sufficiently showed that the Psalmist was conflicting with great difficulties and oppositions, and looking hither and thither for help, as men in such cases used to do, and then turning his eyes to God and His providence, and encouraging himself by God's promises to His people." Matthew Henry, in summing up the meaning of Psalm 121, says, "This Psalm directs and encourages us to repose ourselves and our confidence in God, and by faith to put ourselves to His care, which we must do with an entire resignation and satisfaction."

Although well-meaning "resolutions" seem to many to be a good beginning in starting out the new year, the Word of God instructs believers to turn their eyes to the Lord in faith for their refuge, strength and blessing all the days of their lives.

Psalm 121 is called a Song of Degrees, as are Psalms 120-134 also called Songs of Degrees or "Songs of Accent," because (as some suggest) it is believed these Psalms were sung by Jewish pilgrims traveling up the road to Jerusalem for the major feasts which God commanded Israel to observe.

The purpose of Psalm 121 is to direct the hearts of believers to fully trust in God alone for divine protection, help and blessing in time of need. The message of this Psalm could be summed up in the words of Psalm 20:7, "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God."

The Psalmist in Psalm 121:1-2 says. "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth." From these inspired words believers are encouraged to look with eyes of faith to find help in the Lord's ever present power and protection of divine providence.

Christian, the next time great trouble arises in your life, don't panic, don't worry or become distressed by discouraging thoughts, but rather remember the words of the Psalmist, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help."

The hills around Jerusalem were a reminder to the Psalmist of God's constant presence to give protection and salvation to His people. The hills formed a natural wall around Jerusalem, and the hills were always there. The hills were a natural protection to the city on every side; so also, God's everywhere present power is there for His people to aid and assist in every extreme circumstance in which they may find themselves. When the Psalmist says, "I will lift up mine eyes to the hills" his resolve is to focus his eye of faith upon God's ever-present power and protection. His heart is comforted and encouraged by trusting in God's preservation.

Psalms 125:2 reflects upon how the hills (mountains) around Jerusalem are like God's constant presence and ability to meet every need in every circumstance: "As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about His people from hence forth even forever." God will always abide with His people. He will never leave them nor forsake them.

The efficacy of God's power to help and to preserve His people is demonstrated in His power as creator, "The Lord, which made heaven and earth." The Lord's infinite strength in creating heaven and earth is confirmation to us that God's all-sufficient power is ready at all times to remedy every distress or circumstance that may confront us and disrupt our peace.

God, by His wisdom made heaven and earth out of nothing and by His same wisdom He can do what is impossible for man to do to help and deliver us. By God's infinite power He spoke all things into existence in a short period of time. It is equally as easy for God to make all things work for our good in a very short period of time, by His Word. The next time you are faced with a seemingly impossible circumstance, rest in this hope of the Psalmist, "My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth."

Not only is God our ever-present Helper, Who has the power and will to supply all our need in time of distress, but we see further in verses 3-8, God is our Preserver at all times and in every circumstance of life.

In verse 3 through verse 6 the Psalmist says of God, "He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night."

In declaring that God is our Keeper, the Psalmist reveals that God is One who maintains a constant watchful eye over His people as a guardian to protect and secure their safety. The Lord is our Good Shepherd. As a true and caring Shepherd, He keeps a constant watchful eye over his sheep to keep them from danger. In verses 3 and 4 we should note as our Keeper and Guardian, God never takes His eyes off of us. The Scripture says, "He that keepeth thee will not slumber, Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep." In Acts 12 the Apostle Peter was in prison for the sake of the gospel, but God who never "slumbers or sleeps," sent an angel in the middle of the night, to awaken Peter and to release him from prison to keep him from death which Herod had scheduled for the next morning.

As our keeper God not only keeps a constant vigil over His people, but in verse 3 we are taught that God our Keeper prevents our foot from sliding into a hurtful fall. "He keeps thy foot that it be not moved." The moving of the foot is figurative language for getting into trouble or falling into a sinful act and its miserable consequences, which could result in serious injury or death. As our Keeper, God keeps us from falling into a temptation and eminent danger all around. The journey to Jerusalem over the Judean Hills was treacherous and could result in a dangerous fall to the body, but God makes His beloved ones' steps to be safe spiritually. It is said of the wicked "their foot shall slide in due time," (Dt. 32:35) meaning their fall and destruction is inevitable, when God's appointed time comes. The steps of the righteous shall be established that they shall not slide. God keeps our feet from sliding so that we fall not into sin or temptation as Jude 24 says, "The Lord is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy."

This keeping of God's people from hurtful falls is not something that God does for only a select few in the church, but on the contrary, verse 4 assures us that He keeps all Israel saying, "Behold, he that keepeth Israel (all the church) shall neither slumber nor sleep." This promise is well illustrated in God's promise to Jacob, "Behold, I am with thee and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest." (Gen. 28:15)

Every true believer is under the guardianship of God so that He keeps all His people from trouble and He is pleased to do so. The Lord keeps us from evil and affliction as a "shade" or "shield" keeps away the heat of the sun and the frost-biting cold of a moonlit night as we read in verses 5 and 6 saying, "The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night."

We do not need to wonder why the enemies of Israel in the Old Testament were repeatedly defeated. It was not because of Israel's might or power but it was because God is Israel's "shade" and "shield" that the "sun" and "moon" of their enemies' destructive designs could not harm them. The Lord was their Keeper and He restrained Israel's enemies.

Perhaps you are thinking that it's not always God's will to keep the enemies of His people from afflicting or harming believers. That is true. The Church of the Old and New Testaments has a long history of persecution and bloodshed at the hand of its enemies. God allowed Israel to be afflicted by their enemies to chastise Israel's sin and disobedience. God sometimes allowed Christians of the New Testament to be persecuted and martyred for the furtherance of His Kingdom and glory. But it is God's common practice to preserve His people as they go through much evil and trouble in this life.

Thus the Psalmist in verses 7-8 assures us that God's general benevolence to His people when going through affliction is that, "The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: He shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out (into public places of duty, or the beginning of our work day) and thy coming in (private places of duty, or the ending of our work day) from this time forth, and even for ever more."

As saints of God we are sometimes exposed to great spiritual and bodily evil done by our enemies. The Apostle Paul was beaten until blood flowed from his lacerated back, his soul was exposed to spiritual perils, "by the heathen, and among false brethren," but God preserved him through them. Paul groaned from the painful thorn in the flesh, but God preserved him through it to show that His divine grace is sufficient in suffering. God was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when they went through the fiery furnace, so that they were preserved and emerged from the furnace without even the smell of smoke upon them.

Whatever good or evil circumstances we are in now or shall find ourselves in in the days ahead, throughout the whole course of our life, we have this promise, "for evermore. . . the Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: He shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore."

The meaning of these words was well-stated by a good minister of God from the past when he said, "You may be assured that as thou hast put thy whole trust and confidence in God, He will be thy continual portion and defense in all places, in all times in all actions, in life, in prosperity, in adversity, in death, in time and in eternity."

Dear Christian, you can search in heaven above or in the earth beneath among the great kings of the earth, the mighty, the powerful or those of nobility and you will find there is no Helper or Preserver to save your life except God alone in Whom is our trust. Psalm 20:6 says, "Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand." We have God's own promise that there is no other helper or deliverer to trust in time of trouble, for God says, "I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no Savior." There is no other helper or preserver beside God. He has been your Helper in time past, and He will be your Helper the rest of your days.

Be assured that God is working in your life. He will work all things for your good in the days ahead. As troubles arise in the new year, remember to follow the Psalmist's remedy for every crises when he said, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills (That is, trust in the ever present power and protection of God), from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth."

As each New Year arrives it is our hope, by the good providence of God, that we shall have a better and more prosperous year than the previous year. It is a custom of many to make New Year's resolutions with good intentions of keeping them, as though that will bring greater happiness in the coming new year. While it is commendable to make resolutions to cease bad behavior and to endeavor to improve our conduct and character, we know from Scripture "the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matt. 26:41). We need God's grace to enable us more and more to live according to His will. The Apostle Paul said, "By the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Cor. 15:10). As we understand God's will for our lives from His Word, we must cast ourselves completely upon His grace to cease bad behavior and to endeavor to be more like Christ in our conduct and character.

In the book of Micah, chapter six, Judah, the Southern kingdom of Israel, was suffering affliction from the chastening hand of the Lord. They were searching what they might do to please God, because their sins had brought divine judgment upon them. In Micah 6:6-7, the people of Judah were considering how they might change their ways in order to please God, asking, "Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" The prophet in Micah 6:8 reminds Judah how the prophets had already revealed God's will for them saying, "He hath shewed thee, O man (God speaks to Judah as one man), what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" Our best resolution is to live according to the Word which the Lord requires of us by His grace.

The 2009 Presbyterian Convention in Pakistan

Thank the Lord for a faithful Presbyterian and Reformed Church in Pakistan. This faithful testimony of the Gospel began in Lahore, Pakistan, in the late 1960s with the formation of the Bible-Believing Lahore Church Council, Lahore, Pakistan, (BBLCCL) working in partnership with Westminster Biblical Missions, Inc. Today the Bible-Believing Lahore Church Council has grown to approximately fifty congregations with about thirty-nine pastors. Other ministries within the BBLCCL consist of a Presbyterian Theological Seminary, four Calvin's Academies with about 2,500 students, a Bible Literacy Program, two medical clinics, and a sewing class for women. The small beginnings of the BBLCCL were blessed of God and established in 1973 when Sardar Ahmed Din, who worked for the Consulate at the Pakistan Embassy to support his family, opposed the liberal trends of the World Council of Churches within the Lahore Church Council in Lahore, Pakistan. Rev. Din led a small group of faithful Bible-believing Christians out of the Lahore Church Council and organized a church that would stand upon the Word of God alone and faithfully confess the doctrines of the Westminster standards of the Reformed faith.

The Beginning of the Convention at Lahore, Pakistan

By the providence of God, Rev. Din, in the early 1970s was introduced to a faithful Presbyterian minister in the United States by the name of Rev. Earl Pinckney. Providentially, Rev. Pinckney and a number of other Presbyterian men were in the process of the formation of a mission board and asked Rev. Din to join them. This was the beginning of Westminster Biblical Missions. Soon after organizing the first congregations of the BBLCCL, the Presbyterian Theological Seminary was founded to train men for the ministry. Since the mid 1970s graduates of the seminary have been preaching the gospel and planting Presbyterian congregations. In 1993 the BBLCCL congregations began meeting at Calvin's Academy #1 for the first Annual Presbyterian Convention. Guest speakers were invited to conduct worship services and Bible studies for the congregations and other guests were welcomed to attend for a time of spiritual refreshing in the Word of God. These meetings typically lasted four or five days with upwards of three thousand people in attendance.

The Sixteenth Annual Presbyterian Convention

Last year the Presbyterian Convention was cancelled because of the high risks of terrorists attacks. Although the terrorist alerts remained this year, precautions were taken so that the Presbyterian Convention of 2009 could convene. The Rev. Jonathan Merica, a minister in the Reformed Church in the U.S. and pastor at Calvary Reformed Chapel, Stockton, California, was invited to be the guest speaker. He welcomed the opportunity to minister to the people of God. Rev. Merica presently labors as the Assistant to Rev. Dennis Roe, the General Secretary of Westminster Biblical Missions and a minister in the RCUS. Rev. Emmanuel Gill and Rev. Sardar Din were the translators for the worship services and Bible studies into the Urdu language. Rev. Merica was very grateful for the several men who provided security while traveling through the dangerous areas where terrorist threats were more prevalent. He praises God for His protection and leading of the convention meetings. During one trip to the worship service at Lakho Dehar on November 2, the driver unwittingly decided to travel a different road. Had they not changed their route, they would have been at the scene of a suicide bombing, where six police officers were killed and others injured. During Rev. Merica's stay there were terrorist bombings that occurred in other areas of Pakistan. One occurred in Lahore, but not close enough to be a danger to our Christian brethren of the BBLCCL. Sadly, bombings are becoming more frequent in the Lahore area. We need to pray faithfully for the protection of God's people in a land that is militantly hostile to Christianity.