Let’s begin with a question: how much have you carefully thought about being a good asker of questions? This is a worthwhile matter to ponder, considering that being a good question asker is evidence of wisdom and spiritual strength. The Lord makes it very clear that the wise young man or woman is “quick to hear, slow to speak” (Jam. 1:19). What encourages both attentive listening and wise communication is being conscious of asking thoughtful questions. Why do we ask questions? On the surface, the purpose may seem obvious: to gain information that is unknown. In our everyday lives, this...
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There is power in media to promote a message. Through television, film, radio, podcast, and social media, getting a message out to the masses has never been easier. And the platforms to receive the message are owned by almost everyone, as smartphones, tablets, and televisions are becoming ubiquitous. Many are the messages that are being promoted, so many of which are dangerous to the Christian and to the church. What I will address in this article is The Chosen, the television series about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Dramatic productions of biblical narratives, and more specifically of Jesus,...
The spirit of rebellion against God is manifested in every sphere of earthly life, one of which is the area of medicine and healthcare. What follows demonstrates this, as we consider three articles on the purpose of medicine, the goal of science, and the rise of assisted suicide. The first article, found on World Magazine’s website, is titled: “A Complete Divorce of Medicine from Healthcare.”1 It explains the implications, if passed, of proposed new non-discrimination regulations under Section 1557 of the Patient Protection Act. The basic idea of the regulations is that medicine no longer has as its purpose the...
As a Christian pastor and preacher, a common theme upon which I ponder is how believers in the church, myself included as a minister of the gospel, will experience the attack of the enemies of Christ. The Scriptures are clear: “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (II Tim. 3:12). In describing the citizens of the kingdom of God, Jesus says: “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for their’s is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:10). The entire teaching of the New Testament Scriptures on the last days and the coming...
Rev. Nathan Decker, pastor of Grandville Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan The purpose of this article is twofold. First, it will report briefly on key decisions taken at the 2022 Synod of the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) regarding the report on human sexuality. Second, it will reflect on a couple of the more significant immediate implications of these decisions. What occurred at this summer’s CRC synod has a history beginning in 2016. That year, the CRC synod adopted the following recommendation: That synod appoint a new study committee to articulate a foundation-laying biblical theology of human sexuality that pays...
Rev. Nathan Decker, pastor of Grandville Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan Introduction Sexual abuse is present in the Protestant Reformed Churches. The recent proof is two public cases: a minister deposed and multi-term elder excommunicated for his impenitence with regard to this sin. The overwhelming evidence is the many victims and survivors in the PRC, who were sexually abused by PR family, teachers, or fellow church members. Why an article on the role of the local PR church? Because this evil is among us, and the church is called to deal with sexual abuse justly and wisely. The subject...
Rev. Nathan Decker, pastor of Grandville Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan Around five years ago, I gave a speech entitled “Living Wisely in a Digital Age.” A central point was to highlight the importance of being proactive in knowing about technology, striving to understand the potential spiritual harm of using a device or application before jumping headlong into it. One of the greatest dangers is that we become passive by using every new device or platform without much thought. This much is clear: certain devices and apps do impact the spiritual and emotional well-being of the believer. Discernment is...
As I reflect upon the gift of God that Prof. Robert Decker was to the church of Jesus Christ, I write this article in memory of him from two perspectives. First, the man known to the churches as Rev. Decker, and later as Prof. Decker, was to me always and only “Uncle Bob.” I am the youngest son of Prof. Decker’s younger brother, and because of our relative ages, many who did not know our family well would often assume that Prof. Decker was my grandfather. My memories of Prof. Decker are those of a nephew. It is fitting that...
Introduction The subject of this “All Around Us” article is sexual abuse in the realm of the church, a topic about which it is difficult to write and to read. However, it is necessary to do so because, in the first place, we must have a certain level of knowledge that the terrible evil of sexual abuse is present in the church. For a member of the church of Christ to think that sexual abuse only occurs in the world is wrong. Not only does such a mentality cause the church not to take the necessary protective measures to prevent...
Let us begin by listening in on an eighth and ninth-grade Heidelberg Catechism class. The pastor, beginning the class as he often does with a time of review to drive deep in the students’ minds important facts and main ideas, asks about the history of the Heidelberg Catechism. The pastor asks, “When was the Heidelberg Catechism written?” A student answers, “1563.” The pastor asks, “By whom was the Heidelberg Catechism written?” A student answers, “Caspar Olevianus and Zacharias Ursinus.” Along this line of questions, the pastor asks: “Who was Frederick III?” And the answer given by the student would be,...
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