At the time this issue was ‘locked up’ for publication, no news had been received concerning e Rev. James Slopsema’s call from our Lynden, Washington church to serve as home missionary in the Northwest Washington area or concerning the call extended to Rev. Dale Kuiper to serve as pastor of our Hope Church in Walker, Michigan. 

HET SCHARLAKEN KOORD, by Cornelius Lambragtse. Uitgeverij T. Wever, R.V.; Franeker, Nederland.  This is the second religious novel from the hand of Cornelius Lambregtse, which was published in 1975 and enjoyed a reprint in 1976. Religious novels in America usually prove disappointing, but that is not the case with the two written by Lambregtse; Both carry a sound religious note. 

Dear Timothy,  It is indeed true what the Psalmist says in Psalm 139: “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” The more we ponder our own creation as we have come, by the hand of God, from the parents whom God has used to bring us into the world, the more we stand amazed at the complexity and wonder of our own nature. 

When Jacob appeared at the home of his uncle Laban, he was received in what appeared to be a warm welcome. From a natural point of view this would be natural, that is, the expected thing. Here was a relative whom they had never seen before, and who came from a far country. And indeed, with the means of transportation of that day, it was a far country.

The last time: how are we living? Are we living in these last times by partaking of the king’s meat? Do we like the king’s meat? Do we find that it is desirable and that it tastes delicious? If our answer to those questions is yes, then we, you and I, are simply not living in these last times as we should. To put it bluntly, if our answer to those questions is yes, then we, you and I, are in deep spiritual trouble. We are in deep spiritual trouble. We are in deep spiritual trouble exactly because the Word...

In our last article we discussed the subject of beginning our homes in the fear of the Lord. We emphasized how important it is to establish our homes in the fear of the Lord. It is in a sense, of course, easy to vow when we begin our homes that we will fear the Lord. We are inclined to be as Israel in the latter days of Joshua when Joshua charged Israel to choose to serve the Lord God.

The people of God in our day live at a time of growing apostasy and immorality. It is a day of relative ease, on the other hand, in that the church undergoes no strong persecution. It is, therefore, a day of great temptation. There is a very real temptation to go to sleep—to turn our eyes away from our weaknesses and sins, in order to continue the so-called peace that we enjoy. The attitude of the world that everything is okay as long as it does not personally hurt another, is an attitude that the church is tempted to follow.

A reader asks: “A friend of mine believes that Genesis 4:7 proves that God showed favor to Cain and therefore grace. If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? He likes to emphasize the word ‘accepted.’ Looking forward for your views in the Standard Bearer.”

“Burns Plays God”  I guess the element of shock has disappeared. One can expect anything and everything within Reformed circles. There are few, it seems, who blush anymore (Jer. 6:15). Yet one can not help but be disappointed and disgusted at the extent of departure from the truths of Scripture and of the confessions of the Reformed churches. 

Sometimes one rubs his eyes in disbelief at things which appear nowadays in th& pages of The Banner, especially, though not exclusively, things which are from the pen of James Daane.