Vol 83 Issue 12

Rev. VanBaren is a minister emeritus in the Protestant Reformed Churches.   Winning One for the Lord?    

Mr. Wigger is a member of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Congregation Activities The council of the Hudsonville, MI PRC approved the request of our Seminary that their pastor and council oversee the internship of Mr. Heath Bleyenberg from July 1 through December 31 of this year. Seminarian Bleyenberg is in his third year of seminary, is a son of the Edgerton, MN PRC, and currently is a member of Hope PRC in Walker, MI. The bulk of work for the intern is preparing and delivering a minimum of nine sermons during the six months of the internship....

A Concise History of Christian Thought, by Tony Lane (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2006). Pp. x-336. $19.99 (paper). [Reviewed by Prof Herman Hanko.]   The author, professor of historical theology and director of research at the London School of Theology, has given us a very worthwhile book. It can best be called a biographical history of doctrine. It is unique in that it traces the development of doctrine from the early church to today by means of biographical sketches of the church’s theologians and what they taught. The description of their teachings is enhanced by pertinent quotes from their writings....

Mr. VanOverloop is a member of the Protestant Reformed Church in Hudsonville, Michigan and a member of the Special Education Board. This article is an appeal to all of us to learn about and better understand Protestant Reformed Special Education. The article is written to all of us and is meant to be educational and motivational. There is a Society for Protestant Reformed Special Education. It was started some time ago. The society/board has and does support many different aspects in our day schools. The foundation for the society is covenantal and a beautiful picture of the communion of the...

Rev. Hanko is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Lynden, Washington. Previous article in this series: February 1, 2007, p. 201. The Fifth Disputation, Chapter 3:7-12 (continued)  10. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. It is evident from verse 10 that Israel’s sin was primarily the sin of not giving the tithes at...

Rev. Haak is pastor of Georgetown Protestant Reformed Church in Hudsonville, Michigan and radio pastor of the Reformed Witness Hour. This sermon was aired on September 9, 2001. A beautiful portion of the Word of God is ours for today. It is found in Romans 8:18: “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” The apostle Paul is speaking under inspiration for every believer in whom lives the Spirit of Christ. Note the words: “For Ireckon that the sufferings of this present time are not...

Rev. Laning is pastor of Hope Protestant Reformed Church in Walker, Michigan. Previous article in this series: March 1, 2007, p. 253. The Reformed Baptists say that infants were circumcised in the old dispensation because the old covenant included a promise of earthly blessings of common grace to all of them head for head. But this, we have pointed out, was not the case. There were no earthly blessings of common grace to anyone. There were only heavenly blessings of saving grace, and these came only to the elect children. So why were they all circumcised, if they did not...

“And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.” I Chronicles 12:32 (In the previous article under this title we set forth, from the lips of some of those in power in the realm of the news media, how they “frame and package the news” to “reflect the mind-set and values of the newsroom.” In addition we briefly examined three of the “essential eight,” i.e., the eight questions to ask concerning news...

Previous article in this series: March 1, 2007, p. 244. In the previous editorial, we took note of the obvious trend of increasing instances of divorce and remarriage in the Reformed and Presbyterian church world. The issue is ultimately an exegetical matter, and readers are encouraged to read works that discuss the pertinent passages of Scripture. Yet there is also a significant theological issue, which has to do with the bond of marriage, and which is related to the question, is the bond of marriage breakable? While all agree that it ought not be broken, few insist that only God through death...

Rev. Slopsema is pastor of First Protestant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. James 5:13 How much time do you and your family spend in prayer? How often do you sing praises to God? It’s probably true that the church of the past spent more time in those activities than we do today. Today we tend to be too preoccupied with all the forms of entertainment that have come into our homes—radio, television, DVD’s, and computer and video games. The word of God that James...