Vol 88 Issue 07

News from our Churches

Previous article in this series: June 2011, p. 393. “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

Previous article in this series: March 15, 2011, p. 271.

Previous article in this series: December 15, 2011, p. 129. * Fourth installment of the text of the address given at the annual meeting of the Reformed Free Publishing Association (RFPA) on September 22, 2011 at Faith Protestant Reformed Church, Jenison, MI.

What’s going on? What does it all mean? It began in New York City—”Occupy Wall Street.” It was the first week of October. World magazine (October 22, 2011, p.

God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. This is the fundamental, glorious message that Jesus revealed and His church declares (I John 1:5). God is light. But light is not God. Light is a creature. In the beginning God said, “Let there be light!” That light He divided from the darkness, called it day, and it was good (Gen. 1:2).

It was quite a year. In the realm of natural catastrophes, 2011 will hold its own with any preceding it. When you have a tsunami the scope of the one that arose just off the coast of Japan, the result of one of those rare earthquakes that measure 9.0+ on the Richter scale, with the sea itself rising like a living creature to sweep 15-20 miles inland, sending a nuclear reactor into meltdown, rendering man completely helpless, causing a nation the size and stature of modern Japan to teeter on the brink financially, you have an event of apocalyptic proportions....

“For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: if any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; but a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that...