All Articles For Vol 91 Issue 05 12/1/2014

Congregation Activities The First PRC of Holland, MI holds weekly Bible studies at the Holland Rescue Mission and every Monday evening a group of 10-12 people participate. The recent topic was: “How Do I Know I Am a Christian?” Now the discussion centers on each of the Ten Commandments with the emphasis that we obey God’s law not in order to be saved, but in thanksgiving because we are saved. These hour-long sessions meet at 7 p.m. in the lower level of the Rescue Mission and all are welcome to come!

Mr. Cleveland is a member of Hope Protestant Reformed Church of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Are We Together? A Protestant Analyzes Roman Catholicism, R.C. Sproul. (Reformation Trust Publishing, a division of Ligonier Ministries: Sanford, FL, 2012.) 129 pp. ISBN: 978-1-56769-282-2. [Reviewed by Aaron J. Cleveland.] The author asks a worthwhile question. Nearly 500 years of history have passed since the great Protestant Reformation. Rome has remained steadfast in maintaining her false doctrines for the past 500 years. In fact, in the centuries since the Reformation she has repeatedly confirmed her false gospel, and by her pronouncements concerning papal infallibility and Mary as...

Previous article in this series: October 1, 2014, p. 18. By way of introduction in this series, we have, first, sounded the bugle-call to battle. Second, we have proved the necessity of viewing the Christian life as one of warfare. Third, we have defined the holy war in which we are engaged. We proceed now to our first main topic in treatment of the subject of Christian warfare, namely war’s origin. A proper understanding of any subject demands an examination of its origin. In Heidelberg Catechism class, prior to studying Lord’s Day 1, we ask and answer concerning the writing...

Previous article in this series: November 1, 2014, p. 58. “Jesus only knows of two aeons [ages]: the present and the future aeons. In the present aeon [age] his disciples cannot expect anything other than oppression and persecution and must forsake all things for his sake. Jesus nowhere predicts a glorious future on earth before the end of the world…. Only in the age to come will his disciples receive everything back along with eternal life.” “Nowhere in the New Testament is there a ray of hope that the church of Christ will again come to power and dominion on...

Previous article in this series: September 15, 2014, p. 491. One of God’s chief purposes for our marriages is the bringing forth of covenant children. This matter is not merely one of the choice of a godly couple but a matter of their calling and responsibility before God. Bringing forth children is a very important question because of its personal nature. How many children we have in our home is going to affect many things. Even one child requires sacrifice on the part of the married couple. Childbearing involves considerable expense, especially in our modern times. It involves the physical...

Previous article in this series: September 1, 2014, p. 465. Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion. Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God. For he shall not much remember...

Annise Parker is the first openly lesbian mayor of Houston, Texas. In June 2014, the city of Houston passed a bill called the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) which, among other things, allows persons of “confused gender identity” to use public restrooms of their choice. In other words, men may use women’s bathrooms, and women may use men’s bathrooms. The controversial law immediately drew attempts to have it repealed. Many worked to gather signatures to force the city authorities to place the bill on the ballot to allow voters, rather than politicians, to decide its fate. A broadly interdenominational coalition...

This is the second half of the Convocation address delivered on September 10, 2014. Previous article in this series: November 15, 2014, p. 77. “By these words, Paul means that the church is the faithful keeper of God’s truth in order that it may not perish in the world. For by its ministry and labor God willed to have the preaching of his word kept pure and to show himself the Father of a family while he feeds us with spiritual food and provides everything that makes for our salvation.” (Calvin’s Institutes). And, “In consequence, this commendation applies to the ministry of the Word;...

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. James 1:2-4 James, the brother of Jesus and Jude, is addressing “the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad.” These twelve tribes were the church scattered by persecution into Syria. The church was almost exclusively Jewish at this point and thus identified as the twelve tribes. After greeting the church in this way, James deals immediately with the suffering and persecution that the...